CHAPTER 385: CHAPTER 379 ANGLO-FRENCH ALLIANCE

"Come on! As if I don’t know you? How could someone like you just willingly step down!"

In front of the "old friend" he’d known for over a decade, Canning didn’t put on a facade of official business but maintained a relaxed demeanor to uphold his relationship with Rechid.

Nobody understood better than Canning the immense political power hidden behind his short, sturdy old friend with the black beard.

From 1837 to 1852, for 15 consecutive years, he held sway over the Ottoman Empire’s governance and foreign policy, and the number of followers under his command was countless. Even the current Prime Minister Muhammad Ali had once been one of Rechid’s lackeys. In the early days of Ali’s career in the Ottoman Empire, it was Rechid who supported him step by step, elevating him from an overseas envoy to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

However, ultimately, Rechid couldn’t escape the pitfall of nurturing a snake in his bosom. The fully-fledged Muhammad Ali boldly betrayed him at a critical moment, stabbing him in the back, and after Rechid left the Prime Minister’s position, Muhammad Ali overcame numerous hardships to finally succeed him as the Prime Minister of the Ottoman Empire.

The relationship between Muhammad Ali and Mustafa Rechid couldn’t be described as fostering mutual support but rather as irreconcilable.

Of course, if Rechid’s only noteworthy deed was being stabbed in the back by Muhammad Ali, then Stratford Canning wouldn’t regard him as a political ally.

The most famous thing Rechid ever did was undoubtedly his collaboration with Abdul Majid I in drafting the "Rose Hall Decree," also known as the Tanzimat Reforms.

This reform undoubtedly aimed to establish a more centralized and tolerant empire.

Only a handful of people knew that the person who initiated the Ottoman Empire’s vigorous reform was not from an illustrious family but someone who hadn’t even completed religious school. The sudden death of his accountant father made their already impoverished family plight worse, forcing Mustafa Rechid to consider giving up his studies at the religious school. With the help of relatives, he gained the opportunity to work at the Prime Minister’s Mansion by suppressing the Greeks. Once there, Rechid did not seek learning opportunities due to his background and education; instead, he continuously strived to learn and hoped to advance further.

Efforts never disappoint, and as Rechid worked hard to improve his knowledge, an unexpected opportunity allowed him to visit France and Britain and witness the prosperity of these two countries firsthand.

While staying abroad for several years, Rechid quickly learned the languages of England and France, becoming perhaps the most Westernized person in the Ottoman Court at the time.

After Abdul Majid I took the throne, the "kind-hearted" (Canning’s evaluation), freedom-loving Rechid was entrusted with important duties, serving as the designer of the Tanzimat Reforms while being the Foreign Minister and the Ottoman Envoy to London.

Although holding three overlapping positions and not being the Prime Minister, Rechid was more valued by the Sultan Emperor than the Prime Minister.

In addition, Rechid’s deep friendship with Canning ensured that any difficulties encountered in the upcoming reforms could be overcome.

Even though Rechid had gained unanimous praise both domestically and internationally, it couldn’t change the Ottoman Empire’s deep-seated decay and backwardness.

Rechid’s long-term internal struggles with religious and bureaucratic forces, alongside the supporting Sultan, left them both exhausted, leading to several times where Rechid had to seek refuge abroad and remotely direct domestic reforms.

Abdul Majid I’s patience gradually wore thin amid the long reform process, and eventually, in 1850, Rechid completely lost his position as Prime Minister following the joint force of domestic conservative powers and Muhammad Ali.

In 1852, when Muhammad Ali became Prime Minister, Rechid allied with the opposition to resist Muhammad Ali’s excessive concessions to Christianity.

The once fantastical Rechid, centered on the Peace Sect embracing all religions, was no more.

Looking back, one could only see someone whose eyes were blinded by power and desire, opposing for the sake of opposition, just to climb back to his former peak.

Canning could tell that his old friend’s initial intentions had quietly changed, but he had no way to stop it, just like you can’t wake someone pretending to be asleep.

Besides, wasn’t the original purpose of the Tanzimat Reforms to prevent the Ottoman Empire from being swept away by the Russian Empire?

Now, whether in terms of military or economic reform, they had already shown initial promise. Maintaining the current state would be good enough.

Previously, Canning became close friends with Rechid out of his personal hope for the Ottoman Empire’s "betterment."

Now, Canning became friends with Rechid for Britain’s interests in the Near East.

