Shadow of great britain

London, in a restaurant near Oxford Street decorated mainly in York yellow tones.

Arthur sat at the dining table and handed several bottles of wine in his bag to the restaurant waiter as if opening a treasure box.

"Please help me open all these bottles of wine."

The waiter glanced at the label on the wine bottle and asked politely: "Sir, are you sure? If there are only two people, it would be a waste to open so many drinks."

Arthur just smiled and said: "Don't worry, if you drink too much, someone will be responsible for the aftermath."

The red devil on the side leaned down to look at the label on the bottle and muttered: "Johnny Walker and Chivas Regal? There should be no better whiskey in Scotland than these two. Add some black tea and green tea and the taste will be better , but I personally still like to add lemon juice and ginger ale. It would be better if I could add some ice cubes. But, I don’t know if you humans are used to this taste."

After saying this, Agares's eyes turned to the bottles of wine on the other side: "Oh! Arthur, you really spent a lot of money! Hennessy in 1818, and the V.S.O.P label, this is George IV Is it the royal exclusive wine that I placed an order with Hennessy Winery? Although Hennessy is not as good as Château Dry Gold, this special wine should not be cheap, right?"

When Arthur saw the Red Devil, he was almost crying. He took advantage of the waiter leaving and said to him: "Agares, don't worry, Mr. Talleyrand and I can't drink that much. The rest is all your."

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw an old cripple with silver hair walking towards this side with a cane.

Talleyrand looked at the wine bottle in the waiter's hand, smiled and sat across from Arthur: "Drinking these wines in such a mediocre small restaurant seems a bit wasteful, doesn't it?"

Arthur smiled and replied: "If a few bottles of wine can make you willing to condescend to dine in a street restaurant like this, I think these wines have achieved their value."

Talleyrand handed his cane to the attendant beside him, picked up the tablecloth and wiped his hands casually: "It seems that this time you went to Liverpool to investigate the case, and you also made a small fortune along the way!"

"You can't say that." Arthur pointed at the corner of his eye where the stitches were stitched and joked: "Look, won't I be punished soon? Regarding this point, I would like to ask you for advice. You can just open it up everywhere. , the question is, how can you still live to this age if you do this?"

Talleyrand was amused by Arthur and laughed. He replied: "It's very simple. I only take what is within my ability. Whether it is Napoleon or the Bourbons, they all hate me and can't live without me." Me. So, I’m alive now, and they’re all in coffins.”

Arthur looked at the waiter who was pouring wine and asked: "Well... what you said seems to make sense, but how do you know what is within your ability?"

Talleyrand put down his meal and preached: "Young man, you really asked a pretty good question. It does take wisdom to know where the boundaries of your abilities are, and this is wisdom that most people don't have."

Having said this, Talleyrand suddenly looked around: "The boy from the Bonaparte family didn't come with you today, did he?"

Arthur shook his head: "No, I left him in Liverpool."

"Wise choice."

Talleyrand said: "In that case, let me use Napoleon as an example. Many people think that my opposition to Napoleon began when I conspired to support Murat in 1808. But in fact, whether it is me or Fouche, we Differences with him began as early as 1803.

At that time, he had just been so proud of having defeated the British on the Swiss issue. He announced in front of all the Swiss: ‘I tell you, I would rather sacrifice a hundred thousand people than let the British interfere in your internal affairs. If the British Cabinet say a word for you, it will be all over for you, and I will unite you with France. If the British Court gives the slightest hint that they are afraid that I will become your President of the Federation, then I will be your President of the Federation. ’”

When Arthur heard this, he just smiled: "He was still the first consul of France at that time, right? He hadn't become the emperor yet, so I can understand what he said. He wanted to show the French people that he was a powerful man. The leader. Only in this way can he have the opportunity to go further."

Talleyrand took a sip of wine: "Indeed, but it was not only the French people who cheered for Napoleon who felt the toughness, but also other countries in Europe, especially the British who were singled out by him. After Switzerland was solved, there was news that What came was the news of the disastrous defeat of the French army in Saint-Domingue in the West Indies. To make matters worse, the Americans were also passionately determined to resist France's seizure of Louisiana.

Napoleon was worried that if he firmly captured Louisiana, he would push the neutral Americans into the arms of Britain. Therefore, he directly sold Louisiana to the Americans at a price of 4 cents per acre. But it was really embarrassing for him to withdraw from America so lightly. Therefore, the setbacks encountered in America will naturally have to be recovered elsewhere.

