"Mr. Ambassador, do you know? The Ottoman Empire is sick, and now it is no longer able to support a really huge territory! ”

This was a conversation in February 1853 at Catherine Palace in the village of Tsarskoye on the outskirts of St. Petersburg, spoken by none other than Tsar Nicholas I of the Russian Empire, and to his address was Lord Seymour, British Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Russian Empire.

Since January 15, 1853, when the Russian Emperor formulated a bullshit plan for the partition of the Ottoman Empire, Nicholas I himself acted as the chief architect of the partition of the Ottoman Empire, and Lord Seymour was naturally the main object of Nicholas I's persuasion.

As for the Austrian Empire and the French Empire, Nicholas I did not pay much attention to it, in his opinion, the Austrian Empire was the "loyal" little brother of the Russian Empire, and he used more than 200,000 troops from Transylvania to enter the Austro-Hungarian region and helped the Austrian Empire successfully defeat the Hungarian rebels. At the time of the Austro-Prussian War, it was also the Russian Empire that supported their attack on the Kingdom of Prussia. Although it is said that the final outcome ended with the mediation of the Russian Empire, the Russian Empire also made some contributions, and the Austrian Empire should know how to be grateful.

For Franz. Joseph's little fresh meat deceived Nicholas I subconsciously put Franz. Joseph was a strong-willed heir to orthodox principle, and the question of the union of the Russian Empire and the Austrian Empire was a favorable choice for the Austrian Empire in any respect, and the Austrian Empire itself did not suffer anything in this transaction, and the Adriatic coast and Bosnia and Herzegovina were completely the benefits that the Russian Empire gave to the Austrian Empire for nothing.

The Russian Empire and the Austrian Empire were divided against the Austrian Empire, and Nicholas I was completely handed over to Karl I. Nesherro Die, Karl. Nesherrodi had to face no one but none other than Prince Metternich's advisors, who were idle at the Austrian court.

Since Felix. After Schwarzenberg lay in bed, his condition gradually became more serious, and eventually he even suffered from hemiplegia.

Even so, Felix. Schwarzenberg recommended Prince Metternich as Franz when he was able to speak. Joseph's position as a consultant.

After that, Felix. Schwarzenberg was completely turned into a vegetative state, while Prince Metternich was in a state of getting Felix. Schwarzenberg's recommendation was also not reused.

It's just that conversations with the Russian Empire require sophisticated diplomats, so Franz. Joseph chose to serve as an advisor to Prince Metternich to France for a conversation.

Cal. In the half-month conversation between Niechelro and Prince Metternich, there has also been no substantial progress.

Compared to Felix. In terms of Schwarzenbey's liberal foreign policy, Prince Metternich's diplomacy was extraordinarily soft, giving the impression that he had promised something, but had not promised anything.

For a time, Carl. Nesherro is at an impasse.

As for speaking about the French Empire...... The current French Empire is like a small transparency of European diplomacy, with no substantive actions in the international arena except for lip service, and after Valewski became Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Constantinople, the foreign policy of the French Empire became rigid on the outside and soft on the inside.

Nicholas I, who believed that the French Empire was no longer a threat, placed all his focus on Britain, and he believed that as long as the Kingdom of Britain agreed with him, then there would be no resistance to the Russian Empire in Europe.

Even if one country (the French Empire) dared to stop him, the final result would be nothing more than complete crushing by the Russian Empire.

Inferiority and arrogance, these two contradictory extremes of psychology have long been in the Russian Empire, and they have also created the character of Nicholas I.

From January 15 to the beginning of February, for nearly two and a half weeks, Lord Seymour visited the Ekaterina Palace no less than three times, and each time the Ekaterina Palace gave him a different feeling.

By the way, after every conversation with the Imperial Russian Palace, Lord Seymour's wife always left something like handwriting in the Palace of Catherine. For these seemingly worthless things, Alexander, as the crown prince, always likes to spend a lot of money on them.

Lord Seymour's attitude towards Nicholas I was getting better and better.

As a qualified diplomat, of course, one should use the convenience to his advantage, and Talleyrand and Metternich have always been the learning goals of all diplomats.

During their tenure, they not only completed the tasks excellently, but also accumulated a large pension for themselves.

Moreover, Nicholas I only explained to himself his views on the Ottoman Empire, and did not allow himself to do anything else.

