"It's a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Summer. After www.biquge.info the British Foreign Office official greeted him, Charles walked over with a smile on his face and extended his hand to him. "I'm here to receive you, and I hope to be here to make you feel at home like I felt at your side before."

"I already feel it, sir." James Summerr shook Charles' hand very graciously and shook it, "I am really flattered that I have received a very warm reception from you...... I'm afraid I can't afford your enthusiasm. ”

"I was flattered by Her Majesty and wanted to give back to Britain with the same enthusiasm, so you don't have to bother with it, that's what I should do." Charles was still very kind, and then made a gesture to take a seat, "I am more than happy to show the English my sincerity." ”

"No doubt I see your sincerity, not just here, but almost everywhere." James Summerr sat down obediently, and then looked at Charles with great respect, "Your Excellency the Chancellor has instructed me to thank you for your contribution to the previous commercial agreement on behalf of the British business community. ”

With the support of Charles, His Majesty Emperor Napoleon III instructed the Ministry of Commerce to change the old style and reach an agreement with the British at a very fast speed, and also deliberately reduced the tariffs on coal exports, which can be called the unique and efficient style of the new dynasty. His Majesty Napoleon III also took this opportunity to take a solid step forward in the implementation of his governing philosophy, opening a gap in France's old, already anachronistic, high tariff barriers.

The British merchants were of course able to benefit greatly from this agreement, but the British government did not thank France not only for the benefits of the merchants, but for the sincerity of the dealers - Emperor Napoleon III and his loyal pawns seemed to be steadfast in their pro-British course, and for this reason they were even willing to make commercial concessions to France.

On the continent, the British had a staunch ally, powerful and influential, enough to be of encouraging help to the British on the continent and in the world at large. Even the British could hardly refuse such help.

"Of course I am willing to help Britain in all aspects, but this matter is not only good for Britain, but also good for France, so this is a mutually beneficial agreement, with the development of French ship size and technology, the large-scale application of steamships will be an inevitable trend, so we need your country's coal very much." "His Majesty the Emperor and I firmly believe that two powerful countries, Britain and France, should support each other economically and jointly exert their great strength to maintain peace in Europe." ”

"You're right, Mr. Treville. We also believe that there should be close cooperation between the UK and France, and that it is necessary. James Summerer was quick to agree. Only in this way will we be able to develop a new and workable order for Europe and to perpetuate it. ”

"The new order, yes, what we want is a new order." Charles waved his hand rather heroically, "In this new order, every nation will have its due rights, the sovereignty of every nation will be respected, and the two great nations will act as the protectors of Europe, so that every European nation will be free from the fear of being trampled by iron hooves." ”

"You have said it so well, sir, that such an eloquent and passionate speech is rare in our country, and it is a pity that I am not a member of parliament to quote you in Parliament." James Summerer nodded repeatedly, obviously flattering him, "I have to say, even if you were born in England, you can still make a big show in the House of Commons!" ”

There is no doubt that Charles's words were very appealing to the British, not in terms of the rhetoric of rights and sovereignty, but in the tone that Charles did not say - the borders of every country should be respected, the great powers should not be excessively expanded, and the European continent must maintain some kind of equilibrium among the great powers.

And that's exactly what the British want.

However, Charles's words may not come from the heart, after all, respecting the rights and interests of all countries is only a stopgap measure, and in the hearts of the top of the empire, restoring the glory of the old empire has always been a dream hidden in the heart.

France, now emerging from decades of turmoil, needs to slowly regain its influence, rather than becoming hostile to Europe in the first place, and they are of course happy to find a pretext for themselves to present the exclusion of other powers as a preservation of the European order.

After all, France is not an imminent adversary for the British at the moment, but an empire that has expanded to the doorsteps of the Balkans and India and intends to continue to expand.

"I am glad to receive such praise from you, and I am also full of affection for the traditional form of British politics, in which the policies of the country and the whole world are well debated and implemented in your country's parliament." Charles first smiled and complimented him, and then immediately became serious, "However, this form of politics can sometimes cause us some trouble......

"What kind of trouble?" James Summerr asked right away.

