As Palrston and Minister Russell were traveling by carriage to Windsor Castle, Cavour and Victor Umberto were likewise returning to the hotel from Windsor Castle.
As soon as he entered the room, Victor Umberto quickly shut the door and then asked Cavour about the question buried deep in his heart.
"Your Excellency, the Pri Minister, I don’t understand why you are so happy? Prince Albert doesn’t seem to have agreed to our request!" Victor Umberto asked Cavour in confusion.
Cavour smiled and explained to Victor Umberto, "Your Highness, Prince Albert has indirectly agreed to our demands!"
"This..." Victor Umberto, whose political acun was sowhat lacking, thought for a mont but still couldn’t understand Prince Albert’s implied aning. He shook his head and replied to Cavour, "Your Excellency, please forgive my ignorance! Didn’t Prince Albert always emphasize that the Kingdom of Britain will not intervene in the situation on the Italian Peninsula?
How can that be considered agreeing to us?"
Seeing that Victor Umberto had not grasped the artful language, Cavour patiently explained to him.
"Your Highness, during our conversation, did Prince Albert say, ’As long as the Sardinian Kingdom does not formally disrupt the situation on the Italian Peninsula, the Kingdom of Britain is willing to guarantee the safety of the Sardinian Kingdom!’?"
Victor Umberto thought for a mont and then responded to Cavour with a puzzling look, "Prince Albert did say that, but doesn’t that also an that the Kingdom of Britain is unwilling to support the Sardinian Kingdom’s just action to unify Italy?"
"No!" Cavour shook his head, answering matter-of-factly, "That’s not how the statent should be understood! If Prince Albert truly ant that, he wouldn’t have bothered to go through the trouble of repeatedly explaining!
Prince Albert’s aning is, ’As long as the Sardinian Kingdom does not deploy regular armies, the Kingdom of Britain is willing to assure the safety of the Sardinian Kingdom!’
"This..." Victor Umberto scratched his head, his eyes still showing a clear simplicity, "That doesn’t seem to make much of a difference!"
Looking at the unwavering Victor Umberto, Cavour sighed softly, and decided to lay it all out, "Your Highness, as long as the Sardinian Kingdom does not dispatch regular troops to confront the Austrian Empire directly, and chooses to rely on other ans to stir up the people within the Italian Peninsula to overthrow monarchs other than the Sardinian Kingdom, the Kingdom of Britain is willing to provide security assurances to the Sardinian Kingdom!
This ans that as long as we do not choose to deploy regular armies for direct confrontation, any other thod can obtain the support of the Kingdom of Britain.
With the Kingdom of Britain’s assurance, we need not fear the threat from the Austrian Empire."
After hearing Cavour’s explanation, Victor Umberto finally showed a look of realization, murmuring to himself, "So that’s how it is!"
Not long after, Victor Umberto suddenly thought of another question, frowning slightly and speaking with a hint of trepidation, "Your Excellency, the Pri Minister, your explanation just now, is ultimately just your speculation!
If your speculation is wrong, will the Sardinian Kingdom have to bear certain consequences?"
As for Victor Umberto’s concern, Cavour had naturally thought of it long ago.
Cavour patiently continued to explain to Victor Umberto, "Your Highness, this is a commonly used tactic in diplomatic circles!
No one knows whether ambiguous rhetoric hides a cunning trap or sweet honey!
We can only rely on past diplomatic experience to roughly judge Prince Albert’s intentions."
"So, if we guess wrong, wouldn’t it put the Sardinian Kingdom in jeopardy?" Victor Umberto nervously asked Cavour.
"Your Highness, this is a necessary price!" Cavour said to Victor Umberto with a lancholic tone, "After all, we are just a middle-sized country on the Italian Peninsula!
Compared to other countries on the Italian Peninsula, we do have so strength!
But compared to a giant like the Kingdom of Britain, we are rely a pawn, a pawn to leverage against the French Empire’s hegemony.
We must adhere to our responsibilities as a pawn.
Otherwise, we would not even be qualified to act as a pawn.
If we are unwilling to follow in the footsteps of the great powers, then we can only choose to beco a dessert on the great powers’ nu!"
After hearing Cavour’s explanation, the proud feeling in Victor Umberto’s heart also disappeared and was replaced by an inexplicable lancholy.
