CHAPTER 366: CHAPTER 361 TSAR IN ACTION

Palmerston? Isn’t it Russell?

When Palmerston’s name came out of Albert’s mouth, Canning immediately realized that Minister Russell was already out of the race.

Even though Canning didn’t know what method Palmerston used to make Albert lean towards him, Canning understood that the royal family’s attitude would play a decisive role in this prime ministerial contest.

If Minister Russell couldn’t persuade Albert, then his position as prime minister would become an unattainable dream, and his own position as Deputy Minister would also vanish into thin air.

Just as Canning’s mind was racing, Albert’s gentle and elegant voice once again reached Canning’s ears: "I don’t know what conditions Minister Russell promised you, but I can assure you. Once you complete the task you’re entrusted with, the royal family will continue to richly reward you!"

Canning immediately understood Albert’s meaning, and the intelligence he spoke of was approximately a title.

In the United Kingdom, a title signifies one’s contribution to the country.

Although the title conferred by the royal family was just a low rank like Baron or Viscount, without substantial enfeoffed land, it undoubtedly represented the royal family’s attitude towards people of merit.

Plus, in the 19th century, a title still carried some weight, which made the royal family very cautious every time they granted one.

There wouldn’t be reckless distributions and devaluations of titles as seen in the 20th century.

So a Deputy Minister’s position seemed somewhat insignificant compared to a title.

"Yes! Your Highness! I will do my utmost to serve the United Kingdom!" Canning replied to Albert excitedly.

"Mr. Canning, I believe in your loyalty to the United Kingdom!" Prince Albert’s face still bore a smile, "It’s getting late now; I should also go help Victoria with sorting some documents!"

Upon hearing Albert’s hint, Canning quickly rose to bid Prince Albert farewell.

On December 21, 1852, during a cabinet meeting, Britain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Russell and Minister of Internal Affairs Palmerston joined forces to "attack" Prime Minister Aberdeen.

Russell claimed that the Ottoman Empire’s decree would inevitably provoke an extreme reaction from the Russian Empire, and Emperor Nicholas I of the Russian Empire would certainly move his troops to the Danube Duchy.

To prevent the Ottoman Empire from collapsing after a Russian Empire attack, the Royal Navy must dispatch its fleet to the Bosphorus Strait to prevent the Russian Empire from using warships to attack Constantinople.

Minister Russell’s actions were equally supported by Minister of Internal Affairs Palmerston.

As an ardent anti-Russian advocate, Palmerston even called for sending the fleet into the Black Sea to warn the Russian Imperial Navy, passionately ready to overturn the table at the slightest disagreement.

Faced with an "attack" from the second (Minister of Foreign Affairs) and third (Minister of Internal Affairs) ranked cabinet officials, the inexperienced Aberdeen exhibited poor political maneuvering skills, leading to an unpleasant end to the entire cabinet meeting.

All cabinet members present understood that this struggle had only just begun, and more intense conflict would gradually heat up after the Russian Empire advanced into the Danube Duchy.

December 23, 1852.

As one of the victims of the Ottoman Empire’s Holy Judgment, the Russian Empire finally received news from the Ottoman Empire after an eleven-day information delay.

Emperor Nicholas I, upon receiving the delayed news nearly eleven days late, showed discontent, not because of the Ottoman Empire’s decree, but because of the delay in receiving the information.

Nicholas I didn’t understand how a good empire could become like this; it’s been eleven whole days, and he hadn’t heard a whisper of it.

It was the first time in his life he felt the decay of the Russian court; the ministers (Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Nesselrode), generals (Minister of War Prince Dolgorukov), and even the intelligence organization he founded (political police "Third Department" led by Count Orlov) seemed deliberately deceiving him.

The whole court seemed to have turned into an impenetrable wall, surrounding Nicholas I, preventing any outside news from reaching him without their consent.

If it weren’t for his Military Attendant overhearing a conversation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in St. Petersburg and telling him, Nicholas I might still be in the dark.

"What are they trying to do? How dare they do this!" Nicholas I growled through gritted teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, his palm clenched into a fist out of anger.

In Nicholas I’s eyes, there was no one left in the court he could trust; the ministers he appointed were deliberately deceiving him.

Nicholas I had to come up with a way to ensure his will was transmitted to the military.

As long as his will could reach the military, all the conspiracies of Carl Nesselrode and others would turn into nothing.

Nicholas I was full of confidence that his military and people would remain loyal to him.

