I'm the Dauphin in France

Chapter 407: Franco-British Negotiations, Talleyrand is a Super Disgusting Person

"Ha! I thought we wouldn't meet until after Christmas Mass." Talleyrand leaned on his cane and pointed to the front of the corridor with a smile, "This way, my old friend."

The Marquis of Wellesley followed in silence, cursing in his heart. If it weren't for the poor performance of that idiot Cornwallis on the battlefield, he wouldn't have 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 the Archbishop, are you going the wrong way? This doesn’t seem to be the direction to the Peace Hall.”

According to French custom, important negotiations at the Palace of Versailles are usually held in the Peace Room.

Talleyrand turned his head and showed an apologetic expression:

"It is unfortunate, Marquis, that the Peace Hall will soon hold a signing ceremony between the Paris Gas Industry Company and the Paris City Hall on the project of installing 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 discuss it."

Wellesley almost couldn't hold back his swearing. This damn cripple, was he implying that he, the Foreign Secretary of the British Empire, was not even as good as a gas company?

Talleyrand continued enthusiastically:
"Oh, by the way, Marquis, there will be a ceremony to install gas street lamps in Paris on the 15th of next month. I sincerely invite you to attend. It is definitely an event not to be missed."

"I'll think about it." The Englishman uttered a few words through his teeth with a gloomy face.

Soon, diplomats from France and Britain took their seats in a small reception room.

Talleyrand seemed to be very interested in the topic of gas street lights, and he talked endlessly about the advantages of gas street lights:
"That's how interesting it is. Oh, and you'll never guess which city will be the third to light up the night sky with gas streetlights after Paris and Lyon?"

"..."

"It's Tunis!" The cripple said proudly, "Are you surprised? Well, after all, the threat from the Algiers bandits is no longer a concern, so many investors have taken a fancy to the development prospects there. The Duke of Tunis will come to Paris in person to sign a contract with the Gas Industry Company."

"Ahem..." Marquis Wellesley had to interrupt Talleyrand's speech abruptly, "Your Excellency the Archbishop, you know why I came here. It's time for our two countries to clarify some misunderstandings.

"While the Algiers 'bandits' were bringing disaster to Tunisia, the Mysore bandits in the Far East were also causing considerable losses to the British East India Company.

"I think we should work together to fight against gangsters."

Talleyrand smiled and waved his hand:

“Thank you for your kindness, but our army has already taught the Algiers and Moroccans a lesson, and there is no more trouble in northwestern Tunisia.

"By the way, what is the situation at the East India Company now?"

Wellesley sighed in his heart, why are the Moroccans as stupid as Cornwallis! This time he must sacrifice some interests to save the situation in India - in fact, the British Parliament has authorized him to make a lot of concessions.

He did not respond to the cripple's words, but said:

"Your Excellency, our country will condemn the Tripoli gangs and support your country in its necessary counterattack against them."

Poor Benjúl was thus defined as a "gangster", which meant accepting France's expansion of influence into Tripoli.

"A very wise decision!" Talleyrand smiled and nodded. "However, the Algiers bandits have also caused serious damage to our Tunisia. You know, Her Majesty the Queen has decided to declare war on Algiers. I think Britain should also support this action."

Wellesley immediately said: "No, this is not appropriate..." Tripoli was fine because the land was fertile, but he could not accept Algiers, which was nearly twice the size of Tunisia, becoming France's sphere of influence.

Talleyrand interrupted him directly:
"As far as I know, Carnatic had already lost half of Tiruchirappalli's territory two months ago. Perhaps we can wait and see. Maybe Mysore will suddenly be inspired by God and withdraw its troops."

Wellesley took a deep breath and threatened:

"Your Excellency, I heard that your country's merchant ships have been traveling frequently to the Pacific Ocean recently. Perhaps they need the British Royal Navy to ensure smooth passage."

Talleyrand knew that he was threatening to attack French merchant ships. They were fleets transporting wool from New Zealand. However, he shrugged his shoulders and said:

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I do hear that Russian fleets have suddenly become interested in Pacific trade."

That’s right, the twin companies’ ships all fly the Russian flag, and most of the sailors are Russian.

Wellesley paused, then said coldly:

“The ports in the Pacific are equally unsafe.”

He was threatening to attack the trade nodes directly. Although Britain was still unclear about who the French and Russian merchant ships were doing business with, with the strength of the Royal Fleet, it would definitely be able to find out if it wanted to.

"I don't care." Talleyrand spread his hands. "The pirates can give it a try."

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had told him that the Maori people on the island of New Zealand did not need French protection at all, and that Britain would have to mobilize at least half of its national military strength and spend more than five years to have a chance of conquering the place.

Such a huge consumption is absolutely unacceptable to Britain.

Wellesley tried again and again to confirm that the cripple was not bluffing, and he couldn't help but groan in his heart - the cards in his hand had basically been played out.

He stood up suddenly and said through gritted teeth:
"Archbishop, if you continue to be so aggressive, the only outcome will be a war!"

Talleyrand looked at his frustrated expression and realized that he had almost reached the bottom line. He immediately waved his hand and said:

"Relax, dear Marquis. At least we have to punish the Moroccan gangs entrenched in Annaba. After that, the Mysore army attacking Carnatic may really be inspired by God."

Wellesley angrily said in his heart: Damn cripples, they are Muslims, God will not pay attention to them!
However, he slowly sat back in his chair: "If it is limited to Annaba, perhaps we can discuss it..."

At 5 p.m., Wellesley returned to London with one hand holding his aching stomach and the other holding the text of the preliminary "Non-Interference Treaty". He handed the text to Parliament for review and signature with a gloomy face, but in his heart he was already thinking about what to do after resigning as Foreign Secretary.

Yes, after taking over the mess of the Duke of Leeds, he was full of confidence and thought he could turn the tide, but he found out that he suffered even greater losses than his predecessor.

Last year, the Duke of Leeds resigned over his inappropriate North Africa strategy, and he is bound to follow suit.

"Perhaps I could go to India and tell Cornwallis how to solve the trouble there," he muttered.

He gradually fell into a passive position after he sent troops from Mysore, so he had to make up for it from Mysore.

(End of this chapter)