The brilliance of Napoleon was that whenever he retreated on one front, he would always launch a brilliant diversionary battle on another front to act as a cover. Only in this way can he firmly capture the imagination of the French and control the turbulent Paris.

This time, he focused his efforts on the banks of the Nile. He ordered Sebastiani, who had just returned from Egypt, to publish an exaggerated report on the Mediterranean coast. The report claimed that whether it was the Muslims in Alexandria, the Christians in Damascus, or the Greeks on Rhodes, They all loved France very much, and they loudly condemned General Stewart for his betrayal, and how they longed for the just French government to conquer the eastern Mediterranean and blow the wind of freedom of the Revolution to the countries along the coast. "

When Arthur heard this, he couldn't help holding his forehead: "So, the Parisians believe it?"

"Not just Paris? London believed it too."

Talleyrand tasted the aftertaste of his drink with a complicated expression: "The reaction from Downing Street and the Palace of Westminster was particularly fierce. Whether it is your king, the cabinet, or the parliament, they all regard this declaration as a serious provocation by France against the United Kingdom. .

At that time, the British Addington cabinet was originally under attack from Grenville, Wyndham, Fox and others. This group of people firmly opposed the expansion of the army and even shouted that "the establishment of a huge standing army is a dangerous tool of power in the hands of the king." '.

As a result, as soon as Sebastiani's report released in Paris came out, the opposition to military expansion in the UK disappeared instantly. The military expansion bill was quickly passed by Parliament, and the number of military expansion increased from the initially discussed 50,000 to 100,000.

Your ambassador to France, Lord Whitworth, also came to me immediately and lodged a solemn protest. I took great pains to explain to him that Sebastiani's visit to Egypt was purely commercial. But what I never expected was that Napoleon not only did not agree with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but also said that France had to do this because Britain broke the Treaty of Amiens.

He said in front of Lord Whitworth: 'The British garrison in Alexandria, Egypt, not only failed to protect Egypt, but also provided France with an excuse to invade Egypt. However, as much as I wanted to get the colony, I would not do it. Because I think it is not worth risking the risk of war. In my opinion, the Ottoman Turkish Empire will fall apart sooner or later, and Egypt will definitely belong to France. ’”

When Arthur heard this, he couldn't help but raised his eyebrows: "I really heard a lot of secrets today. Now I finally know how General Nelson's famous battle at the mouth of the Nile was fought. In this regard , Napoleon was indeed overconfident, as you said, perhaps beyond the boundaries of his capabilities."

"But he didn't realize that."

Talleyrand spoke: "Infuriated by the British protests against Sebastiani's report, he told your ambassador that the only way for Britain to achieve peace was:

First, Britain must recognize France's right to arbitrate in the affairs of all neighboring countries, whether Switzerland or Piedmont.

Second, Britain was not allowed to seek compensation for its losses in the Mediterranean, and there was no room for negotiation on Malta.

Third, Britain must tolerate being formally declared to it: Britain cannot fight France alone. "

Arthur smiled and asked: "He doesn't think Britain will agree to these demands, does he?"

Talleyrand shrugged and said: "Young man, you have never gotten along with him, so naturally you don't know what kind of person he is. The fact is that the huge success has gone to his head. From the time he became the first consul, Until he stepped into the coffin, during that time he felt that he was omnipotent.

He believed that Britain would definitely retreat here, just as Britain retreated in Switzerland a few months ago. Therefore, when news of the British military expansion came from across the strait, Napoleon's first reaction was to summon the British ambassador Lord Whitworth and question him: 'So you are preparing for war? ’

And when Lord Whitworth denied this, he threatened: 'Why, then, this expansion of the army? Who are these warning measures aimed at? I don't have a single battleship in the French ports, but if you want to expand your army, I will expand it. If you want to fight, I will accompany you. You may destroy France, but you must not frighten France. ’”

"etc."

When Arthur heard this, he suddenly raised his hand and interrupted Talleyrand: "When I was in college, I once read some historical materials. If I remember correctly, France should be ahead of Britain in its military expansion. Even among the cabinet members Therefore, the discussion of military expansion was also due to the fact that our commissioner in France submitted a State of the Union address, which said that France, under the leadership of Napoleon, had expanded its active army to 480,000 people.

If he really didn't want the war, he should have ordered Sebastiani and discussed the issue openly with our ambassador. But from what you said, it seems like he has no intention of reconciliation at all. And this kind of behavior of questioning others about what you have done does sound very ungraceful. "

"Yes, but this is politics, this is diplomacy. I have been in this business for decades, and this business has never changed."

