He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 270

(270) The East India Company Ends the War

A banker, returned after three years, sighed.

“Somehow, the weather here seems worse than when I was in prison. Tsk.”

Francis Baring clicked his tongue, gazing at London’s perpetually cloudy sky.

Most of those who greeted him were employees of Barings Bank.

His brother, also his partner, was conspicuously absent.

He was likely occupied with his duties as a Member of Parliament in his home district of Devonshire.

Then, Jacques Récamier, who had escorted Baring from Copenhagen, Denmark, scoffed.

“So, Mr. Baring, are you already yearning to return?”

“Surely not. But, Monsieur Récamier, you seem…displeased? Does my release bother you that much?”

“It’s not that. It’s just that Jean-Frédéric Perregaux and Claude Perier have wormed their way into the Banque de France! I’d rather have that little kid over there!”

In the distance, beyond the Port of London, a 23-year-old Jewish man bounced with excitement.

“Mr. Baring! It’s me! Nathan, I mean, Nathan!”

It was Nathan Mayer Rothschild.

In a mere decade, he would become a historical figure, never again displaying such unbridled enthusiasm.

But now, he was simply a fledgling businessman, eager to make his mark in London.

Baring laughed heartily, embraced Nathan, and exclaimed.

“Good to see you again, Nathan! Thanks to your recommendation to Freischütz, I was barely released!”

“Now comes the real challenge. If I can’t unseat the Prime Minister, I’ll lose all the funds I’ve invested.”

“Hahaha! You have your father, Mayer Rothschild, to replenish your coffers. I’m the one who’s going to go bankrupt!”

Récamier interjected, his tone serious despite Baring’s jest.

“I, too, have invested a substantial amount of capital in the French bank, Mr. Baring. This is not a matter to be taken lightly.”

Récamier was Baring’s guarantor, his escort, and his supervisor.

He was responsible for bringing Baring to England, but also for ensuring Baring completed his [mission].

Despite Baring’s bravado, the task at hand was nothing less than overthrowing the Prime Minister of a country.

In England, where Parliament wielded true power, the Prime Minister was the de facto leader.

How could Baring possibly achieve such a feat?

But Baring simply laughed, his confidence unwavering.

“Don’t worry, Monsieur Récamier. Now that I’m in London, no one can stop me.”

“What exactly are you planning to do?”

“First, I’m going to win over the East India Company.”

Ultimately, regardless of his banking prowess, Baring was merely a wealthy private citizen.

Even as the 19th century approached, European society remained deeply entrenched in social hierarchies.

Baring, lacking even aristocratic lineage, faced inherent limitations.

But the East India Company was a different beast altogether.

With England’s loss of territories in the New World, India’s importance had surged.

The East India Company’s influence was bound to increase proportionally.

It possessed the power to significantly destabilize the Prime Minister, especially with France’s continued victories on the continent.

“But isn’t it in the East India Company’s interest to prolong the war?”

“Where? The Atlantic traders, particularly those involved in the slave trade, are the ones who profit from fighting France. The East India Company only bleeds money. Think about Egypt.”

“Ah, Egypt has fallen into French hands. Could that be a blow to the East India Company?”

As Récamier’s eyes widened, Baring nodded.

“It’s an indirect impact, but a significant one nonetheless. The East India Company’s trade may appear to revolve solely around ships sailing the Indian Ocean, but in reality, 20% of its trade volume passes through the Mediterranean.”

This was one of the closely guarded secrets of British traders.

It’s a common misconception that Mediterranean trade ceased after the establishment of the Cape of Good Hope route.

Africa, a continent more than ten times the size of Europe, made the route around it lengthy and inefficient.

That’s why Portugal, the Netherlands, and France continued to handle goods entering the Mediterranean.

The same held true for England.

But with Egypt under French control, traders involved in East India trade faced a crisis.

Récamier nodded, then frowned again.

“Wait, isn’t there a way to attack Egypt with the navy?”

“With pro-French factions controlling the Ottoman Empire? It’s not feasible. No matter how invincible the British Navy is, it can’t operate effectively for long without land bases.”

“Then one of the conditions for peace negotiations is…”

Baring, still wearing his cheerful smile, tapped Récamier on the shoulder.

“Precisely. The liberalization of Egyptian trade. Well, our financial prodigy will have to accept that too. Hahaha!”

