I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 178

They say even when the sky falls, there’s a way to rise.

I don’t know who came up with it, but I can only admire the wisdom of the ancient sages.

Of course, I never expected something like this to happen.

To be honest, I still haven’t figured out what’s going on.

“Our priests have been murdered in Qing… Why?”

Qing isn’t exactly a country that openly cracks down on Christianity.

Policies changed depending on who was in power, but in this era, they didn’t resort to such extreme measures as hanging priests.

It’s not like they’re fully allowing proselytization [the act of attempting to convert someone to one’s religious beliefs], but rather taking a reserved stance.

At least, in the history I know, things didn’t suddenly blow up like this.

“Grushy, have you figured out what’s going on?”

“The only news I received was a short message saying that the priests were killed by Qing residents. It will probably take quite a while for a detailed report to come in.”

“True. Qing isn’t just a day or two away from France.”

In fact, it’s not that uncommon for priests who go out to preach to lose their lives.

Accidents of being killed by natives happen quite often, and many die from illness.

However, it was no ordinary matter for missionaries of one’s own country to be murdered in a country with a proper civilization.

It’s cold, but there were even politicians who liked such news.

Because it becomes a great excuse to push in under the pretext of religious oppression.

If the opponent was a small country somewhere in Africa, not Qing, there would have been a barrage of opinions to send troops right away.

However, Europe didn’t see Qing as easy to deal with, always watching where they put their feet.

It was only in the mid-19th century that Qing became a toothless tiger, a punching bag itself.

Now, even the UK, the number one with a nasty temper who has nothing to fear in the world, is cautiously dealing with Qing.

In fact, no one in the parliament convened to discuss this matter expressed a strong opinion.

“First of all, it is important to find out the truth.”

Robespierre cautiously expressed his opinion first.

“If it is true that the Qing imperial family executed religious people, this is a matter that must be strongly protested. But if not, it will be difficult to hold them internationally responsible.”

“As Member Robespierre said, we could be counterattacked if we unnecessarily escalate the situation.”

Lower House members added a word as soon as Robespierre finished speaking.

Even Danton, who always refuted Robespierre’s opinions, didn’t raise any particular objections.

“It seems that the Lower House has agreed to take a cautious approach. What does the Upper House think?”

Count Mirabeau, who attended to convey the opinion of the Upper House, said in a calm voice.

Does the presence of Qing loom so large that the Lower and Upper Houses are in perfect agreement?

I began to realize how ignorant Europe was of the situation in Asia.

“I know what the lawmakers are thinking, but isn’t the essence of this matter that our citizens were murdered in a distant foreign land? If we show a cautious attitude from the beginning, it may seem like we are lowering ourselves.”

“…That’s right, Prime Minister.”

“The ministers say that Qing should be held strictly accountable.”

“Absolutely not! Qing is like a sleeping lion. There is no need to provoke a giant who will shake the world when awakened.”

Even the Minister of War said something like that.

Even Napoleon had said something similar, so there was no need to say more.

Objectively speaking, Qing at the end of the 18th century had the highest estimated GDP in the world and a population of 300 million, more than the entire population of Europe combined.

Looking only at the revealed data, it was rather abnormal for people to underestimate it.

“Of course, I’m not saying we should put military pressure on them. It just means that we must take a stern stance as there is a possibility that devout followers of the Great Kingdom of France have been unfairly killed. There is a saying in the East that ‘blood is thicker than water.’ Do you think that if we are cautious, they will be impressed and conduct a thorough investigation?”

“That wouldn’t be the case.”

“Even if they are at fault, they are likely to conceal or downplay the incident. So, shouldn’t we at least get a confirmation that we will form a fact-finding mission under our initiative?”

“But if they say that’s impossible… it could develop into a direct conflict with Qing. Are you considering the possibility of fighting Qing in some cases?”

“No, that doesn’t make sense. How can we fight Qing? I don’t want to, and I don’t think it should be done.”

Is Qing a place where you can go for a walk in the neighborhood?

It’s impossible to go by land from the home country, and it’s not easy to go from the West Indies [Caribbean Islands].

If we really fight, we have to be fully prepared, and we have to convince the citizens of the justification for launching such a large-scale military operation.

Either way, now is not the time yet.

But it was true that it was the perfect opportunity to draw up a blueprint for the future.

If we make somewhat unreasonable demands, Qing will naturally scoff and ignore them.

Overestimating Qing’s power is not just a problem for Europe.

The reality is that Qing itself is seeing its size ridiculously high.

No, in fact, the size itself is high.

If Qing could have projected all its power, it would not have been so futilely defeated in the Opium War [wars fought between Great Britain and China over the trade of opium].

Even if they couldn’t win completely, they could have made Britain give up the war and retreat.

But unfortunately, Qing in the 19th century was not capable of doing so.

What’s the point of having a large population and high productivity?

The head to control it is hopeless.

I guarantee that even now, if our troops can land properly, they will quickly steamroll Qing’s army and open a highway to Beijing.

