London, United Kingdom.

The people in the Palace of Westminster who were in contact with Russia have already departed, and it is estimated that they will be in the port of Hamburg in a few days.

(It's Northern Hemisphere winter, and you can't take a boat directly to St. Petersburg because the Baltic Sea freezes.) ）

The Netherlands, Belgium, and France had all received British credentials, and an alliance against the German Confederation had been formed. On the other hand, the British factories that got the news were desperately producing, and the price of agricultural products rose by 30% in a few days.

The constant news from Hanover also confirms that this brilliant fireworks will begin, and the British are ready to make a lot of money.

This time, however, the Rothschilds, the overlords of the financial world, did not make any big moves, and they seemed to be waiting for news from Vienna.

Colleagues in London's financial community ridiculed this missed opportunity for living in Napoleon's time. Lionel Rothschild had already gotten the news that war might break out.

But his uncle, Solomon Rothschild, had repeatedly warned him that if he was to deal with the Upper Austrian Empire, he would have to wait for news from Vienna.

Lionel felt that his uncle was a great financier, and in his youth there were countless times when he made huge profits without spending a penny.

He made a name for himself in the business and political circles of the European continent, and even his own father did not dare to call himself king, but in Vienna everyone called him "His Majesty the King", and even Prince Metternich had to bow his head in front of him.

Although this uncle has been unlucky in recent years, even if he makes money, he has exchanged precious metals for Austrian banknotes, and it is difficult to tell whether he will make money or lose in the end, but Lionel is still willing to believe him.

However, the rest of the family could not sit still and began to make some "investments", and even approached Chilean saltpeter merchants to raise the price of the commodity around the world.

Although Lionel knew all this, he didn't stop it, after all, he didn't want to put all his eggs in one basket, and the rumors that were becoming more and more true made him a little unable to sit still.

Queen Victoria doesn't care about politics, because as she gets older, she finds that all politicians don't like her, and all they want is power.

And she also found the love of her life, Prince Albert, and at this time a letter from her uncle, King Leopold I of Belgium, was on her desk.

Victoria didn't even open it, she sent it to the cabinet, because there was not much emotion on the letter, it was more of a political significance, so it was better to leave it to the politicians.

Prince Albert was an attentive man, and he noticed a slight change in Victoria's expression.

"What's wrong? My angel, you seem to have something on your mind. ”

Victoria leaned over and kissed Prince Albert's broad chest, then bit hard.

"I'm thinking what to do one day when you don't love me anymore?"

Albert stroked Victoria's long hair and said in a gentle tone.

"My angel, what are you worrying about, how can you be? I will always love you. ”

"Then prove it." Victoria pouted.

"Coming back? It's the fifth time tonight! ”

Albert shouted, but soon saw that Victoria's eyes were wrong.

December 30, 1842, the fifth day after Christmas.

Brussels, Belgium.

Leopold I received another message.

"Your Majesty, the Dutch are arming up the country! The total is likely to exceed 100,000! A minister reported anxiously.

"What's the hurry? This is a good thing, the more troops the Dutch have, the more they will be able to share our pressure. We are not aligned, but we have a common enemy."

It's just that Leopold I's words were interrupted by the minister before he could finish his words.

"According to our lurkers in Amsterdam, it seems that the Dutch have already sent troops"

This time it was Leopold I who interrupted the vizier.

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"He's coming for Brussels." The minister replied intermittently.

"What?! Damn idiot! At this time, you still want to take advantage of the fire to rob?! ”

Leopold I was so shocked and furious that he could not find the words to describe the stupidity of King Wilhelm II of the Netherlands, worse than that of his father, Wilhelm I.

With the German Confederation on one side and the Dutch on the other, it was a real moment of crisis. Because Leopold I had already sent Brussels troops to reinforce the fortresses of West Luxembourg and Liège, Brussels had only a few new recruits at this time.

But he was a great ruler and immediately decided to personally lead an army against the Dutch, and Leopold I believed that the army of the German Confederation would not give up the opportunity to attack the weakened Netherlands.

At the same time, Leopold I sent someone to England to deliver the letter again, this time he thought that the other party would send troops to rescue him anyway, after all, a strong and complete Netherlands was not in the interests of Britain.

(Netherlands + Belgium = Netherlands)

In fact, theoretically Leopold I's views and practices were not wrong, and Belgium's enthusiasm for fighting the Dutch was still very high. In just one day, the newly recruited army and the Provisional Police Force were assembled and were to be sent to the front under the command of Leopold I.

It's just that not long after they left the city, they collided head-on with a team flying a flag similar to theirs on the outskirts of Leuven, and it seemed that the Belgian flag had been reflected, but there seemed to be something wrong.

(Leuven, a city west of Brussels, a major transportation route.) ）

The Belgian flag and the German Confederation flag are made up of black, red, and gold, and if you put the German Confederation flag up, it is the Belgian flag and vice versa.

The flag of the German Confederation was designed in 1818, and because the German Confederation had no sense of existence, its flag had no sense of existence, and then the flag was still associated with liberals at that time, so it was historically abandoned.

Leopold I did not know all this, he thought it was a defeated army at the front. So Leopold I made his judgment as quickly as possible, and he was going to go to the front to see the situation himself.

So, King Leopold I of Belgium rushed to the opposite team with a dozen cavalry of his cronies.

Leopold I was even more angry when he saw that the soldiers were well-dressed and well-equipped, and they were talking and laughing.

"Whose troops are this? Tell your lords to come out! ”

The soldiers looked at the senior officer who came running over, and couldn't help but laugh at the somewhat awkward German.

Leopold I was even more annoyed when he saw this.

"Don't you have any shame at this time of national disaster?!"

When the soldiers heard this, their expressions became solemn, and at this time a man who looked like an officer arrived on horseback.

"Who are you?"

"Your king!" Leopold I said with a little anger and a little pride.

As soon as this remark came out, all the soldiers were dumbfounded, including the officer. After about ten seconds, the officer said.

"Your Majesty, you have been captured. We were the First Advance Army of the German Confederation Volunteer Army, and our commander was Archduke Albrecht of Austria. Disarm your troops, and I will take you to His Excellency. ”

(End of chapter)