Talleyrand laughed loudly and said: "Young man, you may be very objective, want to solve problems, and have learned logic in an orderly manner, but you don't understand Napoleon, let alone France. Napoleon always behaves well at the public level He is very tough, but in private he will apologize to Lord Whitworth for his rudeness, but on a diplomatic level you are unlikely to hear a soft word from his mouth.

I have long been puzzled as to why this guy can gain such high support and enthusiasm in France. The French people don't seem to care at all that this little man who knows how to fight will lead everyone to hell. But after the Hundred Days Dynasty ended, I finally figured this out.

Napoleon understood the character of the French nation very well, and he knew that the main driving force that could drive this nation was 'honor and authority'. His status, power, and political destiny were based on satisfying this vain nature of the French.

If he retreated at this time, it would undermine France's prestige and thus jeopardize his own position. Therefore, even though the British government often politely reminded him, and he admitted that 'His Majesty should retain a part of his possessions as compensation for France's significant territorial expansion on the continent'.

However, this promise must be secret and made in private. On the surface, any concession he makes to Britain will be regarded as a huge shame to France. If he accepts Britain's acquisition of Malta as compensation, he will become the object of ridicule in Paris the next day, and his power will naturally be gone. Nothing left. "

Arthur swung his glass and posed his own question: "Did he do it on purpose or by accident?"

"Of course it was intentional."

Talleyrand said: "Napoleon was very proud of his method. He once proudly confessed to others the secret of his power.

He said: 'While I satisfy the general public, I make the nobles tremble and become restless. I ostensibly gave power to the nobles, forcing them to take refuge and seek refuge around me. I also asked the people to threaten the nobles so that they would not be able to do without me. I will give them status and honor, but only if they accept my favor. My approach has worked in France. Look at the priests. Every day they can't help but become more and more loyal to my government, something they never expected. ’”

Arthur heard this, raised his glass and touched Talleyrand lightly: "Such an arrogant person, if he is a historical figure, he will indeed be liked. But if he is next to me, then he will definitely be a complete He's a nasty guy, I can't be friends with him."

"Really?" Talleyrand said with a smile: "I have seen the "Napoleonic Thoughts" serialized in The Economist. The boy from the Bonaparte family next to you may not be any better than Napoleon. "

"You mean Louis?" Arthur took a sip of wine and looked at the ceiling and said, "If you hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have noticed it yet. Looking at it this way, he did get a glimpse of some of his uncle's essence, but he's still too young now. . What’s more important is that he doesn’t have this power yet.”

Talleyrand said: "If you had been born in France decades earlier, you would have definitely stood by me."

Arthur joked: "Are you sure I won't be shot by Fouche?"

"Of course not." Talleyrand also joked: "Because Fouche is also on our side, otherwise why do you think I know that Napoleon said these things?"

Arthur asked: "The reason why he was dissatisfied with Napoleon was also because of Sebastiani's report?"

Talleyrand nodded: "His reaction was even more violent than mine. I just told Napoleon that if the First Consul had given his brother Joseph and his foreign minister greater authority, this crisis could have been resolved peacefully. .

But Fouche directly warned Napoleon in the Senate: 'You yourself, like all of us, are a product of the revolution, and the war makes everything uncertain. People flatter you by asking you to rely on the revolutionary principles of other countries. And the results of our revolution have almost wiped out all these revolutionary principles! ’

Napoleon's brother, Joseph, who now lives in the Regency Crescent, said it more directly: 'He once again dragged Europe into the bloody sea of ​​war! This war he could have avoided, and would not have happened had his Sebastiani not been sent on that intolerable trip! ’”

When Arthur heard this, he leaned forward slightly: "In fact, Napoleon's war actions not only had a major impact on France, he also sent the British Whigs to their graves. At that time, the Whigs were trumpeting how great Napoleon was in the country. A magnanimous person, France would not pose a threat to Britain. However, when the war in Egypt and the Mediterranean broke out, the Whigs' faces were swollen by the slap extended by Paris.

In the following thirty years, they never came to power again, and it was only last year that they finally regained their composure. The anti-British propaganda in Paris promoted the war with Britain as a British attempt to subvert French republican principles. This also made all British politicians of that generation imprinted with strong anti-French views. This influence continues to this day, represented by Viscount Palmerston, Britain's current Foreign Secretary. "

"Of course I know that."

Talleyrand took a sip of wine: "Many things said in that era were untrue, but what made me happy the most was that one year ago Napoleon was still accusing Britain of conspiring to subvert the republican system, and the next year he proclaimed himself emperor. Because of this incident, not only the faces of the Whigs were swollen, but even the artists who cheered for Napoleon all fell into the gutter. So, this is the world, don’t take everything too seriously. It’s based on your own needs.”