After a while, Victor Umberto finally adjusted his mindset and inquired about Cavour’s next plan.
Should they continue to stay in London, or return to the Sardinian Kingdom!
"Before leaving London, we must find a ’helper’ who can open the deadlock on the Italian Peninsula!
Only then can we break the stagnant situation on the Italian Peninsula!" Cavour said to Victor Umberto.
"Mr. Garibaldi, who is the helper you are looking for?" Victor Umberto imdiately asked Cavour.
Cavour did not answer Victor Umberto, but simply said, "Your Highness, it’s best if you don’t know about such matters!"
"Pri Minister, I have the right to know the next destination!" Victor Umberto argued with Cavour.
Cavour then told Victor Umberto that he need not accompany him to the next destination and could just stay at the inn.
Feeling unwilling, Victor Umberto wished to oppose using the na of Victor Emmanuel II, but Cavour inford him that this decision was made before they left the Sardinian Kingdom.
In other words, Victor Umberto’s father also agreed with Cavour’s opinion!
To prevent Victor Umberto from developing a rebellious mindset, Cavour disclosed a portion of the details.
"Your Highness, the person I’m eting this ti is a mber of the Charcoal Party in the Italian Peninsula, so you cannot accompany !
Even if caught by the French Empire, it would be of no use!
I am just an MP without authority, the French Empire and Austrian Empire would not and cannot use this excuse to make a move against the Sardinian Kingdom!
At worst, I would resign!
On the contrary, if you are exposed to having contact with extre forces, the entire issue would beco particularly troubleso!
The France and Austria might exploit this situation, and then the Sardinian Kingdom would be put in a passive state!
So it’s better that you don’t accompany !"
After hearing Cavour’s explanation, Victor Umberto chose to give up accompanying Cavour, repeatedly advising Cavour to act cautiously.
Subsequently, under Victor Umberto’s watch, Cavour left the room.
Victor Umberto closed the door again, then ran to the window near the street to observe.
After about half a minute, Cavour’s figure appeared on the street, waving towards it.
A carriage appeared in front of Cavour, enthusiastically inquiring about his destination.
Speaking fluent English, Cavour conveyed the destination of this trip, and the coachman warmly invited Cavour to board the carriage.
The carriage, carrying Cavour, sped along the Thas River, quickly passing the bustling wealthy district and reaching the "civilian" district, which seed like a living hell.
Tightly fitting buildings and narrow streets silently testified to the poverty here. Through the glass window of the carriage, one could see that not a single gentleman on either side of the street wore a suit as properly as Cavour’s.
Almost all the n walking on the street wore old gray coats that hadn’t been washed for a long ti, and so wore a cap. Won donned white kerchiefs that had nearly turned gray and wore brown dresses, appearing quite aged.
Of course, those who strolled the streets were relatively respectable people, known as the "blue-collar class" in later generations.
More people didn’t even have a full set of clothes and had families cramped in London’s basents, sharing ragged clothes and beds.
If soone went out to work, they wore the clothing.
London, not only filled with flowers and lights, also harbors decay and darkness in its corners.
Due to the congestion of roads in the poor district, the coachman carrying Cavour moved intermittently for a long ti until finally reaching an apartnt.
The apartnt seed slightly "out of place" compared to the tattered buildings in the slum.
The exterior walls of this apartnt showed no signs of peeling; the white walls appeared freshly painted with white emulsion.
Moreover, impressively, a fence surrounded the front of the apartnt, enclosing a lush lawn and several wildflowers.
In a slum like this, an apartnt could be considered a "luxury house". Residents often held relatively decent office jobs (governnt or company staff), or were small heads among workers.
Only such people would be willing to reside here.
After all, their salaries couldn’t sustain living in wealthy areas, but they weren’t willing to dwell with workers, as it wouldn’t display their "being superior" status. Therefore, this type of apartnt beca their first choice!
Cavour descended from the carriage, walked slowly to the apartnt’s door, and gently knocked twice on the door.
After a while, an old woman in a gray-white long dress appeared before Cavour. She glanced at him, indifferently asking, "Who are you looking for?"
"May I ask if Mr. Mazzini lives here? I am a guest from Sardinia, passing by today, hoping to visit Mr. Mazzini!"
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