"Is France not afraid of the Austrian Empire joining forces with the Russian Empire?"
An infuriated Richard tternich blurted out, and monts later, he regretted his actions. He had committed an unforgivable error for a diplomat: allowing personal emotions to influence foreign policy.
His father, Prince tternich, had once told him that a person overwheld by emotions could never beco a true diplomat, for a single careless word could make a nation pay for his mistake.
An excellent diplomat must always maintain a calm mind, sothing Richard tternich clearly lacked at this mont.
"Your Majesty, I..." Richard tternich attempted to rectify his earlier mistake. As he looked into Jero Bonaparte’s eyes, he saw a bone-chilling indifference, as if Jero viewed him as nothing more than a pathetic ant.
This perception gave Richard tternich the illusion that Jero Bonaparte was no longer a re human, but a deity holding the fate of three million lives of the Austrian Empire in his hands.
I... I really lost my head, to have said such a thing!
Richard tternich felt deep regret, with saliva secreting in his mouth due to nervousness, forcing him to swallow it down. His pale fingers and cheeks were sweating profusely from extre anxiety.
Ti in Richard tternich’s senses began to slow down. Though he was seated on a chair, he felt as if he was sitting on a volcano about to erupt. The burning sensation from the seat made every second unbearable for him!
It seed like centuries passed before the monarch opposite Richard tternich, Jero Bonaparte, slowly spoke, "Richard tternich!"
"Your Majesty!" This ti, Richard tternich’s tone carried a hint of plea and humility as he hoped Jero Bonaparte would overlook his impudent behavior.
"I have every reason to consider your earlier words as an Austrian Empire’s disdain for the French Empire, warranting a declaration of war! Do not forget the blood feuds between the House of Napoleon and the Habsburg Clan! You think your joining will truly help the Russian Empire defeat us, correct?" Jero Bonaparte intoned calmly, as if stating an established fact.
The "blood feuds" Jero Bonaparte referred to were the actions of Louis Napoleon’s brothers in the Italian Region and the inexplicable death of the King of Ro in Vienna.
Each incident could give him a reason to destroy the Habsburg Kingdom.
"I... I’m not..." Richard tternich’s teeth chattered slightly within his lips.
As Jero Bonaparte noted, the House of Napoleon had countless reasons to wage war against the Austrian Empire.
After the Hungarian rebellion, the military strength of the Austrian Empire was far inferior to that of France. Jero Bonaparte’s only concern was Radetzky residing in Italy.
This octogenarian, forrly the Allied Chief of Staff, was akin to a stabilizing force for the Austrian Empire.
Jero Bonaparte himself did not have the confidence to completely vanquish this old man. Moreover, the Austrian Empire was also an important pawn for him in counterbalancing the increasingly powerful Kingdom of Prussia. While he could frequently criticize it, he was reluctant to destroy the piece entirely.
As Richard tternich anxiously awaited Jero Bonaparte’s "judgnt,"
Jero Bonaparte’s attitude softened slightly as he continued, "I understand, you do not wish to truly sever ties with the Russian Empire. On this matter, I can give you so ti.
Before the French Army reaches the Ottoman Empire, you have ample ti to deliberate!
Once the French forces have firmly established themselves in the Ottoman Empire, I hope the Austrian Empire will convey your intentions to .
Whether it is war or peace, the choice is yours! However, I can responsibly tell you that if you choose to oppose France, France will rcilessly crush you!
I will unite with all the rebel forces within your empire, with the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Sardinian Kingdom, and smash all your lands, wealth, and everything you possess!
By then, the Austrian Empire will no longer exist in Central Europe!"
Faced with Jero Bonaparte’s stark threat of war, Richard tternich’s complexion grew even paler.
From Jero Bonaparte’s solemn gaze, Richard tternich could ascertain the truth in his words; the French Empire truly had the capability to annihilate the Austrian Empire.
"I will certainly advise our Majesty to maintain amicable relations with the French Empire! During my lifeti, I will uphold the friendship between the French Empire and the Austrian Empire!" At this mont, Richard tternich beca an absolute mber of the Pro-French Faction, responding to Jero Bonaparte with a solemn expression.
