With the last firefight on the vast battlefield calmed down, the battle finally settled, relying on superior forces and the brave spirit of the soldiers, the British and French forces forced a breakthrough of the Russian army on both flanks, so that the Russian army's carefully arranged defensive operations also failed, and had to withdraw from the battlefield, it is obvious that the British and French forces have won this battle. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

Immediately after the battle, the Allied military liaison officers and reporters who were already with the army spread the news to the Allied base in Gallipoli, and then the news was transmitted by telegram to the mainland of the two countries, and even to the whole of Europe.

When the news was transmitted back to China, it instantly aroused jubilation in the public opinion circles and people of the two countries.

At the beginning of the declaration of war on Russia, the two countries had unanimously and enthusiastically supported the war because of the nationalist fervor that had been ignited, but as the months passed, as the war continued and the coalition forces had not made decisive progress, the enthusiasm of the people of both countries gradually cooled, and then began to doubt the meaning of the war because of the burden of the war.

Especially in France, because the empire has just been established, although the opposition forces have been repeatedly suppressed but still surging, so the voice of opposition and questioning is the strongest, and many people secretly attack the emperor for personal prestige and interests, so he forcibly followed Britain to launch this war with Russia.

Because of this, the news of the victory in this battle is all the more precious, as Marshal Tréville said, victory can erase suspicion, erase the cost, and even make the people forget their pain. The Imperial Government was finally able to consolidate its authority through victory.

Under the strong impetus of the imperial government, this news was reported by various newspapers with large headlines, and the article always mentioned the regret of the previous Napoleonic emperor who had lost his halberd in Russia, as if the emperor was avenging the old Napoleonic emperor, and this practice of connecting the two Napoleonic emperors together is one of the ways in which the current emperor consolidates his authority.

Then, in an atmosphere that was rendered, His Majesty the Emperor went to the meeting of the Legislative Council and delivered his speech to the parliamentarians representing all over France.

After the coup d'état, His Majesty the Emperor rebuilt the empire and turned the National Assembly, the most authoritative organ of the republic, into a legislative corps, stripping it of most of its powers, leaving the emperor himself the holder of the supreme power of the state, the head of state and the head of government merged, and the legislative corps became more of a rubber stamp. But even a rubber stamp is still significant, because it represents, at least nominally, the provinces of France and the people as a whole.

Amid the jubilant cheers and applause of the pro-government parliamentarians, His Majesty the Emperor stepped up to the podium in the center of the chamber.

His Majesty the Emperor today, wearing a military uniform, wearing a Grand Cross Legion of Honor on his chest, the whole person is majestic, with an undisguised military atmosphere, although he has not been on the battlefield or commanded the army, but the emperor has always loved to dress himself up as a military general, as if the great genius was resurrected.

He listened quietly to the applause, and it was only after a long moment that he reached out to stop the endless cheers.

"Distinguished councillors, you must have heard this wonderful news. Yes, just a few days earlier, France's most loyal and courageous soldiers had defeated the Russian defenders in the Battle of the Crimean Peninsula and were steadfast in their advance towards the fortress of Sevastopol. With a smile on his face, His Majesty the Emperor said to the parliamentarians with his head held high, "First of all, I think we should pay tribute to the bravery, tenacity and indomitable sacrifice of these wonderful children of France!" ”

"Long live the Empire!" The pro-government parliamentarians immediately applauded and cheered, and then those who had reservations about the government were moved in hesitation, and then applauded in the same way, although with some reservations, but in itself proof that the empire had triumphed not only externally, but also at home.

"This victory was brought about by our soldiers, and of course we also have to thank the commanders of our army, especially the commander-in-chief, Field Marshal Tréville, for their strategic planning, as well as our allies, the brave British army and navy, for their efforts and dedication, and only with the efforts of all of them will the two armies condense into a united collective, and burst out with unrivaled combat effectiveness, and finally win the battle."

