"Is the Kingdom of Britain truly willing to help the Sardinian Kingdom resist the French Empire!"

Cavour’s voice was not loud, but it sharply pointed out the awkward situation the Sardinian Kingdom was facing.

No matter how Cavour used diplomatic maneuvers to isolate the Austrian Empire, as long as the French Empire was still willing to support the Austrian Empire, all of Cavour’s plans would become illusions.

The Kingdom of Britain’s assurance to the Sardinian Kingdom could indeed restrain a great power to some extent, but this restraint was mostly just a verbal warning.

Once the Austrian Empire’s army chose to ignore the Kingdom of Britain’s verbal warning and insisted on using military force to solve the problem, the Kingdom of Britain would likely not truly dispatch troops to help the Sardinian Kingdom resist the Austrian Empire.

The royal family and government of Britain were indeed willing to offer assistance to the Sardinian Kingdom, but such help definitely did not include deploying troops to aid the Sardinian Kingdom.

In other words, for the Sardinian Kingdom to truly obtain security assurance, Napoleon III remained a hurdle they could not bypass.

"But if we really hand over Sardinia to Napoleon III, then how do we face an infuriated Kingdom of Britain."

"Didn’t you say that the Kingdom of Britain was willing to assist us!

The purpose is to make us a pawn to balance the French Empire!" Victor Umberto nervously asked Cavour.

"Your Highness!" Cavour responded to Victor Umberto with composure, "The Kingdom of Britain is a very pragmatic country, I believe they absolutely will not distance themselves from us just because we hand over Sardinia to the French Empire!

On the contrary, I believe when we hand over Sardinia to the French Empire, it will be the time the Sardinian Kingdom and the Kingdom of Britain truly establish friendship!

With Sardinia, the French Empire will truly control the Western Mediterranean. If the Kingdom of Britain does not want to completely lose its control over the Mediterranean, it will inevitably choose to win us over!

At that time, we only need to quietly wait for the opportunity to unify!"

Victor Umberto was stunned for two seconds, then suddenly seemed to think of something, and asked Cavour with doubt, "Prime Minister, you just mentioned that we still need to quietly wait for the opportunity to unify!

What does this mean?"

"My dear Highness!" Cavour shrugged, his tone revealing a hint of sadness, "You don’t think that this time we can really completely unify the Italian Peninsula, do you!"

Then, Cavour also informed Victor Umberto that, according to his plan for Sardinia, it would be a great fortune for the Sardinian Kingdom to successfully annex the Kingdom of Naples!

"Lombardy-Venice is a traditional tax ground for the Austrian Empire, we must resort to war to obtain it!

The Central Italy Four Countries and the Pope State are respectively satellite states of the Austrian Empire and the French Empire, and to annex them, we must also bypass both France and Austria.

Only the Kingdom of Naples is the sole country not directly related to France and Austria!

The king ruling this country is of the Bourbon Dynasty, and their relationship with France is not as close as that between France and Spain!

So long as Mazzini can successfully stall the Austrian army in Lombardy and Venice, and Giuseppe Garibaldi can swiftly defeat the army of Naples!

Sardinia can rely on a national referendum to completely annex Naples!"

Victor Umberto found it hard to accept Cavour’s answer for a moment.

In Victor Umberto’s mind, the promised land of the Sardinian Kingdom was Lombardy and Venice, and next should be Central Italy.

A traditional agricultural region like Southern Italy was of no value for annexation at all!

"Prime Minister, you have schemed so hard for so long, even going so far as to cede Sardinia to the French Empire, is it really just to gain a barren land?" Victor Umberto asked Cavour incredulously.

"Your Highness, what do you consider good, and what do you consider barren!"

Cavour, not angry with Victor Umberto’s insistence on his plan, instead earnestly questioned Victor Umberto.

Victor Umberto expressed his thoughts to Cavour.

Upon hearing Victor Umberto’s thoughts, Cavour smiled slightly and said, "Your Highness, you understand that the most affluent lands on the Italian Peninsula are Lombardy and Venice; how could the Austrian Empire not understand!

That’s why I said, for the Sardinian Kingdom to reclaim territory from the Austrian Empire, it must rely on war!

Do you think the current Sardinian Kingdom can defeat the Austrian Empire?"

Victor Umberto shook his head in denial.

