"Come on! Don't I know you yet? How can a person like you be willing to just quit!"
In front of his "old friend" who had known each other for more than ten years, Canning did not put on a business-like face, but maintained his relationship with Reshid in an easy-going manner.
No one understands better than Canning how much political power lies behind this short, stocky old friend with a black beard.
From 1837 to 1852, he controlled the political and diplomatic policies of the Ottoman Empire for 15 consecutive years, and there were countless henchmen under him. Even the current Prime Minister Muhammad Ali was one of Reshid's followers.
In the early days of Prime Minister Ali's entry into the officialdom of the Ottoman Empire, Reshid supported him step by step, from ambassador to foreign minister to minister of foreign affairs.
However, in the end, Reshid could not avoid being a tiger. Muhammad Ali, who was full-fledged, jumped back at the most critical moment and stabbed Reshid in the back. After Reshid left the post of prime minister, Muhammad Ali
.Ali went through all kinds of hardships before taking over Reshid's position and becoming the Prime Minister of the Ottoman Empire.
The relationship between Muhammad Ali and Mustafa Rashid cannot be said to be in harmony with each other, but can only be said to be incompatible with each other.
Of course, if Reshid was only worthy of praise for being stabbed in the back by Muhammad Ali, then Stratford Canning would not regard him as a political ally.
The most famous thing that Reshid did was to co-draft the "Edict of the Rose Hall" with Abdul Meguid I, which is the "Tanzimat" reform.
This reform is undoubtedly conducive to creating a more centralized and tolerant YSL power.
Only a few people know that the guy who pioneered the vigorous reforms of the Ottoman Empire was not born into a famous family, but a guy who didn't even finish religious college. The sudden death of his father, an accountant, made the already impoverished family even worse. Mu Mu
Staffa Reshid had to consider giving up studying at the religious academy, and with the help of relatives, he obtained a job in the Prime Minister's Office by suppressing the Greeks. Reshid who entered the Prime Minister's Office did not do so because of his identity and knowledge.
Looking for opportunities to learn, he has been studying hard and striving to reach a higher level.
Hard work pays off for some people. When Reshid continued to work hard to improve his knowledge, a sudden opportunity gave Reshid the opportunity to travel to France and Britain and witness the prosperity of these two countries with his own eyes.
Reshid, who stayed abroad for several years, quickly learned the languages of English and French, and could be said to be the most European person in the Ottoman court at that time.
After Abdulmecid I came to power, Reshid, who had a "kind" personality (Canning's evaluation) and advocated freedom, was entrusted with important tasks. He served as the architect of the "Tanzimat" reform and concurrently served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Appointment with the Ottoman Ambassador to London.
Although Reshid, who had three overlapping positions, was not the Prime Minister, he was valued more by the Sultan Emperor than the Prime Minister.
In addition, Reshid himself maintained a deep friendship with Canning, which enabled the difficulties faced in the subsequent reforms to be solved.
Even so, Reshid has received continuous endorsements at home and abroad, but it is almost impossible to reform the roots of the Ottoman Empire itself.
The long-term internal struggle with religious and bureaucratic forces exhausted Reshid and the Sultan who supported him. He had to travel abroad several times to remotely direct domestic reforms.
Abdulmecid I's patience was gradually exhausted during the long reforms. In the end, with the joint assistance of domestic conservative forces and Muhammad Ali, Reshid completely lost the position of prime minister in 1850.
When Muhammad Ali became prime minister in 1852, Reshid formed an alliance with the opposition to oppose Muhammad Ali's excessive concessions to Christianity.
Reshid, who once dreamed of using the Peace Religion as its theme and embracing all religions, disappeared.
Looking back, I can only see a man whose eyes were blinded by power and desire. He would oppose for the sake of opposition, just so that he could climb to the peak of his past.
Although Canning could see that his old friend's original intention had quietly changed, he had no way to stop it, just like you couldn't stop a guy who was pretending to sleep.
Furthermore, the original purpose of Tanzimat's reforms was not to prevent the Ottoman Empire from being taken away by the Russian Empire.
Now that both the military and economic reforms have begun to bear fruit, maintaining the current level is already very good.
Previously, Canning became close friends with Reshid because of his own ideal of hoping that the Ottoman Empire would "better".
Now Canning became good friends with Redeemer for the sake of British interests in the Near East.
