The War Court and Lap Pillow, Austria's Mandate of Heaven

Chapter 1669 arrives as scheduled.
1855 12 Month 8 Day.

The Bosphorus Strait was swept by a chilly wind, but Aford Pasha, who already suffered from rheumatism, had to shiver on the pier wearing his expensive mink coat.

"Damn it! Don't the Russians celebrate Christmas? The British are all celebrating."

An accompanying official, also huddled in his fur coat, quietly echoed in agreement.

"Those Russians are a bunch of barbarians; they probably don't celebrate festivals!"

"Yeah, those damn Russian bears, they're inhuman and they don't want us to have a good time. Achoo!"

Despite saying this, Afdalpasha still tried his best to make the welcome grand, hoping not to give the Russians any reason to complain.

In the past six months alone, the money spent on bribing Russian envoys has been astronomical. Adding in the expenses for these receptions and entourages, the total is estimated to be tens of millions of Kurush.

(100 kourouches are approximately equal to 1 pound.)
Although it may have been somewhat shameful, the Ottoman Empire successfully prolonged the war by doing so for six months.

At least that's what they think.

Over time, the Ottoman leadership came to believe that this approach was acceptable, at least better than fighting a war.

As a result, all the pressure fell on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Afford Pasha had never understood those so-called patriotic youths in this way; it was indeed difficult for diplomats from weak countries.

He knew perfectly well that the Russians were there to cause trouble, but he dared not offend them. Afudpasha couldn't hold his head high in front of the Russians, and since he was always on the front lines, he was unsurprisingly branded a traitor.

In all honesty and integrity, he was the most incorruptible and pragmatic foreign minister in the history of the Ottoman Empire, but the tasks he was in charge of were indeed thankless and exhausting.

Afford Pasha could only sigh helplessly. From the day the armistice agreement expired, the Russian envoys arrived as scheduled.

Everyone knew what the Russians wanted to do, but before the Russians took action, no one within the Ottoman Empire dared to do anything.

On the other side, a warship flying the Russian flag was rapidly entering Golden Horn Bay, splitting the ships on the water like a sharp sword.

The Ottoman government has issued a strict order that any ship that dares to ram the Russian envoy's vessel will have its owner's property confiscated, and the captain and sailors will all be beheaded and their heads displayed in public.

On the deck, Prince Uvarov was coming towards the wind. It was truly remarkable for someone his age to be the Tsar's special envoy, and he had received this honor more than once.

This is something to be proud of in the entire Russian political arena, and being in one's thirties is definitely a time of high spirits.

However, Prince Uvarov always wore a deep, unyielding worry on his face, and the situation in Russia was far from stable.

Nicholas I was eager for a reason to start a war, but the pillars of the Russian Empire were indifferent to this, caring only about how much benefit they could gain now and what they would get after the war.

So many years have passed, and Russia still has no problems to solve. How could he not feel melancholy?

However, these problems seem to have existed for over a century.
The large ship slowly docked at the shore. Duke Uvarov walked down the gangway and noticed that the paving stones on the dock were wiped spotless, and there was an extra-long carpet that stretched all the way to his feet.

The Ottoman officials on both sides smiled obsequiously, and the imperial guards on both sides didn't even bring weapons.

The Ottoman foreign minister before him was wearing a mink coat over a gold-embroidered cloak and was bowing to him.

"Your Excellency Duke Uvarov, your arrival is an honor for the Ottoman Empire. May peace be with us."

Duke Uvarov simply smiled at this.

Afudpasha's expression froze for only a moment before returning to his usual gentle, businessman-like smile.

"This way, please. The carriage is ready for you."

This time, Duke Uvarov did not refuse and boarded the carriage directly. Aford Pasha then followed suit, intending to say something in this relatively private space.

However, Duke Uvarov opened the car window and looked outside, leaving Aford Pasha with no choice but to keep quiet and hope that nothing would happen on the road.

Especially those hot-blooded young people should not cause trouble at this time, otherwise all their previous efforts will be in vain.

Duke Uvarov surveyed the city coldly through the carriage window. He shared the Tsar's ideals and therefore deeply resented the Ottomans who had occupied Constantinople for centuries.

