The Duke of Newcastle spoke cautiously, which calmed Palmerston's overheated mind a little, and he understood that France was not a small country after all, but an army power that could keep pace with the naval power of the Kingdom of Britain, and that without conclusive evidence, unbridled suspicions could easily cause a diplomatic crisis.

If a second confrontation between Britain and France is triggered, then he, the prime minister, will most likely do it.

[The last confrontation between Britain and France was during the Orleans period, yes, Thiers, who was the prime minister of Orleans at the time, took the initiative to confront Britain because of the Egyptian problem. Philip dismissed. 】

"You're right!" Palmerston calmly responded to the Duke of Newcastle, "We really shouldn't be so arbitrary!" So be it!

You will now return to the War Department and deploy military operations against the Qajars.

I will send ambassadors abroad to find out where the French fleet is going! ”

"Prime Minister, if this fleet is really going to Asia, do we want to continue to operate!" The Duke of Newcastle whispered.

After being silent for a moment, Palmerston gritted his teeth and said to the Duke of Newcastle: "Of course we have to keep moving!" You should be well aware of the importance of the Indian subcontinent to our country! If France does reach out there, we must strike at them decisively at the risk of war with France! ”

"I see!" The Duke of Newcastle nodded solemnly and replied to Palmerston: "I'll go back to the War Department to arrange!" ”

After the departure of the Duke of Newcastle, Prime Minister Palmerston called his cabinet secretary again.

"Your Excellency, Prime Minister, what do you command?" The cabinet secretary still said to Palmerston with a humble attitude.

"Now go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at once and call the Foreign Secretary to my office!" Palmerston coldly gave orders to the cabinet secretary.

The Cabinet Secretary did not take action, but took out the small notebook he had with him, flipped to the page of today's itinerary, and said to Prime Minister Palmerston: "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, I feel obliged to remind you that there is still a meeting waiting for you to attend in a moment, can you postpone the meeting with the Foreign Secretary a little!" ”

"No way!" Palmerston said to the cabinet secretary in a tough manner: "I must see the foreign secretary as soon as possible, and the meeting can be postponed as appropriate!" ”

"Alright! Your Excellency the Prime Minister! The Cabinet Secretary bowed to Palmerston in reply, and then left his office.

Palmerston took advantage of this time to continue to ponder the idea of using the war to stabilize his approval ratings.

"Maybe the Qajar dynasty is a good choice!" Palmerston muttered to himself.

Moments later, the Earl of Clarenton, then Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of Britain, appeared in Palmerston's office.

"Your Excellency the Prime Minister!" The Earl of Clarenton first addressed Jérôme. Bonaparte bowed and said hello, then continued: "What are you looking for me?" ”

In a few words, Palmerston told the Earl of Clarenton the news that the Duke of Newcastle had delivered.

After pondering for a while, the Earl of Clarenton politely refused to Prime Minister Palmerston: "Your Excellency, please forgive me! The matter of the French Imperial fleet going to sea should not be inquired into by our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but should be entrusted to the Ministry of War! ”

Duke Clarenton's shirking of responsibility made Palmerston feel an inexplicable discomfort.

Think back to a little more than a year ago, there was a cabinet minister who dared to refuse the task he had given him!

Now that their prime ministers are crumbling, they have begun to learn to shirk.

Thinking of this, Palmerston was even more determined to use the means of war to save his own and his precarious support.

However, now is the time when he needs Count Clarendon to fight for him, and he can't offend Count Clarendon.

So, Palmerston said to Earl Clarendon in a cordial tone: "Villiers, of course I understand that it is safer for this matter to be inquired into by the Ministry of War, but now the Ministry of War is deploying a military operation against the Qajar dynasty!"

So I don't have time to bother with other questions, so I'm bothering you to ask them on your behalf. ”

"Military operations against the Qajars?" The Earl of Clarendon glanced at Palmerston in surprise.

I didn't expect that such a short time had passed, and Britain was going to have another war.

It seems that Palmerston can sit smoothly in the position of prime minister again, and his luck is really good!

Clarendon couldn't help but sigh slightly in his heart, his dream of becoming a prime minister was probably out of reach.

Since Palmerston had the possibility of continuing to serve as prime minister, Clarendon had no choice but to continue to follow Palmerston's orders.

After all, he still wants to continue to sit in the position of foreign secretary.

"Good! I'll go and send a telegram to Ambassador Kaates asking them what the hell is going on! The Earl of Clarendon nodded and replied to Palmerston.

