The Foreign Minister said uneasily, "The Germans want us to make concessions to Bulgaria. They say this incident has put us at a severe diplomatic disadvantage, so..."
"Hmph!"
The Sultan let out a displeased, cold snort. "What concessions? Bulgaria was clearly prepared this time. This is all their plot—are we supposed to satisfy their scheme?"
"The Germans also said that if we are unwilling to compromise, then we must prepare for war at once. This time, the Alliance will do its utmost to hold back the other Entente members!" the Foreign Minister added.
The Sultan's expression improved slightly. After thinking for a moment, he said, "The Germans mean for us to face Bulgaria alone, correct?"
"Yes," the Foreign Minister replied.
He immediately added, "The current situation is extremely unfavorable to us. Most of the great powers lean toward Bulgaria, and the Entente will certainly support Bulgaria this time!
Even the Austro-Hungarian Empire is deeply dissatisfied with us over the death of its ambassador to Bulgaria. It has already lodged a stern protest with the Foreign Ministry, demanding that we hand over the culprit and compensate its losses!
The United Kingdom, France, Russia, Spain, Belgium, and twelve other nations have also protested to us, demanding that we take responsibility for this matter!"
The Sultan's newly eased expression immediately turned grim again. He asked furiously, "Have you found the culprit?"
What he wanted most now was to find the culprit and prove that this incident had nothing to do with the Ottoman Empire, so that he could escape this diplomatic predicament!
The Prime Minister said with a bitter smile, "We found them. The ones who acted were troops garrisoned by the Ottoman Empire on Thasos Island, led by several young officers—all of them of noble birth!
They are patriotic youths, nobles whom