Konstantin stubbornly and confidently believes that it is not the afterglow of the end, but the rising sun. After several generations of tsars and institutional reforms, they will regain their power as a super-empire. Reach the pinnacle that previous Tsars failed to reach, and take the place of Great Britain as a true super-empire.

So when Tsar Alexander III received the French ambassador, Konstantin was also accompanied by him, instructing the tsar on how to answer the questions of the French.

At the beginning of the meeting, the French ambassador did not seem interested in the Balkans and the crisis in the Near East, but he inquired amicably about the Tsar's health and expressed Paris's concern for him. Out of politeness, Alexander III also exchanged a few words with him. In the end, Konstantin couldn't hold back and went straight to the point.

"I heard that France is ready to support our position on the Balkan issue? Does this mean that you are ready to tear your face with your ally, Germany? ”

However, the French ambassador very cleverly avoided the question, and he whispered, "Although Paris is now under the threat of war, we are still concerned about the situation in the Near East, and if I am not mistaken, the smell of gunpowder in the Balkans is getting stronger again, is it?" For example, the Bulgarian uprising that took place in the middle of this month? ”

The Tsar's face changed suddenly, and the French ambassador was right, in September this year, East Lyria, revolted, expelled the Ottoman administrator, and announced the annexation to Bulgaria. The Grand Duke of Bulgaria, Alexander, granted the request of Eastern Lyria. However, there has been a constant struggle between pro-Russian and anti-Russian forces in the Bulgarian principality.

The uprising in East Rumelia was led by anti-Russian forces, so Russia reversed its previous claims in favor of the union of the region with Bulgaria and condemned Archduke Alexander for tearing up the Treaty of Berlin.

At the same time, the situation in East Rumelia tended to spread to Macedonia, where Bulgarians made up more than half of the population, which in turn caused consternation in Austria-Hungary and the Kingdom of Serbia. I am afraid that such an uprising will turn into the same trend of prairie fire.

In October, the countries concerned met at the ambassadorial level in Constantinople. Germany, Austria, France, and Italy supported Russia's plan, which was for the Ottoman Empire to recover Eastern Ulluminia and change the laws of the region. The British objected, proposing that the Ottoman Sultan appoint the Grand Duke of Bulgaria as the administrator of East Rumelia and that Bulgaria remain de facto unified. At this time, Serbia, with the support of Austria-Hungary, demanded compensation from Bulgaria under the pretext of maintaining the balance of power in the Balkans.

Unfortunately, Britain, Germany, and France were now too busy with the war to manage the annexation of Bulgaria, which would eventually become a war between Russia and Austria-Hungary, as well as their proxies.

"Let me predict where history will go, Your Majesty Alexander. I think that Serbia, which could not bear it, would declare war on it, but invade its territory. With Bulgaria's military might, they could counterattack and win, chasing the Serbs to the capital of the Principality of Serbia. ”

Of course, Austria-Hungary will not be idle, they will use Austrian troops to aid Serbia and threaten to withdraw unconditionally. Bulgaria was forced to accept peace terms based on the return to the pre-war status quo. ”

"Subsequently, if the British still had the energy to manage the matter, at his instigation, the Ottoman Empire negotiated an agreement with the Grand Duke of Paula, Alexander, that the two sides agreed to adopt the British proposal that the Grand Duke of Paulo be the Ottoman Administrator of Eastern Continental Melia."

After this happened, His Majesty had to agree to the agreement between land and security, but his hatred for Archduke Alexander I was still there. ”

At Napoleon's behest, the French ambassador informed the Russians of what might happen next. Konstantin, who originally wanted to complacently get a piece of the French pie, also fell silent.

"Let me tell you about the happy ending."

The French ambassador continued, "First, a part of the Bulgarian officers, who relied on Russian support, deposed the Archduke Alexander. This move caused dissatisfaction among the country. It is possible that some military and political figures staged a counter-coup d'état, urging the Archduke Alexander to be reinstated. Then the Russian government objected, threatening to occupy Bulgaria. Archduke Alexander was forced to abdicate his throne. ”

But there is a second scenario, such as the election of Ferdinand I of the pro-Austrian, German-Austrian Saxe-Coburg-Gotha family as Grand Duke by the Bulgarian Parliament, and the Bulgarian crisis subsides. Russia suffered a defeat in this international conflict and lost the political advantage it had gained in Bulgaria after the Russo-Turkish War of 1878. Austrian and German forces gained a firm foothold in Bulgaria. So what should Russia do when you are faced with such a situation? ”

The French ambassador posed them a very crucial question, if the Bulgarian crisis was indeed as they had predicted, then relations between Germany and Austria-Hungary were in jeopardy, and a war could break out between the two countries at any moment.

"Everyone wants the Balkans to be peaceful, but there is no way, sometimes there is danger. The war between the Slavs and the Germanic peoples will not stop, Bulgaria is just a microcosm, there will be more to come, wars and conflicts are playing out in this land, whether Russia is ready to be a loser who stands by and watches, or is it ready to intervene directly in this war and gain a firm foothold in the Balkans. ”

"What do you mean by that?"

The French ambassador's incessant talk aroused Konstantin's vigilance, "You want us to go to war with Austria-Hungary?" A direct outbreak of war conflict in the Balkans? ”

The French ambassador waved his hand and said calmly, "Although war is not the best way to solve problems, it is definitely the most direct way." Now that the three military powers of Western Europe are busy with their own affairs and have no time to pay attention to the conflict in the Balkans, isn't this just your chance? ”

Tsar Alexander III also did not believe in this scheme, he felt that the risk was too great and not worth it.

"Fighting Austria-Hungary will eventually attract the Germans. Dealing with a mighty Austro-Hungarian Empire is enough of a headache! Another France, is this going to push us into the pit of fire? ”

Then the French ambassador finally threw out what he wanted to say. Everything that has been said before about the Bulgarian crisis is a foreshadowing of this sentence.

"What if Germany was at war with France when your war broke out?"

"In that case, isn't it a one-on-one situation?"