The former has much more respect than the latter, and his attitude is naturally a little more easy-going.
In response to Canning's remarks, Reshid put his hands on his thighs and sat upright and responded: "I didn't lie to you! Now I really don't know what that guy Muhammad Ali wants to do!"
"What's going on?" Canning also said with a serious expression: "What happened to the Ottoman Empire in the few months I left?"
"Nothing! It's just that a few ministers were dismissed and a few pashas were killed!" Reshid replied nonchalantly. From the conversation that he was a minister and a pasha, it was clear that he was a high-ranking member of the Ottoman Empire.
There seems to have been an internal fight.
This ally of mine may also be the loser in this internal fight.
"This is no small matter!" Canning's expression became more solemn: "If you are still willing to treat me as a friend, please be sure to tell me what happened in the Ottoman Empire during my absence."
Reshid opened his narrowed eyes, and after a long time, he replied: "Since you insist on understanding, then I can't be so inhumane."
Later, Reshid told Canning everything that happened until Canning left.
This includes the political struggle between hardliners and appeasers.
When Canning heard that the appeasers had won the victory, he could not help but frown.
There are some things going on inside these high-ranking sects that people like Colonel Ross will never be able to find out.
"You mean the Ottoman Empire has now begun to surrender to the Russian Empire?" Canning asked Reshid immediately.
"I think no matter how stupid that guy Muhammad Ali is, he would not dare to agree to Menshikov's conditions rashly! Although that guy Rifat (Pasha) is discussing the conditions with Menshikov, both sides seem to have some reasons.
The problem is mutual concern." Reshid obviously did not believe that Muhammad Ali and Rifat Pasha had the ability to betray the country.
Then, Reshid suddenly remembered that someone had reported to him that former Foreign Minister Fouad often visited the French Embassy.
So Reshid told Canning the news.
Fouad, Walewski, Rifaat Pasha, Muhammad Ali and France, these seemingly irrelevant information are constantly scattered, rearranged and broken up in Canning's mind...
A ridiculous thought appeared in Canning's mind, that everything the Ottoman Empire did was just to delay time, and Operation France was also racing against time.
"No...it's impossible!" Canning was somewhat unwilling to believe this inference.
If we follow this inference, France had decided to take action against the Russian Empire even before the Holy Land Judgment began.
Only in this way can everything that happens next be explained.
Thinking of this, Ambassador Canning recalled what Prince Albert had said to him when they were at Buckingham Palace.
Albert asked him to support Palmerston, whose policy was to interfere in the Russian Empire.
Such a decision obviously did not spring out of a crack in the stone in an instant. It obviously required a long period of weighing before reaching a conclusion.
Stratford Canning suddenly felt that a shadowless net was covering the entire Near East. One end of the net was the French Empire, and the other end might be the Kingdom of Britain.
Damn I forgot about this!
A biting chill rushed from Stratford Canning's spine to his limbs like a wild horse breaking free from the reins.
It was only now that Canning remembered that the original rumor (that Palmerston met with the French envoy to discuss the world's relationship with the Russian Empire) was ninety-nine times not a rumor.
"Excuse me!" Upon seeing this, Canning decided to go to the French Embassy to inquire. He first said goodbye to Reshid.
Afterwards, we took a carriage to the door of the French Embassy in the Ottoman Empire.
Knocking on the embassy door, Walewski appeared in front of Canning.
"Mr. Walewski, I have something to ask you!" Canning, standing at the door, said to Walewski.
"Please come in!" Walewski stepped aside to allow Canning to enter.
After Canning entered the embassy, he had a secret conversation with Walewski.
During this period, Canning tentatively asked Valewski if he knew about the "agreement" between France and Britain.
Walewski looked at Canning in surprise, then regained his composure and replied to Canning: "That's right! There are indeed some unwritten agreements! That was when I was the French secret envoy.
Things settled with your country!”
"Can you tell me what it is?" Ambassador Canning asked Walewski sincerely.
"The French Empire and the British Empire will form an alliance to attack the Russian Empire when it launches targeted aggression!" Walewski told Ambassador Canning the contents of the original British-French secret agreement word by word.
listen.
Immediately, there was a hint of self-mockery on Ambassador Canning's lips. It turned out that Prince Albert had already arranged everything, and all they had done was to speed up the matter.