London, United Kingdom.
The British Prime Minister, Viscount Melbourne, was planning the coronation of Queen Victoria. In one year's time, Queen Victoria would be crowned at Westminster Abbey.
The Queen had only just ascended the throne, and the entire nation was still in a state of chaos.
Palmerston took a letter, opened it, and after only a few glances, slammed it heavily onto the floor.
"Those damned bastards! All French emperors should be exiled to Saint Helena!"
Viscount Melbourne glanced at Palmerston and smiled.
"Mr. Palmerston, the Queen has just ascended the throne; let us be a bit more cheerful. We wouldn't want Her Majesty to see this and think we do not welcome her. The British Empire fears no challenge; let us set these matters aside for a moment."
Palmerston irritably handed the letter to Viscount Melbourne. Upon opening it, the Viscount's blood pressure soared instantly, and he felt an overwhelming urge to tear the letter to shreds.
"Don't tear it; Her Majesty hasn't seen it yet," Palmerston reminded him.
Viscount Melbourne had no choice but to withdraw his hand in resentment. He truly had not expected the Spaniards to enter into a marriage alliance with the French, and with that young Queen as the partner.
"We absolutely cannot accept the emergence of such a behemoth in Europe. It does not serve the interests of the British Empire!" Viscount Melbourne declared.
"Naturally. We have no choice," Palmerston replied.
"And the Russian reaction?" Viscount Melbourne asked.
"Tsar Nicholas I was initially furious, as it reminded him of the Napoleonic Empire that burned Moscow. However, his advisors reminded him that a combination of France and Spain would leave us, the British, too preoccupied to look eastward. This would allow the Russian Empire to monopolize the inheritance of the Ottoman Empire."
The "Eastern Question"—the struggle for the inheritance of the Ottoman Empire—became the central theme of European diplomacy in the nineteenth century. Turkey and its territories, including the Balkans, Asia Minor, and North Africa, sat at the essential crossroads between the European continent and the Middle East and Asia, making their strategic position exceptionally important.
The Balkan and Mediterranean regions were rich in resources such as coal, iron, and cotton, serving as both lucrative markets and sources of raw materials. Britain viewed the Ottoman Empire as an object for its expansion toward the Middle East and a focal point of competition with the Tsar.
The other two regions where Britain and Russia competed for dominance were Afghanistan and Qing China.
The representative figure of the "Russian Threat" theory was none other than Lord Palmerston. He naturally would not miss this opportunity to smear Russia, as he intended to implement his anti-Russian plans on a global scale.
"Damned Russians," Viscount Melbourne remarked, avoiding excessive commentary on the Tsarist government, as he himself had no desire to go to war with the Tsar.
"And what is Austria's attitude?"
"Austria? You know their Emperor—he is a bit... well, our ambassador does not hold him in high regard. As for the Regency Council, they simply do not care about international affairs; they only care about themselves," Palmerston answered.
"It is not that there has been no reply," Palmerston added, his tone somewhat hesitant.
"What did they say!"
"Archduke Franz Karl said he intends to attend the wedding of Isabella II and Prince Antoine."
"Good heavens! Idiots! One is six years old, the other twelve. Does he have no common sense?" Viscount Melbourne exclaimed.
Palmerston and Viscount Melbourne fell silent for a moment.
"So they will just stand by and watch the emergence of this Franco-Spanish monster?!" Viscount Melbourne asked.
"At least from what we can see, there has been no movement. Prime Minister, why don't you ask Prussia?"
"Their opinion is not important."
"Very well, Prime Minister. Actually, King William IV of Prussia has issued a protest to France and Spain," Palmerston said with a shrug. "But no one cares, that is all."
"What about Carlos?" Viscount Melbourne asked.
"He is still hiding in the Pyrenees in northern Spain. After General Zumalacárregui fell in battle, the Carlist forces have become a disorganized mess. At their peak, the Carlists commanded seventy thousand men; now, they likely have fewer than twenty thousand," Palmerston replied.
"In that case, send someone to contact Carlos. Tell him we are willing to fund him. However, Spain must remain neutral and cannot ally with France."
***
The Pyrenees, Spain.
"Damn it! Damn it all! I never proposed to Louis Philippe that my heir marry a princess of the House of Orléans. Why won't you believe me? This is a conspiracy by the false Queen! They are slandering me to destroy my reputation!"
Carlos was roaring hysterically, but his generals and staff officers all fell into silence.
Some could not help but wonder: *Is the throne of France less important than your reputation? We would rather this were true; now that the Regent Queen and France have joined forces, is there any hope left for the Carlists?*
"Damn it, the false Queen has allied with Louis Philippe. The purpose of writing this letter was to humiliate us! Isn't that right, Maroto?"
The "false Queen" referred to the Regent Queen, Christina.
Rafael Maroto was Carlos's most trusted general, yet he had never ceased his contact with the Regent Queen. He did so with such secrecy that Carlos believed him to be his most steadfast supporter.
Historically, it was this very Rafael Maroto who would kill the primary generals of the Carlist cause and personally sever Carlos's last hopes.
"Your Majesty, I know you have tried very hard. There is no need to hide the truth. I believe that for the sake of your throne, any necessary means can be taken."
"Shut up, Maroto! I am telling you! I never made a request for a marriage alliance with the House of Orléans, and I will absolutely never allow my son to marry a woman from that house! They would only pollute my family's bloodline!"
The Carlist generals could only exchange glances. In truth, most of them hoped Carlos would allow his eldest son to marry Louis Philippe's daughter, as that would at least preserve the hope of keeping the French neutral.
But Carlos's current, almost possessed denial left his generals deeply disappointed.
Maroto, in particular, had long since planned to abandon Carlos and surrender to Regent Queen Christina. It was only because supporters of Carlos still held the majority in the army that he was forced to endure.
One general said, "Your Majesty, the French have closed the borders and refuse to sell us food or medicine. If this continues, our supplies will be exhausted before long, and then we truly will be finished."
"There are also reports that the French are mobilizing troops. They intend to coordinate with the false Queen's army to trap us completely in these mountains," another general added.
In the four years since the uprising began, Carlos had never demonstrated any military talent, and this time was no exception; he merely sat dejectedly in his chair.
By this time, the Spanish government forces had already assembled fifty thousand infantry and twelve thousand cavalry, preparing to cooperate with the French to completely wipe out the remaining Carlist forces entrenched in the Pyrenees.
In reality, the total strength of the Spanish government forces had reached 250,000, but due to years of tyranny and natural disasters, uprisings had been constant across Spain, requiring sufficient troops to be stationed locally to suppress frequent revolts.
This time, Regent Queen Christina had dispatched her most trusted generals and her most powerful corps, hoping to work with the French to completely eliminate the threat posed by Carlos.
However, the orders received by Major General Pierre, the French commander in charge of this operation, were to cooperate with the Spaniards in combat.