In a melodious melody, Viscount Palmerston enjoyed a small reunion with his lover after a long absence.

But even a moment of pleasure in leisure is almost impossible in the busy Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Before the waltz was finished, Assistant Undersecretary Schneider knocked on the door of the living room, slapped the papers in his hand and glared at his boss.

"Your Excellency, there are some urgent documents that you need to deal with immediately."

Seeing this, Palmerston had to let go of Mrs. Levine's hand apologetically: "Sorry, dear, the rest of the part, let's wait until the salon of the Olmark Club tonight." ”

Mrs. Levine seemed to be a little dissatisfied: "Henry, is there anything you can't talk about here?" ”

Although the beauty is delicate and cute, of course, Palmerston has not forgotten what this beauty is.

Although His Excellency the Viscount did not mind trading some diplomatic information with the daughter of the head of the Third Department of the Russian Imperial Office, he first had to make sure that the new information could be traded.

Even if he could trade, he would have to figure out whether the trade would be good or bad for his future.

"Dorothea, there's still a long time to go, we can get tired of being together all night, not too late."

After a vague perfunctory affair with his lover, Viscount Palmerston, who had managed to get the trouble with the Russian woman, finally slipped out of the drawing-room.

Schneider, who was waiting outside, saw that he finally came out, and did not dare to report the latest news without slackening.

"Your Excellency, Mr. Stratford Canning has just formally replied that he is willing to accept the appointment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to serve as British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire for a second time. However, the Prime Minister's side ......"

As soon as Palmerston heard this, he immediately understood what was wrong.

Stratford Canning's surname suggests that he and former Prime Minister Sir George Canning are from the same family and are close cousins.

After his parents separated, George Canning was sent to his uncle's house, and Stratford Canning was his uncle's son.

It was on this basis that Sir Canning had always taken good care of his cousin during his lifetime. When his cousin had just graduated from Cambridge University, Sir Canning, who was then the Foreign Secretary, used his power to appoint his cousin, then 24, as the British special plenipotentiary to Constantinople in the Ottoman Empire.

However, perhaps because he had lived under his cousin's wing for a long time, his father was a banker, he had lived a wealthy life since he was a child, and he never had to worry about promotion, so little Cunning also developed a strong, impatient, and outspoken temper.

This kind of straight-hearted temper may not be a problem if you go to do any other work, but if you come to work as a diplomat, it will obviously cause many problems.

For example, the reason why Palmerston changed Mr. Canning Jr. from the post of ambassador to Russia to ambassador to Constantinople this time was due to his temper.

Palmerston, who had just taken over as foreign secretary last year, began to give back to his former supporters, as is customary.

And in the process of this exchange of interests, of course, he did not forget to take care of the cousin of his former boss, Sir Canning.

The reason why Palmerston did this is because although Sir Canning has died of illness, the power of the Canning faction in the parliament is still not to be underestimated, and Sir Canning is not cold to death.

As for the second, it is due to the fact that Palmerston has more or less feelings for this old boss who has promoted him a lot. Moreover, this can also give himself a good reputation for gratitude and prove that he Palmerston is not a person who forgets his roots.

Third, naturally, it is also to set an example for his successors and set an example. If one day Palmerston is a hundred years later, then you can't break this unspoken rule that has been passed down from generation to generation, and you have to carry up my descendants.

And not only did he reappoint Cunning Jr. as ambassador, but he was also the top three ambassadors to Russia.

Now, who else can say that Viscount Palmerston is not a kind person?

If things had gone on like this, the appointment of Canning Jr. as ambassador to Russia would have been a happy event.

But the problem lies in Mr. Cunning's broken mouth.

In the past, when the younger Kanning was ambassador to the Ottomans, he often used to make sarcastic insults to the Ottomans in his letters to his cousins.

At the beginning of his appointment, he claimed that the purpose of his trip was to prevent the Ottoman degenerate country from destroying itself. When he arrived in Constantinople, his dislike for the area continued to grow.

This is reflected in his family letterhead to his cousin.

- My secret wish is for these Ottoman Turks to get out of Europe with everything.

- I curse the policy of continental balance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, because of it, these hateful Turks have been given the protection they deserve.

But the good news is that little Canning did not hate the Turks alone, he hated the Russians consistently, if not better.

