I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 210

The sinking of the British ship, a disaster that overshadowed the New Year celebrations, spread like wildfire across the globe within days.

This absurd and calamitous event presented a significant problem for nearly every nation, with the notable exception of France.

Great Britain and Spain were particularly hard hit.

Great Britain, anxious about losing its dominance to Spain and France, and Spain, which had seized Gibraltar with French assistance, had been investing heavily in the construction and improvement of warships, fearing they would fall behind in naval power.

But now, the ships they had so painstakingly built were rendered largely useless, unable to navigate the newly opened canal.

“Who will be held accountable for this!”

The Spanish Parliament, which had been confidently predicting a bright future just a week prior, descended into chaos.

Because the project had been championed by both the ruling and opposition parties, no one was willing to accept the blame.

“Wait! Isn’t this primarily the fault of the French government? Given that France was concentrating its efforts on steamships, they must have foreseen this situation! They should have warned us! We are allies, after all!”

“Well… France did offer a subtle suggestion. They advised us to focus on steamships, pointing out that we were entering the age of steam. It was discussed as a potential course of action a few years ago, but have you forgotten?”

“No, didn’t they oppose it back then? What kind of idiots opposed it…?”

The assemblyman, who had been speaking with great enthusiasm, suddenly paused, a memory flashing through his mind, and he abruptly fell silent.

He realized that he himself had been one of those “idiots.”

“Still… honestly, who could have predicted it would turn out this way? If France hadn’t been so vague and had been more explicit…”

“They probably thought that the information might leak to England. Looking at it objectively, we can see that they fulfilled their obligations as an ally.”

Prime Minister Christian had indeed provided a clear hint through the Spanish ambassador.

It was the Spanish Parliament and the King who had disregarded the advice, blinded by their romantic notions of sailing ships.

Blaming France now was pointless and amounted to nothing more than petty finger-pointing.

There was little they could do.

They could only endure the criticism from intellectuals and the public while cleaning up the mess they had created.

“What are we supposed to do about this…?”

“If you’ve made a mess, you should at least try to use it as fertilizer…”

“Still, it’s not as if we can’t use sailing ships at all. We can simply sail around the Cape of Good Hope as we always have. And for trade with the New World, sailing ships are still more efficient than steamships, which are slow and require coal.”

“That’s right. And frankly, are we the only ones who made a mistake? Except for France, every European country with a fleet has failed! Ultimately, we need to consider the global situation in relative terms.”

Even if it was a form of self-justification, there was some truth to it.

After all, the country that Spain was most concerned with was England, and England had joined them at the bottom of the Strait of Gibraltar.

So, in the end, nothing would change dramatically.

Even if it was a weak excuse that would draw a torrent of criticism, Spain was not in a position to genuinely celebrate that England shared their misfortune.

For the time being, that was enough.

However, unlike Spain, which could at least find some solace in mental victories, the atmosphere in England was far more somber.

Instead of downplaying the fact that everyone had failed, they were divided into factions and engaged in fierce infighting.

[Prime Minister Pitt was right! The future belongs to steamships!]

[The Cape of Good Hope has become the Cape of Despair. Pitt offered a way to overcome despair, but the opposition party turned hope into despair with their agitation.]

[Why didn’t we heed Pitt’s warning?]

The media, which had been suggesting that Pitt had connections to shipbuilding companies just days before, abruptly changed their stance and sang a different tune.

[The opposition party’s crippling agitation! It has set back Britain’s military power by five years.]

[A true visionary of this era who continued his lonely fight. Learning the spirit of Elijah from Pitt.]

It was almost comical, as if Pitt’s nation’s loss had become his opportunity for a comeback.

His approval ratings, which had been plummeting, rebounded dramatically.

Once again, the consensus was that Pitt was the only capable leader for England.

The ruling party members, who had been observing the opposition party’s relentless attacks, subtly began to reaffirm their loyalty and flatter Pitt.

“Prime Minister… that wasn’t really my intention.”

“I believed in you, Prime Minister.”

“I’m sorry! Please give me another chance…”

He was growing weary of dealing with these fools.

Pitt felt a profound sense of futility and dismissed them.

Of course, he would have to deal with the treacherous opposition, but he didn’t have to do it himself.

The ruling party members were already attacking the opposition as if it were a competition for his favor.

“It’s truly an impossible job… isn’t it?”

“…Yes.”

“I’ve heard that politics is a form of torture that constantly tests one’s patience.”

Arthur Wellesley and Horatio Nelson, summoned by Pitt, exchanged bitter smiles, unsure who spoke first.

In less than an hour, they had witnessed three opposition lawmakers attempt to flatter Pitt, only to be rejected.

The sight of these people desperately trying to save themselves was sickening.

“The reason I called you here is to get an accurate assessment of our current military strength. You are the most talented representatives of the army and navy of our Great British Empire, so I trust you will provide me with an objective evaluation.”

“You flatter us.”

“There’s no need for modesty. I want you to tell me the truth, without any sugarcoating. You haven’t forgotten what happened to those opposition lawmakers who tried that, have you?”

“Yes! I will only tell you the truth, without any falsehoods.”

“Then let me ask you directly. How significant do you believe the difference is between us and France right now?”

