"Charles...... We can't turn a pleasant trip into a quarrel, can we? After hesitating for a long time, under the threat, Richard had to make a slight concession with self-deprecation, "There is no doubt that I also hope that everything will go well in France." Pen ~ Fun ~ Pavilion www.biquge.info"

He did have to give in, after all, the situation is stronger than men, and the France that was feared and restricted in 1815 has now been freed from its predicament, and has fallen back into the hands of the Bonaparte, and is very ambitious, and only wants to continue to do great things.

And the system that Prince Metternich painstakingly created to restrain France has been wiped out, the major powers that had been united have parted ways, and even Britain, which had fought France the hardest, has stood with the French and become allies; And the buffer countries that were originally used to block France have also had their own ideas, and the Kingdom of Sardinia has even become the vanguard against Austria.

In foreign affairs, although the rhetoric is very important, the most important thing is the balance of national strength, and now the anti-French system on which Austria relied has fallen apart, and by its own strength, it is obviously not able to match France, so it can only be short-hearted. It's not that Treville can speak better than Metternich, it's just that Austria now doesn't have the confidence to resist France, so when it comes to fighting a war of words, it has no way to match the Charr, so it can only make concessions.

"I don't want to quarrel with you, do I?" Charles smiled and replied, "I am discussing the problem with you seriously, after all, this is indeed a time of turmoil, and I do not think that Austria can afford to do nothing or even sit idly by in such a period, otherwise he will lose a great opportunity......

"What chance?" Richard asked alertly.

Of course, he was very sensitive to this, because it was related to the purpose of his trip.

Yes, since the Anglo-French war with the Russians, Austria has quickly fallen into a state of confusion, not knowing whether it should intervene or stay out of it. I don't know how I should deal with the relationship with the several big countries that have already started fighting.

Undoubtedly, Austria feared the might of Britain and France, but it was also wary of Russia, so they were at a loss as to whether they should act or wait and see. However, after months of arguing, and as the course of the war became more and more unfavorable to the Russians, Vienna slowly came to a consensus that the Russians were no longer enough to fear, and that it was time to consider how to act independently of the Russians.

Austria is indeed facing too many problems, although the family business is very large, holding a large territory, but the land is full of ethnic complexities, there are many contradictions, so its strength has been greatly affected, and its economy has gradually fallen behind, unable to match the powerful countries of Western Europe. It is precisely because of its weakness in strength that Austria has always been faltering in its actions, and it is necessary to think carefully about the future.

And it is also clear that since the Russians have been defeated and have obviously suffered heavy losses, they may not be able to exert any strong influence on the Europeans for the next generation, which means that Britain and France will become the dominant power for a long time to come, and no one in Austria at this time will believe that Prussia will also become such a great power.

Therefore, no matter how many conflicts there were with the French before, now is the time to make good relations with France, for the Austrian emperor, since he has already offended the Russians, then if he offends the French now, Austria will hardly be able to accommodate himself in the diplomatic arena, even if it is wrong, it must go to the end of the pro-French line.

However, the Austrians still had a last sense of caution, and they had to see it with their own eyes before they dared to make this final decision—after all, although the Russians were not mixing well now, and might not be able to recover for a long time, they were a great power after all, and it would take great courage to break with them once and for all.

Richard was on such a mission, he wanted to go to the Crimea and see for himself the dilemma faced by the Russians, whether it was a temporary difficulty or an almost insurmountable one, and if the Russians were doomed, then Austria could turn its back on this once gracious power without guilt.

In addition, in addition to diplomats, there are some military personnel who have accompanied him, after all, the current war in Crimea is the largest war in Europe now, and the application is also the latest and most advanced military achievements.

"Hop on the free ride and move towards a new era." Charles had also become serious, so his tone was extremely convincing, "Friend, isn't this obvious?" Russia is no longer reliable, and no one wants to rely on them, and their exclusion from Europe is to declare the death of the last Vienna era. I do not intend to belittle the wisdom and efforts of your father, who worked hard to build a system that did bring peace to Europe for long enough...... But nothing works forever, and we don't have to live in an eternal world. Now that it is clear that the system that your father helped to build is outdated, it is up to us to build a new generation – and don't you, as the son and successor of Prince Metternich, have more reason to be involved in building it? ”

Although Richard's expression did not change, Charles easily felt his sudden hot gaze, which is indeed very normal, because for him, the heir who has always lived in his father's shadow, being able to make a career that is not inferior to his father is the biggest goal in this life.

"Charles, it may be true that there will be a new system or a new order, but I am an Austrian, and my first task is to give my country a better place in this new system, or at least no worse than before." After pondering for a while, Richard finally decided to follow the other party's words, after all, he also knew in his heart that what the other party said was the truth, and Britain and France would have the final say in Europe for the next few decades, and Austria would no need to oppose them again, and make itself the first to bear the brunt.

