The Shadow of Great Britain

In the eyes of the average person, when an Austrian diplomat receives intelligence about Young Italy, he would most likely rush back to the Austrian Embassy to report to his superior.

But Mr. Feng Kromeier's face showed not a hint of urgency; he merely glanced at the document and then continued to leisurely cut the steak on his plate with his knife and fork.

Not only that, he even kindly reminded the two friends across the table: "Why don't you start eating? No appetite today? Or are you like the Duke of Wellington, who prefers his beef slightly cold?"

Such abnormal behavior naturally caught Arthur's attention.

Of course, it's not unheard of for people to value steak above all else, like Mr. Thiers.

But such people are rare, and for an Austrian diplomat to act this way, there must be a reason.

Arthur cast a glance at Schneider, only to find that he too was filled with hesitation.

He also couldn't understand why Feng Kromeier was so calm.

Unless...

He had even more reliable intelligence, the kind that even the British Foreign Office didn't know.

Arthur became intrigued; he didn't hurry to leave but instead fastened his napkin, grabbed his knife and fork, and, using compliments, started the conversation: "Your intelligence capabilities are truly beyond our expectations; you actually know about the Duke's preference for cold steak. I had thought only those closest to him knew of such a peculiar habit."

"That's nothing special."

Feng Kromeier cut a small piece of beef and put it in his mouth.

"Our Ambassador to France, Count Anton von Apponyi, participated in the Vienna Conference in his early years. At that banquet-style meeting, the Ambassador's wife was the center of attention. Neither Talleyrand's niece nor Metternich's wife could overshadow her brilliance; back then, everyone called her 'Saint Teresa'.

Furthermore, she has significant influence in the music world. Did you hear the pianist in the restaurant playing the 'Nocturne'? The first and second movements of Nocturne No. 27 were specially composed by Mr. Chopin for her. Such a lady naturally commands respect, so it's no surprise she knew the Duke's quirks.

And once the lady knows, the Ambassador knows, and if the Ambassador knows, then naturally I, as the cultural attache, know as well. The intelligence system is very complex, and we receive a huge amount of information from different channels every day. Some are important, some less so. Some are true, others false. Of course, as an experienced intelligence officer, I'm no longer at the basic stage of being fooled by false intelligence."

Feng Kromeier's words were quite tactful, but both Arthur and Schneider picked up on his implication—he didn't believe the intelligence and thought the two British gentlemen had no good intentions.

Indeed, it's rare for British gentlemen to harbor good intentions.

Furthermore, choosing to be a diplomat signifies that even in Britain, these two have rather low moral standards.

But such unwarranted suspicion and attack deeply hurt Schneider.

Schneider placed one hand over his heart: "I swear in God's name, Your Excellency, this intelligence is genuine."

Feng Kromeier calmly continued eating: "There's no need for that, August, take responsibility for your own actions and don't tarnish God's honor. To be frank, I receive at least seven or eight similar reports every month, either saying somewhere is about to rebel or an uprising is brewing. August, Arthur, I know you may not be doing this intentionally, but it's not a good habit to blindly trust informants' reports, as that would only cause endless trouble for you."

Seeing his demeanor, Arthur added: "This intelligence was not obtained from informants; I believe it's at least eighty percent credible."

Feng Kromeier wiped his mouth with a napkin, and his previously dry lips shimmered with a greasy sheen: "Is that so? Did Mazzini tell you personally?"

"Not exactly," Arthur replied: "But it was from a core member of Young Italy."

"Hmm..." Feng Kromeier pondered: "So, you also have agents in Young Italy? Are you interested in the Apennines?"

"Not interested," Arthur swirled his wine glass: "But as you know, I became friends with Heine. So inevitably, I have some contact with his social circle. I suppose Heine associating with members of Young Italy isn't unusual, right?"

"Indeed," Feng Kromeier nodded: "Even if he claimed to be friendly with a toilet, I wouldn't be surprised. However, even in that case, I still wouldn't trust your information. I don't believe the French Government, or, more directly, King Louis Philippe, has the guts to fund Young Italy in launching an expedition against the Northern Italian States unless he wants to lose his throne."

Schneider, who was buried in his food, suddenly raised his head: "Did you get dirt on Louis Philippe?"

"No, I don't like the term 'dirt', as it's usually associated with conspiracy."

Feng Kromeier casually replied: "To be precise, a state librarian in Vienna accidentally found an old letter among our archived documents. This letter, written in 1805, was authored by a young French noble who was exiled due to the French Revolution. Humbly, he requested to join the Austrian Empire's formidable army and serve for the Third Anti-France Alliance."