Chapter 149: When Beijing Meets Berlin II
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10 Downing Street, London, United Kingdom. Prime Minister Disraeli, who had just finished a question in the House of Commons, looked at Foreign Minister Robert Cecil, who had come to report on his work, still looking angry.
"Robert, I really don't know what the people's William is thinking, is the colony of the empire obtained by preaching?! He also attacked me in parliament, saying that I had turned a deaf ear to the massacre of Bulgarian Christians in Turkey. β
"My lord, is it because of the report of the Bulgarian investigation that the Istanbul Foreign Secretary, Sir Walter Balin, has just submitted to the House of Commons?" Cecil asked.
"Yes." Disraeli nodded with a gloomy face, "This latest investigation report has made a final conclusion on the Bulgarian incident, confirming that in 77, the Turks killed 11,247 people in Bulgaria. β
But there are more than 3.7 million Christians in Bulgaria, and the Turks have only killed more than 10,000, so what does this mean for Christians in Bulgaria? After all, there are so many people in this world who believe in God! β
Listening to a Jew arranging Catholics like this, Cecil was still a little uncomfortable even though he was a Protestant, and twisted his body slightly.
Seeing his most proud protΓ©gΓ© and his uneasy look when he heard his words, Disraeli hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice, "Robert, it seems that you can't accept my point of view either, I think today in the House of Commons, I lost the debate with the Liberal Shadow Cabinet again." β
"My lord, what you just said, you?"
"Yes, I was completely enraged by that Mr. Morality, and I couldn't hold back for a while." Disley replied in as relaxed a tone as he could, then ripped open the packaging of a cigar and paused for a moment before saying, "But it is in the Empire's best interest to defend the Ottoman Turks, to defend that damned sultan, and to keep the Russians from going south!" β
"I don't send troops to protect Bulgarian Christians, he scolds me for being irresponsible to Christian society, and after I helped Bulgaria to establish itself through the Berlin Conference, he criticized me that he should not help Bulgaria, a weak man, and encouraged it to fight against the strong Turkey, what is he preaching in the House of Commons, the empire should persuade and prevent the strong from attacking the weak!"
"No matter what I do, William of this people, portrays me as an accomplice of the executioners, an aggressor in the Balkans! And he will always be a Christian in the free world who preaches humanity and loves justice! Disraeli roared, crumpling the cigar in his hand.
Prime Minister Disraeli was referring to the William of the people, the Christian of the free world, and Mr. Moral, referring to the political opponent of the Conservative Party, Mr. William-Jurte Gladstone, the leader of the British Liberal Party.
From the time the Earl of Derby, Prime Minister Edward Jeffrey Smith Stanley, formed a cabinet in 1852, Disraeli was entangled with Gladstone, especially in 1868, when Disraeli first became prime minister, and his first cabinet fell by Bryston.
Cecil knew how deep the hatred between the two was, so he could only turn a blind eye to Prime Minister Disraeli's anger. After all, he is a well-known political figure, and after a little catharsis, Prime Minister Disraeli still controlled his emotions, and after calming down a little, he asked Cecil about his intentions.
"Your Excellency, the diplomats in Berlin have confirmed from several sources that the Code of Conduct for the States of the South Pacific, issued by the Germans last week, was indeed at the behest of Chancellor Bismarck."
"What?! When did this guy who shouted iron and blood also start advocating for world peace? Prime Minister Disraeli felt his head dizzy, "There is a noble Christian in the imperial political arena, who talks about morality all day long, and he can still accept it, when will a barbaric Prussian, a muscular man who believes in force, start talking about world peace....."
"Prime Minister, are you alright?" Cecil looked at the Prime Minister's face distorted by pain, with some concern.
Prime Minister Disraeli held his forehead with his right hand and waved his left hand to signal Foreign Minister Cecil to continue.
"My lord, at the same time, there is also news that Chancellor Bismarck has sworn allegiance to Crown Prince Frederick."
"Oh, Robert, how did you confirm this news!" Prime Minister Disraeli jerked his head up and stared at Cecil.
"From three aspects, first of all, the supporters of Crown Prince Frederick, that is, the news is circulating in the German NEP circle, and secondly, Prussia has introduced several new laws, and the entire German government is accelerating the promotion of the Crown Prince's NEP, and there is no previous obstruction and prevarication posture, especially in Prussia, I think this situation can support the previous point from the side."
"Finally, it is the letter from the eldest princess to Her Majesty, just now Your Majesty forwarded a copy of this letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the eldest princess vaguely stated in the letter that Chancellor Bismarck has pledged allegiance to the crown prince."
Cecil glanced at the contemplative Prime Minister and continued, "Your Majesty is very excited about this matter, and thinks that Germany is moving in a positive direction, and I estimate that you will soon be summoned to the palace as a prelude." β
"When did Bismarck pledge his allegiance to Crown Prince Frederick, before or after this jumbled peace proclamation?" Prime Minister Disraeli asked.
"From the point of view of intelligence, it was the German circles that first had rumors, and then there were announcements." Cecil did not answer the Prime Minister's question directly, but the hint was enough for Prime Minister Disraeli to make a judgment.