"It depends on how Austria behaves. If Austria is willing to be friends with France, then she will definitely have a better position. Charles smiled and replied, "If Austria is unwilling to do so, then it will have to suffer the consequences." ”

"Although France is overbearing in Europe, she is not qualified to do whatever she wants." Feeling a little dissatisfied with Charles' threat, Richard retorted, "Don't forget, during the reign of the last emperor, France was even more prominent than it is now, but what was the result? Charles, a country has to follow certain rules when it comes to acting, and she can't threaten her neighbors at every turn, especially if they have no ill will towards her......"

"Ben has no malice! It makes no sense to say that, Richard! Charles shook his head abruptly, "A great power must have its own goals, and she has to see those who try to stand in her way as stumbling blocks that must be removed, and if France seeks to create a new order, and Austria ignores it or simply obstructs it, do you say that it is 'without malice'?" Maybe that's true, but is there a difference between having malice and not having malice? For us, blocking our footsteps is the greatest malice, and for this malice, we must use all means to solve it, and the current Russia is an excellent proof of this! ”

This increasingly blatant threat made Richard's face more and more ugly, and he understood that the other party was clearly talking about Russia, but in fact he was talking about Austria, and the implication was that Austria would be an enemy if it was not a friend.

Tragically, Austria is no longer able to ignore this threat.

"Austria has all means to defend herself, just like before, she has nothing to fear from anyone!" In the face of such a threat, Richard first dropped a bold statement that he had no confidence in, and then quickly turned back to realism.

"So, Charles, what can France give to Austria in such an order?"

Asking this question, Richard also knew in his heart that it would inevitably seem a little unreasonable, but now he couldn't care about it so much, besides, now it was just a private meeting in the strict sense, and he didn't need to worry about too many things.

"As I said before, if we work together, Austria can maintain her empire, with the help and support of France, so that she can expand her influence where she wishes." Seeing that the other party was subdued, Xia Er also slowed down his tone, "The roads are all open, everyone can go down together." ”

"So, are you willing to restrain the Italians?" Richard was unmoved, "Anyone can talk about a glorious future, but we must focus on reality." If His Majesty the Emperor of your country can't even appease the Italians, then your sincerity must be reserved, isn't it? ”

"I can't imagine anyone disagreeing with such a business if the Italians could be exchanged for the Austrians." Charles laughed, "Count Cavour's demagoguery and all those intrigues should have been stuffed into the dirt and never saw the light of day!" Besides, what good would Italy do to France if it were to be united? Not at all! As long as the Austrians are willing to cooperate with France, then Italy will be safe, and that's what the Pope would like to see the most, isn't it? Only when two Catholic powers work together to defend Rome can there be hope for Christ's world! ”

"If that's the case, that's great." The corners of Richard's mouth twitched, and he seemed to be a little smiling.

Russia and France, the Austrians did not particularly like anyone, they were not good people, but it was certainly not a pleasant experience to choose between scoundrels and villains, but there was really no good way for the Austrian Empire to follow these days, and they thought that they could no longer be independent of the world, and they had to choose a great power as a friend.

In Richard's view, although this group of French people is cunning, unscrupulous, and morally corrupt, if he had to choose, he would still prefer to choose France, after all, the Russians are more disgusting, more insatiable, and even the strength they boast of now only seems to be powerful, not necessarily worthy of relying on.

"If Austria really broke with the Russians and joined the Anglo-French alliance...... The French, are they willing to guarantee her safety after that? After a moment of hesitation, Richard finally asked the most important question in his mind, and that was the point.

"Not only willingly, but willingly." Charles raised his hand slightly and made an unquestionable gesture, "If Austria joins our side, then she proves her enthusiasm, as our friends, how can we watch her suffer losses for making choices, how can we betray our friends?" No, we cannot tolerate such a serious blow to our reputation – as long as Austria is on our side, then I think it is clear that any attack on Austria is an attack on France. ”

"Even Prussia made an unfavorable statement?" Richard asked calmly. "Will France do the same for Prussia when it comes to Austria with Russia?"

"Whoever comes, too." Charles replied firmly, "The defeat of two men will not frighten France!" ”

Such a majestic answer, although it seems a little arrogant, but this confident appearance also made Richard feel at ease, such a clear answer, to be honest, enough for him to make up his mind.

Just then, Charles suddenly stood up and walked over to the porthole, looking at the gray sea.

Richard didn't know what to do, so he naturally followed.

At this time, next to these warships, I don't know how many sails loom in the sea fog, and the scene is quite spectacular.

"Guess what's stuffed in these transports?" Charles was silent for a long time, then suddenly asked.

"Weapons? Supplies? Richard asked casually.

"Yes, there are weapons, and we are sending a large number of siege guns to the front, and these cannons are the most advanced and sharp artillery in Europe and even the world; There are also countless supplies and provisions, enough for an army from afar......" Charles suddenly raised his hand, then turned to look at Richard, "but more importantly, there are a lot of rails and workers inside!" Richard, we're going to build an entire railroad between Balaclava and Sevastopol, or even a small city! This is not magic, this is the power that modern technology and great wealth bring to us, and in the face of this force, no one can stop it, the continuous rout of the Russians is inevitable, and no one can save him! ”

He, of course, is not just talking about Russia.