To the Tsar, the British actions at this moment were nothing short of provocation, especially after the British had already ruined Russia's plans before.
The Tsar could no longer endure it. His fingers clenched with a crackling sound. He had to regain face and carry out all-out retaliation against the British.
But such things were easier said than done. Even Nicholas I needed an opportunity if he wanted revenge against Britain—this was the advantage of an island nation.
It was even harder to make up for it on the battlefield. By now, the war had long since fallen into a stalemate, so the British simply hid behind the Ottomans.
At the root of it all were the Russians' supply constraints. After losing control of the Black Sea, Russia's already fragile supply lines became even more untenable.
This rendered any large-scale Russian military operation utterly limp, rather like the impotent husband in those Japanese adult films—able only to watch the Ottomans strike seductive poses, yet incapable of mounting an attack.
Nicholas I suddenly asked, "Has the telegraph been repaired?"
This war had finally made the Tsar understand the importance of transportation and communications. It was precisely because of the railway the Austrian Empire had helped build that the plan to launch a surprise attack on Constantinople had become possible.
In fact, the Pro-British Faction within Russia had tipped off London the moment they caught wind of it. Yet because of the railway, the Russian army moved far faster than the Pro-British Faction within Russia.
As a result, by the time the British Cabinet received the intelligence, the Battle of Constantinople had already been underway for nearly a week.
"Your Majesty, only the last few kilometers remain. This is truly miraculous! Though separated by thousands of miles, intelligence can be transmitted in