Chapter 299: Public Stance

After receiving a clear stance from Gao Da, the Portuguese government breathed a sigh of relief; at the very least, Portugal would not fall into the worst possible predicament.

Even if they were eventually forced to abandon the merger of their East and West African colonies due to pressure from the British government, the British would still have to provide compensation, unless they were willing to see Portugal throw itself into the arms of Spain.

Although they had gained some confidence due to the support of the Spanish, the Portuguese government was also prepared for a final concession.

After all, the enemy they had to face was the British Empire, which was the undisputed strongest nation of this era.

Just as the Portuguese were planning to restart negotiations with the British and seek compensation amidst their concessions, news leaked within Portugal regarding the ultimatum issued by the British Empire to the Portuguese government.

The news was reported by a little-known newspaper with a pathetic daily circulation of only about a thousand copies, barely managing to survive.

No one knew how such a small newspaper had learned of such secret news, but the focus of the Portuguese people was not on this at all.

The British Empire's ultimatum was what the Portuguese cared about; this arrogant attitude, which placed itself above the Portuguese, severely trampled upon their national pride.

As more and more Portuguese learned of the news, many spontaneously took to the streets, demanding that the government not be weak and asserting that Britain had no right to interfere with Portugal's colonies.

Although Portugal was a small country, as a former colonial empire, the Portuguese still possessed their own self-respect.

For the Portuguese, they could accept their government failing in colonial actions or accept that Portugal was becoming increasingly weak, but they could not accept other countries placing themselves above Portugal.

Under the influence of this patriotic sentiment, the number of demonstrating Portuguese grew, gradually attracting the attention of the Portuguese government.

There was no help for it; any mass demonstration could not be ignored.

Because most revolutions began with demonstrations, and if handled poorly, they would lead to larger-scale resistance or even uprisings, driving the country toward civil war and chaos.

Regarding the leak of the British ultimatum, the Portuguese government was not without its own suspicions.

Currently, only three parties knew the news: the British government, the Portuguese government, and the Spanish government.

The Portuguese government would never have voluntarily leaked the news; letting the public know about such a situation would only add to their own troubles.

After all, the Portuguese government was already prepared to concede, and the Portuguese people would not easily choose to concede simply because of British pressure.

The British government was also unlikely to have voluntarily disclosed such news; after all, to put it bluntly, this was oppression of a weak nation, which did not look very glorious.

Although the British Empire was indeed powerful, Britain also had numerous enemies.

While these countries were unlikely to directly help Portugal, if Britain were to be at a disadvantage in international public opinion, these countries hostile to Britain would not mind kicking them while they were down, causing the British to face even greater problems.

Having ruled out the Portuguese and British governments, the only one left that could have leaked the news was the Spanish government.

But there was no help for it; the gap in strength between the two countries was simply too great. Even if they knew the Spanish government had leaked the secret, the Portuguese government had no way to resist.

Furthermore, the Portuguese government did not have sufficient evidence to prove that the Spanish government had leaked the secret.

Moreover, the biggest problem at this moment was not the leak, but how to handle the Portuguese people who were now closely watching the colonial incident.

When the Portuguese were unaware, the Portuguese government could decide the direction of this incident on its own. But after a large number of Portuguese focused on the matter, public opinion was something the Portuguese government had to consider.

Offending the British government would lead to failure, but would offending a large number of Portuguese not also lead to failure?

For the Portuguese government at this time, they had truly entered a dilemma, and a slight carelessness would cause them to fall into the abyss.

While the demonstrations in Portugal were being staged with great intensity, the media and newspapers in Spain also reported on the related events.

The Spanish *Sun* even critically labeled the British government's actions as a trampling of national sovereignty, arguing that this was not the behavior expected of a civilized European nation.

This was not the first or second time Britain had done such a thing; even Gibraltar, which should have belonged to Spain, was forcibly seized by Britain through war.

This instantly ignited the hatred of the Spanish people toward the British and aroused their empathy for the Portuguese.

For a time, the Spanish also took to the streets one after another, expressing various protests against the British government. Some of the more extreme Spanish even hoped that the Spanish government would send troops to recover Gibraltar, believing that only with Gibraltar would Spain be complete.

After the British ultimatum incident attracted the attention of the Spanish, the Spanish government officially issued a public announcement, stating that Spain did not recognize the robber-like behavior of the British government and hoped that the British government would act from a civilized and friendly perspective to respect the sovereignty of other countries.

Gao Da also appeared publicly during a diplomatic event. After the media raised related questions, Gao Da expressed his attitude: Spain was willing to stand with the Portuguese, and the Iberians should jointly safeguard the sovereignty of their countries and jointly maintain the dignity of the Iberian Peninsula.

As expected, the statements from the Spanish government and Gao Da were once again reprinted in Portuguese newspapers and triggered widespread discussion among the Portuguese.

Previously, the Portuguese were fighting alone; although they were very angry at the British behavior, they also knew the government had no good solution.

