Struggle in Russia

The atmosphere was a little cold, and neither Prince Alexander Gorchakov nor Schwarzenberg had any intention of speaking, but the former was not in a hurry to speak because he had enough time to control himself, while the latter really didn't know what to say. .

Schwarzenberg felt that he was in a difficult situation, his hands were full of bad cards, either junior three or minor four, and throwing them out was not enough for others to despise. As for simply flipping the table and announcing that he is no longer playing?

I'm sorry, but he is not a firecracker like Wendisch Gretz, who explodes at one point. Although he is not a serious politician, he is still qualified to be a politician. The biggest difference between politicians and firecrackers is that firecrackers have a bottom line while politicians have no bottom line.

Even though Schwarzenberg was upset, he was still able to endure it. After a while he said sullenly: "Even if your country is self-reliant on the issue of Wallachia and Moldavia, you don't need our understanding and tolerance. , but is your country so sure that it can run rampant in the Balkans? The Holy Alliance is indispensable, once this alliance no longer exists, can your country still be so confident?"

Schwarzenberg still decided to test it out to see what the Russians' attitude towards the Holy Alliance is. If the opponent is really awesome, then he can only raise his hand and surrender, but what if the opponent is not so confident? Then of course you can bargain!

Prince Alexander Gorchakov raised his eyelids. He knew exactly what Schwarzenberg wanted to do, and he admired the vigilance of this little fox, because Nicholas I and Nesselrode's Existence, he really can't say that he doesn't need the Holy Alliance anymore.

But Prince Alexander Gorchakov is not a soft-footed shrimp. As an ambassador, he must try his best to protect Russia's interests, or to protect Russia's interests by all means, including lying and fooling.

"Your Excellency, do you mean to tell me that Austria is preparing to withdraw from the Holy Alliance?"

Prince Alexander Gorchakov did not directly answer Schwarzenberg's question, but instead led an army. He knew very well that although Schwarzenberg had a lot of power now, he was not yet qualified to be the master of the country. He is not qualified to be a representative of such a major event.

However, Schwarzenberg obviously has two brushes. Facing the rhetorical question, he did not change his face, and replied very calmly: "If the Holy Alliance cannot guarantee Austria's security and legal rights, then this alliance will naturally not exist. It's necessary!"

Isn’t it just talk and blackmail? Schwarzenberg is also very familiar with this set. It’s not bad that Prince Alexander Gorchakov can play him. Anyway, everyone is just talk now, and they haven’t put it into action. , so why not talk about it!

Schwarzenberg felt that he had acted tough enough, as long as the Russians were a little bit less confident, they would naturally back down. It's just that what he didn't expect was that Duke Alexander Gorchakov was tougher than he imagined.

The Duke put down his teacup unhurriedly, and said naturally: "Since this is the case, we have nothing to talk about. I would like your country to initiate a motion to terminate the "Declaration of the Holy Alliance" as soon as possible, so that our country can make corresponding preparations in advance. !"

Prince Alexander Gorchakov's calmness was beyond Schwarzenberg's imagination. He was told directly that you should quit, so how can he play? Either really withdraw from the alliance, or accept blackmail honestly, there is no third way to go other than that.

Schwarzenberg hated his teeth itching. He knew that Duke Alexander Gorchakov was threatening, that he was sure that Austria would not withdraw from the Holy Alliance, and that he was determined to eat Austria. This sense of powerlessness made him feel helpless for an old man in the political arena. Now he can feel the helplessness of Metternich in the most glorious era of Napoleon. In the face of absolute strength, all conspiracies are useless.

Schwarzenberg didn't know how to end it. It was a bit embarrassing to stop Duke Alexander Gorchakov, but if he didn't keep the other party, what would happen if the other party told the country that Austria was planning to withdraw from the Holy League.

Schwarzenberg heard from Nesselrode that the duke in front of him has no good impression of Austria, and is an anti-Austrian in Russia who advocates being tough on Austria. I am afraid that this guy would like Austria to withdraw from the circle on its own initiative. Then you can encourage Nicholas I to take advantage of the civil strife in Austria to mess around.

Schwarzenberg would not do such a stupid thing, and soon his professional "ethics" overcame his so-called sense of shame, and he quickly stopped Prince Alexander Gorchakov:

"Duke, all I have said is hypothetical, and the purpose is to draw your attention to the fact that the normal order in Europe since 1815 is collapsing because of your country's bandit policy... It will be a catastrophe! In this catastrophe there will be no People can take care of themselves alone, including your country!"

Prince Alexander Gorchakov snorted in his heart, knowing that Schwarzenberg was being stubborn, and this was just an excuse for his last stubbornness in words. However, he is not prepared to push the opponent too hard, just enough is enough. Anyway, it is impossible to kill Austria with a single hammer. His purpose is just to take advantage of the fire and gain more political benefits in the civil strife in Austria.

"It's a disaster for you and your country! But it's not for our country!" Prince Alexander Gorchakov retorted first, "Now all European countries are looking forward to our assistance and our country. Help restore normal order... and our country's ability is limited, if Austria does not respect or appreciate our assistance, then our country naturally does not need to be hot-faced and cold-ass, and we can definitely help those friends who know how to be grateful."

Schwarzenberg's face darkened again. If he continued to talk, he would be pissed off by Prince Alexander Gorchakov, so it was pointless to continue talking hard. Let's just talk about some more practical issues.

So he directly skipped this topic, and suddenly said: "Our two countries share common interests in many aspects, such as resisting the oppression of Britain and France, such as resisting the infiltration of heretics in the Balkans..."

After citing a few examples, Schwarzenberg said again: "I think our next cooperation should seek common ground while reserving differences, and we should understand each other more, instead of doing the opposite!"

Prince Alexander Gorchakov smiled slightly and said: "I agree with what you said about seeking common ground while reserving differences and understanding each other! When your country has no time to pay attention to the interests of Christians in the Balkans, it is right for our country to uphold justice on its behalf. We should understand each other! Only we understand each other Only by cooperating with each other can we better safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Christians in this area, isn't it!"