"It makes sense, Gladstone was Frederick's teacher during his time in England, and their liberal ideas were in the same vein, so since Bismarck swore allegiance to Frederick, he must make adjustments in foreign policy." Prime Minister Disraeli said calmly.
Then he took out another cigar, slowly tore open the package, cut off the cap with a cigar tong, and then lit the cigar with three matches seriously, put it in his mouth, and after blowing lightly, he suddenly asked, "Since you are asking for peace talks between the two sides of the South Pacific War, why do you want to pull the Russians into South America?" β
"Chancellor, there is something more interesting for the Germans." Cecil suddenly interjected, "Prime Minister Bismarck's allies have formed an alliance to buy a large amount of industrial goods and weapons from the Russians, and are ready to support the Peruvian and Bolivian federal armies. β
"And Crown Prince Frederick, in fact, should be the personal secretary of the eldest princess and the housekeeper of the imperial palace, and Sir Stokemar stepped forward to organize a Prussian volunteer army to support the Prussian descendants in Chile."
"Robert, you have reliable news?!" Prime Minister Disraeli frowned, and felt a little pain in his brain.
"Yes, sir. This information is absolutely reliable, these two things have already spread in Berlin diplomatic circles, and our people have confirmed it. Cecil nodded, and continued, "The opinion within the Germans themselves is that it is actually Chancellor Bismarck and Crown Prince Frederick in the ring. β
"And what's the matter with the allegiance ahead?!" Prime Minister Disraeli held his head and asked, "Isn't it ....., Robert, how is His Majesty Kaiser Wilhelm?" β
"The news from the Imperial diplomats in Berlin that His Majesty Kaiser Wilhelm I has not been very concerned about government affairs lately, and government affairs are basically handled by Crown Prince Frederick and Chancellor Bismarck."
"No, no, no, I'm asking His Majesty Emperor Wilhelm's body?"
Cecil hurriedly looked through the folder in his hand, and after carefully flipping through a few documents, he replied, "My lord, His Majesty Emperor Wilhelm I has no record of summoning doctors to the palace recently. β
"Robert, if I'm not mistaken, His Majesty Kaiser Wilhelm should be in his eighties, right?"
"Eighty-two years old, Prime Minister, to be exact."
"Looks like it's time to prepare, isn't it? Robert. β
"What you mean, my lord, is that Chancellor Bismarck swore allegiance to Crown Prince Frederick under some irresistible pressure, when in fact he and Crown Prince Frederick were political enemies." Cecil reasoned along the Prime Minister's lines.
"Yes, Robert. Otherwise, how can we explain the two opposing forces that emerged in Germany in the South American War, one side was Chancellor Bismarck's men, and the other was Crown Prince Frederick's men? Prime Minister Disraeli asked after exhaling a puff of smoke.
Foreign Minister Robert Cecil carefully recalled his impression of Prime Minister Bismarck, shrewd, tough, stubborn, proud, a fiery horse that was difficult to control and could overturn his master at any time.
"His Excellency the Prime Minister, that is to say, Chancellor Bismarck, was forced to swear allegiance to Crown Prince Frederick in advance under some influence of His Majesty the Emperor Wilhelm I, such as health or age."
"But because of the difference in political ideas between the two, or the fact that Chancellor Bismarck swore allegiance in order to maintain his power in Germany, even if he swore allegiance, he wanted to give Crown Prince Frederick a little color through his conservative forces, so as to emphasize Bismarck's strong position in the German imperial family, especially the emperor."
"And this war in the South Pacific happened to be a perfect opportunity, and Crown Prince Frederick supported the Chileans, so Prime Minister Bismarck arranged for his subordinates to support Peru and Bolivia."
"Because Crown Prince Frederick believed in the moral doctrine of liberalism, there was that strange world peace proclamation from the German Foreign Office, and Chancellor Bismarck, as head of government, of course, could not take the lead and blatantly violated this proclamation, so he had to turn to the Russians for help."
"Yes, Robert! This would explain why Bismarck wanted to draw the Russians into the Southern Taiping War, because he needed to buy Russian industrial goods and weapons, so he had to win over the Russians. Prime Minister Disraeli said with a smile and confidence.
"My lord, but there is a problem here, Chancellor Bismarck is a Prussian nobleman, and he should support Chile, and there is no reason to support Peru at all." Cecil always felt that there was a question in his mind, and finally he couldn't help but bring it up.
"Robert, please note who came forward to find the Russians, Bismarck's men, his agents. Similarly, Crown Prince Frederick was also an agent, the butler of the Imperial Palace, Sir Stokema. Prime Minister Disraeli tapped lightly on the table and said, "This is a war between agents, and whoever loses is just a loser by an agent." β
"Crown Prince Frederick, in the name of protecting his fellow Prussians, had already taken the moral high ground, and Bismarck, in order not to lose the war, had to put the treasure on the side of the victors. You have to know, Robert, that now the whole world thinks that the Chileans are going to lose this war, so Bismarck invests in the Peruvians to ensure that he does not lose, and this is the proper performance of a true political veteran. β