Leboeuf is naturally aware of France's international situation. Although this time he and the United Kingdom severely damaged Russia's face and exhaled a bad breath, you have to say that this war fundamentally changed France's international status and declared that
The king of France returns to his country and reigns over Europe again? That’s nonsense!
After all, the British were still there, and to be honest, France's losses in this fierce battle with Russia were not small. There were nearly 100,000 casualties at least. Such a victory was actually just a tragic victory.
Leboeuf was well aware that there was a lot of criticism in the country about this. He felt that the generals on the front line were useless, and that the United Kingdom could only achieve this kind of virtue, which was really disappointing.
And if Li Xiao's proposal is followed and the war with Russia is turned into friendship and the Qin and Jin Dynasties are harmonious, it means that the external factors restricting France have been completely eliminated, and France can freely try to fight with Britain.
Yes, despite the fact that Britain and France are now in an alliance, it is nonsense to say how close their relationship is. Whether Leboeuf or other French elites know that the British are France's biggest enemy.
Let’s not even talk about the Hundred Years’ War, but let’s talk about the Napoleonic era decades ago. If Britain hadn’t been a hindrance, I’d be afraid that all of Europe would have French surnames now, right?
If we can temporarily stabilize Russia and even form an alliance, then what a damn British guy!
Leboeuf suddenly became excited and wanted to go to the ambassador to talk about this issue immediately. Fortunately, Li Xiao stopped him in time: "Don't be so anxious. This is just an idea. We really want to realize it."
A lot of things still need to be done…”
Leboeuf calmed down, and he also remembered that no matter how much France and Russia are still in a state of war, it is indeed too early to talk about alliances at this time. The state of war must be ended first, and then cooperation can be discussed!
But thinking about this, he smiled bitterly and sighed: "The problem is, as you said before, it's not that easy to end the war!"
Li Xiao nodded and said: "Yes, it is indeed not easy! But no matter what, this inexplicable war will eventually end. We need to be prepared. Once the time is right, we can promote it immediately!"
LeBoeuf agreed very much with this, and after discussing some details with Li Xiao, he began to contact friends and start work.
After staying in Istanbul for three days, Li Xiao immediately returned to Bucharest in a hurry. On the one hand, he asked Duke Mikhail and Alexey to write a letter to Alexander II and make suggestions for Baryatinsky to try to fight several enemies in the Caucasus.
The war will put more military pressure on Britain and Turkey and gain more bargaining chips for Russia at the negotiation table.
On the other hand, he also wrote to Count Rostovtsev and mentioned matters related to the alliance with France to see what the attitude of this powerful count was.
After doing this, the only thing Li Xiao could do was to wait, hoping that the big guys in St. Petersburg would take his suggestions seriously.
So was Li Xiao's suggestion taken seriously?
It is true. The reason is not that the big guys in St. Petersburg value him, but that Baryatinsky has a great reputation.
For Alexander II, Baryatinsky was definitely his confidant and the military general he relied on most.
And if you think about what is Alexander's biggest headache at this moment, the biggest headache is the meritorious veterans left by Nicholas I. Each of these people has seniority and merit, and they are considered to be high-ranking, powerful and influential.
But this war slapped these veterans hard in the face, proving that they were no longer able to cope with the current war situation.
This was not a good thing for Alexander II. For him, these veteran generals could neither be used nor withdrawn. He simply didn’t know how to deal with them.
If Li Xiao suggested that he send these veterans to cause trouble in the Caucasus, he would never agree.
But Baryatinsky is different. This is his old minister and a general he can absolutely trust. It is not difficult to let Baryatinsky go to the Caucasus to do things, and the probability of success is extremely high. If it really
This drama has given Russia a new bargaining chip at the negotiating table, and Baryatinsky deserves a lot of credit.
Shouldn't such great merit be rewarded? Naturally, he should be promoted to a higher position!
As long as Baryatinsky rises, Alexander II's influence on the army will naturally be greater. Then does he still need to worry about the constraints of those veterans?
Therefore, Alexander II agreed to this suggestion without hesitation, and immediately ordered Chernyshev to find every way to get 10,000 reinforcements to Baryatinsky, and asked the ordnance department to immediately purchase the goods ordered by Nicholas I
A new rifle was sent to Baryatinsky.
As if this was not enough, he personally wrote a letter to Baryatinsky, urging him to win a beautiful victory.
Of course, another reason why Alexander II is so enthusiastic is that he has been under a lot of pressure recently. There are many people in the country, both reformers and conservatives, who believe that the war should be ended immediately. They believe that as long as the war can be ended within the necessary time
Can make greater concessions to Britain and France.
This made Alexander II very passive. He was unwilling to end the war immediately. On the one hand, he did not want to give up the interests of the Black Sea and the Balkans. On the other hand, he was also a face-saving person.
When a new official takes office, he has to make three fires. As an emperor, he was forced to sign an unequal treaty just after he ascended the throne. How does this make the country view him?
Therefore, he must grit his teeth and hold on no matter what. He must not make such a big negative news in the first year of taking the throne. As long as he can hold on for the past year and a half, when he can basically control the overall situation, he will not surrender by then.
Even if it causes too much trouble, he can still calm it down.
Now that someone told him that he could try to grab chips at the negotiating table, he would definitely try. Even if the final result was not satisfactory, it would at least delay it for a while. He was really annoyed by those who clamored to end the war as soon as possible.
Alexander II agreed, and Count Rostovtsev would naturally not stop him. For the Count, as long as Alexander II continues to fight and cause the conservative forces to bleed, he will never stop him, and will even find ways to help him get through.
Alexander II wanted to make trouble in the Caucasus, and he immediately said yes, and even wished that Alexander II would make things bigger.
When the two most powerful people in Russia recognized it, no one could stop it. Soon the Russian army stepped up its attacks on the Caucasus, causing chaos in Turkey's backyard.
Naturally, such an action cannot be hidden from the eyes of Britain and France, especially the British. As expected, they are anxious...