"You guys are so pretentious! You guys are so pretentious! Why can't we be honest when we're the only ones here? If you do this, you will definitely bring about a great war that will spread across Europe! ”

Because Charles and Bismarck's answers were so insincere, Prince Metternich could not help but be angry, and rebuked the two pretentious young men. "France is peace-loving, Prussia is peace-loving? Gentlemen, the joke is not to be laughed, how many wars have these two countries waged over the years? Which of these two countries is not ambitious now? By answering like this, you are going against our purpose of being open and honest and treating me like a foolish old man! ”

Charles and Bismarck were so embarrassed by the prince's merciless counting, they looked at each other and couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Although it was a private party, the status of the three of them was not trivial, so except for Prince Metternich, who had retired, no one dared to talk nonsense without taboos, so as not to cause trouble for themselves, so the first reaction of Charles and Bismarck was to sing as peace-loving and high-pitched as in public.

"As for you...... You two may not hate peace, but you certainly don't love peace, because you love yourselves, just like me! "When you say this, it only means that you do not intend to be open and honest at all, but only to think of a perfunctory matter to make an old man like me happy—but...... Hell, I'm not an ordinary person, I'm Metternich, and you can't coax me with these tricks! If you respect me, you should come with your own mind and sincerity. Communicate with me decently! ”

"I'm sorry...... Your Highness, I shouldn't have spoken to you so casually. "Seeing that this old man has lost his temper so badly. Charles finally couldn't sit still, "Maybe my words are a bit exaggerated. It is true that there have always been people in France who are eager to destroy the existing peace, but the love of peace is really mainstream, especially ...... Especially when we have been accepted into the European family. ”

"I'm sorry I said something that you didn't like, Your Highness." Bisma also bowed down to the prince and apologized, "In the eyes of the world, we Prussians are indeed warlike, and I have no way to change this impression. But I can assure you that the Prussians, no matter how belligerent, are normal people. It is in fact happy to maintain a peace that is beneficial to itself. ”

"That's what you guys say." The Prince's face finally looked a little better, and he was no longer as angry as before. "I shall assume that you are now sincere enough, because in spite of your secrecy, you have spoken your true will - yes, you accept only peace that is good for you, and you will be calm only when you are in a position of superiority, and you will not support peace if Europe is not what you want. Considering that you will rule a great power in the next 10 or 15 years, use it to enforce your will. That's going to be very worrying......"

Bismarck was stunned.

He was now depressed, but he was somewhat flattered by the Prince of Metternich's claim that he would be able to command a nation in the future. What surprised him even more was that. Implicit in the Prince's meaning was an even more striking corollary: he would be able to meet the young man in front of him (and certainly not young at that time) when he came to power.

It's true...... What can you do? He thought to himself.

What he tirelessly sought was the unification of Germany with Prussia at its core, and the use of this united German state to influence, and furthermore, dominate, a new order in Europe.

To achieve this. He does not hesitate to start war, and he will mercilessly sweep away anyone who stands in his way. And France. Maybe it will become an obstacle for yourself at that time.

And what about this young man? What would he think? Could he be the same as he thinks?

I think there will be...... Take charge of a country and then use that country's power to dominate the European order. And what aspiring person wouldn't think so?

Maybe it's really possible that the two of us will meet each other in the future? The thought crossed his mind, and he unconsciously turned his head to look at Treville. He didn't expect that at this moment, Charles de Treville also happened to turn his head to look at him, and the two of them looked at each other like this.

The young man, although full of smiles, did not flinch at all, like a piece of ice wrapped in a ceremonial coat.

He must have thought of this as well.

The corners of Bismarck's mouth moved slightly, and he made up a meaningful smile at him.

It's good, it's good...... You can be a worthy opponent if you ever have one...... Let's fight for the winner.

The raging flames burned in his heart again, and he swept away his recent depression and regained his fighting spirit. Yes, his career is indeed in a difficult situation now, but isn't it too early? I am still young, I still have inexhaustible energy, and I have enough ambition to ignite the world, ten years ...... Isn't it just ten years? Wouldn't it be nice for Prince Metternich to witness in heaven who will win and who will lose?

He became more and more excited, his whole body trembled slightly, and he almost laughed out loud, almost relying on extraordinary self-control to not let himself show too many traces.

"I'm glad you think so highly of me, Your Highness, ten to fifteen years is not an easy time...... Who knows what the future holds? "However, I love my country, and I am willing to give everything to it, and if one day my country needs my passion and energy, then I will give it unreservedly." ”

"Where do you want to vent all this passion and energy?" Metternich had observed the interaction between the two young men, but he ignored them.

