I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 259

The Checkmate

-To the esteemed Prime Minister Christian,

‘It has been well over a decade since we first forged our friendship…’

Pitt’s letter, beginning with such emotionally manipulative phrases, was nothing short of a tear-jerker.

According to this letter, the citizens of Britain were the most pitiful souls struggling to survive in Europe, and France was the ultimate villain responsible for their plight.

‘British laborers toil from dawn till dusk to earn their daily bread, dragging their weary bodies home each day. The sight naturally brings tears to my eyes…’

You’d think I was the one running the British labor scene.

If it was such a tearful sight, why didn’t you revise the labor laws more strictly?

Anyway, after spouting a series of absurdities, Pitt concluded his letter with the following words.

‘Currently, the nation faces numerous difficulties, making it hard to make significant decisions easily. Our homeland has also invested considerable resources in this war. Considering these practical constraints, I implore you, Prime Minister, to make a humanitarian decision. For detailed matters, please discuss with Lord Wellesley, who will be going to Beijing as my representative…’

Has Britain ever been this humble before?

Indeed, upon seeing this letter, Robespierre grinned ear to ear, reveling in his triumph.

“The British have finally bowed their heads.”

“They certainly spread the situation too far.”

Up until now, Britain had always stubbornly maintained its pride, proclaiming its superiority.

To see such people groveling and begging for mercy was indeed gratifying.

However, their sudden change of attitude was somewhat unexpected.

If I knew the Great British Empire, they would still be putting a positive spin on things even in this situation, claiming it as their victory.

Or perhaps Pitt, with his exceptional grasp of reality, was still Prime Minister, leading to this flexible stance.

Or could it be that, apart from Britain’s superficial strategies, Pitt was personally pleading earnestly?

If I were in Paris right now, I would immediately send a few telegrams to find out the details, but being in Beijing presents too many practical constraints.

Indeed, it would be wise to install telegraphs in major port cities and Beijing, no matter what.

Of course, the construction costs and fees would be generously extracted from the Crown Prince.

“Robespierre, what do you think?”

“The fact that the British Prime Minister has personally taken such a pleading stance is truly encouraging. Ignoring them after they’ve gone this far would be a bit much…”

“You think so too, right?”

Looking at it another way, perhaps their goal is to buy time this way.

It would take quite a while for the order from Britain to reach Wellesley in Uyghur [a region in Northwest China], and for Wellesley to get to India, board a ship, and arrive in Beijing.

Their plan would be to find a solution in the meantime.

It’s a shallow trick, but in this situation, they have to do whatever they can.

I feel a slight bit of sympathy for their practical struggles.

And as expected, Wellesley dragged his feet as much as possible, arriving in Beijing at a snail’s pace.

“Greetings, Prime Minister. I would like to express my sincere gratitude for considering our request.”

“Your side made such a heartfelt plea. We felt we had to at least listen, or we’d be seen as the bad guys.”

“Haha…”

Wellesley looked slightly haggard, perhaps from his long stay in Xinjiang [an autonomous region of China].

Or perhaps he deliberately came here looking like that to evoke sympathy.

Wellesley looked around, feigning ignorance, and exclaimed in admiration.

“This is my first time in the Forbidden City [the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty], and it’s truly full of Eastern charm.”

“This country is just big and grand in everything. Actually, not all of the East is like this. This country is particularly special.”

“Ah, indeed, a great nation is a great nation. Such scale is impossible for European countries.”

“By the way, you must be tired from traveling all the way here from India. Would you like some tea? It’s said that the Qing emperors [the ruling dynasty of China from 1644 to 1912] enjoyed drinking this to recover from fatigue.”

As the atmosphere warmed with light refreshments and tea, Wellesley slowly opened his mouth.

“Since you have received the letter sent by our Prime Minister, I would like to ask you directly. Does France truly plan to monopolize Asia?”

“I don’t understand why the conversation is going that way.”

“Isn’t that the only conclusion one can draw from the treaty with Qing? I’ve even heard that you’ve matched your ceremonial rank with that of the Qing Emperor… and that other Asian countries address you as ‘Your Majesty’.”

“There are many misunderstandings and circumstances there. I have sent a detailed explanation to my home country, so you will be able to receive it in your country later. I can explain it to you here if you wish. But isn’t that not what you really want to hear?”

“…Yes.”

He must have come here hoping to minimize losses, but he keeps beating around the bush. Is he perhaps feeling a bit intimidated inside?

He’s testing the waters by mentioning the Emperor, trying to find some excuse to make a deal.

Knowing or not that his intentions have already been seen through, Wellesley carefully watched my expression and continued.

“In fact, some people in our home country feel that this event in your country is a bit unfair.”

“Unfair? Why?”

“Didn’t we originally agree to divide Qing together? But while we were at war, you unilaterally occupied the capital and forced this decision upon us… wouldn’t it be natural to feel unfair?”

