While the Grand Duke and his wife were feeling happy and relieved about Theresa's letter, there were two other people in the Prime Minister's Residence in Vienna who were troubled by the current situation of Duke Leichstadt.
Prime Minister Metternich and the British Ambassador to Austria, Lord Robert John Talbot, sat at a table with each other looking so serious that no one cared when the coffee before them cooled down.
In recent times, the two of them have met very frequently, and with the efforts of the two of them, the situation that had been derailed seemed to be slowly starting to get back on track.
Now, it's time to put their results to the test.
"Mr. Ambassador, I received news from the Duke of Lechstadt." His Excellency the Prime Minister got straight to the point, "He rebuilt Ioannina as the granddaughter of Ali Pasha, and converted her to Orthodox Christianity and became a principality.
The Grand Duchess. I would like to ask, what do you think?"
The ambassador also had his own sources, so he already knew the information and did not show the slightest surprise.
"The Duke of Wellington has said it before. If he does not infringe on British interests, then Britain will not embarrass a warrior who fights for Christians." The ambassador immediately replied, "Although he has an unpleasant surname, after all, he has never
He has never committed a crime and should not bear the consequences of sins for which he is not responsible. If he can pull a tooth out of a Turk's jaws, then it should be his trophy and no one can say anything bad about it, except the Sultan.
No one else was harmed by this.”
"The Duke is really admirably magnanimous." Metternich immediately realized that the ambassador was making it clear that Britain would not interfere in the Principality of Ioannina.
He knew that the British were certainly not as noble as they said, but since they were unwilling to interfere, there was no need for him to worry about it.
"I think this young man has enough sense. He knows how to respect Britain's interests and know when enough is enough." Metternich nodded lightly, "If this troublesome matter can be solved in this way, it will be fair.
Decent, after all, having one more Christian country in the Balkans can also promote peace in Europe."
After a pause, "So what we really need to worry about is France's attitude. What do you think he will do?"
"King Charles
God knows what will happen at the end, and I don't think any sensible people in France would let the king do this."
"You're right." Metternich was convinced.
Deep down in his heart, he does not believe what will really happen to the Bourbon family, which is currently suffering from internal and external troubles. The French are cheering for the victory of the Christians. If King Charles X ignores the feelings of his countrymen, he really wants to launch an army to attack the Christian warrior Lechsch.
As for Duke Tate, this is actually creating public opinion for him, and maybe his parliament will also rally against it.
Moreover, France was not willing to see the Czar show off his power wantonly in the Balkans and the Near East.
If the French choose to acquiesce, which means that Britain, France and Austria have unified their stance, and Prussia is indifferent to everything here, then the Tsar will face a 3 to 1 disadvantage.
Although the Tsar is young and energetic, he is certainly not a lunatic. Since he has already made enough profits on the battlefield, and they have further weakened Turkey, no matter what, they should be satisfied.
There is no doubt that in twenty or thirty years, the Russians will have another war with the Turks, further encroaching on the Turks' ancestral property, but at least now they should be able to stop under the pressure of the Western powers.
Metternich carried out his plan in an orderly manner. He first coordinated the positions of other powers, then used the opportunity to put pressure on the Tsar, and then forced Turkey to make territorial concessions in order to satisfy the Tsar's psychology.
Except for the poor victims, all parties can end with dignity, which is the goal he pursues.
This time, everything was finally back on track as he expected.
"I have notified Count Litvinsky, the Russian ambassador to our country, and asked him to convey my handwritten letter to the Tsar, informing him of our coordinated position." Metternich finally picked up the cooled coffee, and then
He took a sip with great interest and said, "I believe that when he receives the letter, he will follow my advice. It's time to put an end to the young man's impulsiveness."
"I hope he will," replied Lord Talbot, somewhat proudly, "but if the Tsar does not listen, Great Britain will not be helpless."
Of course Metternich could hear the determination and danger contained in these words. It was this danger that led to the Crimean War on the original historical line. For him, once a war breaks out, no matter what
Whoever hits whomever means that the balance of power is derailed, and it is not a scene he wants to see.
