I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 237

The Age of Great Pirates

It’s often said that optimistic predictions are rarely accurate, while pessimistic expectations have a strange way of coming true.

Russia, after creating diplomatic friction with England, eventually shifted its expansionist ambitions eastward.

Before the Qing Dynasty, the Uyghur region had stronger connections to the Turkic peoples than to the Central Plains.

This is a land where the Dzungar Khanate was destroyed by the Qianlong Emperor, renamed Xinjiang [meaning “New Frontier” in Chinese], less than a century ago.

Initially, the Qing Dynasty adopted conciliatory policies towards the Uyghurs, but their control had significantly weakened.

Support for the Eight Banners troops [Qing Dynasty military units] stationed there dwindled, and Muslim Uyghur uprisings became increasingly frequent.

As tensions escalated, neighboring countries like the Kokand Khanate in Central Asia even encroached across the border into Xinjiang.

The Qing Dynasty, overwhelmed by problems on all fronts, lacked the resources to effectively deploy troops to Xinjiang.

The Uyghurs seized this opportunity to organize their own armies and bolster their defenses.

However, with incursions from the Kokand Khanate in the west and instances of looting and kidnapping by some of the Eight Banners troops stationed in Xinjiang, the Uyghurs found themselves overwhelmed.

In this precarious situation, Russia emerged as a potential savior.

Alexander I emphasized that Russia had no intention of colonizing the Uyghurs.

He proposed: “It is enough to allow Russian troops to be stationed in Uyghur and take responsibility for their supplies.”

Of course, everyone understood that Russia was subtly trying to exploit them, but a nearby thug always seems more threatening than a distant gangster.

The Xinjiang Province reluctantly agreed to accept the Russian army.

And Russia, as if anticipating this, swiftly crushed the Kokand Khanate’s army.

Subsequently, the 10,000 Eight Banners troops managing Xinjiang were easily swept aside.

In just two months, Russia transformed into the savior who liberated the Uyghurs.

Even if Russia was a bubble, the Kokand Khanate and the Xinjiang Eight Banners were merely dust that could be swept away by it.

However, the resulting fury of the awakened giant was something that those who could handle bubbles could not manage.

“Prime Minister!”

“Prime Minister! We’re from Le Figaro! Can you comment on this situation?”

“We’re from the Paris City News! We’d like your opinion!”

“Ahem! The Prime Minister must attend the Assembly now. Please step aside!”

I knew this was coming.

[England Furious at Russia’s Expansionist Policy!]

[Prime Minister Pitt Resolves to Fully Mobilize the East India Company’s Forces!]

[Qing Announces It Will Never Recognize Uyghur Independence!]

[All Eyes on France, Which Has Yet to Issue an Official Opinion]

The Pitt I know is a man of action, who gets things done thoroughly.

Comparing Alexander I and Pitt, the scales are so heavily weighted that I almost feel sorry for Pitt.

Besides, aren’t Nelson and Wellesley in East Asia right now?

I can already imagine them grabbing my leg in a few months, begging me to stop England.

However, the crucial point is how England will intervene in this situation. Fortunately, Pitt’s actions are within the realm of what I expected.

“Prime Minister! England has decided to cooperate with the Qing Dynasty. Isn’t this a betrayal of us?”

“We believe we should strongly protest their decision to cooperate and side with the Qing.”

“Should we issue a clear resolution in our Assembly?”

“We must also contact Robespierre, the Governor of Hong Kong, immediately.”

As expected, the Assembly was preoccupied with devising ways to undermine England because of this.

Always consistent.

It’s comforting to see the same people behaving predictably.

It’s like finally coming home.

“From our perspective, it’s like getting a free pass, so there’s no need to blame England. Instead, the Qing imperial court will be utterly confused about what’s happening.”

“Indeed… If they had any sense, they would have assumed that England or we were behind it. But suddenly Russia appeared, so they probably don’t have a clear understanding of the situation.”

Danton chuckled, glancing between the map in the Assembly and the documents summarizing the current situation.

As he said, the Forbidden City [the Chinese imperial palace] must be in a state of near pandemonium right now.

Could Russia be the true mastermind behind the rebellions in various regions?

Why is England suddenly offering to help them suppress the rebellions?

Should they reject or accept this assistance?

What repercussions will arise if they accept England’s help?

They are already troubled by the rebellions, and now all sorts of complicated problems have doubled, so their heads are bound to explode.

I’m suddenly concerned about the Jiaqing Emperor’s hair.

“Let’s await reports from Robespierre and Napoleon before making a decision. Until then, I hope the Assembly will refrain from making any rash moves.”

“Understood. It doesn’t seem likely that the sparks will fly our way anyway…”

“I’d like to side with Russia and completely destroy those English bastards, but frankly, England, having lost India, poses no threat to us at all.”

“I’ve considered that too, but the timing isn’t right yet.”

If France sides with Russia and attempts to seize India, England will have no choice but to gather all its forces and strike at us.

In other words, it would inevitably escalate into a major war with each side staking its national fortune, and the losses we would incur would be too significant.

If it were about 10 years later, I would seriously consider it, but unfortunately, things have unfolded too early.

“Understood. Then the Assembly will adopt a resolution after seeing England actually take action.”

“The government will also gather information through all channels, so I ask for continued organic cooperation.”

If this were simply a conflict between England and Russia, it would be one thing, but the presence of the Qing in the middle introduces a new variable that cannot be ignored.

And I emphasize again, pessimistic predictions are always accurate; that is the truth of the world.