When he was a student, he often made anti-Russian remarks at Cambridge University, and when he was older, he would publish hateful editorials against Russians in newspapers when he had nothing to do.

Unfortunately, the Russians were clearly not as uninformed as the Ottomans, and the Tsar was not as magnanimous as the Sultan.

So when Palmerston appointed Canning Jr. as ambassador to Russia, Canning Jr., who had been in St. Petersburg for three or four months, was stunned and never saw even the shadow of Tsar Nicholas I.

If he can't see the Tsar, then he, the ambassador, will naturally not be able to perform his duties. So Palmerston had no choice but to give little Canning a different place to stay and let him return to Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire.

As to why it was not elsewhere, it was because the Sultan had previously proved his tolerance, and Palmerston was concerned that other countries other than the Ottomans might not be able to accept little Canning.

After all, only God knows how many countries this guy has scolded.

If the rulers of other countries did not meet with little Canning like the Tsar, would they have to try to find him a new position?

A change of ambassador at short notice can be interpreted as a normal transfer.

The replacement of the two ambassadors in a short period of time can be said to be an unintentional mistake.

But if the three ambassadors are replaced in a short period of time, this will no longer be explained if they don't know people, right?

And from the analysis of the message brought by Schneider, this is only the second transfer, which has already attracted the attention of Prime Minister Earl Gray.

After all, it is a bit outrageous that the ambassador has been in office for a few months and has not even seen the tsar's dandruff.

The Earl of Grey was worried that with little Canning's character, he would not be able to perform his duties well even if he went to Ottoman, so he wanted to advise Palmerston to find a suitable candidate again.

But the Prime Minister's advice is ultimately a reference and as Foreign Secretary, Palmerston is the one who has the power to decide.

He spoke, "You tell Count Grey for me, I understand his concerns. But Mr. Stratford Canning was the obvious choice to serve as Ambassador to Ottoman.

At present, the Ottomans are fighting with Ali's Egyptian army, and the situation in the country is quite complicated. That's why we need someone who is familiar with the Ottoman situation, who has served there in the past, and who doesn't need much time to build a network to help us find out.

Mr. Canning Jr., though outspoken, had a great appetite for the natives, and he had many friends in Constantinople and was respected by the current Sultan Mahmud II, I could not think of a more suitable second ambassador. ”

Schneider was embarrassed when he heard this: "This is what we explained to the prime minister before, but he always believed that with Mr. Canning's hot temper, I am afraid that not only will it not help Sudan solve the conflict with Ali, but it may exacerbate the problem."

Moreover, Count Grey said that if the Ottoman military conflict intensified, the Cabinet's plan to reduce the army would inevitably be met with great resistance, because we might need to send troops to support the Ottomans at any time. ”

When Palmerston heard this, he finally found the central focus of the Prime Minister's attention.

Count Grey didn't care who the Ottoman ambassador was, but he needed assurances from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that there was no need to send more troops to the Ottomans, so as to give a lure to the generals who opposed disarmament.

The reason why Earl Grey was determined to disarm was to complete his plan of parliamentary reform.

For in all times and countries, armies and churches have always been natural strongholds of conservative forces. Britain is not immune to this in this regard.

And of all the arms, the Army is the most stubborn conservative in the army. The generals of the army were all landed nobles, led by the Duke of Wellington and the old Waterloo Army.

It can be said that the Earl of Grey said that the disarmament was because there was no need to maintain a large army in peacetime, and that it was to reduce the financial burden and control government spending, but in fact he wanted to strike a blow at the recalcitrant Tory conservatives and force them to compromise on the issue of parliamentary reform.

Parliamentary reform is the primary task and ultimate goal of this Gray cabinet, and any issue must be compromised in the face of reform, which is the bottom line of Earl Gray, and any minister who dares to shake the bottom line will be eliminated by him by thunderous means.

Among the many means, the most effective is the cabinet reshuffle.

Can you do this job? I can't do it, I'll change to a foreign secretary!

Earl Grey didn't say much, but the hidden meaning made Palmerston have to be careful.

Although he has been in politics for many years, it is the first time he has been in the cabinet, and he does not intend to give up the position of foreign minister so soon.

After much thought, he finally decided to go to 10 Downing Street.