In the barracks, the soldiers who understand nothing and know nothing have only two tasks: to obey their superiors and be loyal to the Emperor.

Precisely because they understand nothing and know nothing, their minds remain ever committed to crawling at his feet.

To ensure his will could be conveyed to the army, especially to the army in Bessarabia, Emperor Nicholas I set his eyes upon the military attendant kneeling beneath his throne.

Emperor Nicholas I subdued his anger, and instead, with a dignity not devoid of affection, said to the attendant who had been kneeling on the ground: "Rise! My loyal guard!"

Upon hearing the "heavenly voice" of Emperor Nicholas I, the military attendant quickly rose with a bowed head.

"Raise your head! Let me have a look at you!" The voice of Emperor Nicholas I once again resounded from the throne.

Upon hearing the command of Emperor Nicholas I, the military attendant slowly raised his head, gazing at Emperor Nicholas I on the throne, unable to resist commending: "My respected Majesty! My benevolent Little Father! Please forgive my disrespect towards you!"

"You are a clever child!" Emperor Nicholas I maintained a dignified appearance while speaking words of kindness.

For over twenty years of ruling the Russian Empire, Emperor Nicholas I understood that only by presenting these Slav animals with a stern father’s demeanor could they submit to you.

The more severe you are with them, the more they admire you! On the contrary, if you show a weak stance, they will think of you as a cowardly monarch, leading to regicide.

Emperor Nicholas I scorned his father and respected his mother!

Only by becoming someone like his mother could he control the entire Russian Empire.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to crawl at your feet..." the military attendant obediently responded to Emperor Nicholas I.

"Child, I acknowledge your loyalty!" Emperor Nicholas I stood, descended from the throne, and stood in front of the military attendant, saying: "Now, I have a harsh task to entrust to you! I wonder if your loyalty can drive you to overcome hardships and complete it!"

The military attendant looked at Emperor Nicholas I with fervent admiration, saying: "Your Majesty, I will do everything in my power to serve you! Even if a sea of fire is before me, I will not hesitate!"

"Good! I already know your loyalty!" As Emperor Nicholas I removed the sapphire ring from his hand, he told the military attendant, "Extend your hand!"

The military attendant instinctively extended his hand, and Emperor Nicholas I placed the sapphire ring in it.

"Your Majesty, I..." the military attendant tried to refuse Emperor Nicholas I.

"This is a reward for your loyalty! Once the gift of a monarch is bestowed, there is no chance for it to be retracted!" Emperor Nicholas I demanded strongly for the military attendant to accept.

The military attendant knelt once more before Nicholas I, reverently saying: "My merciful Majesty, your kindness surpasses that of the Lord..."

The military attendant racked his brains to heap every possible word of praise onto Nicholas I.

"Now I have a task to give you!" Nicholas I spoke to the military attendant with a grave expression: "This pertains to whether the entire Russian Empire can capture Constantinople!"

"Constantine!!" the military attendant exclaimed, for every devout Eastern Orthodox felt a special connection to Constantinople, especially among the Slavic people: "Your Majesty, I will do my utmost!"

"Now, I command you to head to Bessarabia immediately, and order General Mikhail Deriyeveich Gorchakov who is stationed there to lead the Eighth and Ninth Corps, totaling thirty-eight thousand men, to the Two Danube Principalities and quickly gain control of these two principalities..." Without even requiring a deployment map, Nicholas I who has command of the Russian Empire’s military deployments sketched out strategic layouts.

In Nicholas I’s plan, apart from Mikhail Gorchakov’s thirty-eight thousand men, Paskievich stationed in the Polish region also needed to draw ninety-two thousand men from the Polish region to the Danube Duchy.

Nicholas I believed that with the Russian Empire’s 130 thousand troops, they could certainly defeat the Ottoman Empire and rule Constantinople.

"Have you remembered everything I said?" After completing the military deployment, Nicholas I inquired of the military attendant once more.

"Your Majesty, is it not..." the military attendant reiterated Nicholas I’s words once more.

"Yes! Exactly!" A slight smile appeared on Nicholas I’s dignified face, "You are a clever child!"

"Your Majesty, how shall I confirm their trust?" The military attendant inquired of Nicholas I once again.

Nicholas I handed the military attendant a sheet of white paper sealed with the state seal and also gave him a dagger he had specially kept.

With these items, it was entirely possible to prove it was a command from Nicholas I.