Of course, this negotiation plan had been pre-arranged with Eugene.

Furthermore, from Eugene’s perspective, involving the British in the Suez Canal project would be privately beneficial.

The tolls paid by British merchant ships passing through would accrue as dividends to Eugene, the major shareholder of the Suez Canal Company.

Baring, casually dressed in a British coat, whistled and set off.

“Now, then. Shall we go and win over the old men?”

The time had come to approach the East India Company in London.

***

That day, the board of directors convened in the opulent top-floor room of the East India Company headquarters.

“You look even better than before, Director Baring.”

London was perpetually deprived of sunshine.

The small windows in the East India Company’s room amplified the gloom.

Recalling the Temple Monastery, which had been surprisingly bright even as a prison, Baring chuckled.

He mused that acquiring French nationality might not have been such a bad idea.

“Thanks to the chairman. The fact that our bank didn’t collapse while I was imprisoned is surely due to your considerable consideration, wouldn’t you agree?”

“At the very least, I kept it safe from thieves.”

“That alone is a great favor. Haha.”

Chairman Stephen Lushington adjusted his glasses.

“Then, let me ask directly. Did you return as a French spy?”

He had presided as chairman of the board of directors of the East India Company for nearly a decade.

The business he directly managed was smaller than Baring’s.

However, his dominance over the East India Company’s board earned Lushington a title among British business leaders:

The King of Gold.

The position Lushington occupied was the ultimate aspiration of every British merchant.

“I am now and always a loyal subject of His Majesty the King.”

“You speak eloquently. There were rumors that you obtained French nationality.”

“That’s correct. The French compelled me to obtain nationality to conduct business. Soon, I will need to seek permission from His Majesty the King, so please speak well of me, Chairman.”

Lushington scrutinized Baring, his gaze cold behind his spectacles.

“Prime Minister Pitt will refuse your request, Baring.”

Linen merchant Jacob Bosanquet, banker Joseph Cotton, and slave trader William Devaynes also glared at Baring.

Ultimately, even as fellow directors and shareholders of the East India Company, they were all competitors in the business world.

Many were wary of Baring, harboring ambitions for Lushington’s position.

Besides, hadn’t he failed in his scheme in France?

If Baring had succeeded, France would have crumbled.

Furthermore, England wouldn’t be in such dire straits.

Yet, upon his return, he declared his intention to unseat Pitt and initiate peace negotiations, a notion they found deeply unsettling.

Baring maintained his affable smile and winked.

“I did secure a promise from France.”

“What promise?”

“Permission for British merchant ships to enter Cairo.”

Baring’s words caused a stir among the directors.

“Of course, this promise will require a change of signatory before it can be formally documented.”

The East India Company directors began to murmur amongst themselves.

Cairo, the land route to India.

If Manchester, the gateway to the Atlantic, staked its existence on the slave trade, London held the key to trade between the European continent and the East Indies.

In particular, the directors of the East India Company had invested considerable sums in the Egyptian route.

Even Devaynes, whose primary business had been the slave trade, recognized its importance.

Since Eugene’s expedition to Egypt, British trade with Egypt had been virtually severed.

But now, British merchants would once again have access.

The prospect was undeniably tempting.

Chairman Lushington fixed his gaze on Baring and tilted his head.

“We need to add conditions.”

“What conditions should I convey? If possible, I hope they are conditions I can reasonably present as acceptable on my end.”

“I want the trade rights to the New World. Specifically, on the land of ‘New France’.”

In French, Nouvelle-France.

In essence, he was demanding the relinquishment of trade rights to Florida.

This era was defined by protectionist trade policies.

Merchants from other countries could not enter colonies occupied by another country without explicit permission.

Allowing Egyptian trade was already a significant concession.

But would France permit the British to encroach upon Florida?

At that moment, Baring’s expression hardened momentarily before he smiled.

“Fortunately, that falls within the scope of the discretion I’ve been granted.”

“From Bonaparte?”

“That’s correct. However, I was instructed to negotiate with two opposing conditions attached.”

Baring raised his fingers.

“First, the full return of the colonies of the Batavian Republic. In particular, [Ceylon] Island must be returned.”

In modern terms, this refers to the large island of Sri Lanka, south of India.

At first glance, it seems peculiar, but this was originally a Dutch colony.