When Arthur heard this, he just smiled and replied: "You are right, but don't take it seriously because I have nothing to do with it. But since you are willing to take time out of your busy schedule to have a meal with me, you can't just You won’t tell me the news, right?”

Talleyrand tied his napkin and slowly cut the veal steak in front of him: "Young man, I've told you a lot. I'm not Napoleon, and I don't rely on approval ratings. I have no reason to do such a thing. Napoleon would. Paying off the Irish to assassinate the King of England, but I wouldn't do anything stupid like that."

Arthur asked: "Can you tell me more about Mr. Walewski? I have to tell you honestly that the investigation into the Liverpool shooting was not entirely led by Scotland Yard. Parliament There is also a special committee responsible for investigating this case. The clues left by the killers are too obvious, and in the end they will be traced to him."

"Huh?" Talleyrand raised his head slightly, looked at Arthur and said with a smile: "He is indeed the most promising police officer of Scotland Yard. He has almost caught up with Vidocq's case handling speed. Walewski, how did you find With this name? I remember that Prince Czartoryski should have sent someone to clean Mr. Korvacik’s house!”

This was not the first time that Arthur had heard the name Prince Czartoryski. He was the interim president of the Polish uprising government, the leader of the Polish exiles in London, and at the same time, one of the co-founders of the Friends of Polish Literature in Britain.

When Arthur agreed to publish Polish literary works in "The Englishman", the other party wrote a letter of thanks to the editorial office.

Arthur never thought that he would be related to the assassination.

Talleyrand saw Arthur's delay in speaking, and immediately added: "But don't worry, the assassin was not appointed by Prince Czartoryski. He asked people to clear the house to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings. After all, Korvacs Grams once worked as Walewski's secretary during his lifetime. If his identity is discovered, it will not only be detrimental to Poland, but also further affect Anglo-French relations."

"It seems that in addition to Scotland Yard and Parliament, Polish exiles and the French Embassy are also interested in this case? In that case, maybe you know the whereabouts of Mrs. Korvacik?"

"It's a pity. We only found a few of his children. As for his wife, we don't know where she went."

Talleyrand said: "Young man, you have to understand that today's France is no longer the France of Napoleon. Of course we want to maintain France's position on the European continent, but we will not be within the entire framework as before. Outside.

I expressed my opinion to Napoleon a long time ago, and this opinion has not changed to this day. France is already big enough. With every expansion in the future, no matter how brilliant the victory, there will always be more lost than gained. France's goal is to maintain existing borders and existing peace. The size of France is not determined by France's strength, nor by the ambitions of politicians, but by the reality of Europe.

Our current government is certainly interested in Poland, but it does so within the framework of the existing order across Europe. If France were really interested in land, we would not have allowed Prince Leopold, who has lived in England so long, to become King of Belgium last year.

Since France does not seek Belgium, how can it seek to control Poland? We just can't stand the Russians' behavior of wanting to take Poland as their own and thus disrupt the balance of Europe.

When Napoleon invaded Spain in 1808, Mr. Tolstoy, the Russian ambassador to Paris, exclaimed: "Napoleon seems to be destroying all the old monarchs and engulfing every piece of land he can. God knows, what else will he do after Spain is pacified?" What an unprincipled, greedy devil he is! ’

However, today, France has given up the expansionism of the Napoleonic period, but these Russians have picked it up again. Arthur, I won’t talk to you about empty words such as freedom and democracy. I just want to tell you that speaking up for Poland is in Britain’s interest.

Nicholas I was different from his brother Alexander I. In this regard, Prince Czartoryski, who had worked with both of them, had a strong say.

If you talk to His Excellency the Prince, you can hear from his mouth: 'In my opinion, Alexander I's heart is indeed full of grand ideals for the benefit of the public, generous and selfless thoughts and feelings, and for all this The desire to sacrifice part of the royal power. However, these are just the fantasies of young people, not the determined will of adults. Your Majesty likes the freedom of superficial appearance as much as he likes watching a play. The mere sight of a semblance of free government in the empire was enough to gratify his vanity and make him happy. However, he does not expect these things to become a real reality. He would gladly allow everyone freedom, but only if everyone voluntarily did exactly what the emperor wanted. ’”

Hearing this, Arthur held his chin and asked: "If Alexander I is already so bad, what kind of person is Nicholas I?"

"Does that need to be said?" Talleyrand cut a piece of veal and put it in his mouth: "He doesn't even want to see superficial freedom."