Now, with the public backing of the Spanish government and the Spanish King Gao Da, it could be said that Portugal no longer had any worries and did not need to be subservient to the aggressive British.

On the British side, Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone naturally noticed the public opinion situation in the two countries on the Iberian Peninsula.

Upon learning the news, Prime Minister Gladstone smashed several treasured collectibles in a rage. He had not expected Portugal to obtain support from Spain, nor had he expected this matter to be leaked to the Portuguese, triggering widespread public anger.

If it were just Portugal, even offending all the Portuguese would not actually matter.

But if Spain were included, it would form a very strong opposing force. Although this force was still not comparable to the strength of the British Empire, for the British who already had many enemies, this would be no small trouble.

However, trouble was trouble; for the sake of Britain's colonial plans, Prime Minister Gladstone could not afford the slightest concession.

Would Portugal's concession cause public anger among the Portuguese, and would Prime Minister Gladstone's concession not cause public anger among the British?

As the most powerful country in the world today, if the British Empire chose to retreat when facing Portugal and Spain, the consequences would be severe.

The British would not consider the diplomatic implications; they would only care that their Prime Minister chose to retreat when in a dominant position, and then they would madly denounce this spineless Prime Minister.

The furious Prime Minister Gladstone summoned the Portuguese ambassador again. His face was livid, and he glared at the Portuguese ambassador with fierce eyes, trying to detect panic in the other party's eyes: "Mr. Ambassador, please tell me what your country's choice is?

If Portugal wants to abandon the friendship of Britain, we don't mind having one more hostile country. The glory of the British Empire cannot be trampled upon. If your country is determined to oppose us, then please be prepared for war!"

The Portuguese ambassador sighed and said quite helplessly: "Please forgive me, Prime Minister. Our government has no intention of opposing your country, but because of the news leak, this matter has already attracted the attention of many citizens.

If we publicly announce the abandonment of the colonies at this time, it will cause great upheaval. So please wait for a period of time; Portugal is willing to make corresponding efforts to maintain our mutual friendship."

"The news was leaked?" Prime Minister Gladstone snorted coldly and said mockingly: "Only our two governments knew about this matter. It is impossible for us to have leaked the news. If we are talking about leaking the news, isn't it only your government that could have done it?"

"No, Prime Minister." The Portuguese ambassador shook his head, a bitter smile and helplessness on his face, and explained: "At the time we received your country's request, we did not intend to abandon the colonies, so we requested help from Spain.

This led to the Spanish side obtaining the news, and it was they who leaked it.

The development of events exceeded our estimates, but Portugal has absolutely no intention of abandoning our friendship with your country. Give us some more time; once public opinion calms down, we are willing to restart negotiations with your country."

For Portugal, regardless of whether the news was leaked by Spain, it had to be the Spanish government that leaked it at this time.

Only in this way could they shed their own responsibility while gaining more time to calm domestic public opinion.

The Portuguese ambassador also felt quite resentful toward the Spanish government for potentially leaking the news. If the Spanish government had not leaked the news, the Portuguese government would never have fallen into such a dilemma.

As long as they could keep it from the Portuguese, even if they eventually abandoned the colonies, they could secure some compensation to appease the people.

But now, as a large number of Portuguese had focused their attention on whether the government would choose to concede under British pressure, the Portuguese government was unable to proceed according to the original plan.

In the current public opinion environment, if news broke that the Portuguese government had chosen to concede and that Britain was taking over the southern Congo colonies, I am afraid that various rebellions and uprisings would break out in Portugal the next day, and the Kingdom of Portugal would not be far from destruction.

"Spain?" Prime Minister Gladstone thought of the reaction of the Spanish government and the Spanish King Gao Da after the news was exposed, then snorted coldly, looked at the Portuguese ambassador, and said: "Regardless of whether Spain is the leaker, the leak of the matter is related to your government.

If your country does not want to destroy the friendship with Britain, I hope to see more practical actions. During this period, your country must completely stop colonizing the land in southern Congo, and preparations for the handover of the colonies of Barotseland and the Mwata Kazembe Kingdom must also be made.

Once public opinion calms down, I hope to carry out the handover of the colonies at the first opportunity. If there are any more accidents, I don't mind using military means to obtain this land."

The Portuguese ambassador nodded repeatedly; being able to gain some time to calm domestic public opinion was already a quite good result.

He was afraid that the British would not be willing to give Portugal time to calm public opinion at all. Under the dual pressure of the British government and domestic public opinion, any step taken by the Portuguese government could be wrong, and the resulting consequences would be a devastating blow.

"In addition, is the trade relationship between your country and Spain a bit too close? If there are overly close economic exchanges with Spain, your country's economy is prone to being affected by Spain.

I suggest cutting off the railway connection with Spain; only by using railways with different track gauges can the safety of the Portuguese mainland be ensured.

