The newspaper movent subsided its attacks on the Royal Family under Palrston and Russell’s intervention. However, although the newspaper stopped using aggressive language against the Royal Family, its fervor in opposing the hegemony of the Russian Empire and protecting the interests of the Ottoman Empire only intensified.
Under the dichotomous thinking of the Britons, they had reached the point where they would curse at the re ntion of the "Tsar" and applaud at the ntion of the "Sultan."
Even The Tis, which had once sparked the Ottoman Empire craze, was attacked by the rising star Advertising Morning News with intense nationalist language for ntioning in a report that Christians in the Balkans preferred protection. It was accused of harboring serious "non-British" thoughts and claid that the idea of Christians preferring Russian protection existed only in The Tis’ world... Christians only living in the Ottoman Empire knew whose protection they preferred, and The Tis was fabricating this out of thin air.
As an old-brand spewer of sharp words, The Tis naturally did not act like a turtle with its head in the sand after receiving attacks from the Advertising Morning News and began retaliating against it.
Fortunately, within the Kingdom of Britain, there existed a large exiled community persecuted by the Ottoman Empire, including Christians. The Tis used their oral accounts as a template, embellished them, and launched a counterattack against nationalist newspapers led by Advertising Morning News.
Upon witnessing The Tis’ fact-based reasoning, the Advertising Morning News imdiately encouraged its subscribers to retaliate, and frenzied nationalists gathered at the doorstep of The Tis. They first angrily denounced The Tis and then cursed those exile groups as "traitors," teaching them how to love the Ottoman Empire.
If not for the arrival of the police, the frenzied nationalists nearly stord The Tis’ stronghold, launching psychological attacks on The Tis reporters.
After that, The Tis wised up considerably and refrained from reporting on any Ottoman Empire content in the following days.
Under such circumstances, the public opinion attacks on Aberdeen beca even fiercer.
Just as Pri Minister Aberdeen was overwheld with the Ottoman Empire issue, a summons from Buckingham Palace forced Pri Minister Aberdeen to put down his work and proceed to Buckingham Palace.
When Pri Minister Aberdeen’s carriage arrived at the gates of Buckingham Palace, the Lobster Soldiers guarding the palace swiftly opened the gates, and the carriage continued to the main entrance of Buckingham Palace, where it stopped. Pri Minister Aberdeen pushed open the car door and got out.
"Your Excellency, the Queen and the King’s Consort have been waiting for you for a long ti! Please follow !" The one welcoming Pri Minister Aberdeen was still the head butler of the Hanover Royal Family, John Brown, who slightly bowed and respectfully extended his hand toward Pri Minister Aberdeen.
"Hmm!" Pri Minister Aberdeen nodded and followed John Brown to the presence of the King’s Consort and the Queen.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness!" Pri Minister Aberdeen respectively curtsied to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert to show his respect.
"Please sit!" Prince Albert extended his hand to Pri Minister Aberdeen.
"Thank you, Your Highness!" With steady steps, Pri Minister Aberdeen sat on the red cushioned chair opposite Albert and Victoria.
Prince Albert first glanced at Pri Minister Aberdeen, and from Aberdeen’s haggard expression and lancholy hidden in his eyes, Albert imdiately understood that the current Aberdeen had been so disturbed by external public opinion that he probably couldn’t even rest well.
"Your Majesty, what instructions do you have for calling here?" Before Albert could speak, Pri Minister Aberdeen quickly summoned his energy to ask Queen Victoria.
Queen Victoria glanced at Albert beside her, and under Albert’s encouraging gaze, Victoria asked in a gentle tone, "Your Excellency, what do you think of the recent events?"
"You an?" Despite knowing what Victoria was referring to, Aberdeen asked deliberately out of caution.
"It’s the widely talked-about Sinop incident! I heard many people demand that our army punish Russia!" Queen Victoria explicitly stated her stance and inquired of Aberdeen.
"Your Majesty, please forgive my frankness!" Thinking of the recent events, Pri Minister Aberdeen couldn’t help but speak impulsively, "Palrston is now using public opinion to force Britain onto the path of war! If this continues, Britain could face a terrible disaster!"
"Oh?" Albert faintly replied, "I don’t think this is a disaster!"
Aberdeen looked at Prince Albert in astonishnt, and a wave of tumultuous emotions arose in his heart.