"I hope that the French Empire and the Austrian Empire can forge ahead together in the years to co! Moreover, I personally do not wish to see a country like the Austrian Empire perish either!" Jero Bonaparte’s mouth showed a kindly smile, and his words beca increasingly amicable.
"I believe so too!" Richard tternich hastily responded to Jero Bonaparte.
Afterward, Richard tternich and Jero Bonaparte engaged in a brief exchange of pleasantries.
With Mokar’s escort, Richard tternich left the Tuileries Palace as if he had narrowly escaped a disaster.
That night, upon returning to the embassy, Richard tternich inford the Rothschild Envoy of the situation.
The order for Richard tternich to go to the Tuileries Palace to gather intelligence surprised the Rothschild Envoy. He smiled sowhat ambiguously at Richard tternich, raising his thumb as if in praise of Richard tternich’s courage.
Richard tternich displayed a wry smile and imdiately inquired whether the Rothschild Envoy thought he should write to the Austrian Empire to inform them of the current events.
After obtaining the Rothschild Envoy’s consent, Richard tternich lit the kerosene lamp, bent over his desk, and wrote a letter to Vienna detailing the events in France, adding his own diplomatic insights at the end of the letter.
When Richard tternich handed over the written letter for the Rothschild Envoy’s review, the lazily expressive Rothschild Envoy praised him once again, saying that he truly took after his father.
However, the Rothschild Envoy’s praise sounded piercing to the current Richard tternich’s ears.
Subsequently, the Rothschild Envoy helped Richard tternich send the letter back to Vienna via post.
In this era, although the telegraph had already been invented, at this stage, it was entirely in the hands of the governnt, and Richard tternich could not guarantee that his letters would not be intercepted.
He could only use the most primitive postal thods to send the letter to Vienna.
As the saying goes, the weather in August changes as quickly as a child’s mood. Just in the latter half of the night after Richard tternich finished his letter, dark clouds shrouded the entire sky over Paris.
Soon after, sounds of thunder and lightning emanated from the clouds as if there was a deity nad Zeus within them, wielding his family’s artifact to cast thunder upon Paris, hoping to shatter the city’s seven deadly sins with lightning.
After a while, rain began to adhere to the laws of physics and the influence of gravity, surging with all its might from the clouds and "colliding" towards Paris below, seemingly intent on washing away the city’s sins with their bodies.
As ti passed, the rain grew heavier, the torrential downpour hitting the glass windows made a "pitter-patter" sound, cold raindrops falling upon colder iron bars, splashing into little flowers of water, each completing its mission and rging with the environnt.
About two hours later, the rain began to gradually wane, the misty raindrops becoming gentle like a spring breeze, with the window panes transitioning from their previously hurried "lody" to a prolonged and gentle one.
Another two hours passed, and just as dawn began to break, the clouds and rain disappeared, leaving only the puddles on the cent streets, and a humid air lingered.
By 9 AM, the previously quiet streets began to gradually beco lively.
Newsboys wearing worn-out caps, carrying various newspapers, wandered the streets energetically shouting, "Papers! Papers for sale! Who wants the paper? The new editions of ’Bonaparte Newspaper’, ’Observer’, ’Diplomatic Daily’..."
Gentlen, coming and going on the street, stopped at the newsboy’s calls.
"Do you want to buy one?" The newsboy, knowing he got a custor, hurriedly approached the gentleman, offering him the papers and asking, "I have ’Bonaparte Newspaper’, ’Observer’, ’Constitutional Newspaper’... Which one would you like?"
"Just give any paper!" The gentleman looked at the poorly dressed newsboy in front of him, felt a pang of sympathy, and casually exclaid.
"Alright, Sir!" The newsboy quickly handed the gentleman a paper nad ’Diplomatic Daily’.
"Hmm? Why haven’t I seen this newspaper before? Is it newly published?" The gentleman asked, puzzled.
"Yes, Sir!" The newsboy nodded in response to the gentleman, "Each is only about 3 centis!"
"3 centis? That’s indeed quite cheap!" The gentleman remarked, then perused the paper.
The newsboy stood silently by, waiting for the gentleman to settle the paynt.
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