At most, he was asked to write a report to 10 Downing Street, and the content of the report was as biased as much as possible towards the Russian Empire.

If Canning was a "hardcore" pro-Austrian (Ottoman) faction, then Seymour was a "hardcore" Russophile.

Seymour nodded at Nicholas I as he listened to his excited speech.

Judging from Ambassador Seymour's expression and movements, he seems to agree with Nicholas I's statement.

Nicholas I was visibly happier at Lord Seymour's approval, and he continued to sell his theory to Lord Seymour: "He [in this case, the Ottoman Empire] is terminally ill, and it would be a great misfortune if we let him go, especially before the aftermath is done!" ”

"Your Majesty, you are right!" Lord Seymour echoed Nicholas I's response: "So shouldn't we let this empire continue to hang its breath, so that they don't die so soon?" If he suddenly collapses, it will cause huge problems for Europe! ”

"Mr. Ambassador, I think it is better to let a terminally ill country continue to use our benevolence to survive! It's better to let them meet death as soon as possible! Apparently disagreeing with Lord Seymour, Nicholas I reminded the old god on the ground: "I mean, we are going to accept the lands they have left behind by the collapse of order at a time when this terminally ill empire is about to fall apart." Only in this way can we be the greatest merciful to this empire! ”

Without saying a word, Nicholas I returned to the division of the territory of the Ottoman Empire.

"Your Majesty, what are you going to do?" Seymour asked as he looked at the emperor in front of him with interest.

"We must guard against the French army entering the Near East, and once they enter the Near East, the Russian Empire will have to move into it in order to maintain the authority of the Orthodox Church!" Nicholas I responded with a righteous expression that by cloning his ambitions in a veneer of religious jihad, he would ease the hostility of European countries towards the Russian Empire.

It's like Jérôme. Bonaparte used the cloak of Catholicism to wrap up his ulterior ambition to divide the Apennine Peninsula.

Nicholas I glanced at Seymour again and said sincerely: "If the Kingdom of Britain can come to an agreement with the Russian Empire, then it doesn't matter what other countries think!" ”

Lord Seymour still smiled and looked at Nicholas I without speaking.

Perhaps in order to show Lord Seymour his sincerity, Nicholas I also made a "gentleman's agreement", in which he assured Lord Seymour that the Russian Empire had abandoned Empress Catherine's territorial ambitions, and that he did not want to conquer Constantinople, but wanted it to exist as an international city.

"Your Majesty, if the Ottoman Empire really faces collapse, then how can you guarantee that the position of Constantinople will not collapse either!" Lord Seymour asked a pointed question.

"Once the Ottoman Empire is facing collapse, then the Russian Empire will be a temporary trustee of Constantinople! When everything is settled, where will the Russian Empire be evacuated! Nicholas I said to Nicholas I in a smug voice.

Lord Seymour would not believe Nicholas I's act of trusteeship and then evacuation.

History proves that what they swallow never comes when they spit it out.

"I see! I will report back to London exactly what you have said in recent times! I am sure that the Prime Minister will make the right decision! Lord Seymour said politely to Nicholas I.

"Then it's trouble!" Nicholas I responded to Lord Seymour, and then added: "I am sure that the Earl of Aberdeen will be able to make the right judgment!" ”

"That's what I thought too!" Lord Seymour nodded in response.

Leaving the Catherine Palace, Lord Seymour returned to the embassy in St. Petersburg by train (the only few lines of the Russian Empire, the tsar's small toy).

In the embassy, Lord Seymour wrote in the letter all the recent remarks of Nicholas I, and attached his own subjective opinion.

Lord Seymour, who welcomed the plans of the Russian Empire, went so far as to write that it would be "a noble victory for the civilized world of the nineteenth century" if "the two Christian powers, Russia and Great Britain," who were most concerned about the fate of Turkey, were able to occupy the regions of Europe that had been ruled by the United States. ”

The letter was sent from St. Petersburg on 6 February, and after a three-day "long journey", it finally arrived at Lord Russell's office at noon on 9 February.

When Lord Russell received Lord Seymour's letter and opened it, his unsettling face finally showed a hint of panic.

After reading the letter, Prime Minister Russell immediately went to the Prime Minister's office at 10 Downing Street and handed the letter to Prime Minister Aberdeen.

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