"Could it be that Palrston has already convinced the Royal Family?" Aberdeen thought.
At present, Aberdeen has no idea that declaring war on the Russian Empire was sothing Prince Albert had been planning for a long ti.
It’s just that, previously, there wasn’t a fervent anti-Russian sentint within Britain, and the Russian Empire hadn’t fully crossed the Kingdom of Britain’s bottom line.
Now that both conditions have been t, Pri Minister Albert is naturally willing to declare war on the Russian Empire.
Besides, France is already at war with Russia, so the Kingdom of Britain need not fear being isolated.
"Your Highness, declaring war on the Russian Empire brings no benefit to the Empire!" Pri Minister Aberdeen stamred nervously, "Our primary concern should be the French Empire!"
"The French Empire? They haven’t greedily demanded territories that don’t belong to them like the Russian Empire has! It’s the Russian Empire that’s continually seizing lands not originally theirs! Therefore, Russia must be curbed!" Prince Albert firmly told Pri Minister Aberdeen.
Aberdeen looked at the formidable Consort before him, knowing that the King’s Consort was likely fully prepared for everything, and perhaps even had a candidate for the new Pri Minister ready, whether it be Palrston or Russell, or so other fortunate fellow.
Thinking of this, Pri Minister Aberdeen hesitated for a mont, then showed a self-deprecating smile and asked in a sowhat sorrowful tone, "Your Highness, since you’ve already made this decision, why seek my opinion?"
"No, no, no!" Prince Albert shook his head, adamantly denying, "The Royal Family does not interfere with Cabinet decisions; we support all actions of the Cabinet! These are rely suggestions we’re offering the Cabinet!"
Indeed, theoretically the Royal Family cannot arbitrarily change the Pri Minister, nor can it freely establish policies as it wishes, but it can leverage its influence to appoint like-minded individuals as Pri Minister to carry out those policies.
There are still many in Britain willing to heed the "suggestions" of the Royal Family, which is Britain’s "unwritten rule."
"Your Highness, if Prussia and Austria were to align with Russia, Britain would face the encirclent of three nations, and with our current military forces, we simply cannot contend with them on land!" Aberdeen was not soone to surrender easily and expressed his concerns to Albert.
"If we were to abandon our friends in the Near East due to the possibility of Prussia and Austria joining with the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Britain might lose all our allies!" Prince Albert replied to Aberdeen, "I acknowledge that the German states could get dragged into this war, but this situation wasn’t caused by Britain, rather Nicholas I is forcing them into this war. I believe the German states should be capable of maintaining a cool head and soberly assessing the situation!"
Prince Albert swallowed and continued, "Besides, we still have the French Empire as our ally! If the Germans get involved, France would be the first to bear the brunt."
From Albert’s words, it was not difficult to detect a hint of schadenfreude regarding the potential fate of the French Empire.
"Since Your Highness and Your Majesty have already decided, I have nothing further to say!" Pri Minister Aberdeen rose from his seat, bowed to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, "Please allow to resign from the position of Pri Minister!"
"Pri Minister Aberdeen, are you acting out against us?" Albert’s voice grew colder, and his expression turned indifferent.
"No!" Aberdeen responded candidly to Albert, "I just think, Your Highness needs a stern Pri Minister! (He paused for a mont, a bitter smile on his lips) Not a Pri Minister like !"
Seeing the weary deanor of the Pri Minister (a re tool), Albert’s heart softened sowhat, "Pri Minister Aberdeen, you can take a few days to rest! When the war is over..."
"Yes! Your Highness!" Aberdeen solemnly responded to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
With that, after returning to the Pri Minister’s Office, Pri Minister Aberdeen imdiately submitted his letter of resignation to Queen Victoria.
Queen Victoria promptly approved Pri Minister Aberdeen’s resignation and advised him to return ho to recuperate.
After Pri Minister Aberdeen’s departure, the coalition governnt completely collapsed.
Palrston and Russell turned from collaborators into competitors, and since Palrston was more adored by the radical public than Russell, plus he had the covert support of Albert, Palrston quickly defeated Russell to beco Pri Minister again. Clarendon continued as the Foreign Minister, while the unfortunate Russell remained as Speaker of the Lower House.
Reviews
All reviews (0)