"A kind of uncertainty about your country's policy, especially on a very pressing issue, we are afraid that your country will lose its way in the heated debate." Charles calmly explained, "We are an empire, His Majesty's will will will be carried out thoroughly, and we can rule for many years, and perhaps even until I am old I will be able to play an active role in politics and exert my influence, so that the great ties between England and France can continue forever." But not necessarily in the UK...... Your country has a rapid change of government and is often lost in the mire of parliament, sometimes continuing to have far-sighted policies that have become difficult to move forward with long debates...... In ordinary matters, it may not be a problem for us, but in a matter of life and death, if our country acts and your country hesitates, then we will find ourselves in an awkward and even dangerous situation......"

Although Charles said it more cryptically, James Summerr certainly understood what Charles meant.

After Charles left Britain, although only a short year passed, there was a very significant change in British politics, because of some domestic problems, the Whig cabinet was strongly attacked in Parliament, Prime Minister Russell had to announce the general resignation of the cabinet, and Foreign Secretary Palmerston was dismissed.

The Earl of Derby, who succeeded the Prime Minister of the opposition Conservative Party, formed a new cabinet that naturally belonged to the opposition party.

In such an unexpected situation, it is natural that the top brass of the French Empire are afraid of a sudden policy change by the British, which is also very reasonable.

And that was one of the reasons why James Summerer had come to France, and he needed to dispel the French fears and tell them that British policy had not changed.

"Yes, a lot has happened in the course of the year, and there have been some changes in the political scene in our country, sir." He nodded his head at first, acknowledging that such a change did exist, and then immediately continued as he had said before, "But please believe that in spite of certain differences in political views, there will be little difference between any party in the matter of the fundamental interests of Britain - the British will never change their penchant for helping the poor and their desire to maintain peace and tranquility on the European continent, and even less will the commitments and obligations that our government has made before. ”

Fearing that the French would back down, the new government took care to maintain relations between the two countries from the outset, and was keen to ensure that the commitments and obligations of the previous government would be absolutely renewed.

Because James Summer, who had been in charge of receiving Mr. Treville during his visit to England during the previous World Expo, the upper echelons of the Foreign Office thought that there was some friendship between them, so they called him over, on the one hand, to facilitate communication between the two sides, and on the other hand, to show that the British government attached great importance to Mr. Trelville.

Both the Queen of England and the Prime Minister, the Earl of Derby, hope to continue this tacit understanding between Britain and France, and finally turn this tacit understanding into a powerful power that is incomparable to the powder of the painting wherever it goes.

Hearing the British diplomat's assurances, Charles became more serious, staring at him intensely. "May I suppose that the Earl of Derby is promising us that if one day we have to resist an invasion of Europe, England will carry out its old chivalrous spirit and join us in resisting?"

"There is no doubt that we will do it because it is our obligation." With an inexplicable sense of pride, James Summerer held his head high, "Britain will never fall behind France in such a cause of peace for the whole of Europe, regardless of party affiliation." ”

After a pause, he added, "Her Majesty is more than happy to give you the same assurance, sir." She wants me to tell you that you are her friend and can also get her kindness and help at any time. ”

"I'm really happy! The British proved themselves why they are a great country. Charles was overjoyed, evidently pleased with such clear assurances from the British, and with such courteous treatment by Her Majesty, "Mr. Summer, I may also assure you that France has begun to act, and that we will mobilize all its resources and exert all our strength to resist any threat to the peace of Europe. ”

"We're doing the same thing, sir." James Summerer nodded slightly, "Now that the threat to peace has grown, we need to act quickly - there is definite intelligence that the Russians have mobilized troops on the border between Russia and Turkey, and that the Russian diplomatic community has also begun a diplomatic offensive against Turkey, and a Russian war against Turkey is probably imminent......"

"If no one cares, I'm afraid Turkey will not be able to resist the frenzy of the Russians." Charles asked knowingly. "Turkey is a weakened and decaying country, and they themselves know it."

"Yes, we also believe that if nothing is done, Turkey will suffer a terrible defeat in this war." James Summer, without giving the Turks any face, nodded his head in approval, "And, in our Foreign Office, we believe that such a defeat could be fatal - that is, Russia may even take the opportunity to defeat Turkey in one fell swoop, so that Turkey will never recover from such a defeat again." ”

"It's a rather unpleasant prospect indeed." Charles calmly assessed.