His Majesty the Emperor had been watching with interest the emotions of the seats in front of the podium, and when he found the effect satisfactory, he could not help but smile leisurely. "Of course, this victory is not the end of our march, nor is it our final victory, in order to win the final victory, we need to be more determined, composed, and pay more sacrifices. But I do not hesitate to believe that as long as we continue on this path of victory, then the final victory will come, and it will come soon! ”

Then, His Majesty the Emperor raised his hands, "Ladies and gentlemen, you have been authorized by the people to come here, and you are going through a moment of desperate struggle in France, and I want to see you stand with the Empire, with the soldiers at the front, and with them to sacrifice and fight for victory!" We must not see the blood of the soldiers in front of us spilled in vain, and we must do everything we can to help them. At this moment, the interests of the country are above all else, so please move forward on behalf of France! ”

As the war progressed, the military appropriations originally approved by the parliament had begun to bottom out, and the budget for further military operations was naturally put on the table, although with the strength of the emperor and the imperial government, it was not a problem at all for the legislative council to pass these appropriations, but from a political point of view, the imperial government wanted to create an atmosphere of "all the people are united and the whole country is united", so the news of the victory in the war was used to propose a bill to increase the appropriation, and at this time there would not be a few parliamentarians who dared to speak against it.

Sure enough, His Majesty's words provoked another round of cheers, and the parliamentarians stood up one after another, loudly expressing their unreserved support for His Majesty's motion. In the midst of this cheering, the warm atmosphere of the venue also reached its peak, so that His Majesty's words became a little blurred.

This made His Majesty the Emperor feel even more complacent, and he knew that this was one of the brightest days of his empire since its creation.

Even a few years ago, who would have believed that he, a man who had failed so many times and was close to nothing but a surname, would be able to return to France, rebuild the empire that the family had lost, start a war against that country again, and go from victory to victory?

Did you see it in the sky? Everything you lost, I'm getting it back for you, one by one...... One by one......

With this almost intoxicated mood, His Majesty the Emperor extended his hand again, and the council hall became quiet again.

The time to show off your victories is over, and the time to take advantage of them is coming again.

"At this moment, I am sincerely grateful to God for his blessing to France and for the victory he has bestowed upon our nation. But I also know that several great Christian nations on the European continent are fighting each other, and that is definitely not a situation that God would like to see. It is a pity that we are fighting at this time to stop the boundless political ambitions of the Russian Empire, but this in no way shows that we have malicious will towards the Russian Empire. His Majesty the Emperor changed his impassioned tone just now, and suddenly his tone softened, "We are French people who believe in fraternity, and we want to see peace and common prosperity and prosperity for the peoples of all European countries, and this war is by no means a life-and-death struggle between two peoples, but to eliminate the threat of aggression to the European continent." We sincerely hope that the Russian Empire will abandon its ambition to cover the whole of Europe with an autocracy, and then join hands with the French and the English to create a peaceful and prosperous Europe, and we look forward to peace, because empire is peace! Long live the Empire! ”

"Long live the Empire!" Amid the cheers of the parliamentarians, His Majesty the Emperor concluded his speech.

However, unlike the thunderous cheers in the seats of the councillors, His Majesty the Emperor's words caused a strange commotion in the auditorium. The auditoriums were packed with European diplomats, and of course, because of the belligerent situation, Russian diplomats were not listed.

The diplomats looked nervous, surprised or uneasy, and exchanged glances with each other. Their main concern was, of course, what His Majesty the Emperor meant at the end of his speech.

Nowadays, no one would believe the sincerity of the emperor when he said that "empire is peace", but even if it is hypocritical, it must mean something in such an occasion.

Was it that the French Empire had begun to get tired of the war and wanted to use the opportunity of victory to seek a compromise with the Russians? Or has this compromise already begun? Or is this another round of deception by this powerful emperor?

In the midst of the whispering crowd, there were two people with much calmer and more serious expressions, and the two of them were sitting together at this time, listening to His Majesty's speech in great detail. One of them was the Imperial Chancellor Charles de Treville, and the other was the new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Prussia to France, Otto von Bismarck.

