The French envoy to Sardinia, Victor, following the order of Jerome Bonaparte, sent a telegram to the Vienna Embassy several hundred kilometers away.

Half an hour later, the embassy in Vienna received the telegram and immediately passed its content to the French Envoy to the Austrian Empire.

The Austrian Ambassador, upon seeing the telegram, showed a grave expression and asked the military attendant beside him, "Quick! Prepare a carriage for me!"

"Yes!" Upon hearing the order, the military attendant quickly took action and soon prepared a carriage for the Austrian Ambassador.

The Austrian Ambassador then left the embassy and set off in the carriage prepared by the military attendant.

"Your Excellency, where are you heading?" The coach driver asked the Austrian Ambassador for his destination.

"Mei Quan Palace!" The Austrian Ambassador responded flatly to the driver.

The driver replied hurriedly, "Alright! Hold on tight!"

After speaking, the driver whipped the horses into motion, and the horses accelerated as expected.

Under the skilled handling of the driver, the carriage quickly arrived at the square outside of Mei Quan Palace.

The Austrian Ambassador, getting off near the square’s fountain, quickly entered Mei Quan Palace and found the official responsible for scheduling the Emperor’s agenda.

"Ambassador, His Majesty the Emperor is currently in talks with other envoys! Please wait a moment!" The official responsible for the Emperor’s schedule first smiled apologetically at the (French Envoy to) Austrian Ambassador, then explained to him.

"Other envoys." The French Envoy mumbled softly, then quietly asked, "Mr. Butler, could you give us some clues!

Which nation’s envoy is Franz Joseph engaging with now!"

The butler glanced at the French Envoy and replied calmly, "It’s nothing to tell you! The envoy meeting with His Majesty is the British Envoy!"

The French Envoy was momentarily taken aback, then showed a grateful look, "Thank you for your answer!"

"It’s nothing!" The butler shook his head, then after flipping through a few pages of the schedule, asked: "By the way! Ambassador, what brings you here now? I don’t see anything in the schedule indicating you’re to meet with His Majesty today! Are you here at the last minute?"

The French Envoy nodded and replied to the butler, "That’s correct! I came at the direction of His Majesty the Emperor of France, Jerome Bonaparte, to present a telegram to His Majesty Franz Joseph!"

"Where is the telegram now?" The butler asked curiously.

The French Envoy pointed to his pocket and said seriously, "I must see His Majesty Franz Joseph in person to hand it to him!"

The butler invited the French Envoy to sit down and responded, "Please sit here for a while, and when His Majesty has some free time, I will come to inform you! 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Of course, if you have any urgent matters to attend to, you may also return later!"

After the butler left, the French Envoy sat quietly on the chair without saying a word.

Meanwhile, the butler left the room and quickly proceeded to the room where Franz Joseph was conversing with the British Envoy.

At this moment, Franz Joseph, the Emperor of the Austrian Empire, was in a heated discussion with the British Envoy,

The British Envoy, in an almost threatening tone, expressed the Kingdom of Britain’s recent dissatisfaction with the Austrian Empire’s actions in the Sardinian Kingdom to Franz Joseph.

Franz Joseph, on the other hand, in a measured tone informed the British Envoy that the Austrian Empire’s actions were entirely for the benefit of the entire Apennine Peninsula, and that Sardinian Kingdom must, under the supervision of the Austrian Empire, root out domestic extreme nationalism completely.

"Your Majesty, the Sardinian Kingdom has already expelled all extreme nationalists!" the British Envoy said to Franz Joseph, "The Austrian Empire need not make another trip to the Sardinian Kingdom!"

"Your Excellency, capturing extreme nationalists in Sardinia is like trying to catch a fish thief with a cat!" Franz Joseph responded righteously to the British Envoy, "I have ample evidence to indicate that the extreme nationalists in the Sardinian Kingdom are somewhat inseparably linked with their government!

If we cannot reorganize the Sardinian Kingdom, these extreme nationalists will make a comeback!"

"Your Majesty, even if extreme nationalism still exists in the Sardinian Kingdom, this can’t be the pretext for the Austrian Empire to infringe upon the sovereignty of other nations!" the British Envoy replied to Franz Joseph.

"Your Excellency, why didn’t you say that a few years ago, in 1848!" Franz Joseph asked with a hint of disdain.

"A few years ago? I don’t understand your point?" the British Envoy asked, puzzled.

