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Chapter 272 Resolution

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    His Majesty the Tsar, who was being watched by the two important ministers, remained silent. His face showed no expression, which revealed a huge pressure, which made the two important ministers feel silent in their hearts.  The ministers all know that when His Majesty looks like this, it is when he is most angry.  ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the situation was already so bad, they wouldn¡¯t still be talking on this occasion, irritating His Majesty¡¯s already overwhelmed nerves.  Time passed slowly, and the two ministers held their breath, waiting for His Majesty's decision.  And just as they expected, at this moment, His Majesty Tsar Nicholas I, under his calm appearance, was indeed turbulent and extremely angry in his heart.  Because he has already seen that although the two diplomats he relies on have differences on the surface, in essence, they both clearly support peace with the French. What is in dispute is only the pace and attitude to adopt, and  This clearly showed that even his ministers had no confidence in the outcome of the war and would rather conclude an early peace to end the war.  It is difficult for a king to accept the humiliation of defeat, let alone the Russian Tsar?  The previous emperors of the Romanov family went through many hardships and at great cost, and finally expanded a small Moscow into a super empire that spanned the Eurasian continent. How did their martial arts flourish?  His grandmother, Catherine the Great, conquered east and west, defeated each enemy and finally shocked Europe; his brother Alexander I inherited the achievements of his ancestors and defeated Napoleon's army in the most difficult predicament.  The invading army eventually became the liberator of Europeand now, as a defeated tsar, how will he face these former emperors?  This was not just an ordinary defeat, it was one of the unprecedented defeats of the Russian Empire since its founding.  The Western European powers ignored the Russian reputation, forcibly landed on Russian soil, attacked his army, besieged his fortress, and defeated the Russian army. This not only bullied Russia, but also further  It stung the Tsar's own pride.  At the moment, he felt that he had become the laughing stock of the entire Europe, and could not find relief in the face of the disastrous defeat he was facing. Because of this, His Majesty the Tsar was at the lowest and most angry moment in his life.  What made him even more angry was that in such a bad situation, the arrogant ministers he usually relied on actually had no ideas and could only watch the empire retreating steadily without doing anything.  They have always been treated so favorably by themselves and received so many rewards, honors and honors. However, at such a critical moment, they are of no use and can only persuade the emperor to quickly seek peace with the enemy!  However, although his heart was like an angry sea, His Majesty the Tsar knew that venting would not solve any problems, but would only make the situation worse and make people laugh at his panic, so he tried his best to suppress it.  The anger in my heart.  "If we want to make peace with the French, how can we guarantee their sincerity?" His Majesty the Tsar didn't want to talk in circles with these two ministers, so he said it directly, "Also, we should do the conditions that the French put forward before.  What kind of counter-offer is there?" As soon as His Majesty the Tsar said this, the two ministers breathed a sigh of relief, because His Majesty's opinions supported their arguments to varying degrees.  People's sincerity, and Gorchakov noticed that His Majesty was finally considering the issue of peace talks with the French.  "Although the French are arrogant and unreasonable, they are still people they can deal with. They also understand that if the war continues, it will not do them much good." Ambassador Gorchakov immediately continued to explain to His Majesty, "In fact, most  Those who hate us and want to attack us most are the British, because the British want to defend their India and the most important assets of the British Empire. It is extremely beneficial for them to knock us down; but what about knocking us down?  What's the benefit to France? The French can't steal anything from the Russians, their efforts are only to consolidate the British advantage! If we really withdraw from Europe, then the rest of Europe will become the British's playground.  Now, are the French happy to see this happen? No, I believe that no rational French person would be willing to see this happen, because it means that France¡¯s own interests have nothing to do with it.  After the war, he suddenly lowered his voice, "Actually, there is one thing worth noting in the report sent from the front. Charles de Treville made it very clear that they did not want to."  If they want to see a Europe dominated by the British, they will definitely not be willing to be the servants of the British. I think that although Louis Bonaparte and his favorites are a group of unscrupulous bastards, their words.  In this sense, it makes sense, because more and more"The less ambitious and villains like this are willing to succumb to others" "So, you mean, the French's sincerity in peace talks is very clear?"  "While he was explaining, His Majesty the Tsar listened silently. It was not until he finished that His Majesty asked, "This time, can we believe that they really don't want to be pawns of the British?  " "Louis Bonaparte wants to gain prestige, get the allegiance and support of the army, and also wants to break the shackles of the old system on France. He has already achieved all these goals. I see no reason for him to continue the war.  Gorchakov replied firmly in order to give the king confidence, "So, Your Majesty, the time has come. Let's talk to the French as soon as possible. As long as the French can successfully make peace with us, the British will definitely do the same."  Seeking peace, by then this war will be over, and we can also resolve the crisis facing the empire" His Majesty the Tsar lowered his gaze, obviously lost in thought. "I am not opposed to negotiating with the French, but we  Can you really agree to their conditions?  "His Excellency Neserrode, the Minister of Foreign Affairs who had been silent, suddenly interrupted, "If we cannot agree to their conditions, the peace talks will definitely be extended until one party gains a greater advantage.  "The words of the Foreign Minister made Gorchakov, who was originally eager, temporarily troubled. "Yes, Russia had already had preliminary diplomatic contacts with France before, seeking mutual conditions to stop the war, and then when it heard that France  After the conditions proposed by others, the Russian government quickly broke off the negotiations. During that secret contact, the French government demanded that the Russian Empire cede the previously occupied territories at the mouth of the Danube and southern Bessarabia to the Principality of Modavia.  