I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 252

< Worsening Situation >

To say that Napoleon’s rampage was completely insane wouldn’t be entirely accurate.

Of course, the idea of turning the Prime Minister into the Son of Heaven of the Central Plains was indeed crazy, but weakening Qing aligned with Christian’s plan.

-For the future of Asia, it’s not good for a country with a population of over 1 billion to hold hegemony. We need to take preventative measures, especially since we don’t know what will happen with Russia and America this time.

The latter part was incomprehensible, but anyway, the Prime Minister thinks that Qing should not continue to exist as it is.

And the reason was understandable enough.

France may be the strongest country in the world right now, but will it still be so in 200 years?

France has the most blessed land in Europe, but it ultimately has the limitation of land size.

In just 100 years, or even 50 years, the power of Nouvelle-France [New France, France’s colonies in North America] may become stronger than that of mainland France.

The influence of land on a country’s development is that absolute.

Of course, it is not yet known whether Qing China’s resources are better than those of the New World.

Nouvelle-France can produce steel if steel is needed, coal if coal is needed, and bring saltpeter from South America if saltpeter is needed.

Even theologians are saying that God must have made a mistake here, it’s that absurd.

But even if Qing China has fewer resources than this New World, it boasts a tremendous land size and population.

There has never been a history where population wasn’t a gangster from ancient times to the present [a common saying implying population size equates to power].

Qing is being defeated by France and England due to technological differences, but this is largely thanks to Qing’s domestic situation being a mess.

If Qing had been in a stable state like during the Yongzheng Emperor’s reign, even Napoleon would have had to endure considerable damage.

Population is power and the size of the market.

This immutable law will only become more solid, not weaker.

“If Qing China exceeds a population of 1 billion, can France control this great power?”

“1 billion? At that point, we’ll be groveling and trying to please them, begging them to accept our companies.”

The opinions of the economists Napoleon consulted were unanimous.

If a country truly exceeds a population of 1 billion on its own, it inherently possesses enormous power in the capitalist world.

In particular, unlike India, the Central Plains [historical region of China] has a long history of unified dynasties.

The realistic prediction that this advantage may not last long accelerated Napoleon’s actions.

“Now is the chance with the Prime Minister coming to Beijing in person!”

“But the Emperor says he has no intention of coming to the Forbidden City.”

“Then that’s even better. We can pressure the Crown Prince to faithfully implement the treaty.”

“Will they accept it? They’re all about pride.”

Given the actions of the Qing people so far, there’s a possibility they’ll shout, ‘What’s a treaty! What matters is the pride of our Middle Kingdom!’ [a traditional name for China, emphasizing its perceived central position in the world] and play dumb.

They themselves are nationalistic, but these people make even them shake their heads.

Of course, if that really happens, it’s actually beneficial to us.

“If they do something so thoughtless, we can just push up to where the Emperor is this time.”

“Understood. For now, they said they’ll prepare according to etiquette, so it seems like there won’t be any mishaps.”

“Still, station troops so we can respond to any variables. Considering the people coming with the Prime Minister, it seems like there’s no need to worry.”

Prime Minister Christian always has Grouchy’s bodyguard unit attached to him like a shadow, and this time, Lan’s army is coming along as well.

Still, it can’t hurt to be careful.

This land is where you always get backstabbed if you think with your own common sense.

※※※

The world is shaking.

When I arrived in Hong Kong, the Beijing Treaty concluded by Napoleon had already spread to all Asian countries.

Vietnam and Japan, upon hearing the news that the French Prime Minister had arrived in Hong Kong, sent envoys and made a fuss about wanting to meet him.

Vietnam is one thing, but Japan seems to be involved in everything. They are definitely born with preparedness.

Anyway, Japan’s stance was clear from the time they were in France, but Vietnam also completely turned away from Qing with this Beijing Treaty as a starting point.

Moreover, these guys even made a request that made my head spin, asking what Napoleon and Robespierre had told them.

“Securing the legitimacy of the dynasty by receiving recognition from the emperor has been a long-standing unwritten rule in this land. Qing has lost that qualification, so we should no longer see investiture as meaningful. Therefore, if the Prime Minister could issue a decree recognizing the legitimacy of our Emperor, it would be an unparalleled honor.”

“No… we don’t do that… If you really want, I can ask the French Parliament or His Majesty the King, but…”

“In that case, we would be grateful if you could give us the Prime Minister’s signature along with the Parliament’s guarantee!”

As expected, Asia, which is still an absolute monarchy, can only think this way.

Even in the original history, the Joseon delegation [Korean dynasty] recognized the President of the United States as an emperor when they first saw him, so I couldn’t exactly blame them.

Robespierre knew that, so he must have stirred them up in that way.

“Okay… so talk to the governor here for details.”

What should I say?

In the big picture, Napoleon and Robespierre did a good job, but it feels like they did too good of a job than expected.