※※※

[The Emperor of Qing Decides to Receive Help from England!]

[British Troops Led by Arthur Wellesley Advance into Xinjiang Province]

[Admiral Nelson Exclaims! “Russia, Don’t Even Dream of Coming Out to Sea in the Future!”]

“How do you see this situation? It seems like England is serious this time.”

“Based on my conversation with Nelson, your Excellency’s deduction is correct. It seems that England has already decided to thoroughly crush Russia to establish dominance.”

“Hmph… Suddenly such a variable arises.”

“Indeed.”

Robespierre clutched his head after listening to Napoleon’s analysis.

He was now confident in handling domestic and foreign affairs, but this was a bolt from the blue.

He didn’t even have the authority to move troops in the first place, so what action should he take here to be correct?

And above all…

Why does this guy in front of me seem strangely excited?

“But since the war is between Russia and England anyway, isn’t there little chance that the sparks will fly this way?”

“Usually that’s the case, but we have to do what we have to do. The Prime Minister has asserted that the division of Qing would be good for the future of all countries. Isn’t now the best opportunity to do the work?”

“That is…”

“Think about it. Isn’t the world’s attention focused on Central Asia right now? In other words, there is no one to stop us from moving behind the scenes right now.”

Having been by the Prime Minister’s side for so long, this man has also developed a taste for scheming.

Well, I’m naturally coming up with all sorts of schemes myself, so I have nothing to say.

“So, what would you like to do, Commander?”

“Hmm… Well, it seems like a suitable situation is developing, but there is still a lack of a decisive step. That’s a shame.”

He doesn’t even hide the fact that he wants the war to break out now.

But when I think about it, this isn’t necessarily a loss for me either.

Anyway, if something happens, it will create a justification for France to intervene, and if that happens, I can successfully complete the Prime Minister’s orders as Napoleon said.

Of course, if there is no guarantee that we will win unconditionally if a real war breaks out, then these thoughts are just delusions.

But Robespierre didn’t have even a sliver of such anxiety.

What will happen if a war breaks out?

The person next to him right now is Napoleon Bonaparte.

※※※

“Are these bastards really human beings?”

I threw the urgent report that came in today directly onto the desk.

At first, I thought the letters were misprinted, so I told them to check it several times.

And surprisingly, after hearing the news that it was the unadulterated truth, I lost it.

“No! Are these people senile? They need to know when to jump in and when to back off. Why are they crawling in here and making such a fuss!”

“As the Prime Minister said, they just misread the situation and decided to intervene…”

Talleyrand and Danton were also looking down at the paper I had thrown with faces that showed they were dumbfounded.

“Would it be a good idea for the Prime Minister to send a letter to Joseph II? If necessary, the First Lady could also help…”

“They’ll just say it’s interference in internal affairs. He’s a man with a subtle sense of pride. I’ll write a letter that he can understand, but…”

“But it seems difficult to fix it right away because they’ve already started. They should know that this will make the incident bigger, so why…”

My head naturally shook up and down at Talleyrand’s deep sigh.

“I expected that Russia’s intervention might stimulate Spain and the Holy Roman Empire. But I really couldn’t imagine that they would just go ahead and do it without consulting me.”

I poured out a torrent of curses internally and moved chess pieces one by one on the world map.

“Russia has planted a stake in Uyghur, and England is objecting to this and advancing its troops. And the Holy Roman Empire is suddenly supporting the independence of Tibet and dispatching troops, and Spain has decided to dispatch troops to support the independence of Yunnan…”

I wondered if there were any idiots who would jump into this conflict surrounding India and Qing, but surprisingly, there really were.

Not just one, but two.

“Prime Minister, but I don’t understand. Could it be that the Holy Roman Empire and Spain had prior communication with Russia?”

“Maybe yes, maybe no.”

Spain and the Holy Roman Empire may have accepted that now is the perfect opportunity for them to expand their territory, with Russia and England engaging in a battle of nerves.

Or maybe they judged that if the structure of Northeast Asia solidifies as it is, there will be no room for them to dig in any further.

They couldn’t have been unaware of the great risk.

It’s just that their ambition for territorial expansion and encroachment of interests was much greater.

Yes. This is how the age of imperialism normally goes.

Did these people think that my purpose in dividing Qing was to tear up that vast land evenly and turn it into colonies?

Well, I would have thought so too if I were them.

How many people would seriously believe that China should be divided for the distant future of Europe or Asia?

They would assume that the French Prime Minister is using a ridiculous excuse to expand territory.

“First, summon all the ambassadors of Spain and the Holy Roman Empire. I need to hear their excuses for what they’ve done.”

“Yes!”

The secretary, who had rushed in as Talleyrand opened the door to leave at the same time as his answer, shouted urgently.

“Prime Minister! Urgent news!”

“Again? Don’t tell me Spain and the Holy Roman Empire have declared war on England?”

I snatched the report from the secretary’s hand, almost ripping it, and a deep curse finally escaped my lips.

“Ha… Have you ever seen such stupid bastards?”

Talleyrand, who had stopped awkwardly as he was about to leave the room, slowly read the letters written on the report I handed him and raised his eyes.

“The United States of America… Accepts the demands of the Midag Kingdom reconstructionists and supports the independence of Taiwan Island… Sends warships?”

Here’s one more moron whose intelligence has been defeated by greed.

I can only laugh in vain at the fact that the number of ambassadors to be summoned immediately has increased by one more.

The Age of Great Pirates End