"It is not only unpleasant, but also intolerable, for if Turkey collapses, the Russians will enter the Balkans, even Constantinople, the fortress of Europe will collapse, and the Russians will be given the freedom to enter the Mediterranean without scruples, and the prospect is unbearable for our Government." James Summer's attitude became a little more subtle, "Now that the Turks have felt the threat, they are asking our country for help, and our government has begun to mediate in the hope that this disturbance of the peace will be quelled." ”

"Hopefully everything will calm down." Charles certainly heard the chill hidden behind the diplomat's words, "but I don't think we can rest our hopes on the kindness of the people, especially since I don't think the Tsar has good intentions." ”

"I can't judge a monarch, sir, but I think you're right." James Summerer subtly expressed his attitude towards the Tsar, and then laughed himself: "It is very likely that the Russians will not listen to the advice, because the Russians only know strength, and we have begun to mobilize the navy and prepare for all ominous developments." ”

The so-called ominous state of affairs, both of them tacitly, but they can't say it clearly at this time.

"I hope everything will be calm, otherwise...... It's a pity. Charles smiled and sighed, "Rest assured, the French Empire will do everything it can to keep the European order alive." ”

"We are convinced of that, too." James Summerr bowed to Charles, "Britain will use all its strength to curb the unbridled expansion of a great power, and any country that resists aggression will be helped by us, not only Her Majesty, not just the government, but our whole nation, and you must not worry about that." ”

At this point, there was no need to go any further, for James Summerer did his job well, telling Charles of the determination of the British not to back down, and hinting at the French dignitary that war might be inevitable. In such an impending war, they need France to keep pace with them, otherwise Britain will not be able to pounce on them with all their might.

The British government had judged that the Russians were preparing to provoke war, and this was an excellent opportunity for the British, who had long wanted to teach Russia a lesson.

"I have to say that your statement finally put my mind at ease." Charles smiled even more, "I wish you all the best for the rest of your trip to Paris." His Majesty the Emperor is very pleased that your country was able to award him the Order of the Garter. ”

After the meeting at the port of Calais, James Summerer will travel to Paris and take the Order of the Garter there, while the British ambassador to France will confer the Garter on the Emperor of France, one of the oldest knightly decorations in the world. It is also the UK's highest order of honour.

The Order is limited to the King of Great Britain, the Prince of Wales and up to 24 living members, as well as a small number of exceptional members, such as foreign monarchs who are friendly with Great Britain, each time such a special order is awarded, and Louis Bonaparte will be one of the recipients of this order.

It was not just a medal, it was a declaration that the British royal family and government recognized the status of Emperor of the French Empire, as well as the French Empire, and regarded it as an important partner of their own. This was of course great news for the vain Napoleon III.

"Mr. Treville, you are also an important friend of ours." James Summerr bowed respectfully to Charles again, "Her Majesty will present you with the Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath as a token of your friendship and gratitude for your contribution to the relationship between our two countries. ”

In 1725, George I established the Order of the Bath and the Knight of the Order of the Bath, which was awarded as an honour to dignitaries in his home or abroad.

Its full name is the 'Most Distinguished Military Order of the Bath', which is divided into three ranks, and the highest rank of the medal is the Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, it can be said that only a very few people can get such an honor, and Queen Victoria specially awarded him such a medal, which is considered a special grace.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Slightly surprised, Charles immediately expressed his gratitude to Queen Victoria for her kindness, "But ...... I'm really a little scared, after all, I just followed His Majesty's instructions to work for the relations between the two countries, and I didn't make much contribution......"

Of course, James Summer's words of humility will not be taken seriously.

"You are the most familiar French dignitary in British politics, and you have shown us respect during your visit to the UK last year...... So this is the common opinion of the Government and Her Majesty, and I ask you not to refuse. Even if you are not in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, please continue to exert new influence in the relations between the two countries in the future. ”

Since Charles left the Foreign Office, the foreign secretary has also been replaced, the Marquis de Turgo has been removed, and the old diplomat Edmond de Ray has taken over, but the British understand that the diplomatic power of the empire will definitely continue to be in the hands of the emperor, and his cronies and think tanks will certainly exert great influence on foreign affairs.

"In that case, then I will be disrespectful...... "Charles" smiled and expressed his gratitude, "I will return to Paris as soon as possible to receive the favor of your country." ”

Speaking of which, he has already received the French Legion of Honor, the Austrian Grand Cross Leopold, and now the Grand Cross of the Order of the Bass, which are the highest honors that a minister can receive.

He was a little curious, will Russia and Prussia also award him the highest medal in the future, and let him have a five-star gathering?

Probably, he sneered and thought to himself. (To be continued.) )