"On the great revival of the German nation, of course, Your Highness. It seems to me that this is the only great cause of the present time for any pure German. Bismarck turned his gaze and looked at the senior proudly. Germany has been a slaughterhouse for many years because of the chaos it has created. How many disasters have you suffered? Now it must be re-healed as soon as possible, **** the wounds of the past, and then use the strength of the nation to fight against every bayonet that reaches out to it, otherwise it can only sink forever. ”

"You seem to have said a lot of the same thing during the Imperial Council." The Prince, unstruck by his impassioned feelings, said calmly, "The Count of Thun has said on several occasions that you have tried to use these words to encourage him to support your views. ”

Count Thun, the Austrian Imperial Ambassador to the Imperial Assembly, was an equally pretentious man, and as a junior of Metternich he often came to listen to the teachings of the Prince, while Bismarck, on the one hand, was a man of his own nature. On the one hand, in order to compete with Austria, he deliberately and often acted arrogantly and rudely to him, causing him to be angry several times and speak ill of this rich country man in front of the prince.

"I have said it at home, I have said it in Berlin, I have said it in the Reichstag, these words are my eternal opinions, and I will say them unmistakably everywhere." Bismarck did not flinch from the prince's implicit accusations, "Of course I know it. Words alone are not enough to achieve the goal, I just give you a foreshadowing, that's all. ”

"Prussian, after all......" the prince sighed slightly, and after a moment of silence before speaking again. Sir, as a German, I am not opposed to your lofty ideals. I also hope that the German nation will be revived and that it will take its rightful place in Europe. However, we have to see. In addition to the nation, there is also the existence of the state. We must be cautious that Europe should be a fertile ground for all peoples to live in harmony and to exist as citizens in their respective countries. ”

"If a country can't even defend its national interests, and is unwilling to defend it, then what's the point of its existence? Is it just to overtax? Perhaps because of some excitement, Bismarck asked the prince without any concessions, "Sir, in the days when foreign cannons are crushed from our land every ten or twenty years, we should leave the words harmony and paradise for the next century!" ”

"Please don't go on, you two, I think you've got on an unrelated topic." Seeing that the two were about to quarrel, Charles immediately interjected and stopped them.

This is the fundamental difference between Prussia and Austria. Prussia could arm itself with national fervor and agitation, but Austria could not, Austria ruled with the Germans, but there were also Czechs, Hungarians, Croats, and so on in its territory with a large population, and the whole foundation of Austria-Hungary was shaken when national enthusiasm was spoken - or, so to speak, in the age of the nation-state, Austria itself was an anachronistic outlier, congenitally incapacitated.

So Austria can only have Metternich, there can be no Bismarck. This, of course, is good for France.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Your Highness, I've gone a little too far." Bismarck also felt that his words were a little inappropriate, and hurriedly apologized to the prince, as for how sincere it was, it is difficult to say.

"It's nothing, young man, after all, the blood is too strong." The prince waved his hand, indicating that he didn't mind. "In short, what I want to say is very simple, that is, you must not compromise the real interests of your country because of your own pursuits. If you don't restrain yourself, you're going to pull Europe into yet another tragedy, and such a tragedy will do neither of you any good, but the real enemies of Europe for nothing! ”

"The real enemy?" Both Charles and Bismarck were a little strange.

"Far from being prosperous, Europe is in danger and on the verge of collapse if it is not careful, and the situation is getting worse almost every minute." "To the west," said Prince Metternich, unhurriedly, "Europe is confronted with a shrewd and cunning little shopkeeper who is bent on enriching himself by stirring up civil strife in Europe; To the east, Europe is confronted with a brutal and tyrannical scoundrel who wants to swallow Europe in its belly! Although these two men may look different, they are equally cunning and vicious, and they are equally anxious that Europe will never be at peace. Regrettably, their purpose has been achieved, at least in the last few centuries, when we, the Europeans, the real Europeans, have expended what little strength we have in killing each other, and have ended up with two thugs taking everything and waiting for us to come to our senses. What do we see? God, two of the world's largest empires have stood at opposite ends of Europe. Suffocated all the real Europeans like an icy wall! The urgent need before us now is no longer how to kill each other, but to save ourselves! We must unite to save ourselves! ”

Maybe it's on the rise. The Prince's pale face suddenly appeared a few flushes, and he kept waving his hands as if he had been speaking to Parliament.

"Are we really bad? No...... We are extremely powerful, we have great strength, but we have been sadly consumed in cannibalism, and if the three of us are united, then the villains in the east and west will no longer be able to do whatever they want, will they? At this time, the Prince of Metternich also unraveled his mystery, "Both France and Prussia had extremely warlike and large armies. And Austria has it, and when combined, they are by no means comparable to the villains......"

When Charles heard this, he finally understood the Prince's true intentions.

"Only a satisfied country, one that no longer seeks to kill its European brothers, can do this." The flush on the Prince's face slowly receded, and he became the slow-moving old man again, "and only in this way can it be able and willing to go hand in hand with Austria with sincerity and without confrontation." Together, we will create a Europe that is run by true Europeans. I'm old, I'm afraid I can't see the birth of such a Europe, but you ...... You are still young, if you try. All of this is hopeful, it can be done, if not in a generation or two. I really don't want to see you have a chance to make things that will go down in history. But he will be bewitched by villains and embark on a tragic old path. ”

The Prince's words are still as beautiful as they were back then. Charles thought to himself.

Although the prince painted a wonderful picture, the background of the charr was already unobstructed. He wanted a new Viennese order, an Austrian-dominated version of the Three Emperors' Alliance, where the three powers of France, Austria and Prussia would come together to form a European core, and then the Austrian Empire would be embedded as a piece of the puzzle in such a Europe, maintaining its own existence, and by the way, excluding Britain and Russia.