In fact, all the way from Hong Kong to Beijing, Robespierre confidently explained the achievements he and Napoleon had made.

“So, I have already finished talking with Joseon. When you go to Beijing, there will be a delegation from Joseon waiting to meet the Prime Minister.”

“Oh, Joseon has also decided to cut ties with Qing?”

“They haven’t said it outright yet, but you should see that they have almost leaned this way. I’m not sure how useful they will be, but the more cards you can use, the better.”

“Good, you’ve worked hard. As expected, you’re good at your job.”

Unlike when he was stressed in Paris, his complexion has definitely improved.

Robespierre, aware of this, straightened his shoulders and gave off a strangely unpleasant smile.

“I worked hard to receive praise from the Prime Minister. At first, I was worried about Commander Napoleon’s rampage, but he strongly said that if he did this, the Prime Minister would be happy in the end. Thinking about it now, I think it was a good choice not to stop him.”

No, you should have stopped him a little. If you had, I would have praised you three times more.

“By the way, what is the schedule after going to Beijing? Are we scheduled to meet with Qing’s representative right away?”

The specific details are all set by the staff, so the report hasn’t come up to me yet.

Originally, it’s not strange that the person at the top doesn’t care about how these events are exactly held.

However, after what happened in Hong Kong, a strange anxiety didn’t leave my mind.

“Don’t worry! I’ve discussed everything with Commander Napoleon in advance. They must have prepared perfectly.”

“So, I’m wondering how they prepared perfectly.”

“Ah, that’s what you meant. We have prepared procedures befitting the Prime Minister’s status in Asia. There’s a saying that when in Rome, do as the Romans do, so shouldn’t we follow Eastern customs in the East?”

“I see… I can roughly guess.”

Now that I think about it, it was a stroke of luck that the Jiaqing Emperor couldn’t come out due to poor health.

Frankly, I know that my coming to Asia at this time could be a trigger that further encourages Napoleon’s rampage.

I am well aware that other countries are also likely to send suspicious glances.

But if I stand idly by, a messed-up dynasty that makes me emperor without anyone knowing might be created in Qing China.

Choose the lesser evil to prevent the worst case.

That’s the conclusion I came to.

And when I arrived in Beijing, the expected sight unfolded before my eyes.

“We sincerely congratulate the visit of the Prime Minister of the Great French Empire!”

A welcoming procession led directly by the Crown Prince of Qing was lined up almost endlessly to greet me.

Next to him, Napoleon, leading the 2nd Corps, and Davout stood with knife-like precision.

The Crown Prince, with a very nervous face, recited praises full of all kinds of flowery language, and his mouth didn’t rest.

Anyone would mistake it for an emperor’s visit… no, they are actually holding an event to welcome the emperor.

“We offer our praise to the infinite glory of the Prime Minister of the Great French Empire, and we hope that the relationship between the two countries will become as solid as a rock in the future. Long live Prime Minister Christian!”

“Long live! Long live! Long live!”

Um… okay.

From the name of the French Empire to the title of calling the Prime Minister His Majesty, I don’t know where to start, so let’s just move on.

I gestured to Napoleon, who was looking at this whole scene with satisfaction, to come over.

A naturally tired voice flowed from my throat.

“Is this kind of procedure packed all the way until we arrive at the Forbidden City?”

“Of course! I asked the Crown Prince to give you the exact same level of welcome as the Emperor, so he said he would prepare on his own. What do you think? I think this is satisfactory enough.”

“…At least I know that it’s full of sincerity. And you and I will have a little talk later.”

“Yes!”

Looking at this guy, his head seems to be full of expectations of being praised like Robespierre.

Of course, he made a huge contribution to the military achievements and the dismantling of the Celestial Order this time, but… I don’t know anymore.

My head is spinning.

As I entered Beijing, thinking about what kind of backstabbing things would happen again in the future, I already felt like I shouldn’t have come.

At that time, the front suddenly became noisy and someone’s scream was heard.

“Ugh!”

“What is it?”

“Please wait a moment. I’ll find out what the situation is…”

Bang!

Looking at the sound that echoed from afar, I can guess without asking.

I couldn’t believe that those kinds of idiots would really come out.

One Manchurian, who somehow approached to the point where his voice could be heard, shouted loudly towards us.

“The pride of the Middle Kingdom will not die! We will defeat the treacherous Westerners and raise the banner of national protection…”

Bang!

“Keuh, keueh…”

The one who shot was not our soldiers, but the Crown Prince, who had taken the gun from the adjutant next to him.

“Chao! What the hell are these bastards doing!”

The Crown Prince was so angry that he kicked the bodies of the assassins and wailed.

“You bastards! You’re not Manchus, are you! Tell me the truth! Aaaaaah!”

Of course, the fallen did not answer.

The dead are originally silent.

< Worsening Situation > End