After the assassination of Shangarne, a new pamphlet began to become popular among the young officers of the army, such as "Why Shangarne Was Condemned by Heaven", "Appeal to Young Officers", and so on. The content is all about exculpating Dreyfus. These pamphlets combined with Hugo's jokes to bring the marriage of the princess of Minerva into the story. Disrespectful phrases such as "The Prime Minister did not listen to the sufferings of the people and soldiers, but instead made a bridge for a wrong marriage," "The Prime Minister and the Navy have become lackeys of the chaebols," and "The army must unite to stop the expansion of the chaebol and not allow Her Royal Highness to fall victim to the chaebol."

There are all kinds of indications that the royal faction intends to turn the trial of Dreyfus into a propaganda show, and Dreyfus will talk eloquently in the courtroom, and his comrades outside the courtroom will give street speeches and distribute pamphlets. The two cooperate with each other, take advantage of the fact that people are paying attention to the marriage of the princess and daughter, and maximize the relationship between the case and the case, win the sympathy of the public, so that the trial will not be resolved, and it is best to take advantage of the opportunity when public opinion is tilted in favor of the royal faction to completely end the ongoing army reform.

In response to the possible war of public opinion, the prime minister made various contingencies: summoned members of the Knights of the Guards to testify, and pre-invited Tellier and Cleon Paul to testify, and the interrogation was turned into a secret trial on the grounds of "military secrecy". Let the royal faction's plan to use the public trial to continue the hype has come to naught.

The prime minister's countermeasures can be described as perfect, but what he did not expect is that the so-called propaganda offensive is nothing more than a cover-up, and under the appearance of waiting for trial, Cleion Paul, who is dismissed at home, is directing the royal faction to prepare for a "change". Li Lin, who was ostensibly busy with the upcoming naval disarmament negotiations, was also quietly preparing a set of actions completely different from those of the royal family, the royal sect, and the church. On the afternoon of the 24th day of the wind month. The tension at Lüdes eased and people began to talk about the upcoming new play, Monsieur Hugo was selling his pamphlets, and the merchants kept contacting the suppliers to prepare the new play for sale, and after the new show was going to sell out, the imported peripheral products made a lot of money, and everyone was happy to think: "It doesn't look like it's going to happen yet." ”

"It was calm. ”

After glancing at the lead-gray sky and confirming that snow would fall within 48 hours, Li Lin closed the curtains and strolled to the sofa by the fireplace. The president of the consortium refills the visitors with black tea. The fragrance of the best Darjeeling gradually spreads in the warm air.

"It's always the case before the storm. Nothing will happen, only deathly, stupid, or terrifying silence. ”

After the slightly thin visitor moistened his throat with black tea, he smiled and nodded to Li Lin, and the upright Albion gentleman style was beyond reproach. Calmly accepting Li Lin's low-profile greeting, it makes people feel that he is not to be underestimated.

The well-mannered Sir Elcrowe was no ordinary visitor. Although the knighthood is not high. However, he occupies the core position of the foreign affairs decision-making circle in Albiang, the deputy minister of foreign affairs, and has a strong influence on the queen's decision-making and the formulation of Albiang's national strategy. On many occasions, he has made public statements such as "it is necessary to dispel the atmosphere of mistrust between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait and dispel the dark clouds of war." is recognized as a pro-Charlemagne.

Beneath the glossy cloak, Sir Crow also has a hidden identity - he is a secret messenger for Queen Elizabeth and Lelin, and he is also a deeply hidden Albion supremacist, chauvinist, and great navy.

The veteran Stacy also initially positioned him as a pacifist, and his long-standing belief in this is a testament to the success of his disguise. Had it not been for the accidental interception of a secret memorandum signed by Sir Crowe, and the complete exposure of Sir Crow's true thoughts, this mistake would probably have continued.

Two months earlier, on the eve of the New Year's Feast, Sir Crow had drafted a secret 24-page memorandum on the state of affairs between Albion and the Continental States, Emir, and the United Principalities of Rus'. The diplomatic philosophy of Albion, the prospects for the behavior and motives of the continental countries, and the current situation and countermeasures of Albion were elaborated. After a thorough analysis of the memo, Stasi spoke highly of it, saying that "the flow of his writing and the clarity of his thinking are matched only by the foreign policy writings of the consuls." ”

The conclusion of the Crow Memorandum is certain, that is, Charlemagne's pursuit of world supremacy, especially maritime supremacy, makes it irreconcilable with Albiang's contradictions, and Albion must unite forces that can be combined to contain Charlemagne.

Crow's analysis is geopolitical, and in his view, the general character of Albian's foreign policy is determined by the innate condition of its geographical location, as an island country not too far from the mainland, with a considerable territory on the continent. From the beginning of the Age of Discovery, its maritime supremacy was closely linked to the existence or independence of overseas colonies and subordinate territories. The resources and wealth gained through overseas trade will eventually lead to the realization of a single world system supported by Albion's absolute maritime superiority.

The prevailing view among the nations of Charlemagne, a traditional sworn enemy and emerging maritime rival, is that Charlemagne may be explicitly committed to the pursuit of political hegemony and military superiority, threatening the independence of neighboring countries and ultimately endangering the survival of Albion, or he may seek to broaden trade routes, promote Charlemagne's culture, promote national spirit, and peacefully create new interests for himself.

But in Crowe's view, Charlemagne's intentions and sincerity no longer matter, for they chose the only and most dangerous way to achieve their means - "to build a naval and air force equal to, or even surpass, Albion." ”

World power is Charlemagne's goal, and maritime supremacy is the tool to achieve it. Both of these are intolerable to Albion's dream of a great power, so Charlemagne's threat is intrinsic and comprehensive, and there is no possibility of compromise unless Lüdders makes concessions.

This logic of realism, based on the test of strength, is almost identical to Yalfheim's national strategy. According to Sir Crowe, in shaping and consolidating a self-centered hegemony, Albion is willing and adept at using completely non-political and non-specific expressions and concepts such as "the overall aspiration and common ideal of all mankind (the intelligent race)" in order to obscure the essence of his hegemony. However, when a challenger emerges that is strong enough to shake the foundation of its hegemony, they are precisely the ones who have the most sense of political sense and are the best at making decisions about friend and foe.

Dressed in a gown, he speaks in a gentle and elegant manner, but his bones are full of utilitarianism and reality, and he will do whatever it takes to achieve his end - this is really the usual style of the "gentlemen" of Albion.

Coincidentally, Richelieu and Li Lin also held a similar view, and each planned a set of strategies for seeking hegemony with their own characteristics. (To be continued......)

PS: There is also a more release tomorrow morning, and those who have tickets will support it!