The respect from the former was considerably greater than that of the latter, naturally resulting in a slightly more relaxed attitude.

To Canning’s remarks, Rechid placed his hands on his thighs, sitting up straight as he responded, "I’m not deceiving you! I really don’t know what that fellow Muhammad Ali intends to do now!"

"What exactly is going on?" Canning also adopted a serious expression and asked, "What has the Ottoman Empire been through during my absence over these months?"

"It’s nothing! Just that a few ministers were dismissed, and a few Pashas were executed!" Rechid answered nonchalantly, but from his mention of ministers and Pashas, it was evident that the Ottoman Empire High Gate had gone through some internal conflict.

It seemed that his ally might also be a loser in this conflict.

"That’s no small matter!" Canning’s expression grew more solemn: "If you still consider me a friend, please let me know what exactly happened in the Ottoman Empire during my absence."

Rechid opened his eyes, which had been narrowed to slits, and after a long pause, he responded, "Since you insist on knowing, I can’t be so ungracious."

Then, Rechid told Canning everything that had happened since his departure, in detail.

This included the political struggle between the hardliners and appeasers.

When Canning heard that the appeasers had won, his brow involuntarily furrowed.

These internal matters of the High Gate were something that people like Colonel Ross would never be able to uncover.

"Are you saying that the Ottoman Empire is now preparing to surrender to the Russian Empire?" Canning immediately asked Rechid.

"I think no matter how foolish Muhammad Ali is, he wouldn’t dare agree rashly to Menshikov’s terms! Rifat Pasha, although he is discussing terms with Menshikov, both sides seem to have concerns due to certain issues." Rechid clearly did not believe that Muhammad Ali and Rifat Pasha had the capacity for such treachery.

Afterwards, Rechid suddenly recalled someone reporting to him that former Foreign Minister Fu’ad was frequently visiting the French Embassy.

Thus, Rechid conveyed this information to Canning.

Fu’ad, Valerovsky, Rifat Pasha, Muhammad Ali, and France—these seemingly unrelated pieces of information kept scattering, rearranging, and scattering again in Canning’s mind ...

An absurd thought came to Canning, that everything the Ottoman Empire was doing was merely to buy time, and that France’s actions were also a race against time.

"No... it can’t be!" Canning was somewhat unwilling to believe this theory.

If this theory was pursued, it suggests that France had already decided to act against the Russian Empire before the judgement in the Holy Land had just begun.

Only in this way can all that followed be explained.

Thinking of this, Ambassador Canning recalled the words Prince Albert had said to him at Buckingham Palace.

Albert asked him to support Palmerston, whose policy was to intervene in the Russian Empire.

Such a decision obviously didn’t spring from a stone, and was clearly a conclusion reached after lengthy deliberation.

Stratford Canning suddenly felt an invisible net was covering the entire Near East, with one end held by the French Empire and possibly the other by the Kingdom of Britain.

Damn, I actually forgot about this!

A biting chill surged through Stratford Canning’s spine like a runaway horse, coursing through his limbs.

Only now did Canning remember the rumor that (Palmerston and the secret envoy of France met and together discussed the world’s stance towards the Russian Empire) was ninety-nine percent not a rumor.

"I must excuse myself!" Canning decided to head to the French Embassy to inquire; first, he bid farewell to Rechid.

Afterwards, he took a carriage to the entrance of the French Embassy in the Ottoman Empire.

He knocked on the door of the embassy, and Valerovsky appeared before Canning.

"Mr. Valerovsky, I have some matters I wish to ask you!" Canning said to Valerovsky while standing at the door.

"Please come in!" Valerovsky stepped aside to allow Canning to enter.

After entering the embassy, Canning engaged in a private discussion with Valerovsky.

During their conversation, Canning probed whether Valerovsky was aware of any "agreement" between France and Britain.

Valerovsky looked at Canning with surprise, then regained his composure and responded to Canning, "Yes! There were indeed some unwritten agreements! Those were matters settled when I served as the French secret envoy in discussion with your country!"

"Can you tell me exactly what it was?" Ambassador Canning asked Valerovsky sincerely.

"The French Empire and the British Empire will, when the Russian Empire commits aggressive acts, form an alliance to act against the Russian Empire," Valerovsky relayed the contents of the original Anglo-French secret agreement to Ambassador Canning word by word.

Subsequently, Ambassador Canning’s mouth curled slightly in self-mockery, realizing that Prince Albert had long since arranged everything, and all they were doing was merely accelerating the process.