Of course, the British Empire will also protect all its allies. If Portugal truly faces war, we will use our army to protect Portugal; this is also our best return for your country's friendship." Seeing the Portuguese ambassador agree to his request, Prime Minister Gladstone's face looked a little better, and he then put forward his additional requirements.

For Britain, the closeness between Portugal and Spain was absolutely not allowed. If the relationship between the two countries on the Iberian Peninsula was too good, they would unite against the British who were invading the Iberian Peninsula.

Britain did not want to lose Gibraltar, so it could only think of every possible way to destroy the relationship between Portugal and Spain.

Regardless of whether the Portuguese government was willing or not, as long as Portugal was an ally of the British Empire, Britain would never allow Portugal to have an overly close relationship with Spain.

"The synchronized railway track was something the Spanish government requested us to do at the time. If Spain is willing not to hold us accountable for tearing up the treaty, we are of course willing to rebuild railways with different track gauges.

Thank you for your concern, Prime Minister. Portugal will be an ally of the British Empire forever. May the friendship between Portugal and the British Empire last long." Although he was quite dissatisfied with Prime Minister Gladstone's forceful tone, the Portuguese ambassador also knew that he had no ability to resist at all.

However, he also stated in advance that the synchronized track was an agreement reached between the Portuguese government and the Spanish government at the time, and if Portugal wanted to break the contract, it had to consider the attitude of the Spanish government.

This level of breach of contract was equivalent to a public slap in the face. If Britain could not resolve the potential accountability from Spain, the Portuguese government would not offend Spain for no reason.

Of course, the Portuguese ambassador's words were also very clear. As long as the British government could resolve the matter of Spain's potential accountability, Portugal was willing to modify the railway track gauge at any time and interrupt the railway connection with Spain.

Come to think of it, after connecting the railways between Portugal and Spain, Portugal had also enjoyed the dividends of Spain's rapid economic development and developed a bit faster.

Especially the several border cities adjacent to Spain, because of the frequent trade with Spain, the development speed of these cities was changing with each passing day.

Although the plain area owned by Portugal was larger than that owned by Spain, in terms of grain production, Portugal was only a fraction of Spain's.

Portugal imported a large amount of agricultural products from Spain every year, the most important of which were olives, fruits, and some vegetables.

Not much grain was imported; after all, Portugal's own population was not large, and its own grain production could fully support domestic grain consumption.

In addition to agricultural products, what Portugal imported most from Spain were industrial products.

Cars, naturally, went without saying. Currently, the Portuguese nobility was very fond of cars, and basically all Portuguese nobles owned at least one car.

Besides cars, all kinds of industrial finished products and machined goods were targets for Portuguese imports.

Because Spain's industrial scale was larger, the selling price of Spanish industrial products was lower.

Coupled with the fact that Portugal only had Spain as a neighbor, the choice for Portugal to import industrial products was basically only Spain.

Although they could also import from other European countries by sea, sea transport was slower and more expensive than trains.

If they rashly cut off the train lines with Spain, the impact caused by import and export trade alone would be enough to make the Portuguese economy wither for a period of time.

This was the reason why the Portuguese ambassador did not directly agree to Prime Minister Gladstone's proposal; after all, Portugal was not the British's dog, so of course they couldn't listen to the British in everything.

While the British Prime Minister was urgently summoning the Portuguese ambassador, on the Spanish side, Gao Da also had further preparations.

According to the historical trend, the Portuguese government would most likely choose to concede, which was of course within Gao Da's plan.

But unlike history, Gao Da wanted to make the Portuguese government's concession public and transparent, so that all Portuguese could see it clearly and understand it.

Only by making all Portuguese disappointed with the current government and king could Gao Da have an opportunity to exploit.

In addition, Gao Da also wanted to use this incident to severely damage the relationship between Portugal and the British.

If Britain continued to be aggressive, it would surely be attacked by European countries. If such a Britain could still make the Portuguese government concede, the Portuguese people's disappointment with the government would be even deeper.

In order to boost his momentum, Gao Da contacted the Italian royal family and the Austro-Hungarian imperial family in the name of the royal family, seeking help from the two royal families.

Of course, Gao Da did not expect them to help him militarily. As long as the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Italy could stand on Spain's side at the diplomatic level, at least in terms of momentum, it would be stronger than Britain.

Spain, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Italy—this added up to three great powers. The remaining three major European powers—France, Germany, and Russia—all had more or less conflicts with the British and were basically impossible to stand on Britain's side.

This also led to Britain being destined to be isolated in this incident. Even if they could not destroy the British's plans, ruining the British's international reputation would be a gain.

At this time, Spain publicly stood on Portugal's side regarding the colonies. When Spain launched the war to recover Gibraltar in the future, the Portuguese would also remember Spain's past help and would be more likely to choose to stand on Spain's side.

As long as the trust between the Portuguese and the government and the royal family could be destroyed, while simultaneously damaging the relationship between Portugal and Britain, Kaluo's goal would be achieved.

As for the rest of the matters, they were no longer that important to Kaluo.

(End of chapter)