Struggle in Russia

Actually, this is not the first time that the Black Sea Fleet has undertaken this kind of mission. Kornilov has done a big job before and almost caused an international dispute. This time Menshikov could only repeat his old tricks, or it could be said that Qian Donkey was at his wits end and had no other solution.

Indeed, although the Turks are afraid of Russia, Bulgaria is really too close to Istanbul. Without this barrier, Russia can almost herd horses under the walls of Istanbul. This is no longer safe for Türkiye, okay?

The Turks mean to give Bulgaria a certain degree of autonomy at most, but they will never allow the Russian army to enter Bulgaria. Moreover, Bulgaria only has autonomy, and its national defense is still responsible for Turkey, which means that the Turkish army still remains in Bulgaria.

This result is naturally far from the requirements of Nicholas I. Nicholas I's minimum goal is to turn Bulgaria into Wallachia and become an autonomous grand duchy. It is best to have the Russian army be responsible for protecting it for a few years.

Now that he is not allowed to garrison for protection, the Turkish army still has to stay in Bulgaria. This is tantamount to situational autonomy. This was very different from the goal of progressive annexation of Bulgaria that Nicholas I wanted to achieve, so he naturally could not agree to it.

Nicholas I, who felt that he had a great advantage and had no scruples, naturally put pressure on Menshikov and ordered him to make Turkey surrender as soon as possible.

At this time, Menshikov felt miserable but could not express it. Nicholas I ordered him to exert pressure at all costs, while Prime Minister Neserrodie told him that it was OK to exert pressure, but the negotiation must not collapse. Because the empire's finances simply cannot afford to fight a war. If he provokes a war, he will bear the blame!

Although Menshikov was a bit old, he was not particularly confused. He still knew the power of Neserrodie's warning. And judging from his own wishes, he is not willing to actually start a war. After all, he is already old, and he is not able to ride a horse and carry a sword to expand territories twenty or thirty years ago.

He wanted nothing more than to go back to his office at the Admiralty in St. Petersburg and sit by the fireplace and take a nap. In other words, if the war actually started, he would have neither the interest nor the energy to direct the battle, and naturally he would not receive any credit.

And if something goes wrong in this war, then he, the person who lit the fuse, will definitely take the blame. Why is Menshikov willing to do something that is all bad and no good?

You can imagine what kind of psychology and work attitude this old eunuch has. To put it bluntly, after arriving in Istanbul, he was more of a laborer. He only hoped that if the Turks suddenly surrendered, he could naturally return to St. Petersburg to deliver the mission. If Turkey did not surrender, he hoped that Nicholas I would become impatient. He called back and replaced someone to do this bad job.

It just took a few months of grinding,

Neither of the two goals can be achieved. Although the climate in Istanbul is relatively pleasant, Menshikov is upset! Especially with Nicholas I urging him day by day, it was simply annoying him, and he couldn't really go against Nicholas I's will. You can imagine how troubled the old man was!

In desperation, Menshikov's only option was to kick the ball. Didn't Nicholas I say that he didn't apply enough pressure and wasn't strong enough? That's okay, why don't he use someone else to apply pressure and get rid of this hot potato?

Therefore, the essence of ordering the Black Sea Fleet to cause trouble is that Menshikov is passing the blame. Because he felt that the Black Sea Fleet had exerted extreme pressure last time. The Turks did not give in at that time, and they would naturally not give in this time.

As long as he takes the medicine as ordered and comes again, Nicholas I will have an explanation. It can be said that he has done his best, but the Turks are very stubborn.

Even if Nicholas I was dissatisfied with the result, the Black Sea Fleet would still be blamed. Who made this group of people not strong enough to put more pressure on the Turks?

And it won't make Neserrodie unhappy. Presumably the prime minister should be able to see his painstaking efforts and know that he has given enough face.

At that time, Tamenshikov left everything behind. If nothing else, he could at least buy himself some breathing time.

Menshikov's way of shifting the blame is very good. The only problem is that the Black Sea Fleet has just changed its owner. If it is the previous owner, he really can't see through Menshikov's plot, and even if he sees through it, there is nothing he can do.

But Grand Duke Constantine is different! He was very familiar with the way of kicking the ball in the officialdom, so he saw through Menshikov's intentions at a glance. He knew that this guy was holding back a lot of bad things and pouring bad water on him. Naturally, he couldn't bear it!

Grand Duke Constantine knew very well that if he followed Menshikov's script, he would definitely not get any favors. Not only was he blamed by his own father, but he also faced pressure from domestic hardliners.

Naturally, Grand Duke Konstantin was unwilling to bear this kind of blame, so it was not that he did not want to go to Moldavia, but that he really had to make a trip to the Black Sea Fleet, because he suspected that if he did not go, Kornilov and Nassimov just fooled around without thinking.

Because even if the result is not good, it is Archduke Constantine, the acting commander, who is out to take the blame. What does it have to do with them?

The combination of several factors made Archduke Constantine unable to sit still. Even if he did not have much say in the Black Sea Fleet, he would not take the blame for no reason!

What's more, he felt that Menshikov's tricks were not all bad for him. Menshikov knew how to kick the ball, so why couldn't he? Not only can he kick the ball, but he can also play dirty while kicking the ball!

Grand Duke Constantine was prepared to take this opportunity to knock Kornilov and Nassimov out of some say in regaining the fleet. If he can successfully transfer all relevant responsibilities to those two people, he will naturally be able to use this to hold him accountable after the incident is completed. Is he still afraid that he will not be able to get the right to speak back?

Based on this, Grand Duke Constantine naturally refused to return to Chisinau first. He was holding back his bad intentions and prepared to take advantage of this opportunity to deal with Kornilov and Nassimov.

His movements were not unusually fast. Without waiting for the next day, he quickly drove to Sevastopol in a light car that night. If he usually had this kind of energy when doing business, why would he be in this situation now?

However, his movements were not the fastest. Li Xiao had arrived at Sevastopol long before him. Any disturbance in Turkey affected his nerves. He knew how deep the water was...