Of course, he could not predict the Crimean War, but he could naturally see that at this time, Great Britain was in a state of prosperity, dominating the entire ocean and countless colonies. Any country that faced it head-on must weigh its consequences.
Here are the consequences.
The Vienna system he participated in creating by no means means that there are no conflicts of interest between major powers, but he can ensure that such conflicts can eventually be resolved politely at the negotiation table.
Everyone should act in accordance with the principle of balance of power, do not cross the thunder pool that is against everyone, restrain their own adventurous impulses, eliminate the tragic war invisible, and let the peace on the continent last as long as possible. This is what he pursues in his lifetime.
"I hope that for the rest of my life, no one will challenge Great Britain's determination again..." the Prime Minister sighed.
Amid the Prime Minister's emotion, the Ambassador's original serious expression suddenly became a little subtle.
"By the way, Your Excellency Prime Minister, I have heard some unpleasant rumors recently."
"What rumors?" Metternich asked.
"Princess Theresa, the daughter of Archduke Karl of your country, has arrived with Duke Lechstadt."
"If you are saying this, then I admit that it is true." Metternich nodded calmly. "Duke Lechstadt had an engagement with Her Royal Highness the Princess, although something happened during the period... no
Such a pleasant episode, but neither the Duke nor Archduke Karl issued a statement to terminate the engagement, so the engagement is still valid, which is reasonable and legal. In this case, what reason do I have to interfere with it? So when Princess Theresa and I
When I asked to leave the country to reunite with my fiancé, I agreed."
"If this is the truth, then of course I have no right to question that the sacred marriage contract should be respected." The ambassador nodded first, and then suddenly changed the subject, "But the rumor I heard is...Princess Theresa
She has been reunited with Duke Lechstadt a long time ago. She left the country without permission, and may have even been hanging out with the Duke...well, getting along...for a long time."
The ambassador stopped here. Of course he didn't come to ask questions. This kind of thing has nothing to do with him. Whether Princess Teresa is decent or not, he doesn't care. The reason why he asked in person was just to see.
Looking at the Prime Minister’s jokes, this can be regarded as British dry humor.
"There is really no need for you to waste your time on such rumors, sir." Prime Minister Metternich replied without changing his face. "Princess Theresa is the eldest daughter of our country's most respected commander, and she has received the most rigorous royal education since she was a child.
, with a dignified personality and excellent knowledge, she is really the pride of the royal family. How could she do such an unseemly thing? She recently applied to His Majesty the Emperor of our country with the consent of her parents. His Majesty the Emperor expressed his gratitude to her for her support.
The marriage contract is so strong that I agreed to let the couple start their family. If you want to ask me anything, I can only tell you that this is all the facts I know."
He didn't show any expression of shame or embarrassment at all, as if this was the unequivocal fact.
Even though both people present knew that wasn't true.
For the ambassador, his bad taste has been satisfied, so he has no interest in continuing to inquire further.
Anyway, now that the official statement has been made, this is the "fact". If we continue to refute the argument, it will be trampling on the dignity of the Habsburg royal family and is definitely not a wise move.
These days, etiquette is falling apart, and Princess Theresa doing some deviant things is her own problem, and it has nothing to do with Britain. It is not like the British have trouble with a girl.
“It’s really touching that Her Royal Highness the Princess is so steadfast.” The ambassador nodded slightly, indicating that he accepted the official statement, “Then, please allow me to personally congratulate Duke Lechstadt and Princess Theresa on their marriage.
I have to admit, the two of them are indeed a good match."
"I will convey your congratulations." Metternich finally smiled.
He knew that since the ambassador made such a statement, it meant that Britain understood Austria and all the methods he played in it, and would no longer pursue any previous conspiracy.
Just as Prime Minister Metternich was about to say goodbye to the ambassador, the ambassador suddenly said something else.
"Your Excellency, Prime Minister, I would like to convey the last words of Duke Wellington. If Reichstadt is interested in visiting the UK one day, Duke Wellington would be happy to meet this young man. Of course, this must be a private visit.
.”
