Chapter 440： Change people without changing ideas

After hearing the report of the squadron of the Mediterranean branch, the envoy immediately conveyed to Major General Edmund Leon the order of Lieutenant General James Dundas to return to Malta.

After receiving the order, Major General Edmund Leon did not hesitate for a moment, and immediately issued an order to all the crew members present to return to the Mediterranean base.

Semaphore soldiers waved their flags against the cold wind, lookouts climbed the masts to observe the surroundings, and the tax untied the ropes that bound the giant sails... Everyone on board was doing their own work.

With the joint efforts of all the crew, the British Mediterranean Fleet set sail again.

"Let's go!" Under the order of Major General Edmund Leon, the squadron headed for the Malta Mediterranean Fleet in a long formation.

King Otto I of Greece and his prime minister were relieved to hear that the British and French fleets had left on the same night. They were fortunate to be able to save their lives from the two "big brothers".

After all, not everyone can enjoy the double "asylum" of Britain and France.

...

Just as the fleets of the British Kingdom and the French Empire went to Constantinople one after another, Britain, thousands of miles away from Constantinople, was also worried about what happened in Constantinople.

When the foreign secretary, Lord Clarendon (who had been the foreign secretary in the main battle Cerroso had been kicked to the House of Commons by Aberdeen as President of the House of Commons), reported Canning's message to the then Prime Minister, Lord Aberdeen. , Lord Aberdeen could not help but let out a groan: "God! This is a disaster!"

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, this is really bad news!" Lord Clarendon nodded and responded to Aberdeen: "But we must face this bad news and find a solution. !"

"What do you think?" asked Lord Aberdeen, looking at the bath, Lord Clarendon

"Prime Minister, I think Britain should be tough!" Clarendon said decisively: "If we didn't receive this telegram before! We can also say to the British people that the Russian Empire is in peace. The will has to act, but after we have learned of a series of tragedies in the Sinop region, we must act from a humanitarian point of view! Only then can something like this be organized! If our government If we do nothing, then we will lose the trust of voters in us!"

"Can I understand it as: You think the Kingdom of Britain should take a tough attitude towards the Russian Empire!" Lord Aberdeen frowned at the foreign minister in front of him.

Selected by Aberdeen, Clarendon, who succeeded Russell as foreign secretary, should be a dove politician. However, his speech today seems to have violated the "principle" of a dove politician. .

"Yes! I think so!" Clarendon said fearlessly, straightening his back.

"Mr. Clarendon, Britain's foreign policy is based on Britain's core interests, not just for the interests of voters! As a politician, we can't just focus on votes and forget about Britain itself!" Arbor Ding responded coldly to Clarendon.

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, taking a tough stance on the Russian Empire does not violate the core interests of Britain! On the contrary, it is completely in line with the core interests of the United Kingdom!" Clarendon responded eloquently: "The core interests of Britain lie in safeguarding Europe. The tragedy of the Russian Empire at Sinop port has seriously violated the original intention of peace and stability in Britain! We must do something!"

"Mr. Clarendon, we really should do something, but that doesn't mean we have to be tough on Russia!" Aberdeen, a pro-Russian faction, is still opposed to taking action against the Russian Empire, and he understands that he Therefore, I can still sit in the position of prime minister because I can represent the interests of some pro-Russian factions. As long as they are unswervingly pro-Russian, they will not be separated from themselves.

On the contrary, once he leaves the pro-Russian camp and turns to the anti-Russian camp, he will not be able to compete at all, the idle Palmerston and the President of the House of Commons Russell.

Not to mention the prestigious anti-Russian faction like them, even the once pro-Russian, now anti-Russian Clarendon in front of him may not have competed.

Only by keeping the pro-Russian faction... to be precise, the sign against France, can he continue to maintain this crumbling cabinet.

"If that's not the case, then how will the voters see us!" Clarendon said to Aberdeen reluctantly on the voter issue.

"Mr. Clarendon, I already said it! Voter issues have nothing to do with the policies our government needs to make now! You have to make me say it a few more times!" Aberdeen pointed at Clarendon with a hint of anger Angrily said: "Besides, is this a matter that can be decided by just you and me?"