"In 1848, when the Sardinian Kingdom actively invaded our territories of Lombardy and Venice, the Kingdom of Britain’s stance seemed to be urging us to abandon these lands!" Franz Joseph replied to the British Envoy, "Why has Britain’s stance taken a 180-degree turn now!

Why permit Sardinian Kingdom’s aggression towards us, yet forbid us from taking initiatives against Sardinian Kingdom!

Is the Kingdom of Britain’s diplomatic strategy predicated upon sacrificing the interests of the Austrian Empire?"

"No! We are not sacrificing the Austrian Empire; we do this to maintain the balance of Europe!" The British Envoy waved his hand and responded to Franz Joseph.

Franz Joseph laughed angrily after hearing this, "In the end, doesn’t Britain think that sacrificing the Austrian Empire can maintain the balance of Europe?

If Britain really thinks so, then I must seriously weigh the Kingdom of Sardinia!"

Seeing the situation gradually unfold towards the brink of war, the British Envoy had to subtly express that the Kingdom of Britain has always valued the opinions of the Austrian Empire, hoping it could make an effort to uphold the 1815 treaty.

Franz Joseph said to the Kingdom of Britain again, "The 1815 treaty, Mr. Ambassador! Take a good look; can today’s Europe still use the treaty of 1815?

In 1815 there was no Belgium, Finland, and the newly born Kingdom of Poland was also under the rule of Russia.

Are you preparing to let the Netherlands annex the Kingdom of Belgium, Finland, and return the new Poland to the Russian Empire?"

The British Envoy was once again speechless, he clearly understood that asking countries to abide by the 1815 treaty is practically impossible.

However, the Conservative Cabinet led by Derby did not think so, and the British Envoy was speaking under the remote command of the Derby Cabinet, hoping the Austrian Empire would follow the 1815 treaty.

...

Just as the British Envoy and Franz Joseph were both falling into silence, there was a knock at the door, and Franz Joseph said towards the outside, "Come in!"

The butler entered the room, bowing low, and came to Franz Joseph’s side.

"What is it?" Franz Joseph asked the butler.

"Your Majesty, the French Envoy has arrived!" The butler whispered into Franz Joseph’s ear.

"Alright! I know!" Franz Joseph nodded in response to the butler, "You may go now!"

After the butler left, the British Envoy, who knew better, also understood that it was time for him to leave.

"Mr. Ambassador, I have other important matters, so I won’t keep you!" Franz Joseph said to the British Envoy without a trace of apology.

"Your Majesty, I hope you will reconsider!" The British Envoy bowed once more to Franz Joseph.

After the British Envoy left, the butler reappeared in front of Franz Joseph and said, "Your Majesty, shall I call the French Envoy over now?"

"Yes!" Franz Joseph replied calmly.

The butler, upon receiving the order, quickly went back to the location of the French Envoy to convey the message.

Under the butler’s guidance, the French Envoy quietly followed behind him.

After a short while, the butler suddenly stopped and turned to the French Envoy, saying, "Mr. Ambassador, just now His Majesty had a rather unpleasant encounter with the British Envoy!

Your telegram should not be bad news, right?"

"Rest assured!" The French Envoy replied with a smile to the butler, "My telegram will surely please His Majesty!"

"That’s good then!" The butler nodded, turned, and continued to walk forward.

Soon, the two arrived at a room, and the butler said to the French Envoy, "His Majesty is inside!"

Then the butler opened the door, and the French Envoy quickly entered the room, then bowed to the distant Monarch and said, "Your Majesty!"

"Mr. Ambassador!" Seated at the desk, Franz Joseph glanced up, extended his hand, and invited, "Come and have a seat!"

"Yes!" The French Envoy quickly came to sit before Franz Joseph.

Subsequently, Franz Joseph slightly leaned back, adopting a relaxed posture, and inquired, "Speak! What is the matter?"

The French Envoy promptly extracted the folded telegram from his pocket and respectfully placed it before Franz Joseph.

As Franz Joseph picked up the telegram and slowly unfolded it, he listened to the French Envoy say, "Your Majesty, my lord Jerome Bonaparte hopes you can soon visit Milan to discuss solving the issues of the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Apennine Peninsula together with him."

Franz Joseph opened the telegram, carefully read it once, and fell into deep thought.

After an unknown length of time, Franz Joseph raised his head again and solemnly said to the French Envoy, "Please convey to your Majesty that I will personally visit Milan soon!"