第1009章:帝国夜宴(Ⅴ)
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帕拉丁娜若有所思的点了下头。龙腾小说ltxs520.com鲁宾·苏尔特是一位军人出身的外交官,现任迦南外交大臣,歌罗法在军校时的老学长,很受他的照顾,也是歌罗法在迦南高层中为数不多的至交朋友。
鲁宾·苏尔特奉侯爵之命出使赎罪堡,尽管不了解他们谈了什么,但是帕拉丁娜还是能够从中嗅出风向,可见迦南人对远东新政权持支持态度,否则也没有必要冒着触怒帝国当局的风险搞秘密外交。
这其实算不得秘密,否则歌罗法也不会满不在乎的透漏给她。瓦雷斯各国的地缘关系大体如此:帝国因其过于庞大,过于强势,外交作风过于霸道,长久以来没少侵占周边公侯国的利益,令一公三侯非常恼火。帝国强盛的时代他们只能乖乖扮演仆从国和封臣的角色不敢造次,但是随着帝国的力量渐渐衰弱,这些公侯国也按捺不住爪牙,开始活跃起来。
与帝国相隔一道海峡的斐真侯国是第一个公然跳出来在国际事务上挑战帝国霸主地位的,而让帝国当局郁闷的是他们还就真拿海峡对面的那个岛国没辙……
帝国是一个陆权大国,为了控制庞大的疆域不得不维持庞大的陆军开支,搞得财政赤字焦头烂额,实在没有余力跟已经初步完成工业化的斐真人拼海军军备竞赛。
有带头挑衅霸权的就有效仿的,内乱不断的保士华大公国且不提,迦南和海蓝两大侯国都处于国力上升期,紧跟斐真人的脚步致力于在国内推动魔导工业革命,国际事务上频频对帝国霸权进行试探性的挑衅,出钱出力鼓励一切能够给帝国当局造成麻烦的反动势力。海蓝侯爵甚至在一次国际会议上公然宣称“帝国疆域太大,已经快把自己压垮,最好分割成十到二十个中等体量的主权国家,对帝国政府是一个解脱,对国际和平也是巨大的贡献”。
帝国当局当然要严厉批判这等包藏祸心的言论,但是不可否认,周边各国的君主都很认同上述地缘论断,并且致力于将之变成现实。在这种环境下,迦南人显然乐于看到远东叛乱愈演愈烈,约书亚那个老狐狸若不设法与鲁道夫叛党暗通款曲反而不正常。
国家层面的博弈并不会妨碍各国统治家族缔结婚约,古老的贵族传统在现代国际政治关系中仍然具有生命力。帕拉丁娜年少时曾经担心帝国与迦南的矛盾影响歌罗法与她的兄妹感情,现在她早已没有那种幼稚的顾虑,学会将国事与私交分开对待。
这时琴声陡然变得高昂庄严,歌罗法不用回头就听出有非常尊贵的大人物莅临宴会现场。果不其然,帕拉丁娜扯了扯他的衣袖,压低嗓音提醒:“先别吃了,注意仪表,皇太子驾到!”
“弗兰克那家伙,来就来呗,还搞那么大排场,装模作样……”歌罗法抱怨归抱怨,还是在帕拉丁娜的怒视下整理了一下仪表,拿手帕擦去嘴角的食物残渣,效仿别人的样子转身面朝大厅方向挺胸立正行注目礼。
在众人的瞩目下,两条对比强烈的身影出现在宴会大厅门前。首先进门的是一个满脸堆笑既矮且胖的老头,身材宛如鸭梨,头戴一顶颇为时髦的假发以遮掩额头两侧严重衰退的发际线,一路走来不停与人打招呼,还时不时热情洋溢地与人贴脸拥抱,十足一位长袖善舞的人物。
“雅各布·福格尔先生比上次见面时更胖了,真羡慕他的好胃口。”歌罗法低声打趣,目光则转到雅各布·福格尔身旁那位身材高大瘦削、正挥手向众人致意的男人,他看起来三十出头的年纪,脸上挂着恰到好处的微笑,说话不多但举止派头十足,再加上汉森伯格家族特有的鹰钩鼻和大下巴,哪怕初入社交场的人也猜得出,此人正是当今帝国皇储弗兰克殿下。
“事实上福格尔老头的胃口并不好,这些天他正为搭救小儿子急得到处请人疏通关节。”帕拉丁娜随口爆料。
“福格尔家的小少爷……那个叫安东尼的内阁秘书?”歌罗法好奇地追问,“他犯了什么事,以至于连他老爸都搞不定,还要求人?”
“如果安东尼是在圣城捅了娄子,以福格尔家的势力当然搞得定,可惜那小子走了霉运,被内阁派往远东征收什一税,结果激起民变,后来又演变成席卷行省的叛乱,鲁道夫能够夺取远东政权,应该给安东尼这根引发革命的导火索记上一功。”帕拉丁娜矜持的笑容难掩幸灾乐祸,出身皇族武勋家庭的她,对银行家这种玩资本游戏的新贵或多或少会有一点抵触心理。
“安东尼·福格尔陷在赎罪堡了?”歌罗法面色古怪。
帕拉丁娜轻轻点头:“下落不明,生死未明,这两天他父亲和他大哥急得团团转。”
“这种时候福格尔老头还能满脸堆笑的来这里应酬,银行家对社交活动的执着真是令人叹服。”
帕拉丁娜对他的讥诮付之一笑。这时福格尔先生已经挽着弗兰克来到会场中央,以与有荣焉的口吻向来宾介绍今晚最尊贵的客人——皇太子殿下。
待到热烈欢迎皇太子的掌声告一段落,福格尔继续介绍今晚出席慈善晚宴的其它贵宾。
银行家熟练的吐出一连串人名,貌似都是圣城社交场上的风云人物。歌罗法听得莫名其妙,忍不住问身边的帕拉丁娜:“巴泽尔男爵是哪位,约翰·劳尔又是什么来路?才一年多没来圣城,我怎么感觉自己就像个落伍的乡下老农了,满眼都是陌生人。”
帕拉丁娜同情地看了他一眼,低声回答:“圣城社交界的风云儿几乎每月一换,你离开社交中心一年多,感觉陌生也很正常。”反正闲来无事,她就挑出来宾中比较重要的人物向歌罗法介绍其来历和所属的圈子。
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