"Prepare the car for me right away, and I'm going to explain the problem to the prime minister in person. The appointment of Canning Jr. as ambassador to Constantinople would not affect the original disarmament plan. ”

"Understood, Your Excellency. And also...... Earlier, our people noted that the French Ambassador, Talleyrand, had contact with Mr. Hastings...... Today Scotland Yard presented an investigation report to the Home Office. ”

"Huh?"

Viscount Palmerston stretched out his arms and asked as he let the servant put on his coat, "Is there anything unusual in the report?" ”

"Nope."

Schneider smiled and shook his head: "The investigation report of Scotland Yard is almost exactly the same as the report of the House of Commons Inquiry Committee, and they all point to Bernie Harrison as the real culprit behind it. ”

Palmerston straightened his shirt: "Clever lad, it's not for nothing that Peel appreciates him so much. However, since you have already suffered a loss, you should consider trading it for something. Just being silent doesn't do anything other than make people think you're stupid. ”

"Superintendent Hastings isn't silent."

Schneider said with a smile: "He also went to the Chancellor's Hall before, when the Viscount of Melbourne and Lord Broughham were there. After the Viscount of Melbourne returned, the next day he updated the draft of the Municipal Police Act, making a number of adjustments to the part involving Scotland Yard. According to the criteria of the new draft, it is estimated that Mr. Hastings should be promoted to Assistant Commissioner of Police shortly after. ”

"Hmmm......"

Viscount Palmerston's eyes narrowed, buttoned up his hat and said, "It's a pity, but it's also lucky." ”

Schneider asked softly: "Your Excellency, where is the pity, and where is the luck?" ”

Palmerston spoke: "It's a pity that he didn't accept my invitation to work in the intelligence department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Luckily, Mr Hastings managed to escape at Liverpool, so there is still a chance in the future. Of course, there is another lucky. ”

Palmerston stared at Schneider and said, "I'm lucky, August, at least I've done a good job of intelligence now." ”

With that, Palmerston took a brisk step towards the carriage on the street outside the hall.

Schneider said goodbye to the minister at the door, and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, he looked at the carriage in the distance and pouted: "Your Excellency, it's useless to come with me. I'm not an emotional lady and I don't thank you for a few compliments. Men, I still prefer something real. ”

Speaking of which, Schneider leaned against the door and took out his pocket watch to look at it.

Half past four in the afternoon.

"I guess that His Excellency the Viscount should be coming back from the 10th, it should be almost time to get off work, why don't you go first? Recently, all the theaters in London have been closed due to cholera, and a few of them have finally reopened today...... But which scene is good to watch today? After being out of business for so long, the seventh act of "The Count of Monte Cristo" at the Astrid Theatre should have been rehearsed, right? ”

Just as Schneider was thinking about leaving work early to relieve his addiction, he suddenly felt as if someone was staring at him.

He looked up and saw an old acquaintance of his, Mr. Hastings, who had just finished his debriefing from the Home Office, standing across the street.

Arthur took off his hat and shook at him, "It's a nice day, Mr. Schneider." ”

Schneider looked up at the sparse windswept rain in the sky, and joked, "Mr. Hastings, you may have overworked your eyes." Where's the weather? ”

"Hmmm......"

Arthur groaned for a while, and suddenly rubbed the corners of his eyes that had not yet been removed: "Maybe you are right, I am overworked, you see the corners of my eyes, they are all lace." But even if the weather is worse today, it's better than the Russian one, right? I used to talk to the military attachés at the Russian embassy, and the weather there was like seeing a ghost, it was all freezing and snowy. ”

When Schneider heard Arthur's words, he was stunned at first, and then a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

He knew what Arthur was talking about, and he guessed that Arthur must have understood what he was talking about.

"Mr. Hastings, how can you say that about our friendly country? As much as Russia is indeed a land of ice and snow, as a diplomat, I must remind you that Britain exports to Russia account for forty-two percent of our total exports, and Russia exports to Britain account for seventy-three percent of their total exports. Russia is our unshakable economic partner and an important ally. ”

Arthur took a pipe in his mouth, and a smoke screen came out of the tip of his nose: "If you say that, well, I can barely understand." But for humanity, the blizzard in Russia was still too fierce. ”

Schneider bowed slightly, and he smiled and replied, "I'm sorry, Mr. Hastings, but it's all God's will. ”

"You're right."

Arthur knocked his hat again: "I can only pray, but one day, we too can become God." ”

(End of chapter)