Although no one expected that Nicholas I, who was gradually recovering, would suddenly collapse, the emperor's aftermath was prepared quite quickly. On the day of Nicholas I's death, Sir Willy prepared all the relevant utensils, and after careful processing, Nicholas I's body was sent to Cape Cathedral for a funeral on a later date.

Prime Minister Pitt, Marquis Metternich and other cabinet ministers quickly gathered at the Tiamat Palace after learning the news, and the sudden death of the emperor was a heavy blow to the entire cabinet, losing the backbone of Nicholas I, and they could not help but feel a little confused about the current situation.

After a period of grief and confusion, Crown Prince Alexander finally took up his responsibilities and convened a cabinet meeting to formally discuss the succession with these cabinet ministers as the first in line to the throne.

"Marquis of Metternich. ”

Crown Prince Alexander's voice woke up the Marquis of Metternich, who had been distracted from time to time after receiving the news of the Emperor's death, and even when he was attending a cabinet meeting in the Marduk Chamber, he still seemed very absent-minded.

The Marquis of Metternich looked at Crown Prince Alexander, his eyes still did not focus, and he looked at Crown Prince Alexander in a daze, still not fully composed. "What's the matter, Your Highness?"

Seeing the reaction of the Marquis of Metternich, Prime Minister Pitt and other ministers couldn't help but sigh in their hearts. The death of Nicholas I was a considerable blow to the Marquis of Metternich, after all, they were people of the same era and enjoyed common glory, compared to the young new ministers of Prime Minister Pitt, the Marquis of Metternich was indeed old, and there were too many things that would make the old man nostalgic and make the old man vulnerable.

Crown Prince Alexander also saw the sorrow in the heart of the Marquis of Metternich, and he could understand the feelings of the Marquis of Metternich, but the cabinet did not need such a Marquis of Metternich.

"It looks like you're tired," Crown Prince Alexander looked at the Marquis calmly, he had to have respect for the old man before, but now, things are different, "do you want to go back and rest?" ”

The Marquis of Metternich opened his mouth slightly, and his old age was undoubted, he was no longer the shrewd and cunning diplomat, and the current Oliver No. Metternich was just an old man of yesterday.

However, even as the Marquis of Metternich grew old, he could still hear the voice of Crown Prince Alexander. "I see," the Marquis of Metternich nodded, with no look of loss on his face, and he accepted Alexander's suggestion calmly, "then, please allow me to retire, Your Highness." ”

Prime Minister Pitt and a group of cabinet ministers watched the Marquis of Metternich walk out of the Maduk chamber, and the Marquis was hunched and looked like a hero, which made people feel a little distressed.

After the Marquis de Metternich left, Prime Minister Pitt cleared his throat. "So let's continue with the topic we just had, do you have any comments on Hadrian's proposal?"

The ministers glanced at each other, and finally all looked at Foreign Secretary Otto Leopold Noe Mencken.

Being stared at by so many eyes, especially Alexander also looking at his side, Menken couldn't help but feel a little nervous. He had just sent off a former foreign minister, the prestigious Marquis de Metternich, and now he was inevitably a little apprehensive. Originally, Menken was criticized by public opinion for his foreign policy disagreement with the Marquis of Metternich, and if he didn't handle it well this time, then he might really have to follow in the footsteps of the Marquis of Metternich.

Mencken pondered his words carefully, and like his moderate foreign policy, Mencken himself was a cautious man. After thinking about it for a while, she said to Alexander: "Your Highness, the current situation is still unfavorable for us, although it is only a matter of time before the rebellion in the south is put down, but the situation on both sides of the Badajoz Peninsula and Silesia is too tense. In contrast, it was acceptable for the rights and interests of Silesia to be ceded to the Hadrian Empire, they only wanted the protection of the Kingdom of Silesia, and the subjects of the empire could still seek benefits in Silesia. ”

Prime Minister Pitt glanced at Mencken, which was in keeping with Mencken's usual diplomatic advocacy of compromising with Hadrian's empire and ceding Silesian privileges in exchange for time to support the Badajoz peninsula, a strategy that had been considered before the emperor fell ill.

However, Prime Minister Pitt did not like this idea very much, and it is true that a compromise with Hadrian's Empire could be exchanged for time to rescue the Badajoz Peninsula, but this only gave the Empire the opportunity to drive the desert people out of the Badajoz Peninsula, and did not mean that the Empire would be able to do it. Moreover, if Hadrian's Empire was given the protection of the Kingdom of Silesia, then this enemy to the east might give the empire even more headaches later.

Although Prime Minister Pitt was not very satisfied with Mencken's idea, it was indeed difficult for the empire to resist the pressure from both sides, so Mencken's remarks were still quite marketable in the cabinet, especially Alexander, who had a good impression of Hadrian's empire because of his relationship with Iscontin.

Alexander listened to Mencken's speech, nodding his head in agreement from time to time, and seeing Alexander's statement, many cabinet ministers also knew how to judge.