If possible, Duke Uvarov hoped not only to drive out the Ottomans, but also to remove the repulsive buildings of the Ottoman Empire from the city, leaving only the ancient ruins of the Eastern Roman Empire.

The city was far from being as glamorous as it appeared. Although the buildings on both sides of the street were not obviously damaged, they exuded a sense of decay.

The Ottomans on the street looked at him with resentment and fear, their faces showing weakness and exhaustion.

The mosque's minaret gleamed in the sunlight, and Prince Uvarov subconsciously squinted, a fierce glint flashing across his face.

The journey was uneventful, and soon Prince Uvarov arrived at the embassy district. Staff members of the Russian embassy quickly came out to greet him, and after a brief exchange of pleasantries, he entered the embassy.

In the Russian Empire, no one wanted to miss out on currying favor with the Tsar's favorites, so the embassy staff treated Prince Uvarov and his entourage with utmost care.

However, Duke Uvarov soon wanted to kill these traitors, and the embassy became an important tool for intelligence gathering at this time.

At this time, everyone at the Russian embassy in Constantinople was carefully selected, but these people spent their days doing nothing, and indulging in drinking and debauchery during the day became the norm.

The Russian diplomats' meager salaries simply couldn't support them doing this, and Prince Uvarov easily concluded that they were receiving benefits from the Ottomans.

In fact, this was the case. After just a few drinks, those people confessed everything to the Duke of Uvarov's entourage and even began to teach him their experience in soliciting and accepting bribes.

According to them, the previous special envoys only kept quiet because they had received enough benefits.

However, Prince Uvarov knew that the truth was not so simple, and that Russia was not actually prepared for war.

War may sound easy, but it is in reality a severe test for the state apparatus.

At this time, Russia was facing a problem—insufficient military spending. Indeed, even with Nicholas I's desperate gamble, Russia's treasury still could not afford such a huge expenditure.

Russia is already stretched thin by the fact that it is currently engaged in only a localized war. If it cannot achieve a swift victory, Russia will face the risk of bankruptcy.

To solve this problem, either a war tax should be levied or money should be borrowed from other countries. In fact, Russia already had a special tax similar to a war tax at this time, which had caused widespread discontent within Russia.

The main problem was that the boundaries, scope, and purpose of this special tax were very vague. If the Tsar hadn't used force to suppress it, the tax simply wouldn't have been collected. Borrowing from abroad was also impractical; previously, the Austrian Empire had been acting as a middleman for Russia's national debt, and in fact, Austria itself was Russia's largest creditor.

However, Austria's attitude at this time was very ambiguous, and it was very likely that it would choose to remain neutral. After all, in the eyes of Duke Uvarov and most Russian officials, sitting on the sidelines and watching the tigers fight was the most likely option for the Austrians.

If the goal is to cause both sides to suffer losses, why would the Austrians lend money to the stronger party, Russia, first?
However, the Tsar's face could not be disregarded, so Russia could only choose to periodically flex its muscles in the Ottoman Empire.

On the one hand, it can deter the Ottomans with force, and on the other hand, it can exhaust the Ottomans' energy and may even make them complacent.

However, the trash in the embassy had clearly misunderstood. Duke Uvarov did not want such waste to be in charge of such a crucial area as Constantinople. However, things could not be rushed, and the trash could only be replaced step by step.

The following day, Duke Uvarov was invited to attend Afordpasha's afternoon tea.

Although afternoon tea was still a relatively new and fashionable concept in Britain at this time, it had already influenced the upper echelons of the Ottoman Empire, who took the British custom more seriously than the British themselves.

However, Duke Uvarov was no stranger to afternoon tea, as there was a group of people like that within Russia as well.

Afford Pasha's private drawing room is so luxurious that even in a city like Constantinople, one can hardly hear the outside noise. It gives people a sense of tranquility and nature, like a utopia.

Shortly after Duke Uvarov sat down, a servant brought him a cup of black tea, but the teacup attracted his attention more than the tea itself.

The pure silver cup was inlaid with all sorts of extravagant gemstones, and even he, who had seen a lot of the world, couldn't help but take a second look.

