Bulgarian Empire

The next day, the two sides had friendly talks and signed a pact!

Oh, it's all above board!

Diplomatic negotiations are never a leap of faith. Negotiations like these, which involve future national strategies, are even more troublesome.

The next day, Ferdinand and Nikolai were touring Sofia.

The name "God's garden" is not a lie. Even Sofia in the 19th century had the shape of a garden city. The city is now full of flowers, greenery, and birds.

For some reason, Nikolai has recently become obsessed with history and culture. Although Bulgaria is not the four ancient countries, at least there is some historical heritage, dating back to a thousand years.

Settled by the Thracians in 2000 B.C., the ancestors of the Bulgarians were ancient Bulgars who migrated from Central Asia and were merged into the Byzantine Empire in 395 AD.

In 681 AD, the Slavs, who had come south from the northern bank of the Danube, the ancient Bulgars and Thracians, who had migrated west from the north Caucasus, under the leadership of Khan Asparuh, defeated the Byzantine army. He founded the Slavic Bulgarian Kingdom (historically known as the First Bulgarian Empire).

Sofia was built and settled by the Thracian Serdi tribe from the 8th century B.C. to the 7th century B.C. It has a history of more than 2,800 years. It is an ancient city in Europe, known as "Serdica".

The remnants of the walls now remain, and their exact age is difficult to ascertain. They reveal the many changes that Bulgaria has undergone.

Sofia became part of the Slavic Bulgarian state in 809 A.D. and has been an area of Slavic population in the Balkans ever since.

"Ferdinand, Serdica is wonderful. It is good for you at a bargain!" Nikolai said with some envy.

"Oh, indeed! But it's nothing compared to the great Russian Empire!" Ferdinand took it smoothly and with slight flattery.

"Yes, but Russia is too cold! We do have a territory larger than the whole of Europe, but it's mostly frozen land! The world is pretty much divided up now, and the best land is in the hands of the British. Are you happy with that?" Nikolai did not hide his dissatisfaction with the British and could not help but show it.

Ferdinand rolled his eyes in displeasure! Is this looking for an irritant? If Bulgaria had that strength, he would have acted long ago.

After thinking about it, Ferdinand decided to provoke Nikolai as well and said, "I don't think you should say this to me. It would be better to tell Wilhelm II or Franz Josef I! They will be more interested!"

As soon as Ferdinand's words were out, Nikolai, as if it provoked him, said with some irritation, "Don't mention those two bastards in front of me! They are all a bunch of cowards who don't have the guts to mess with the British but only know how to make small moves in Europe!"

Ferdinand laughed and did not pursue the topic. Russia's current position with Germany and Austria is not very good.

Thirty years ago, in the Crimean War, Austria-Hungary betrayed Russia and switched to Britain and France. As a result, Russia lost badly, and hatred between the two sides built up.

Wilhelm II, who had just succeeded to the throne, had torn up the German-Russian Reinsurance Treaty not long before. He would not be Nikolai if he could still be at peace with himself.

As if he realized his outburst, Nikolai adjusted his emotions and said with great grace, "Sorry, you know I'm impatient!"

Ferdinand, still smiling, said, "It doesn't matter. However, you are not in a position to say such things!"

Nikolai nodded, did not speak. Ferdinand figured out his character. It was clear that the usually polite and gentle Nikolai, once angry, is difficult to control himself, not the usual shrewd.

So he spoke up and said, "Nikolai, what is the purpose of your trip?"

"To learn about the world, of course, to grow in knowledge! Oh, why do you suddenly care about this see the thing?" Nikolai asked with some confusion.

"Well, you keep playing hard to get! But I can still guess that the strategy of St. Petersburg is going to change, right?" Ferdinand said in a sure tone.

Nikolai's mind was shocked, and his face was unchanged as he said, "How do you know? There are not more than ten people who know this news now!"

Ferdinand looked at Nicolas and said calmly and assuredly, "It's simple! The current international situation, coupled with the route of your trip, has exposed the secret!"

"Without the German-Russian alliance, if St. Petersburg's next focus remains in Europe, it will have to face the German-Austrian-Italian-British alliance. Unless St. Petersburg wants another war like the Crimean one, the strategy is bound to change!"

"It just so happens that all of your neighbors to the East are now in decline. Now that you're heading all the way east, I'm afraid you intend to gain a deeper insight into the strength of the countries to the East! The next target of your country's expansion is either the Ottoman Empire or the Qing Dynasty in the East!"

Nikolai frowned. He disliked this scene where the situation was getting out of hand. He looked at Ferdinand and said coldly, "Yes! You're so sure. Why don't you guess Balkan?"

Ferdinand did not answer, and after a glance with Nikolai, he said, "The Balkans are intricate and complex. No matter how much it expands, Russia can't eat it now! It is possible that if you are not careful, the Quadruple Alliance will be established, and your country will face even greater challenges then!"

"The shrewdness of the government of St. Petersburg cannot fail to see that. Otherwise, your country would not have leaned towards France!"

Nikolai pondered for a moment, coldly said: "Yes, it seems that we still underestimated you. Ferdinand could see it so quickly! We will not keep this matter secret for long. Even if it is exposed now, at most, the eastward plan will be a little more tricky! If we go to the Far East, I guess it's just the way they want it!"

Ferdinand said cautiously: "Of course, with the strength of your country, the Qing Dynasty is certainly not a rival! But what about the future? Once your country gets a firm foothold in the East, it will certainly harm the interests of the British. The European spoiler is not a false title!"

Nikolai seemed tired of Ferdinand, not wanting to continue the bullshit, and cut to the chase, "Tell me, what do you want to get? And what can you bring to Russia in return?"

"Quite simply, I wish to establish a solid alliance with Russia. Your country's decision to move East will surely entail a strategic retreat in Europe. I hope that your country can support Bulgaria's expansion in the Balkans, and in return, your country's interests in the Balkans will expand. In the future, if conditions are ripe, you can divide Romania, or even if your country wants to seize Constantinople, we can also provide support!" Ferdinand said cautiously.

Nikolai's mind was stunned. Ferdinand's appetite exceeded his imagination. It was definitely difficult to break the balance of the Balkans with a small Bulgaria.

But the rewards were also tempting. The expansion of interests in the Balkans was not enough to sway Nikolai.

The division of Romania is indeed a fat piece of meat. The most crucial thing is Constantinople, which has been the dream of Russia for several generations. For this goal, small and large wars have been fought an unknown number of times.

The main reason for this failure was the lack of an ally. On this issue, the European powers and the Balkan countries were all their enemies. Now Ferdinand actually agreed to be on the side of Russia on the subject of Constantinople, and Nicolai could not believe it.

He asked, "Are you sure?"

"Of course!" Ferdinand affirmed.

If Ferdinand were not a traverser, he would not have dared to make such a heavy promise. Could Russia have taken Constantinople if they had the full support of Bulgaria? The answer is: yes!

The two sides are too close. With Bulgaria as the rear, Russia will take the lead in strategy, and the chances of winning are extremely high. Once Russia enters the Mediterranean and gets a firm foothold, the Balkans can be their pocket.

If it really happened, even if Ferdinand unified the Balkans, there is no way to fight against it. The whole of Europe will have to lie down under the hidden shadow of Russia. (You can refer to the Soviet Union in its modern times)