Chapter 330： Britain on the Mount Liangshan

The invitation from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Second French Empire, De Luiz, was conveyed through the channel of the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies to France. At the time of Palermo, the capital of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, Gennaro Spinelli, then Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Proceed quickly to the Palace of the Kings of the Two Sicilies.

At this time in the Two Sicilian Palace, two people were having a secret meeting around a table in a certain room in the palace. Their chairs were not next to each other; Even though it was only a quarter past four in the afternoon, the room was already dark, and only a small amount of light could enter the room through the window. A wind lamp made of suet was hung from the ceiling to illuminate the entire room.

The one sitting near the window was a middle-aged man about 40 years old with a square face, wearing a black uniform on the upper body and white trousers on the lower body. He was King Ferdinand II of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

Born in 1810, Ferdinand II is 41 years old, and he has been king of the Two Sicilies for 21 years.

In the forty-one years of life, there have been glories, and there have also been downfalls (the Bourbon Dynasty lost its rule over the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies in 1808), and ideals (the partial liberalization reform implemented by Ferdinand in 1830) , who also faced the cold reality (forced to declare recognition of the liberal constitution in 1848 and then dissolve it), has now completely stripped off his idealist cloak and has become a true mercenary monarch.

The man sitting across from him in a black uniform is the British ambassador to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. The reason why he appeared at the Royal Palace of Palermo was to question Ferdinand II on the order of the British Foreign Office. .

"Your Majesty, Britain has no intention of interfering with the rights of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, but we hope that the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies can maintain the security of the Mediterranean at the same time..." As soon as the British ambassador spoke, he used the exaggerated diplomatic rhetoric of a British official to tell Fei. Aldinand II hinted.

"Your Excellency Ambassador, can you use a more indirect language?" Ferdinand II naturally understood the meaning of the British ambassador's long diplomatic rhetoric, but he was not willing to follow the road left to him by Britain.

"We hope that your country can keep a distance from certain countries! Only in this way can the balance and stability of the Mediterranean be better maintained!" The British ambassador continued to Ferdinand II: "The recent actions of your country are likely to seriously damage the Mediterranean. balance and stability!"

That's right, some of the countries that the British ambassador was talking about were the French Empire.

Although the British Kingdom and the French Empire have reached a certain degree of consensus, in other areas, Britain will still ruthlessly pit the French Empire.

In the eyes of British political elites, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies is one of the important links in the balance of the entire Mediterranean, and their political inclinations are likely to affect Britain's vested interests in the Mediterranean.

Before Jerome Bonaparte established the French Empire, British political elites were not very worried about the political orientation of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

After Jerome Bonaparte established the Second French Empire, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was uncharacteristically the first (in the eyes of Britain) to support the establishment of the French Empire.

This undoubtedly sent a danger signal to the Kingdom of Britain. Now that the Kingdom of Sardinia has become a vassal state of France by default, if the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies becomes a vassal state of France again, Britain's interests in the Mediterranean may face a challenge.

Although the French fleet is far from the British fleet, Britain does not want to see any chance of catching up with this enemy who has been in love with each other for hundreds of years.

When they learned that the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies recognized the French Empire, the British political elite quickly ordered the British ambassador to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies to go to the Royal Palace of Palermo to ask why the King of the Two Sicilies supported the French Empire.

"Humph!" Ferdinand II snorted coldly: "This is our country's established diplomatic strategy, and the British Kingdom has no right to interfere! I also don't believe that a simple establishment of diplomatic relations will destroy the entire Mediterranean Sea. stability! If this is the case, then the stability of the Mediterranean is too fragile!"

The British ambassador, of course, heard Ferdinand II's dissatisfaction, and he still said calmly: "This is just an assumption, and this assumption may or may not exist! I... Shouldn't say that we, the Kingdom of Britain, hope Being able to communicate with Your Majesty in a frank manner will lead to closer cooperation between the two countries."

"As long as the Kingdom of Great Britain promises me to hand over that chaotic party to me, I am willing to cut off communication with the French Empire!" Ferdinand II put forward a condition that was impossible to agree to.

As soon as he heard Ferdinand II's conditions, the British ambassador's face was overwhelmed. Of course, he would not hand over those revolutionaries who had been exiled to Britain.

