In fact, it is no secret that Austria looks down on Prussia. To the Austrians, the Prussians are their younger brothers or followers. They naturally feel that they are superior to the Prussians. But what? The Prussians do not see it that way. Although they were indeed not as good as the Habsburgs back then.
The Bao family is doing well and is indeed his follower and younger brother, but he has great ambitions!
Especially from the beginning, Frederick the Great didn't take the Habsburg family seriously at all. When Maria Theresa had just taken over as Archduke of Austria and Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, Frederick the Great strongly
They came and robbed Silesia.
From that moment on, the German brothers turned against each other directly. So later, even if Frederick the Great died, and even if Napoleon's rise made life difficult for Prussia and Austria, they had to join hands to face the enemy, but to be honest
To be honest, it feels a bit like being in the same bed but having different dreams.
Anyway, these two brothers are not always so harmonious, and this is also the reason why Russia can gradually take the initiative in the Holy Alliance. Who can let these two people be at odds!
At this time, Duke Alexander also believed that Prussia should be roped in to deal with Schwarzenberg.
"...I believe that the Prussians should be interested in poaching Austria. If we can work together, we can offset the negative impact of Schwarzenberg's visit to St. Petersburg!"
Li Xiao understands Duke Alexander's concerns very well. Both Neserrodie and Nicholas I in the country are very critical of Austria. One is obsessed with poaching Russia's corners to subsidize his hometown, and the other is obsessed with saving face and clinging to tradition.
Know how to adapt.
So it is very possible that Schwarzenberg will go to St. Petersburg and persuade Nicholas I. By then, the old naughty uncle will soften his ears and really fall in love with Schwarzenberg and Nesserlo.
Repeated evil deeds.
But Duke Alexander couldn't go back to do the work himself, and even if he went back, it would be of little significance, because Nicholas I still favored Austria from the bottom of his heart. The reason why he turned to Duke Alexander before was entirely due to the interests of the Balkans and the Caucasus.
It's so tempting. And now as long as Schwarzenberg is crying over there, Nicholas I will really be soft-hearted.
If nothing is done, it is very likely that Russia's foreign policy will be led astray by Schwarzenberg and Neserrode in the next one or two years, and the price will be too heavy.
If the Prussians can be persuaded to stab Austria in the back, it should be able to offset some of the bad effects. Even if the cooperation is proper, there will be unexpected good effects. At least it will not let the "Treaty of Olmitz" in history
Repeat again.
"Are you going to Berlin?" Li Xiao asked.
Prince Alexander smiled slightly and said: "No! I have no way to go to Berlin. As long as I leave Vienna, Schwarzenberg's spies will immediately tip him off, and Nesserrode will be with His Majesty again.
Whistleblowing..."
Li Xiao smiled. The greatest sorrow of Duke Alexander is here, because he can never gain the full trust of Nicholas I, or in other words, he cannot replace Neserrodie in Nicholas I's heart.
status. So no matter how well he did during this period, he would still be pinned to Vienna and unable to move.
If he dared to go to Berlin secretly and let Nicholas I know, he would definitely be furious. To him, Duke Alexander was blatantly engaging in petty tricks and blatantly contradicting him, which was intolerable!
So Li Xiao asked: "So you mean to let me go, right?"
Duke Alexander smiled again. He really meant this. Li Xiao went to Berlin to communicate with the Prussians on his behalf. One had a small goal, and the other was someone who was flexible and proactive enough to understand his true intentions and could proactively solve possible problems.
The problem.
Do not underestimate the flexibility of diplomats. This is particularly important, especially in this era when communication is particularly inconvenient. If diplomats do not have enough flexibility and initiative, they will be very passive. It can almost be said that it is
Can't do it!
And Li Xiao has proven his flexibility and initiative some time ago, which really helped to obtain very good conditions for Duke Alexander and his team. So this time Duke Alexander couldn't leave, the first thing he thought of was to let Li Xiao act as
special envoy.
Of course, Li Xiao's favorable conditions are very prominent, but so are his unfavorable conditions. First of all, his identity is too sensitive. If Nicholas I knew that Duke Alexander had instructed Li Xiao to do small things behind his back, the consequences would be disastrous.
However, this time Li Xiao couldn't completely hide his identity. After all, he was going to Prussia to communicate with political leaders, so there was no way to keep it completely confidential.
Secondly, Li Xiao not only has a sensitive identity problem, but another problem that worries Duke Alexander is that Li Xiao is sometimes too flexible and subjective. Look at this guy's courage. Ever since he left St. Petersburg, he has not dared to do anything.
.
You dare to go to Wallachia with nothing. If you let this guy go to Berlin, he might cause some trouble. Sometimes Prince Alexander is really afraid of this guy's energy and courage, so he really dares to do anything.
This guy has succeeded before, but who can guarantee that he will succeed every time? What if he fails?
Duke Alexander also gave him a special warning: "Your Excellency, the main purpose of your trip is to do a good job in contact and communication, and just convey my goodwill to Prussia. Don't make your own decisions, otherwise if something happens, I will
We are beyond our reach and there is nothing we can do to help!"
Li Xiao is not stupid, so how could he not hear what Duke Alexander meant? Aren't he just worried that he might cause trouble? But if he doesn't cause trouble, how can we break the situation? What's the point of acting honestly according to Nicholas I's intentions?
?
However, he also knew that he must not go too far. The most he could do was to wildly test Duke Alexander's bottom line and jump left and right. He could do extraordinary things, but he could not go too far.
Of course, he promised with all his words, patting his chest and assuring Duke Alexander that he would act according to his wishes.
Duke Alexander sighed. Obviously he also knew that Li Xiao's guarantee was not reliable, but who told him that there was no other more suitable candidate? Sometimes he was depressed. He was obviously an expert in diplomacy, so
Leonid did not inherit any of his wisdom, and was completely uninterested in diplomacy and government affairs. Instead, he only wanted to be a soldier. If Leonid could inherit his father's legacy, would he be so entangled...