"You have a point," said Alexander, nodding, "the contradictions between the desert man and the empire are too deep and almost irreconcilable, and in comparison, the Hadrian Empire, which shares our beliefs, still has the possibility of cooperation." Just recently summoned Minister Hadrian, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs first drew up a charter, after all, the Kingdom of Silesia and the "Treaty of Stromboli" are the work of my father and the Marquis of Metternich and others, try to save some benefits. ”

"Yes, Your Highness, I will arrange this as soon as possible. Mencken breathed a sigh of relief, and with Alexander's support, he at least wouldn't be blamed too much.

"Your Highness," said War Minister Guderian suddenly, because Admiral Dönitz was still floating on the Langner Strait, and now the military system was completely represented by him, "then should our army wait for the conclusion of negotiations with Hadrian's Empire before sending troops to the Badajoz Peninsula?"

Alexander hesitated about Guderian's question, the current situation was naturally that the sooner the Imperial army entered the Badajoz Peninsula, the better, but he also had to put the Hadrians on guard. Although it seems that the oldest empire is indeed sincere at the moment, through the information that the Marquis of Metternich asked from the Duke of Edward, Alexander also saw that Hadrian was the biggest winner this time. They almost did not spend a single soldier to obtain the protection of the Kingdom of Silesia, and also put the Cyrilian Empire and the Mahdian Empire against each other, I am afraid that what the Hadrians want to see most now is that the empire and the desert people will lose each other, and each other will no longer compete for the power of the world.

Although he had a certain affection for Hadrian's empire, Alexander still understood that when he reached his position, he could no longer judge the pros and cons of a thing by emotion. If the Empire were to devote all its efforts to the Badajoz Peninsula, in the event that Hadrian's Empire suddenly turned around and invaded Belgre through the Kingdom of Pannonia, then the Empire would be in a very passive situation.

The crux of the matter now is whether Hadrians can be trusted.

Alexander looked at Prime Minister Pitt hesitantly, after all, he was still a little younger, he didn't have much experience, and he had just taken over his father's burden and encountered this situation, it was difficult for Alexander to make a judgment alone, if he misjudged, then the entire empire could fall into the abyss.

"Your Excellency, what do you think, can we trust the Hadrians to throw all our forces into the Badajoz Peninsula?"

Prime Minister Pitt shook his head, his eyebrows tightly twisted together. "No country can be absolutely trusted, and the only reason we can trust them is that they don't dare to risk tearing up the agreement. I think we need to test the attitude of the Hadrians now. ”

"You're right," Alexander sighed, and he didn't feel the weight of the responsibility until he actually took it, "we are too passive in this war, the Hadrians have been watching us, and we know almost nothing about them. ”

"Your Highness, I have a suggestion. Mencken said suddenly, "Right now, in order to stabilize the hearts of the people in the country, we need to hold your enthronement ceremony as soon as possible, and the minister of Hadrian's empire is bound to come forward on this occasion, so why don't you take this opportunity to test the attitude of Hadrian?"

"That's a way to do it. Alexander agreed with Mencken's proposal, "What do you want to do?"

"In your edict of succession, we can declare that the Empire is about to march in full force on the Badajoz peninsula, and we can arrange negotiations with Minister Hadrian on the day after the ceremony, and we will do our best to test Minister Hadrian. If the Hadrians fully agree with our approach to sending troops, then they may really be planning something. ”

Alexander rubbed his chin and pondered Mencken's proposal. "This way...... Wouldn't it be too hasty, judging Hadrian's attitude based on this, I'm afraid it won't be convincing?"

"Trust our diplomats," Mencken said with a confident look, having gained a lot of confidence after receiving Alexander's support, "what the Marquis of Metternich could do ten years ago, our diplomats can do today." ”

Prime Minister Pitt glanced at Mencken unobtrusively, and he was quite dismissive of what Mencken had said. As Prime Minister, of course, he knows what the Foreign Ministry is like now, and the Marquis of Metternich has criticized the inefficiency and insufficient level of the Foreign Ministry in front of him more than once, so in the eyes of Prime Minister Pitt, Mencken's words are obviously a bit bragging, even the Marquis of Metternich himself, and now he can't do the great cause ten years ago.

However, Alexander had no idea of this, and when he heard Mencken's words, he smiled, and it seemed that Mencken's speech had given the Crown Prince, who had always been worried, a great deal of confidence.

"Then I'll leave it to you, and I hope you and your diplomats can bring good news to the Empire. ”

"We will not fail in our mission. Mencken stood up and bowed solemnly to Alexander.

"Your Highness," Prime Minister Pitt said suddenly, "there is one more thing that you want to consider?"

"What?" said Alexander, who couldn't remember anything else that mattered.

"The canonization ceremony of Count Swain No. Jericho at midnight has not yet been held, so do you take advantage of the enthronement ceremony to canonize Count Jericho, so as to show the authority of the emperor? ”

"That makes sense," Alexander nodded, but he wasn't very concerned about it, "then do as you say." Now that the Marquis of Metternich, the Lord of the Seals, is unwell, let you do his work for you. ”

"Yes," said Prime Minister Pete, bowing his head slightly, "but please give His Highness Beria an order to release Count Jericho from the Ministry of the Interior." ”

"What!" Alexander was taken aback and looked at Prime Minister Pitt in disbelief.