Chapter 298: Interests Determine the Truth
Turin
Ever since the French Government announced the assassins' identities, the entire Sardinian Government had been thrown into a panic. They had been sitting peacefully at home when disaster fell from the sky.
Every single person present dared swear by God that they had absolutely nothing to do with this assassination attempt.
Even if they wanted someone assassinated, they would have targeted Franz. What sense did it make to go assassinate Napoleon III?
King Vittorio Emanuele asked anxiously, "Prime Minister, have you looked into the information the French released about the assassins?"
Cavour, his face haggard, replied, "We have. They were all radical nationalists from the Italian region. Their purpose in assassinating Napoleon III appears to have been to provoke a conflict between France and Austria.
"Before taking action, all four had acquired citizenship in the New Holy Roman Empire. One of them had even once been a public official in the Kingdom of Lombardy."
Even framing someone depended on timing! Had this happened when Franco-Austrian relations were deteriorating, then whether it was true or not, the Paris Government could have treated it as true.
Clearly, these assassins were not professional enough. They had picked the wrong moment, though they had certainly succeeded in enraging the French.
Unfortunately, France and Austria had not yet reached the point of falling out. Under the Vienna System, where would the Paris Government find the nerve to start a war?
From the standpoint of interests, France had been seeking to expand into the Italian region for more than a day or two. Now that an excuse had practically delivered itself to their doorstep, the Kingdom of Sardinia was in trouble.
After pondering for a moment, Vittorio Emanuele said helplessly, "Let us hope those idiots can hold firm and