At this time, Mr. von Bismarck had changed from the dullness of his delegate to the Reichstag in Frankfurt, and he was dressed in a dress, full of spirit, and his burly body and well-trimmed beard seemed to exude infinite energy, even from the outside, everyone could see that this middle-aged man was ambitious and wanted to do something big.

After France and England united to declare war on Russia, the situation in Europe had changed drastically, and after his efforts, the government of the Kingdom of Prussia sent him to France as ambassador, and he finally found an arena on which he could play his own – of course, he was convinced, that this was definitely not his final stage.

As soon as he arrived in Paris, he found his friend, His Excellency Charles de Treville, and through this powerful minister, he established his first reputation in Parisian diplomatic circles. However, the ambassador did not make a particularly good impression, because he was always talkative and arrogant, and he seemed to be ignored by no one except a very few.

Chancellor Trevil was one of the very few, with whom the ambassador had always been on good terms, and the two of them sat down together when His Majesty the Emperor came to address the Parliament to-day.

"Mr. Bismarck, what do you think of His Majesty's speech?" Amid loud applause, Charles asked the ambassador with a smile.

"It is well said, it is enough to reflect the authority of His Majesty, and it is worthy of France, I have heard that His Majesty is good at guiding people's emotions, and it seems to be true today." Ambassador von Bismarck smiled mildly, "But if it were me, I would be much more brief, and I would say directly that we will seek peace with iron and blood, and it will be done." ”

"Are you hinting at something? It's as if you're like an emperor too! After a pause, Charles couldn't help but smile, "But maybe one day, you will be able to speak to Europe." ”

"I'm sure there will come a day." Ambassador Bismarck nodded without hesitation.

Maybe it's because of this attitude that he is not so likeable.

But Charles didn't care, because he knew that the man wasn't talking big.

"Your Excellency, what does it mean that Your Majesty just said that you will seek peace and prosperity together with the Russians?" After a moment's pause, Ambassador Bismarck abruptly asked Charles a question. "Can I understand that France does not rule out a peaceful compromise with the Russians?"

"Your Majesty has made it very clear that our attitude is very open, and peace and common prosperity with all European countries are still our pursuit." Charles was still smiling, "Of course, Your Majesty also said the premise, that is, Russia must give up all its ambitions. ”

"So that means that peace talks with Russia are indeed possible?" Bismarck still went straight to the point, "Do the British know?" Is this the common pace of Britain and France? ”

"France has its own path to independence, and Britain certainly has theirs." Charles replied.

"That is, France thinks that under certain conditions it can negotiate peace with Russia alone?" Bismarck went straight in.

"Under certain circumstances, a similar possibility cannot be ruled out." Charles' smile remained unchanged, "Of course, maintaining the alliance with Britain is a priority for our diplomacy. ”

Looking at his smile, Ambassador Bismarck fell silent.

This answer from His Excellency Chancellor Tréville is tantamount to nothing at all.

He knew that the minister, like His Majesty the Emperor, had always liked to play with mysteries. And this minister, though surprisingly young, is not inferior to anyone in his wrists, and many people have already suffered his great losses, even His Majesty the Emperor of Austria. It's easier said than done to pry something of value out of him.

However, even though their statements are cloudy, their words already represent a lot of things.

That is, France did not rule out the possibility of compromise with Russia in some cases, even if it did not compromise with the Russians alone without the consent of the British.

His Majesty the Emperor's performance today also illustrates this point, in addition to the military show of military might, there is also a diplomatic deception, a two-pronged approach, both soft and hard, obviously with the intention of continuing to play tricks in Europe.

Really, from the emperor to the ministers, it is a bunch of cunning liars. Bismarck thought to himself.

He doesn't hate this group of people, on the contrary, he finds it fun to deal with them.

Because, this gives him a kind of fun against people, and even a kind of hunting pleasure.

He looked up again at His Majesty the Emperor.

At this time, His Majesty the Emperor was greeting the deputies to the cheers of the councillors, and there was an unconcealed sense of smugness in his expression, like the wild fox he had encountered while hunting in the Pomeranian manor.

pompous, shrewd, cunning, scurrying, and inevitably cruel...... Definitely a prey to boast about.

You can't escape.