In other words, he’s saying, ‘We agreed to collude, so why are you trying to swallow all the land yourself?’

In short, they want something to compensate for their losses.

Of course, we have our own reasons, so there’s no need to grant their request.

“We also have something to say about that. To be honest, this is already a generous disposition on our part towards your country. If you still call it unfair, we can’t help but feel perplexed.”

“A generous disposition, you say?”

“Indeed. As you mentioned earlier, we asked your country to divide Qing, and your country agreed to this. So we supported rebellions in various regions together and tried to make minority groups independent, didn’t we?”

“…We did.”

The Ethnic Liberation Front, which France used when invading Guangdong, and the independence struggles that broke out everywhere were all the result of our behind-the-scenes machinations.

Even though we handed over outdated weapons at low prices, and they promised to give us many concessions after independence, it’s true that we invested quite a bit of money.

This is a fact that both countries know, so there’s no denying it.

“But your country suddenly broke the promise and advanced to Xinjiang, helping the Qing imperial family. How should we interpret this?”

“No, that’s because we considered the possibility of Russia threatening India…”

“Can the Russian army fly through the sky and cross the Himalayas? Or do they have the civil engineering technology to dig tunnels under the mountains and enter India?”

“That’s not the case, but…”

I know very well that this is an unfair statement from Britain’s perspective.

Given Britain’s fanatical obsession with the stability of India, they could never allow the Russian army to stand right above them, no matter how much the mountains blocked them.

However, strictly speaking, invading India from Xinjiang is quite unrealistic.

Of course, history is full of crazy situations that make people say, ‘They actually went in?’ so it’s right to be careful.

If I were the British Prime Minister, I would never have allowed Russia to take Uyghur.

But that’s that, and this is this.

“If the largest rebellion, the Uyghur, is suppressed, it’s obvious what will happen to the independence struggles in various regions, isn’t it? The stability of India is important, so the treaty we made doesn’t matter. Is that what you’re saying?”

“……”

“Moreover, if your country had won this war, you would have certainly shaken the Qing imperial family, and we would have been complete fools who were backstabbed while trusting only the treaty, wouldn’t we? So we at least put the initial plan into action.”

“So France has no intention of making Qing a de facto vassal state?”

I nodded confidently at Wellesley’s incredulous question.

This was a sincere truth without a single lie, so there was nothing to prick my conscience.

“Of course not. As I have repeatedly said, having one country in this vast land is not helpful to anyone in the world in the long run. About 16 would be just right…”

“From France’s perspective, it would be best to keep Qing neither dead nor alive, under your influence, but you’re giving that up?”

“That’s right. I told you, I have no intention of taking this place like your country swallowed India.”

If I draw the line this clearly, there’s nothing more to nitpick.

Wouldn’t it be more constructive to just quietly admit defeat and think about how to clean up the mess they’ve made?

“So I hope you don’t misinterpret our sincerity in demanding only that you stop the war without asking for any responsibility.”

“…I understand.”

“Well, then you’ll have to formally conclude a ceasefire agreement with Russia, right? Please let me know when the date is set.”

Trying to evade responsibility with such obvious tricks.

Not a chance. Prepare to experience an economic recession for several years.

※※※

Russian Empire, Peterhof Palace, Saint Petersburg.

“You must make a decision soon.”

“The people are starting to voice concerns that something is going wrong.”

No matter how far away the war is, there’s a limit to spreading news that everything is going well.

There are so many merchants who bring in foreign newspapers that it was widely known that the front lines in the Xinjiang region were in a stalemate.

Adding to this the possibility that the war could end without any gains, voices saying that this isn’t right have been constantly pouring out.

“The field is also constantly sending requests to know Your Majesty’s will.”

“This war no longer has any justification.”

“But if we stop this, the work of opening the way to India will inevitably be greatly reduced.”

Alexander I’s head grew more and more complicated with the constant buzzing of the ministers.

This shouldn’t be happening.

Why did it turn out like this?

Wasn’t France Russia’s ally?

Prime Minister Christian was supposed to be on his side, but why isn’t he taking Russia’s side?

If he promised to help him achieve India, he should have handed Xinjiang into their hands.

In fact, no one said such a thing, but Alexander I, who had been believing it on his own, even felt a sense of betrayal.

“I will wait one week… I will wait one more week and then make a decision.”

“Your Majesty!”

“The longer we station troops in Xinjiang, the more meaningless expenses will continue to increase. You must make a decision quickly…”

“I said I would wait one more week!”

Frankly speaking, it doesn’t seem likely that France will take any meaningful action if he waits a week.

The ministers were wondering why France, who had initially opposed this war, should consider their circumstances, but the Tsar, who had been harboring expectations on his own, needed time to sort out his feelings.

Whatever it takes, he can’t end the war like this.

In order to surpass his mother, who never acknowledged him until the end, he needs achievements worthy of it, so how can he end it like this?

Alexander I, who covered his face with his palm, began to gleam with a dangerous light in his eyes.

End