A lion that will surprise the world when it wakes up?

I won’t deny that.

However, how deeply do you have to sleep… They are sleeping so soundly that there are still 200 years left to wake up.

“First, let’s make our intentions clear. Whether the other party is a savage tribe or the great power of the East, Qing, our attitude should not change. That way, citizens can trust the government and feel proud to be citizens of France.”

“…I understand. If the Prime Minister has made up his mind, the parliament will fully support the Prime Minister’s decision.”

“Okay. Then let’s deal with this agenda as a top priority for the time being. I know there are various stories coming out of the parliament right now, but I hope those things will be put aside as a sensitive issue is being discussed. You understand what I mean, right?”

“Yes.”

It doesn’t look good for anyone that there is talk of a lifetime prime minister or something when their missionaries are killed overseas.

Robespierre, who understood what I meant, bowed his head and answered.

Okay. I’ve put out the immediate fire.

Satisfied with the discussion, I dismissed the people and left only a few close aides in their seats.

“Now, give the media a hint to focus on reporting this. Tell them to make the headlines as provocative as possible, as always.”

“Then the citizens will be in an uproar, right?”

“That’s right. There will be a lot of noise to punish the shameless Eastern barbarians.”

“Didn’t you say you didn’t want to take military action?”

To Lafayette’s worried question, I nodded lightly and replied.

“I don’t want to do that at least right now. There is a possibility that the situation will change in ten years or so. And when there is a real need to do so, we need to plant the seeds in advance so that citizens can easily respond.”

“I don’t think there will be a conflict between France and Qing, but…”

Lafayette questioned, but followed my instructions without complaint.

“Oh, and send a message to Nouvelle-France [French colony in North America] to have Napoleon and the other division commanders all reassigned here.”

“…Yes? Why is that…”

“They have made great contributions in Nouvelle-France, so we must give them a proper position. We have decided to appoint them as marshals of the French army, not the Nouvelle-France army.”

“I see. Some may think it’s too early, but considering their abilities and contributions, I think it’s an appropriate appointment. I will take action immediately.”

Yes, anyone who has watched Napoleon from the side would react like this.

The excuse is perfect and the situation is just right.

Nouvelle-France has already been perfectly organized, so there is no need to keep Napoleon there anymore.

I clearly said to the parliament that I had no intention of fighting Qing, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t raise an army.

It just means that the internal traffic control has not been completed yet to expand our influence to Asia.

The New World is almost organized, and we have an excuse to reach out to Asia, so what’s left?

Of course, it’s European housekeeping.

※※※

“…Our devout French missionaries have unfairly lost their lives in a distant foreign land.”

In front of the citizens who filled Louis XV Square, I continued my speech in a slightly tearful voice.

“They were faithful and true religious people who did not hesitate to go to the far eastern wilderness to spread the love of Christ. As the Prime Minister of France, I would like to express my gratitude for all their efforts so far and express my deep condolences.”

“Damn Qing barbarians!”

“No, what sin did those kind people commit…”

“We will never cover up the unfair death of our citizens under any circumstances. We have already requested Qing to conduct a detailed investigation and punish those responsible! I swear in the name of the great King and the Parliament. Citizens, we will always put your safety first and spare no effort to make you proud to be citizens of this country!”

“Viva la France!”

“Long live the Prime Minister!”

The firewood is burning coolly.

The newspapers were already criticizing Qing’s arrogant attitude and creating anti-China sentiment as if in a competition.

The citizens, who had never been interested in where Qing was, began to be furious.

That’s how mob psychology works.

What kind of people are the French citizens?

People who didn’t even treat blacks or Native Americans as human beings are now acting like guardians of human rights and taking it for granted.

They are fundamentally different from the uncivilized Americans who treat blacks as slaves, and the evil British who subtly tried to get away with it.

The French felt tremendous pride in the feeling that everything in the world, not just Europe, revolved around them.

It is no exaggeration to say that they have drunk almost a lethal dose of national pride.

That’s why they were able to accept blacks and natives so smoothly.

It’s not that they really opened their eyes to a thorough sense of human rights, but because they were intoxicated with their appearance.

For such French people, the murder of these missionaries was, of course, a great anger.

Did a barbaric country crumpled somewhere in the east dare to kill the missionaries of the Great France, the center of the world?

This was nothing more than a provocation that tarnished their high self-esteem.

If Qing had apologized politely and followed our demands here, the spark would have subsided quickly.

But how could Qing be so flexible?

-It has been investigated that your country’s missionaries were illegally proselytizing outside the designated area and suffered an accident. Therefore, the fault for the accident lies entirely with your country’s missionaries…

The Qing imperial family’s response, which arrived months later, did not disappoint.

In summary, it can be said, ‘Yes, it’s all your fault. We are not at fault, so don’t bother us.’

Okay, very good.

As expected, the generosity of a great power is definitely inversely proportional to its vast territory even in this era.

The provocation performance is certain.

End of