Wellesley and Nelson were not surprised by the Prime Minister’s directness.

From the moment they were summoned, they had anticipated this question.

“Regarding the army’s strength, I’ve already submitted a report. Frankly, it’s almost embarrassing to compare. France has consistently invested more in its army than its homeland. Furthermore, they have a strong organization led by the brilliant strategist Napoleon, who has risen like a comet. All of Napoleon’s marshals are capable of serving as grand marshals in other countries.”

“That’s right. I’ve always believed that our army is at a disadvantage.”

“Moreover, we have intelligence that France intends to use the extensive railway system for military purposes. If that’s the case, we won’t be able to compete with France in terms of supplying large quantities of materials and rapidly deploying soldiers.”

“…I see. We need to build railways between major ports and cities as quickly as possible. Thank you for the insightful analysis.”

He had already anticipated that they were at a disadvantage on land.

But the navy was the most crucial factor.

As long as they maintained control of the seas, Britain could avoid defeat against France.

“What about the navy? How do you think the opening of the canal will affect the current situation?”

“For now, we can hold our own. The Royal Navy of the Great British Empire maintains a strong presence at the Cape of Good Hope and in the Indian Ocean. However, we can’t be certain that this will last forever. After all, France has a base in the West Indies, even if it’s small, as well as the Suez.”

“Are you suggesting that there’s a high probability that we’ll be overtaken in the long run…?”

“Yes. The disadvantage of steamships is their need for periodic coal resupply. Therefore, sailing around the Cape of Good Hope to reach the Indian Ocean, sailing ships could still be competitive. However, once they can use the canal, France has nothing to fear. They only need to resupply once before leaving their home country and once after exiting the canal.”

Nelson also emphasized that steamships could be fitted with thicker armor than sailing ships and had greater strategic maneuverability because they were not reliant on wind.

“Fortunately, thanks to the Prime Minister’s foresight, we haven’t lost all momentum. I hope you will continue to strengthen our naval power to prevent us from falling behind France.”

“Haa…”

Of course, he would do that if he could.

But all problems ultimately stemmed from a lack of funds.

They were already extracting money from various sources to compete with France, so how could they increase spending further?

Under the current circumstances, this was the best they could do, no matter how they recalculated.

No economist or business manager could offer a viable solution.

India was undoubtedly a land of immense wealth, but its resources were not infinite.

“It’s difficult. It’s difficult…”

If it were simply a matter of maintaining the current gap with France, who was steadily advancing, it might be manageable.

But Britain needed more than just maintaining the status quo; it needed a growth engine to surpass France.

He was also concerned about the East India Company’s growing debt from conquering India.

“The Ministry of Finance and the Foreign Office have suggested trading with Qing China…”

“Isn’t that a good idea? If we can acquire as much silver as possible from Qing China, it would greatly help in strengthening our naval power.”

“I wish it were that simple, but the reality is different.”

Pitt had already considered Qing China.

He had sent scholars and diplomats to conduct their own investigations.

The primary source of revenue that Britain was extracting from India was various wool fabrics and handicrafts, including cotton.

However, Qing China was surprisingly achieving price competitiveness that surpassed machines by utilizing an immense labor force.

Furthermore, the British people increasingly desired tea and silk, which were Qing China’s specialties.

In this situation, trade would inevitably result in a significant deficit, let alone a surplus.

If only there was one product.

If only there was one popular product that could capture the attention of the Qing people, but he couldn’t think of one.

But at that moment.

A glimmer of hope appeared to Pitt, as if it were a divine revelation.

“Oh, right! Why didn’t I think of this?”

Ultimately, this was the only solution.

A satisfied smile spread across Pitt’s face as he recalled a crucial move in a desperate situation.

※※※

“Investigate further. It’s suspicious that so many ordinary merchant ships are gathering.”

“Yes. I’ve instructed them to constantly monitor the situation.”

Even if I was slightly ahead, I wouldn’t become complacent.

As soon as I ordered all intelligence organizations to monitor Britain’s movements, Talleyrand brought new information.

“One interesting detail is that despite the large number of merchant ships, the cargo is confidential. My informants couldn’t determine what’s inside.”

“Really? Even if it’s just goods from India destined for Europe, why keep it so secret?”

“No. It doesn’t appear that Europe is the destination. They say it’s heading east, not west.”

“Further east than India?”

Then it’s likely Southeast Asia or Qing China. Are they planning to start new trade with that region?

Southeast Asia doesn’t produce enough silver to satisfy Britain, and trading with Qing China would likely be a waste of time, leading them into a dead end.

In the original timeline, they accumulated such a large deficit that it became a notorious part of their history…

“Wait. The goods being shipped east are confidential?”

“Yes.”

“Did you find out where those goods originated in India?”

“I believe it’s the eastern region… the Bengal area, but I don’t have specific details.”

As soon as I heard that report, the complex puzzle in my mind was solved instantly.

The destination is likely Qing China.

The item they’re trying to export is a confidential product, presumably from Bengal.

Combining these facts, only one conclusion comes to mind.

A tremor, whether of horror or excitement, ran through my body.

Could it be… are they really going to do that?

If my reasoning is correct, what Britain is attempting is exactly that.