To cover his tracks, Duke Uvarov took a small sip, then his eyes widened in surprise. Frankly, he wasn't a big fan of tea, but even he couldn't help but praise it.

"Good tea."

Afford Pasha, standing to the side, smiled and squinted his eyes, realizing that his three hundred pounds had indeed been well spent.

However, Duke Uvarov quickly regained his composure and began to re-examine the tea, even suspecting for a moment that there was something in it.

"This cup of tea does have a very unique flavor, but I'd like to know if our Slavic compatriots will receive the same treatment."

“Your Grace, you are too kind. The tea you are drinking is the finest, brewed by a master I invited from the East.”

Just as Duke Uvarov was about to speak, Aford Pasha continued.

“Your Slavic compatriots are certainly not treated as nobles like you, but they enjoy the same treatment as my Muslim compatriots.”

Afford Pasha shut up Duke Uvarov with a single sentence; he had seen far too many Russian diplomats who had ever made a scene.

He is neither the first nor the last to make an issue of ethnicity.

Duke Uvalov's aim was merely to accuse the Ottomans of discriminating on ethnic issues, while Afdalpasha not only answered the question but also went further to point out the distinction between the noble and the lowly.

Russia also has an aristocratic class, and if Prince Uvalov denies this, he is essentially denying the Russian system.

Duke Uvalov understood what the other party meant. He was somewhat surprised, after all, in his impression, the Ottoman Empire seemed to be a group of mediocre and incompetent people.

Afudepasha was pleased with the other person's expression, and he couldn't help but feel a little smug as he turned to his servant and said...

"Please invite Master Cai over and have him brew a cup for His Excellency the Duke in person."

Soon, an elderly man wearing a cheongsam and mandarin jacket, with a braid and a white beard, walked in. After bowing, he began his performance.

A cup of black tea was quickly brewed, its aroma filling the air. To be honest, this was the first time Duke Uvarov had ever encountered a professional tea brewer.

On the other hand, Aford Pasha became somewhat smug. He was very satisfied with the way the Russians were behaving, and the frustration of having to play the subservient role for so long seemed to have vanished.

"Your Grace, you see, the artisans of our Ottoman Empire only pursue excellence. Regardless of their faith, race, or origin, as long as they have the ability, we will treat them all equally."

Did you know? Our Grand Vizier was originally an Austrian.

For an empire to endure, it must be inclusive and tolerant, without favoritism.

Aford Pasha was clearly implying something, but Duke Uvarov was not intimidated by him.

After all, the Russian side had already investigated that Olma Pasha was originally an Austrian; he was just an Austrian deserter, and the Austrian Empire had even offered a reward for his capture.

At the time, Olma's head was worth only 150 florins, making it almost impossible for him to be an Austrian spy.

Prince Uvarov had not forgotten his mission, and his eyes suddenly sharpened.

"Afford Pasha, you seem to be implying something? 'Inclusiveness and favoritism,' are you referring to our country?"

Afudepasha was stunned. He never expected the other party to do the opposite. He had indeed been a little too complacent.

“Your Grace, you are overthinking it. I was just stating a trivial point.”

"Logic? What kind of logic is this!"

Duke Uvarov rose and leaned slightly forward, which immediately put pressure on Afford Pasha. He understood that the former was doing it intentionally, but he knew he could neither agree with nor deny the other's position.

Agreeing with the other person is tantamount to denying yourself, which can even become an excuse. Denying the other person is offensive and troublesome.

"Your Grace, please be patient."

What I'm referring to is the summary of the philosophy of governance by your country's scholar Pushkin, which I have always regarded as a universal truth, and I've always felt it applies to any nation that wants to become greater.

Aford Pasha then kicked the ball back to Duke Uvarov, who was indeed unable to continue the pursuit at this point.

Although Pushkin's ideas were somewhat unorthodox, the Russian government did not formally ban them.

"You're very interesting, I'll come often."

Afudepasha didn't know what the other party was really thinking, so he could only remain silent.

The first clash between the two sides ended peacefully. As the Tsar's special envoy, wouldn't it be a disservice to the Tsar if he didn't cause some trouble in Istanbul?
Cough cough cough, actually I have a lot of thoughts. But what I wrote is a bit strange, I'll correct it next time.