"The Kingdom of Sardinia wants to take Venice and Lombardy from the Austrian Empire! Not only do we need an army that can be presentable, but we also need to confront the Austrian Empire at the right moment!

Only then will we have the opportunity to drive Austria out of the Italian Peninsula!" Cavour continued to explain to Victor Umberto, "The current land of the Kingdom of Sardinia cannot support an army of more than 50,000 people, so we must expand!

Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Naples can provide nearly 30,000 soldiers to the Kingdom of Sardinia!

If Sardinia can annex Naples, then the Kingdom of Sardinia will have an army of 80,000!

Our hope of defeating the Austrian Empire increases considerably!"

"But the Austrian Empire has almost 400,000 soldiers!" Victor Umberto said anxiously.

"That’s why I said we have to wait for the right moment. I bet the Kingdom of Prussia and the Austrian Empire will inevitably have a war!

We just need to send troops to Lombardy and Venice during the Prussian-Austrian war!

If Austria doesn’t want to be caught in the predicament of a two-front battle, they will definitely agree to give Lombardy and Venice to us!" Cavour explained to Victor Umberto, "Without the Austrian Empire’s assistance, the satellite states in Central Italy won’t hold on for long either!"

Listening to Cavour’s explanation, Victor Umberto was once again awed by Cavour’s diplomatic brilliance.

No wonder even after stepping down from his Prime Minister position, Cavour is still respected by forces from all sides.

So far, no one in the Kingdom of Sardinia can see further than Cavour.

At this moment, Victor Umberto suddenly felt a strange sensation, as if Cavour was a Great Man sent by God to the people of the Italian Peninsula.

"Prime Minister, you are indeed too powerful!" Victor Umberto praised Cavour wholeheartedly, "I believe under your leadership, the Kingdom of Sardinia will surely unify Italy!"

"Let’s hope so!" Cavour responded with a reserved smile.

Of course, Victor Umberto did not know that the "Prime Minister" he respected might be summoned by God at any time and would not witness the birth of the Kingdom of Italy.

However, Cavour himself was equally unaware of his physical condition, although he occasionally experienced sudden dizziness, he quickly overcame it with his strong will.

When faced with something he couldn’t overcome, Cavour would slightly reduce his workload until the symptoms of dizziness and headache disappeared, after which he would resume working tirelessly.

[PS: Considering Cavour himself is part of the overweight group with irregular lifestyle habits, this easily leads to symptoms like hypertension, coronary heart disease, and cerebral infarction.

These symptoms had no effective intervention measures in the 1860s; as long as Cavour continued his habits of staying up late and obesity, he faced the possibility of death at any time.]

...

In the following period, Cavour and Victor Umberto remained at the hotel, waiting for the British Cabinet to invite them for a meeting.

According to Cavour’s understanding of the British Cabinet, it wouldn’t be long before they would be received by Prime Minister Palmerston.

During Cavour’s stay in London, he also met with Kossuth (the founder of the Hungarian Republic), while introduced by Mazzini.

Cavour’s skillful diplomatic rhetoric convinced Kossuth that a unified Kingdom of Italy would help free Hungary from the Austrian Empire’s control.

To hasten Hungary’s escape from the Austrian Empire’s grasp, Kossuth agreed with Cavour to mobilize anti-Austrian members in Hungary to sabotage railways, thereby delaying the Austrian Empire’s army and assisting Italy.

Although Cavour did not think that Kossuth, who had left Hungary for ten years, could still mobilize Hungarian forces, adhering to the principle of uniting all possible forces, Cavour thanked Kossuth for his help.

"I believe Hungary will surely achieve independence from the lands of the Austrian Empire!

We Italians wish to advance hand in hand with Hungary!

Long live Italy, long live Hungary!" Cavour proclaimed with passion while shaking hands with Kossuth.

Kossuth also enthusiastically shouted the slogan "Long live Hungary, long live Italy."

The two, who found "belated friendship," parted reluctantly, and Cavour returned quietly to the lodge to wait,

Just as Cavour predicted, the Royal Family’s butler John Brown appeared before Cavour and Victor Umberto again after about a week’s time, extending the Royal Family’s invitation.

This time the invitation was addressed only to Cavour, and Victor Umberto would not accompany him.

Cavour followed John Brown, taking a carriage to Windsor Castle, and there met Lord Palmerston, the Prime Minister of the British Cabinet, introduced by Prince Albert.