Chapter 407 Negotiations between France and Britain, the super disgusting Talleyrand
"Ha! I thought we wouldn't meet until after Christmas Mass." Talleyrand pointed to the side of the corridor with a smile on his crutches, "This way, my old friend."
The Marquis of Wellesley followed silently, but secretly cursed in his heart. If it hadn't been for that idiot Cornwallis's poor performance on the battlefield, he wouldn't have had to rush to Paris to be ridiculed by the damn French!
He walked a little further and suddenly felt something was wrong. He turned around and looked around:
"Your Excellency, Archbishop, are you going in the wrong direction? This does not seem to be the direction to the Peace Hall."
According to French practice, important negotiations at the Palace of Versailles are usually held in the Peace Hall.
Talleyrand turned his head and showed an apologetic expression:
"Unfortunately, Your Majesty the Marquis, the Peace Hall is about to hold a signing ceremony between the Paris Gas Industry Company and the Paris City Hall for the installation of gas street lights.
"Well, you see, the Gas Industry Company has already made an appointment there. It's the same if we go to other places to talk."
Wellesley almost couldn't hold back his expletives. This damn lame man, did he mean that he, the dignified foreign minister of the British Empire, couldn't even compare to a gas company?
Talleyrand continued with enthusiasm: "Oh, by the way, Your Majesty the Marquis, there will be a gas street lamp installation ceremony in Paris on the 15th of next month. I sincerely invite you to attend. That is absolutely This is an event not to be missed.”
"I will consider it." The British man squeezed out a few words through his teeth with a sullen face.
Soon, the French and British diplomats took their seats in a small reception room.
Talleyrand seemed to be very interested in the topic of gas street lamps, and talked endlessly about the advantages of gas street lamps: "This thing is so interesting. Oh, by the way, you will never guess that gas lamps are used in Paris and Lyon After the street lights are installed, which city will be the third to use gas street lights to illuminate the night sky? "
"..."
"It's the city of Tunisia!" the lame man said proudly, "Isn't it surprising? Well, after all, the threat of gangsters in Algiers is no longer a concern, so many investors are optimistic about the development prospects there. The Duke of Tunisia also wants to Come to Paris and sign a contract with the Gas Industry Company in person."
"Ahem -" the Marquis of Wellesley had to interrupt Talleyrand to continue using the gas street lamp, "Your Excellency, Archbishop, you know the purpose of my visit this time. It is time for our two countries to clarify some misunderstandings. .
“While the Algiers ‘bandits’ brought disaster to Tunisia, the Mysore gangs in the Far East also caused considerable losses to the British East India Company.
"I think we should cooperate to deal with gangsters."
Talleyrand smiled and waved:
"Thank you for your kindness, but our troops have given the Algiers and Moroccans a hard lesson, and there is no trouble in northwest Tunisia.
"By the way, what's the situation with the East India Company now?"
Wellesley sighed in his mind, why Moroccans are as stupid as Cornwallis! This time some gains must have been lost in order to salvage the Indian situation - indeed, the British Parliament had authorized him to make substantial concessions.
He did not answer the lame man's words and instead said:
"Your Excellency, Archbishop, our country will condemn the gangs in Tripoli and support your country in the necessary counterattack against them."
Poor Benjiour was defined as a "gangster" by him. The implication is to accept France's expansion of power into Tripoli.
"A very wise decision!" Talleyrand smiled and nodded, "However, the Algiers bandits also caused serious damage to our Tunisia. You know, Her Majesty the Queen has decided to declare war on Algiers. I think Britain should It is also important to express support for this action.”
Wellesley immediately said: "No, this is not appropriate..." Forget Tripoli, the land is fertile, and he must not accept Algiers, which is nearly twice the size of Tunisia, becoming France's sphere of influence.
Talleyrand interrupted him directly: "As far as I know, Carnatic lost half of Tiruchirappalli's territory two months ago. Maybe we can wait and see. Maybe Mysore was suddenly inspired by God to withdraw his troops.”
Wellesley took a deep breath and threatened:
"Your Majesty the Archbishop, I heard that your country's merchant ships have frequently traveled to the Pacific Ocean recently. Perhaps they need the British Royal Navy to ensure that the waterway is open."
Talleyrand naturally knew that he was threatening to attack French merchant ships. That was the fleet transporting wool from New Zealand. However, he shrugged nonchalantly:
"I don't know what you are talking about, but I have heard that the Russian fleet is suddenly interested in Pacific trade."
That's right, the ships of Gemini Company all fly Russian flags, and most of the sailors are also Russians.
Wellesley hesitated, then said coldly:
"Those ports in the Pacific are equally unsafe."
He is threatening to directly attack the trade nodes. Although the UK does not yet know who the French and Russian merchant ships are doing business with, with the strength of the Royal Fleet, they will be able to find out if they want to.
"I don't care." Talleyrand spread his hands, "The pirates can give it a try."
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince told him that the Maori people on New Zealand Island did not need French protection at all. The British would have to use at least half of the country's military strength and spend more than five years to capture it.
Such a huge consumption is absolutely unacceptable to the UK.
Wellesley tested again and again to confirm that the lame man was not bluffing, and couldn't help but secretly complain in his heart - the cards in his hand were basically exhausted.
He stood up suddenly and gritted his teeth: "Archbishop, if you are always so aggressive, all you will get is a war!"
Talleyrand looked at his furious expression and knew that he had almost reached the bottom line, so he immediately waved his hand:
"Relax, dear Lord Marquis, at least we have to punish the Moroccan gangsters entrenched in Annaba. After that, the Mysore army attacking the Carnatic may really be inspired by God."
Wellesley said angrily in his heart: Damn lame people, they are Muslims, God will not pay attention to them!
However, he slowly sat back on the chair: "If it is limited to Annaba, maybe we can still discuss it..."
At 5 p.m., Wellesley returned to London with one hand on his cramped stomach and the other hand holding the preliminary text of the Non-Intervention Treaty. He calmly handed the text to the parliament for review and signature, but he was already thinking about what he would do after resigning as foreign minister.
Yes, after taking over the Duke of Leeds's mess, he was full of confidence and thought he could turn things around. However, he found that he had suffered worse than his predecessor.
The Duke of Leeds resigned last year because of his inappropriate North Africa strategy, and he will inevitably follow suit.
"Maybe go to India and tell Cornwallis how to solve the trouble there," he muttered under his breath.
He gradually fell into passivity after sending troops from Mysore, so he must make up for it from Mysore.
(End of chapter)