If the Kingdom of Britain surrenders them, then Britain will face the revolutionaries that other countries demand for exile, which will cause a huge political crisis to Britain.

Besides, keeping them might come in handy at some point.

"Those revolutionaries are not criminals, they are just poor people who want to change the country! We accept them with a special kind of heart, and we will not fall in this regard!" The British ambassador politely rejected Ferdy Nan II's request, and then added: "If one day, Your Majesty, if you also fall to that level because of some misfortune, Britain will definitely lend a helping hand to you!"

"I don't think it's necessary!" Ferdinand II couldn't hear the threat of the British ambassador, and he still responded indifferently.

"Since His Majesty the King is unwilling to communicate frankly with us, then I will leave!" The British ambassador, who saw that Ferdinand II was unwilling to communicate, got up and left.

Ferdinand II, who was sitting in a chair, also got up and sent the British ambassador out of the Palermo Palace.

Just as Ferdinand II was about to return to the palace, Gennaro Spinelli's carriage stopped at the gate of the palace, and Ferdinand II stood there waiting for Gennaro Spinelli. prime minister.

Gennaro Spinelli, who got off the carriage, saw Ferdinand II at the gate of the palace, and quickly rushed to Ferdinand II and informed Ferdy of the invitation of the French Empire's Ministry of Foreign Affairs South II.

Ferdinand II was immediately overjoyed, and he refused the threat of the British Kingdom. In a blink of an eye, France extended an olive branch: "Go, go back to the palace to discuss in detail!"

Gennaro Spinelli and Ferdinand II entered the palace together. Gennaro Spinelli informed Ferdinand II of the information obtained by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Ferdinand II showed joy at being able to hug France's thighs, and he impatiently asked Gennaro Spinelli when to leave.

"Your Majesty, this is just a private seminar, it should not be made public!" Gennaro Spinelli reminded Ferdinand II.

After an hour-long discussion between Ferdinand II and Gennaro Spinelli, it was decided to form an unofficial agricultural team. In order to express the importance of agricultural exchanges, Ferdinand II Shi deliberately arranged his 15-year-old son as a member of the agricultural team.

After several days of selection, the agricultural team finally completed the selection on December 28.

Except for the envoy and the prince, the others were all outstanding agricultural scholars selected by the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

On December 29, the unofficial agricultural team departed from Naples and arrived at the port of Marseille in the early morning of the 30th.

Then, after a long day and night journey by train from the port of Marseille, it finally arrived in Paris on the last day of 1851.

When the agricultural mission arrived in Paris, it was immediately warmly welcomed by Foreign Minister De Ruiz.

Under the arrangement of De Ruiz, the agricultural mission stayed at the Rhine Hotel.

The son of Ferdinand II, who is also the prince of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, was personally arranged by De Luis to live in the Palace of Fontainebleau.

The news of the agricultural mission of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies quickly reached the ears of the ambassadors of various countries.

That night, the British ambassador, Lord Cowley, came to Jerome Bonaparte and asked euphemistically what Jerome Bonaparte wanted to do.

"It's just mutual communication!" Jerome Bonaparte responded unhurriedly, and then said casually: "Just like your country's recent exchange with the Russian Empire, the French Empire also needs more friend!"

Just a few days ago, UU Reading Jerome Bonaparte received a piece of news from London that the diplomatic envoy of the Kingdom of Great Britain was having a secret exchange with the envoy of the Russian Empire.

Lord Cowley looked at Jerome Bonaparte awkwardly. Although he did not know where Jerome Bonaparte got this news, Britain's secret operation obviously violated the previous agreement with France.

"Britain needs to uphold the will of the people..." Lord Cowley was convenient for Britain.

"Since it is the public opinion of Britain, why can't we communicate as openly as France?" Jerome Bonaparte asked back: "France longs for peace, and is also willing to maintain peace! We do not want war, nor will we Fear of war!"

"I will report to Britain as soon as possible!" Lord Cowley replied to Jerome Bonaparte: "However, we sincerely hope that the French Empire can maintain peace and order in the Mediterranean!"

"France is always the guardian of order!" Jerome Bonaparte assured Lord Cowley.

Under the subtle pressure of Jerome Bonaparte, the Kingdom of Britain finally began to suppress the voices of the people against the French Empire to a limited extent.