The War Court and Lap Pillow, Austria's Mandate of Heaven

Chapter 1166 Reinforcements (Part )

Francis Baring walked all the way to the door of the VIP room, took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Please come in."

Count Peter stood in front of the window in a neat suit, looking at the internal information of Barings Bank with a serious expression.

Naturally, these materials were deliberately put in by Francis Baring. After all, what you hear is not as good as what you see. Nothing is easier to believe than the truth you discover with your own hands.

Although he could cause stock market fluctuations by just jogging, he still had to put in some effort to truly influence the decision-making of a country's highest authority.

"Hello, Prime Minister. It is an honor to have you here."

"Hello, Mr. Baring. Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule."

The Earl of Derby extended his hand in a very cordial manner, after a brief greeting.

"I know you're very busy, so I won't beat around the bush. What do you think of Egypt's Suez Canal project?"

The Baring family has its own channels, and Francis Baring naturally knows the ins and outs of the Suez Canal project. Even before all this, the Egyptian side had sent someone to invite him. He just pondered for a moment and then spoke.

"This is an opportunity and a challenge for the UK. If the government needs financing, we at Bahrain Bank are willing to underwrite the bonds."

Francis Baring was interrupted by the Earl of Derby before he could finish his words.

"Mr. Baring, I think you should know that we in the UK are going through a difficult time right now, and the country's money needs to be invested in more needed areas."

"I'm sorry, Prime Minister. The economic situation is not good, and we at Barings Bank do not plan to make additional investments at this time."

Francis Baring was also an old fox, so how could he not understand what the Earl of Derby said? However, he did not want to get involved. After all, it was safest to stay out of it.

“Are you pessimistic about the future of the Suez Canal, or do you lack confidence in your own strength?”

The Earl of Derby's provocation was so obvious that Francis Baring simply shrugged his shoulders.

The latter is not pessimistic about the future of the Suez Canal, nor does he lack confidence in himself. It is just that as a businessman he simply is not optimistic about its rate of return.

Although Britain is experiencing an economic crisis at this time, it is also Britain's golden age. As long as the crisis is over, there will be business opportunities everywhere.

However, the payback period for projects like the Suez Canal is too long, and the location is sensitive and there are many uncertainties. Investors like Francis Baring do not intend to wade into this muddy water.

"I'm sorry I can't help you."

The Earl of Derby was not angry either. He just calmly chatted with Francis Baring about family matters.

"I heard you have a younger brother? Thomas Baring? He's always wanted to go into politics, and he'll graduate from Cambridge in a year.

Thomas is my junior. If he can help resolve this crisis, he will be eligible to join the Tory Party and can use this incident to increase his political capital.

Perhaps Thomas can become the Governor-General of India in the future, and my position will depend on his ability."

Francis Baring thought for a moment and then stood up and said.

"It is the responsibility of citizens like us to share the country's worries. I will convene shareholders to discuss this matter as soon as possible, and I will give you a satisfactory answer within a week."

"Very good, the British Empire will not forget your contribution. And there is no need to be so pessimistic. Controlling the Suez Canal will also be beneficial to you, isn't it?" Francis Baring nodded with a smile.

Lord Derby drank a cup of tea, nodded with satisfaction, and prepared to leave.

"Will you stay a little longer?"

"No, my secretary will give you the relevant information later."

The Earl of Derby's next stop was the Rothschild estate.

The sky over London is always covered with a layer of haze, and the whole city is shrouded in gloom.

However, when I opened the car window, what came into view was a gold-painted gate with an exquisite and complex family emblem on it.

This is proof of the Rothschild family's nobility. Behind the railings on both sides of the gate are neatly trimmed lawns and flowers, and on both sides of the road inside the manor are two rows of symmetrically distributed oak trees.

Next to the sparkling artificial lake is a courtyard built of white marble. The entire manor looks like a colorful painting that is out of place in London.

Lionel Rothschild actually already knew the purpose of Earl Derby's visit. The economic crisis in Britain at that time was actually nothing to these real big bankers. On the contrary, they could even profit from it.

But 1848 was a major blow to the Rothschild family. The war between the Austrians and the Germans completely changed the European landscape.

The whereabouts of Lionel's uncle Solomon Rothschild are unknown, and his other two uncles were involved in the German Civil War and will be exiled to the other side of the world - Patagonia.

Actually, this is not so bad. What really makes Lionel angry is that the wealth of these three branches was divided up by the local government.

Moreover, there were too many "murderers" and they were too powerful, so he didn't even dare to speak out. How could he be willing to lose the wealth accumulated by generations?

In addition to wealth, there are also connections, reputation, and sources of intelligence. These losses cannot be measured in money at all.

At this point Lionel finally began to understand why the Baring family, which was rich enough to rival a country, wanted their children to go into politics, and why his father used a huge amount of money to get himself a seat in the House of Commons.

(Lionel Rothschild was Britain's first Jewish MP.)
Countless financial families in history have been prominent at one time, but when those so-called kings and governments really extended their claws to them, they were so powerless.

"Hello, my dear Lionel!"

Earl Derby was very cordial when they met, and Lionel also stood up to greet him. The two hugged each other like old friends who had not seen each other for many years.

"Senator Lionel, I actually came here to ask you about your opinion on the Suez Canal."

Lionel knew the real show was about to begin, so he didn't dare to delay and immediately delivered the speech he had prepared.

The report summarized by the Rothschild family's royal analyst was even more complete and accurate than the report in the hands of Earl Derby.

"You are a genius at this, Councillor Lionel. But I don't want analysis, I want opinion."

"Important, very important. The opening of the Suez Canal will shorten the journey from India and the Far East to the UK by 43 to 56%.

But it is more important for the countries along the Mediterranean coast, for whom the voyage distance will be reduced by at least 40%.

And this also means that some European countries may bypass us and trade directly with the Far East. If this continues, it will inevitably shake our position at sea."

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