Whether Menshikov wants to go to Turkey or not has nothing to do with Li Xiao. It does not mean that Li Xiao does not care about the progress of Bulgaria. In fact, he cares about the situation in Bulgaria more than anyone else, because only he knows that Bulgaria will become the detonator of a war in Europe.
The trigger of the war was that once Nicholas I made the decision to exert extreme pressure, Turkey's only final choice was to resist to the end.
Of course, saying this is a bit flattering to Turkey’s face. If there were no behind-the-scenes support from Britain and France, they would probably still choose to surrender when faced with the extreme pressure of Nicholas I. The Sick Man of the Near East was not a wasted name!
Once a war breaks out over Bulgaria, Wallachia will inevitably become the frontline battlefield. It is conceivable that what awaits Wallachia at that time will not be a good thing.
Therefore, Li Xiao naturally pays special attention to the progress in Bulgaria. Almost every week he corresponds with old Igor to inquire about St. Petersburg's attitude towards Turkey, and then also contacts David Leboeuf to inquire about the latest developments in France.
However, these are relatively passive, because even if Li Xiao knows, he can't change anything, and sometimes he even feels powerless because he clearly knows the results.
"Menshikov? That old eunuch?"
Alexey was also quite surprised by the latest news brought by Li Xiao, but he was surprised that Menshikov was able to seize this opportunity. In his opinion, the status of the old eunuch in the past three years has declined visibly.
, why can’t it be his turn to handle such an important matter?
Li Xiao sighed and said, "You think so because you don't know how much my uncle likes that old eunuch. How could he fall out of favor!"
This is a bit arbitrary, because this judgment is completely based on Li Xiao's conclusion based on history. Historically, Menshikov went to Turkey with an ultimatum, and then single-handedly ruined Russia's last chance, which directly led to the outbreak of the war.
.After Britain and France declared war on Russia, faced with a messy situation, this old eunuch once personally went to command the battle and achieved certain results.
This shows how unique his status is in Nicholas I's mind, but Li Xiao knows very well that this old guy is definitely the one who can do bad things.
Why do you say that? Because as a plenipotentiary envoy, Menshikov has considerable autonomy in his hands. If he can strengthen his principles and flexibility, it is very likely that there will be no Crimean War in history, because
At that time, the Turkish Sultan initially chose to make concessions. It should be said that the concessions were quite astonishing. If Menshikov had accepted the offer, it would have been a successful diplomatic blackmail and worthy of a special mention.
It's just that this guy didn't understand what flexibility was at all. In the end, he insisted on carrying out Nicholas I's orders without compromise, leaving the Turks with no way to retreat, and they had no choice but to start fighting.
In other words, if Menshikov had made different choices back then, the outcome might have been completely different. Unfortunately, this old eunuch was too dull and messed up everything.
Li Xiao did not think that Menshikov would improve in this time and space. In his opinion, this old eunuch was still the same as in history, and there would be no difference between this time and the last time.
So he told Alexey in frustration: "Be prepared for war. I have a hunch that war may break out as soon as this year!"
Alexey was shocked because he didn't understand how Li Xiao came to this conclusion, because the current situation didn't look like a war. The Turks' knees were weak and their waists were weak.
Like Neng Ye. As for Britain and France, although the public opinion is more lively, even these public opinions do not dare to shout and kill casually, okay?
From the analysis of many factors, it is very likely that Turkey will give in. The war will not break out so soon, right?
"Isn't that true? Did the Turks eat gunpowder?"
Li Xiao sighed and said: "I don't know whether they took the gunpowder, but I know that my uncle must have taken the gunpowder, and Menshikov will definitely carry out all his orders meticulously and without compromise, so you
got it!"
Looking at the look in Li Xiao's hand, Alexey was a little confused. He didn't understand what he should know. Even if Nicholas I was so greedy that he lost his mind, Turkey would have nothing to fear, right? As long as they move enough
Come on, before Britain and France support Turkey, they should teach the turkeys a lesson and be obedient. At that time, Britain and France can at most help Turkey hold up a little fig leaf at the negotiation table, but what else can they do?
Li Xiao sighed again and pointed at the report in his hand: "You have to pay attention to the movements of the Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet. Haven't you noticed that they have been circling the Aegean Sea? In addition, the French Navy is also very active in Toulon, and the British and French
I’m afraid it will come sooner than you think!”
Alexey frowned and said: "It is true that the British and French navies are very powerful, and we are indeed no match, but we have an absolute advantage on land. Even if the Black Sea Fleet cannot do anything to the Turks, we will still win on land!
"
Alexei's views represent the general thinking of Russian aristocrats in this era. They always feel that they are very powerful on land, while the British are nothing more than the Royal Navy.
But things are not that simple. The Russian army is far less powerful than the nobles imagined. Even if it bullies Turkey, it has no absolute advantage. Historically, when the Crimean War just broke out, Turkey taught Russia a lesson and defeated it first.
The arrogant Russian army.
Then as Britain and France gave Turkey reassurance, when the battle entered the stalemate stage, it is true that the Russian army was more powerful than the Turkish chickens, but under Turkey's human sea tactics regardless of casualties, whether it was Paskovich or Duke Mikhail
They were all at a loss, and no decisive victory was achieved quickly.
Later, as Austria rebelled, and the British and French navies directly destroyed the Black Sea Fleet and then landed in Crimea to besiege Sevastopol, the so-called self-confidence of the Russian army soon turned into a big joke. If it were not for the commanders of the British and French coalition forces
It's also a pig's head. There's no way Sevastopol can hold on for that long.
"I'm not as confident as you. Although the Turks are not strong, they are not something we can defeat quickly. We have fought against them so many times before. Which time did we win easily?"
Faced with Li Xiao's questioning, Alexey fell into deep thought. He was quite objective in this regard. After thinking about n number of battles in history, he had to admit that Li Xiao's words made sense. It was not that easy to win over Turkey quickly.
.
After thinking for a while, he asked: "This is indeed worth worrying about, so what do you think we should do?"