CHAPTER 378: CHAPTER 373: FISHING AND ELIMINATING THE MOLE

Leaving the Russian Embassy, Fuad Effendi braved the rain and headed to Prime Minister Muhammad Ali’s residence to report on the invitation work.

Once again led into the room where Muhammad Ali was by a Greek servant, Fuad Effendi saw Prime Minister Muhammad Ali leaning by the window. At this moment, his hunched body was deep in thought. Just from his silhouette, Muhammad Ali looked as if his spine had been removed, appearing utterly dispirited.

"Prime Minister, Prime Minister!" Fuad Effendi called out softly to Muhammad Ali.

Upon hearing the noise behind him, Muhammad Ali turned around and, seeing Fuad Effendi’s arrival, forced a smile at the corners of his mouth and said, "You’ve come!"

He then extended his hand, inviting Fuad Effendi, "Please sit! Make yourself at home!"

Fuad Effendi sat on the sofa, with Muhammad Ali sitting beside him.

Looking at the dispirited Prime Minister before him, Fuad Effendi couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Since the Prime Minister himself didn’t speak, it was inappropriate to inquire further.

A Foreign Minister and a Prime Minister sat in silence on adjacent sofas. After a long while, Muhammad Ali finally began, "Just now, His Majesty the Sultan summoned me to the court to inquire about the strategies discussed by the Cabinet!"

"Your Majesty suddenly summoned you; was there any command..." Fuad Effendi tentatively asked.

Muhammad Ali fell silent once more, then shook his head and self-deprecatingly said, "His Majesty said nothing, but I could feel his great dissatisfaction with our passive resistance policy!"

"So what should we do? The Empire’s strength is simply no match for the Russian Empire! We must seek their assistance, even if the external aid itself is just as ambitious." Fuad Edifen calmly analyzed the predicament faced by the Ottoman Empire to Muhammad Ali.

Hearing Fuad’s analysis, Muhammad Ali nodded noncommittally and replied, "I think His Majesty should know these things!"

Then, casting a glance at Fuad, he changed the subject, "But Constantinople does not know! The subjects living in the Ottoman Empire (especially religious followers here) do not know these things. In their eyes, the diplomatic strategy we are pursuing seems like surrendering to the Russian Empire."

"Alas!" Fuad Edifen sighed, "They won’t understand why we do this! They’ll only think we’re ingratiating ourselves with those guys to satisfy our own interests!"

"Enough! Let’s not dwell on these melancholic topics anymore! Since we have chosen this path, we cannot abandon it halfway. The future of the Ottoman Empire depends on us to build!" Muhammad Ali quickly shifted the topic, asking Fuad Edifen whether Menshikov accepted the invitation to attend the welcome ceremony that the Ottoman court had specially prepared for him.

Fuad Edifen recounted to Muhammad Ali his "encounter" with Menshikov.

Having listened to Fuad Edifen’s account, Muhammad Ali could only express deep sympathy for his experience.

After the conversation ended, Muhammad Ali invited Fuad Edifen to dine together. During the meal, both of them were in a somber mood and weren’t willing to say much.

After the meal, Fuad Edifen left Muhammad Ali’s residence.

...

Early the next morning, under Menshikov’s orders, the Russian envoy went out to gather intelligence.

Having readily promised Menshikov he would find useful intelligence, the envoy turned around as soon as he left and headed to one of the few opera houses in Constantinople, particularly a Greek opera house, to "seek pleasure." In this land filled with heretics, only opera houses and money could bring him solace.

As the envoy entered the opera house, he, as usual, made his way to his private box to wait for the show to start. Moments later, there was a knock at the box door, and upon hearing it, the envoy immediately rose to open the door.

Upon opening the box door, a Greek blond youth placed one hand against the door to prevent the envoy from closing it and gripped the door frame with his other hand.

The envoy’s face revealed an expression of disgust; he particularly disliked uninvited individuals disturbing his enjoyment.

Just as the envoy was about to call for someone, the Greek youth quickly informed the envoy that he had secret intelligence and wished to discuss it with the envoy.

The envoy then displayed a look of surprise, unable to understand how the other knew he was ordered to gather intelligence.

Nonetheless, the envoy, with the corners of his mouth revealing a look of disdain, said, "How can you guarantee what you say is correct!"

The Greek youth glanced at the surrounding crowd and, after ensuring no one was paying attention to them, whispered, "Would you like to know what France plans to do next?"

"Do you know?" the envoy couldn’t help but mockingly inquire.

The Greek youth nodded noncommittally, then subtly hinted to the envoy that he was merely a glove for certain people.

The Greek youth’s words and actions led the envoy to somewhat believe that the person before him might indeed be associated with someone inside the French Embassy.

Embracing the attitude of believing rather than not believing,

the Russian envoy chose to buy the information from this stranger and brought him to the interior of the embassy.