"Thank you! Villiers! Palmerston breathed a sigh of relief, and he half-coaxed and half-deceived Clarendon to obey his orders.

However, this also meant that he had to put the war against the Qajar dynasty into practice.

After the departure of the Earl of Clarendon, Palmerston ordered the Cabinet Secretary to call his private secretary.

Although the Cabinet Secretary was unhappy that Palmerston had called him a private secretary, he followed Palmerston's orders.

After Palmerston's private secretary appeared in the office, Palmerston immediately asked the private secretary with a straight face: "Can I continue to trust you?" ”

"Your Excellency, Prime Minister, I am the one you personally brought into 10 Downing Street!" The private secretary took a decisive stance and swore allegiance to Palmerston.

"Now I've given you a mission!" Palmerston said in a low voice as he pulled the English bills out of a drawer, "You go to the newspapers now......

Palmerston handed over part of his plan to the private secretary, who listened with a look of surprise on his face.

"If this succeeds, I will most likely continue to be prime minister!" Palmerston patted his private secretary on the shoulder and said, "And you continue to be my secretary!" Do you understand? ”

"Yes! Prime minister! The private secretary, who was already worried about Palmerston's position, responded excitedly to Palmerston.

"Go ahead!" Palmerston waved his hand and replied to the private secretary, "I look forward to your good news!" ”

The private secretary left the prime minister's office, where Palmerston conceived plans.

It's just that Palmerston probably couldn't have imagined that his personal secretary would "betray" him after he went out.

The private secretary who walked out of the room met the cabinet secretary general at a transfer, and he hurriedly saluted the cabinet secretary general and said: "Your Excellency, you have worked hard! ”

"You've worked hard too!" The cabinet secretary replied to the private secretary with a smile, and then lowered his voice and said to the private secretary: "I am waiting for you here, can you find a place to talk!" ”

After hesitating for a moment, the private secretary replied to the Cabinet Secretary: "Good! ”

The private secretary and the cabinet secretary came to a room where no one was around, and the cabinet secretary still looked at the private secretary with a smile.

It's just that in the eyes of the private secretary, the smile of the cabinet secretary is really oppressive.

After a while, the Cabinet Secretary said to the Prime Minister's Private Secretary in a cordial tone: "William (the name of the private secretary), you should know which side you are on!" ”

"Me!" The private secretary swallowed and said to the cabinet secretary: "Your Excellency, I don't understand what you mean! ”

"I don't understand!" A smile appeared on the corner of the cabinet secretary's mouth, and he shrugged his shoulders and said to the private secretary: "Then I won't ask anymore!" ”

He paused, and then said to the private secretary "bitterly": "But you have to remember one thing! The prime minister of our country is not forever, he has a lifespan of only two to three years!

Once the Prime Minister's term is over, what will happen to some of the secretaries?

Sometimes, we have to think about our future! ”

After that, the Cabinet Secretary glanced at the private secretary with deep meaning and continued: "Of course, I do not deny that some prime ministers have also continued to find a place in the cabinet after leaving office, but the minister does not have the power to appoint as the prime minister at will!" Do you understand what I mean? ”

The private secretary swallowed again and whispered to the cabinet secretary: "Your Excellency, I don't know anything!

I had only heard that there was going to be a war on the side of the Qajars, and Palmerston wanted me to communicate intimately with the newspaper in advance.

"The Exotic Reclamation of Vegetable Skeletons"

I don't know anything for the rest! ”

After listening to the private secretary's report, the cabinet secretary also understood what Prime Minister Palmerston meant, and he patted the private secretary on the shoulder and said, "We need a secretary like you!" ”

"Your Excellency, what do you want to do?" The private secretary whispered to the Cabinet Secretary.

The cabinet secretary shook his head and revealed part of his heart to the private secretary: "I don't want to do anything!" In fact, I would love to see Palmerston continue to serve as Prime Minister! ”

"Then you just ......," the private secretary said again.

"Sometimes, I have to have all the information!" The secretary general of the cabinet said to the private secretary, "When you get to my place, you will understand!" Now, it's time for you to do the task that the Prime Minister has given you! ”

The private secretary turned to leave, and before he could walk out of the room, the cabinet secretary said to him again: "Some of the bonds you bought are still with me, and when you have time, you can come and pick them up!" ”

The private secretary immediately understood what the Cabinet Secretary meant, and he turned to the Cabinet Secretary and responded: "Yes, Your Excellency! ”