Lord Clarendon wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't say anything, just bowed slightly to Lord Aberdeen, and then said goodbye to Aberdeen.

After Lord Clarendon left, Lord Aberdeen glanced at Canning's telegram again and couldn't help but scolded: "Damn Tsar, why are you always making trouble for me!"

On the other hand, after Lord Clarendon left the Prime Minister's residence, he did not choose to return home directly, but took a carriage to a mansion near Buckingham Palace.

The carriage walks on the road equipped with gas lamps. From time to time, there are two patrolling police officers in police uniforms on both sides of the road. They are the most loyal guards of the wealthy district of London. Clarendon, who looked out the policeman through the glass window of the carriage, couldn't help but be right Palmerston's heart was filled with admiration.

These are Palmerston's rich legacy for London before he left.

Lord Clarendon, who came to the gate of the mansion with admiration, let out a long sigh and knocked gently on the door.

After a while, there was a rush of footsteps on the other side of the door.

Immediately afterwards, a strong and steady response came from the door: "Who?"

"Mr Palmerston!" Lord Clarendon called respectfully: "I am Clarendon! I am so sorry to visit late at night!"

"Minister Clarendon!" The door opened slowly, Palmerston's figure appeared behind the door, he was holding a kerosene lamp, and behind him was pitch black.

"You can just call me Clarendon! I'm sorry to bother you!" Clarendon still responded to Palmerston with a respectful attitude.

"Come in!" Palmerston turned sideways and invited Clarendon into the room.

"Thank you so much!" Clarendon thanked Palmerston again.

"If you don't dislike it, please go to the study with me! I think you must have something to ask to come here at this time!" Palmerston said to Clarendon.

"That's right! I have some urgent matters, and I want to discuss it with someone like you!" Lord Clarendon responded to Palmerston, and then entered the mansion with gentle steps.

Clarendon, who entered the mansion, followed Palmerston into the study. In this slightly crude study, Clarendon and Palmerston talked face to face.

"Tell me, what do you need me to help you with!" Palmerston, who had just sat down, said to Clarendon immediately.

"The situation is like this..." Clarendon told Palmerston the news of Canning's message and Aberdeen's attitude, and then asked: "Mr. Palmerston, what should I do? ?"

After Palmerston paused for a moment, he raised **** and said, "Two ways!"

"Which two?" asked Lord Clarendon of Palmerston.

"The first is that you don't need to worry about anything, just pretend that nothing has happened, so as to delay the collapse of the cabinet!" Palmerston said to Clarendon in a gentle tone: "However, this is only temporary. Expedient! As you said to the Prime Minister of Aberdeen, once the British people know the truth, they will not tolerate what the British cabinet does! The cabinet will collapse more quickly, and this method can The extended time will probably not exceed the end of the year!"

"Then there is another way?" Clarendon hastily asked Palmerston for the next method.

"I think you should know!" Palmerston smiled at Clarendon.

"But I..." Clarendon hesitated.

"What happened in Sinop was something I didn't expect! Under such circumstances, it is obviously impossible to seek peace with Russia! There is only one way left. Go, that is to impose a tough attitude on the Russian Empire! Only in this way can we gain the approval of the voters!" Palmerston analyzed Clarendon: "However, Aberdeen has no way of exerting influence on the Russian Empire. There are already two people in the anti-Russian camp, Speaker Russell and I. This means that even if he faces British voters with an attitude of opposing the Russian Empire, he will not be recognized by British voters! On the contrary, Speaker Russell and I are two people. But he was able to take advantage of the anti-Russian opportunity to form a cabinet again! This is the reason why Aberdeen is reluctant to think about Russia!"

"Is there really nothing to do?" Clarendon asked Palmerston.

"If there is any way, I don't think you will be here!" Palmerston looked at Clarendon with a half-smile.

Clarendon's presence here means that he is ready to completely leave the pro-Russian camp and turn to Palmerston.

All the previous questions were just excuses that Clarendon made up to convince himself!