On the surface, it is impressive, but in reality it is mainly for Austria. The Prince was indeed rightly aware of the fact that Austria needed an alliance in order to survive in the future, but if it had only one alliance, it would inevitably become a follower of that alliance, so he simply conceived a new system of two alliances for the sake of balance.

If it can be realized, it will certainly be ideal...... But how can this desire for "self-denial and revenge" and "joining hands to resist insults" impress a new generation of ambitious young people?

These young people want a European order that they dominate, not one that they are a participant. At least Charles was not impressed, because he knew the energy of Prussian and German nationalism when it burst out, and Bismarck would be determined to push his ideals unwaveringly, no matter what the Austrians said.

"Your Highness, you have a point." Bismarck suddenly spoke, "I didn't expect you to conceive such a big idea. ”

"I completely agree with you, Your Highness." Charles bowed respectfully to the Prince, "I have always believed that Europe needs to unite against the overly large empires, but there have been few responses. In addition, the old habits of history have left a track for each of us, and it is too difficult to get out of it. ”

"yes, it's so hard, even you don't believe it can come true." The Prince sighed, "But it is my fervent hope that you will work a little towards this goal in the future, and Austria will respond to any such proposal." ”

"If in this framework the interests of the German nation are firmly ensured," Bismarck said solemnly, "I will." ”

"If in this structure, France's interests are also firmly secured......," Charles said, imitating Bismarck's tone, "and I will too." ”

The two young men unexpectedly took their palms, and then clapped them gently, and the applause grew louder and more intense, and finally Richard also applauded, and the sound of clattering filled the room...... Like the best of the future.

The subject was terminated with a great deal of applause, and from then on the whole conversation went in the direction of idle talk, and the prince did not talk about the important things, but only the interesting things of the past, like an old man who could only recall the past in his sickbed.

By the time it was getting late, the two young men had taken their leave, Bismarck was still active in the evening, and Charles had booked a room at a hotel on the outskirts of the city to receive the French diplomats there.

When the two young men left the room, the prince's expression was still as calm as water, and he shook his rocking chair slightly in silence.

"Dad, what do you think?" Richard was worried about his father's health, so he approached the prince and asked.

"I'm fine, child......," the prince sighed, "but I'm afraid you're not going to get better, and the future of Europe isn't going to be better." ”

"What?" Richard was taken aback, "You mean ......?" ”

"Didn't you find out? They are all ready for war, and for this they prefer to take risks. The prince shook his head, "Why is it that each of them is so stubborn and refuses to listen to the old man's advice?" ”

"They all agreed with you warmly, huh?" Richard was still a little incredulous.

"Yes, they approved of me, and then fell on deaf ears. Or worse than that, they strengthened their will, because they found the path I had shown them too unappealing. The prince sighed as if he were a little sad, "At that time, one of the two of them will fall, or even both, like Napoleon, but the mediocrity can live forever, and this is a pity world!" ”

"That'...... So what should we do? Richard asked, a little dazed.

"Wait, then choose a side, it's that simple." The prince lowered his gaze and looked very tired, "I'm afraid I won't see that day anymore, but you can prepare early, and may God bless you." Kid, send me to rest, I'm really tired after all that I've said today. ”

"Yes, father." Richard hurriedly answered, and then lifted his father and led him to the bed in the bedroom, where the prince's back looked so thin and faltering as if it were a bygone era.

…………………………

While the Metternich father and son were talking, Charles and Bismarck, who had already reached the door downstairs, stopped again, and opened their mouths in unison, but neither of them spoke.

This awkward silence lasted for a few moments, and Bismarck reluctantly spoke. "Monsieur Tréville, you are one of the Frenchmen I admire the most, even more than Monsieur Bonaparte."

"It's my pleasure." Charles smiled quietly.

At this time, the sky began to be covered with red clouds, and the earth was dyed golden.

"His Royal Highness said something not so pleasant just now, I ask you not to take it to heart." Under this magnificent view, Bismarck suddenly looked up at Charles, "Please believe that I have no ill will towards you. ”

"I have no ill will towards you, on the contrary, I admire your ambition and hard work." Charles echoed the favor.

"Well......" Bismarck suddenly stretched out his hand to Charles, "if there is such an unfortunate scene, and I am lucky enough to win, I will definitely treat you well, and you will not be harassed by the revenge of those philistines in your country." ”

"If there is a day, I will also treat you preferentially, no matter what, I will never let you end up undignified." Charles also held out his hand to Bismarck, "I really, really admire you. ”

"No, I will not accept the failure of my ideals, and if there is a day, I will kill myself." While shaking hands with Charles and looking at the unpredictable glow in the sky, Bismarck suddenly let out a sigh of relief, "So you see, Mr. Treville, I use my life as a confidence to fight against fate, either succeed or perish!" Please be sure to take your ideals seriously...... If you procrastinate, you won't be able to fight me. ”

"Well, I'll do the same." Charles used all his strength to shake his hand. (To be continued.) )