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

Chapter 1678: Trust in the Wisdom of Future Generations

Maximilian used Venice as an example mainly because Venice still held considerable influence in Italy at that time, and could even be considered one of the most desirable places for Italians.

In fact, Venice's port conditions were considered decent within the Austrian Empire, but there were many ports with better conditions throughout Italy. Moreover, Venice was not favored by most economists at the time because of its limited potential.

As for so-called commercial traditions, they are no longer worth mentioning in this era; what truly maintains Venice's status is the power of the Austrian Empire.

However, Maximilian obviously didn't think that much about it. He just felt that the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies had plenty of excellent ports, a large industrial base left by Ferdinand II, abundant resources in the mountains, and a large pool of cheap labor.

Maximilian didn't think the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was inferior to Spain, and in fact, it had an advantage in industry and the potential to become a great power.

If used properly, he will also be able to create a great career.

In addition, Maximilian also wanted to promote the lottery industry.

"No! The lottery industry must be promoted! I don't believe the British are so ignorant!"

Officials from the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies immediately began to flatter them.

"Your Majesty is wise. If we conquer Britain, we will conquer the world!"

"The British will conquer the world with our lottery!"

Maximilian couldn't help but smile when he heard the crowd's approval of him.

The lottery industry in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was not successful. Only in the first few months were the profits decent. After that, it fell into a vicious cycle of losses. The profits from the lottery industry itself were not enough to sustain the industry, and it had to rely on government subsidies to survive.

However, Maximilian did not think he was wrong. He believed that the people of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies were too poor and ignorant, and they could not recognize the benefits of the lottery, which was why the industry had not developed.

He is determined to conquer the world with his lottery winnings and prove those who doubted him wrong.

In the thick fog of London, almost nothing could be seen on Downing Street, except for the distant chimes of Westminster Abbey.

At this moment, the British politicians at 10 Downing Street were also in extremely complicated situations. The current situation was changing too fast and too strangely, just like the thick fog in London, which was impossible to see through.

"Damn Russians! Damn Ottomans! Damn Neserlov!"

At this point, it was George Hamilton Gordon who couldn't hold back any longer. He was even preparing to withdraw his troops, but suddenly everything seemed unavoidable again.

Moreover, this would render all of George Hamilton Gordon's previous efforts a joke, and he might even suffer the consequences of his own hard work.

After all, if a real war breaks out, his actions will only weaken Britain's strength, and it's not hard to imagine that those MPs will put all the blame on him.

However, John Russell, his adversary, was not happy at all. To be honest, there were very few staunch advocates of war in the British cabinet at that time.

Anti-Russian sentiment was largely driven by political considerations, but Britain at that time lacked sufficient strength, and going to war with Russia was not a good option.

"Your Excellency, please calm down. We should consider this carefully now."

At this point, John Russell, a proponent of war, was actually advising Prime Minister Gordon, a proponent of peace, not to act impulsively.

"What's there to plan? The Russians will definitely not let this opportunity pass, and the Ottoman Empire is doomed."

There's no way a miracle could happen. The Russian Foreign Minister died in the Holy Land. What were the Ottomans thinking? Were they just thinking about roasted meat?
You won! Let the world burn!
I will submit my resignation to Her Majesty the Queen tomorrow.

Realizing he was unable to handle the situation, Prime Minister Gordon decided to simply resign.

"Your Excellency, this is not your fault. It might have been orchestrated by the Russians. Who would have thought that the Russians could be so ruthless?"
"Now is the time when Britain needs you most, you can't give up!" Sir James Graham, the First Lord of the Admiralty, had not forgotten the humiliation of that day.

"What have you gained by being so courteous to the Russians? If you had listened to my professional advice back then, you wouldn't be in this predicament now."

Sir James Graham spoke with an air of superiority, clearly believing that the cabinet was merely grappling with a strategic blunder.

However, the reality was that at this time, the voice of wanting to avoid war once again became the mainstream in Britain, mainly because the previous actions of the Austrian Empire had instilled fear in them.

After weighing the pros and cons, many people joined the anti-war camp. However, George Hamilton Gordon was a fragile leader who severely lacked confidence in himself and his policies.

As the saying goes, "A bad soldier is a bad soldier, but a bad general makes a bad army." Prime Minister Gordon managed to turn what was then the strongest force in British politics into a weak party.

"Now we can also withdraw from the Near East battlefield."

One cabinet aide, who couldn't stand it any longer, made the suggestion.

"What? You want to withdraw troops too? You don't want the Near East anymore? You don't want the Suez Canal anymore? You don't want India anymore?"

The three questions posed by the Navy Minister silenced the cabinet once again.

"That's enough. We should give it a try no matter what. Maybe Russia is willing to negotiate?"

"How can this be?"

Prime Minister Gordon, clearly still reeling, said in a self-deprecating tone.

John Russell took a deep breath and said.

"Possibly! Russia's economic situation is also not good. Although the growth of Russia's fiscal revenue looks exaggerated, their spending is equally exaggerated."

If it weren't for the Ottoman reparations, Russia might already be bankrupt by now.

William Gladstone sensed something was amiss and couldn't help but ask.

"Lord Russell, what are you planning to do?"

John Russell answered.

"Perhaps we can resolve this through negotiation."

"Negotiation? Are you kidding me?"

William Gladstone scoffed at John Russell's overly naive ideas, but the latter did not give up.

"Aren't we exactly good at this? According to reliable intelligence, the internal rebellions in Russia have never stopped, and more than half of the fiscal revenue has been invested in military expenditures."

There is already widespread discontent within Russia. If we show sufficient sincerity, I think Nicholas I will consider renewing the armistice agreement for a few more years.

These words were so shocking that the entire room fell silent for several seconds.

A few seconds later, William Gladstone spoke first.

"Are you crazy? Isn't that like cutting off one's own flesh to feed a tiger? If the Russians really overcome the crisis and resolve their internal conflicts, how can we stop them?"

All we can guarantee is Britain's current power and status. As for when that day will come, we can only choose to trust the wisdom of future generations.