Metternich was stunned for a moment, then sighed or smiled bitterly, "He is a real soldier."
While Metternich and the British ambassador were having a private discussion, far away in Tsarskoe Selo on the outskirts of St. Petersburg, a group of people were also distressed by the changes in the European continent.
After about half a month of news delay, the Tsar finally received the news of the establishment of the Principality of Ioannina.
Along with this news came a letter written in the name of the Grand Duchess Ioannina.
Of course, although it was signed by Grand Duchess Haidee, everyone knew that it must have been ghostwritten by Duke Leichstadt.
The Tsar was sitting next to his desk, while his Foreign Minister Karl Neserrodie stood respectfully next to him, waiting for the Tsar's instructions.
Although it was already snowing heavily in Tsarskoe Selo at this time, dyeing everything around it white, the fireplace with a blazing fire in the room still kept the temperature within a comfortable and pleasant range.
Tsar Nicholas I, wearing a uniform, read the letter with an indifferent expression, and then a trace of ridicule appeared on his lips.
"My brother has already learned this from his father too many times with such sweet words and evil intentions. How could I make the same mistake again? If he thinks that saying such words can make me happy, then he is looking down on me.
Already."
Then, he threw the letter into the nearby fireplace and watched it burn to ashes.
"This is the best place for it."
"Your Majesty, the Duke of Lechstadt is nothing to worry about, but we must pay attention to the thoughts of European countries." Foreign Minister Nesserrodie quickly replied. "According to the information we have received, the recent diplomatic interactions between Britain and Austria
Quite frequently, it is foreseeable that they are coordinating their stance towards our country, and maybe they will send us a note soon."
"These hypocritical and shameless guys!" the Tsar cursed. "They keep saying they are pious to God, but in the end they would rather watch the pagans occupying the great city of Rome and killing Christians!"
"They love profits more than they love God." The foreign minister quickly followed up with a curse. "Sooner or later, God will punish them for their shamelessness and blasphemy."
Of course, he knew in his heart that the same was true for Russia. The Czar was just angry when he saw that he could not get the Constantinople he dreamed of.
It's no wonder that the Tsar was angry. After all, since the war began, the Russian Empire's army has progressed more smoothly than expected. It has entered Thrace. It is conceivable that as long as the Western European powers stand idly by, then Nicholas
The first tsar will fulfill the long-cherished wish of the ancestors of all generations and truly become the Caesar of Rome.
How can it not be frustrating to fail when success is within easy reach?
It's just that trouble is trouble, people have to face reality after all.
The Foreign Minister believed that the current victory of the Russian Empire was great enough. It taught Turkey a severe lesson, reaffirmed the tsar's prestige as a defender of Orthodox Christians, and occupied large areas of Turkish territory.
Although some territory may need to be returned due to pressure from Western European powers, the benefits already obtained are already large enough.
Russia's expansion has never been achieved overnight. As long as it perseveres and slowly encroaches, it will eventually be able to achieve its goal.
Of course the Tsar also knew what the Foreign Minister was thinking.
"I can't bear the thought that I have become Bonaparte's benefactor. This guy used my light to gain a principality, and then he wrote me a letter to show his sincerity... This is not a show of sincerity, it's like
Demonstration." The Tsar said bitterly, "But since I can't do anything to this little brat at the moment, I will swallow this offense."
"Your mercy is enough to move God, Your Majesty," the Foreign Secretary replied.
After some flattering, he asked again, "So, do you agree that we can call it a day?"
"We can stop and retreat, but not now." The Tsar shook his head, "I haven't received their official note yet. Even if I receive it, I can respond slowly. During this time, we can further damage Turkey."
People, prepare for future wars. Whether it takes ten or twenty years, we will eventually achieve our goal, even to my son's generation. Constantinople is destined to belong to our Romanov family!"
"I firmly believe so." The Foreign Secretary bowed.
For him, as long as the tsar does not get carried away and agrees to let things go, that is the best outcome.
The Tsar did not look at him again, but turned to look at the fireplace, and then sighed thoughtfully, "It would be a good thing if my son Alexander could have his ability."