The Kars region in the Caucasus was returned to the Turkish Empire, and it declared that it would completely renounce the Russian Empire¡¯s right to protect the Orthodox Christians in Turkey. At the same time, the Russian Empire also needed to recognize the Slavic countries of Serbia, Wallachia, and Moldavia.  The suzerainty still belongs to Turkey, and the great powers jointly guarantee that they will continue to belong to Turkey's territory; what's more, France also requires Russia to neutralize the entire Black Sea, and asks Russia to allow Turkey to prohibit warships from various countries from passing through the two countries that guard the Black Sea leading to the Mediterranean.  Strait (of course, this country refers to Russia, which means that Russian warships are not allowed to pass through the Mediterranean). At the same time, it also requires that Russia be prohibited from establishing or maintaining any arsenal, naval base and other facilities on the Black Sea coast Various conditions are extremely harsh.  It can almost be called a loss of power and humiliation of the country, so it immediately ignited the anger of the Russian monarchs. His Majesty the Tsar immediately interrupted the negotiations, preferring to fight to the end with the British and French forces. However, after this period of fighting, the monarchs and ministers of the Russian Empire.  Helplessly discovering that they may face a terrible military defeat. Military failure also means political and diplomatic failure. Furthermore, it means that the empire will become more confident at the negotiating table.  Insufficient, there is no longer any ability to force the opponent to make concessions in negotiations. His Majesty the Tsar is unwilling to agree to these humiliating conditions; but if the fight continues, His Majesty the Tsar is not very optimistic about the prospects of the war.  Therefore, he was extremely confused at this time and was simply at a loss. ¡°If we agree to such conditions, the face of the Tsarist government will certainly be lost.  "Seeing that no one refuted him, the Foreign Minister, His Excellency Neserrode, continued. His tone was very calm, but he was revealing an unacceptable fact, "How will the people see His Majesty and the government?  How will you view the unprecedented defeat suffered by the empire?  This would have a huge impact on the imperial government itself.  " Gorchakov's face turned red instantly. "Shouldn't it be that those who led the empire into war rashly should be held responsible?  Your Excellency, if you had not been a strong advocate at that time, the empire would not have fallen into the dilemma of fighting Britain and France so easily. If the failure of the war would damage the government's prestige, then Your Excellency, at least you would not have done anything.  Not unjust!  "Such ruthless words were very consistent with Gorchakov's outspoken personality, but this made Neserrodie instantly turn pale and his whole body trembled. Obviously, these words were tantamount to accusations.  The minister harmed the country. "Well, there is no need to talk about the previous things. No one wants things to develop to the point where they are today.  "Before the two ministers quarreled, His Majesty the Tsar interrupted them. "We have to solve real problems now. What's the point of dwelling on the past?  "The reason why he interrupted was not because he was still the Minister of Neserroddie. It was just to relieve himself of the responsibility. After all, if you look into it carefully, letting Russia get involved in the war rashly would definitely be the biggest problem.He is the one responsible and this is something His Majesty the Tsar finds difficult to face.  "Okay, Your Majesty." Ambassador Gorchakov nodded, knowing in his heart that he had gone too far.  The atmosphere was suddenly frozen again.  The Tsar looked at Gorchakov and found that he still seemed hesitant to speak, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.  "Okay, if you have anything else to say, just say it." "Your Majesty, I know that the French negotiation conditions are very harsh, and can even be said to be a humiliation, but hasn't it been like this since ancient times? The loser will definitely  Suffering humiliation only depends on the degree. Now that our situation is unfavorable, we have to make some uncomfortable concessions to avoid further worsening the already very difficult situation." After receiving permission, Gorchakov said.  Finally spoke out, "If we make peace now, we will face humiliation, but if we keep fighting, what will we face? You will definitely receive many reports now, telling you that the people now share the same hatred and want to defend you and the empire.  But your Majesty, don¡¯t be deceived by these officials! Now the war has brought too much inconvenience to the lives of the people, and the defeat in the war has made people complain even more. If the situation continues, the situation will only get worse  ¡­Think about it, if some careerists or rioters take advantage of this moment to instigate, what will be the consequences? Compared with some concessions, domestic turmoil is the most terrifying!¡± His speech!  It was impassioned and full of enthusiasm, but to His Majesty the Tsar, it undoubtedly sounded like the most piercing roar. After all, no emperor wanted to hear these things.  But now, what¡¯s the point of not acknowledging reality?  Of course, he had received countless reports of the chaos in the country, so he himself was worried, so he knew that Gorchakov's advice was extremely correct.  However, being correct doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s lovable.  Whether considering the dignity of the emperor or his personal prestige, he was unwilling to allow himself to kneel down to Britain and France to sue for peace. This humiliation was too uncomfortable, and he simply could not allow himself to do such a thing unless he reached the point of despair.  decision.  Just like a gambler who has lost a lot of money, even if he knows that if he continues to gamble, he may be even more desperate, the luck in his heart still makes him expect some kind of miracle to happen.  "The situation is not as bad as you said. At least we can hold on for a while longer to see if the situation can change more." Finally, he hissed, "Maybe the French can't hold on now, they will  Slowly lower their asking price. "These words made Gorchakov very disappointed. Just when he wanted to say something more, His Majesty the Tsar spoke again.  "Alexander Mikhailovich, you should be responsible for negotiating with Treville." His Majesty the Emperor raised his head and looked at Gorchakov with both helplessness and expectation, "The Empire needs you.  With enthusiasm and eloquence, let¡¯s fight for more benefits for Russia.¡± Negotiate while delaying?  Sure enough, he was still hesitant at the last moment Gorchakov sighed inwardly.  This appointment is very important, and in some cases it can be said to be a promotion, but he doesn¡¯t know whether he is sad or happy.  ¡°But he knows that he now has a heavy responsibility on his shoulders, and he must carry it on, because Russia needs him.  "Okay, Your Majesty, I hope God allows me to fulfill my mission."
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