To be precise, the coastal region was Dutch territory.

In the interior, the indigenous Sinhalese people maintained a kingdom known as the Kingdom of Kandy.

This kingdom had persisted for 140 years since the 17th century.

But three years prior, in 1796, the British had occupied the island.

This occurred shortly after the Batavian Revolution erupted in the Netherlands and the royal family fled to London.

Under the pretext of the Great French War, the British seized Ceylon Island, or rather, its coastal region.

The demand was to return this coastal territory to Batavia, the successor to the Netherlands.

The East India Company directors exchanged glances and whispered.

“That’s a bit of a loss.”

“Besides, isn’t it practically giving it to France? Hmm.”

“Even if we receive the [East Indies], it’s difficult to control, so we can return it. But Ceylon Island is a different matter.”

Lushington waved his hand, silencing the conversation between Bosanquet, Cotton, and Devaynes.

“Let’s hear the second condition.”

Baring smiled and replied.

“I hope that the British East India Company will fully participate in the French immigration project.”

This time, Lushington was taken aback by the completely unexpected condition.

“Isn’t that something France can handle once the war concludes?”

“I understand that the current French fleet and trading ship capacity are insufficient for the project.”

“How many people are we talking about?”

But even more astonishing was the number that escaped Baring’s lips.

“One million.”

Firstly, it was unusual for France to be sending a large number of immigrants to the New World.

Secondly, the immigration project wouldn’t be free, making the prospect of entrusting it to the East India Company even more shocking.

However, upon closer examination, it wasn’t entirely illogical.

The Atlantic Ocean was practically the United Kingdom’s playground.

The colonies in the New World were limited to the West Indies, including Jamaica Island.

However, the British navy was so formidable that even the United States and Spain struggled to compete.

But France needed to send immigrants to stabilize Florida.

How could they safely traverse the Atlantic Ocean, teeming with British fleets?

There was a simple solution.

They could utilize British trading ships.

Employing the East India Company also had other advantages.

It would likely displease the Manchester merchants, who primarily controlled Atlantic trade.

This could incite regional conflicts among merchants within the UK.

Despite grasping all of this, Lushington couldn’t simply dismiss Baring.

A million transport contracts were an offer no merchant could refuse.

In the end, Lushington leaped to his feet and exclaimed.

“I don’t know which Bonaparte it is, but he’s clearly insane. Fine. That level of business rights is worth accepting!”

It was the moment Baring succeeded in swaying the East India Company.

Or, perhaps, the moment they succumbed to Eugene’s sweet, poison apple-like proposal.

***

That day, Buckingham Palace was unusually agitated.

-Thump!

With an uncharacteristically excited expression, Prime Minister Pitt stormed through the palace corridor, panting.

A statue toppled and shattered beneath a pillar he had just kicked.

Had anyone else committed such an act, they would have been swiftly apprehended by the Royal Guards.

But the figure blocking Pitt’s path was not a guard, but a slender, middle-aged man.

“Oh, Prime Minister. You don’t seem to be in high spirits.”

At that moment, Pitt approached the man and demanded.

“Is it you, Chairman?”

“What are you implying? I’m merely a Member of Parliament.”

“How much did you receive to whisper sweet nothings into His Majesty the King’s ears? At this critical juncture, when we are at war with France!”

Lushington stared at Pitt and retorted.

“That war is precisely the problem, Mr. Pitt.”

Just as Pitt was about to grind his teeth in fury, Lushington added casually.

“No one desires the war to continue.”

The moment Pitt’s anger reached its peak, Lushington remarked lightly.

“If we cease the war, France will conquer all of Europe!”

“The sea remains under our control, Pitt.”

Lushington twisted his lips as he opened and closed his hands.

“You simply don’t have to fight anymore.”

Nearby, a [globe], one of the fixtures in the royal corridor, stood silently.

But there was something Lushington was overlooking.

Pitt clenched his jaw.

Unfortunately, England was situated perilously close to France.

“The day will come when France attacks London! Because of you!”

Stephen Lushington smiled and turned away.

“Well, will that day arrive within my lifetime? Heh heh.”

March 1800.

British Prime Minister Pitt announced his resignation.

The stated reason was to comply with the wishes of George III.

But everyone in Buckingham Palace and Westminster Hall understood the truth.

The moment had arrived when the war with France would end.