I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 197

The Hidden Tycoon of the British Empire 197

Eve of Revolution (2)

Now truly reborn as the foremost expert on crossing the Dover Strait in France, Guizot was immediately escorted to the Prime Minister after his meeting with Killian.

Normally, when visiting another country for diplomatic talks, one would meet with ministers or the prime minister first. However, this time, the order was reversed.

In fact, to be precise, the first person he met upon arriving in the British Empire was usually Killian, so it didn’t seem right to limit this reversal to just this occasion.

‘Could it be that the parliament and the royal family aren’t on the same page?’

The possibility of a country like the British Empire being disunited was low, but if it were true, it would be a nightmare.

If the royal family, the cabinet, and the parliament each held significant power, they could sometimes be out of sync, checking each other’s power. He couldn’t let his guard down.

Even in France, such situations sometimes occurred.

Since he had never properly spoken with the Prime Minister before, Guizot remained cautious.

Who was the Prime Minister of the British Empire, anyway?

A figure France could never forget.

Charles Wellesley, the second son of Arthur Wellesley [the Duke of Wellington] and the most prominent political figure in the current British Empire.

He had heard so much about him since he was in France that his ears were practically ringing.

The incident where a young man in his early to mid-30s ousted Robert Peel, who was then at the height of his career, and seized control of the majority party was a major event in France.

The fact that he was the son of the Duke of Wellington, who marked the end of Napoleon, stirred up complex emotions in the French people.

It was only natural that a great power like France thoroughly investigated the politicians of neighboring countries.

Information on key politicians in countries like Austria, Prussia, Russia, Spain, and the British Empire was already ingrained in his mind.

‘Charles Wellesley. On the surface, he has a gentle and pleasant personality, and many accounts suggest this is genuine. However, judging from his actions, it’s widely speculated that the reality might be different. Robert Peel’s downfall, the decline of the former Whig Party (now renamed the Liberal Party), and the rise of the royal family – it’s reasonable to suspect Wellesley is behind all of this.’

This was by no means an exaggeration.

In fact, since Wellesley entered politics, he had only known victory.

Once or twice could be a coincidence.

However, was it reasonable to monopolize the benefits in almost every political upheaval for nearly 10 years?

Even Killian Gore, whom he met yesterday, had been accumulating various benefits by traveling between Asia and Canada.

However, Charles Wellesley had been steadily succeeding and firmly maintaining his position as Prime Minister without even lifting a finger in his home country.

Perhaps, considering the circumstances, Killian Gore was in close cooperation with Charles Wellesley, and Charles Wellesley was secretly working behind Killian to solidify his political power.

Looking at the situation as it unfolded, that was a reasonable interpretation.

That’s why Guizot, on high alert, didn’t let his guard down even while facing Wellesley, who entered the room with a seemingly friendly smile.

“I heard you met with His Royal Highness yesterday. Did the conversation go well?”

“Yes. We reached a smooth agreement. I believe the details have been reported to the Prime Minister as well, or have you not heard about it?”

“No, of course, I know everything. I’m just asking if the process was smooth.”

“We are in a position of need, so whether it was smooth or not doesn’t really matter. Still, I am grateful that you said you would provide sufficient assistance without ignoring our country’s difficulties.”

He was worried that the cabinet might object, arguing that the royal family’s contract wasn’t their concern, but fortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case.

But he couldn’t let his guard down.

Even if he was smiling like that now, who knew what kind of monster he was harboring inside? Wasn’t he the Wellesley Prime Minister that the French authorities were analyzing?

The best strategy was to get what he needed as quickly as possible and leave.

“His Royal Highness mentioned that he would export surplus food to France as quickly as possible. I was wondering if you knew the schedule?”

“The amount in our country can be exported as early as next week. Of course, the transportation costs must be borne by the French side.”

“Of course!”

“And it seems it will take a little longer for the one in Canada, so I think it will be included in the second export shipment around next month. His Royal Highness also requested that France bear the transportation costs for exports from Canada to France.”

“Yes, we will bear that too.”

Since they were selling food to France first, what choice did he have but to open his wallet, being the one in need?

Still, it was fortunate that they didn’t attach all sorts of conditions and only asked him to pay more for the shipping fee.

“Oh, and one more thing. His Royal Highness said that France has expressed its ambition to take the lead in maintaining peace in Europe by working with the British Empire. Is that true?”

“Well… it’s true, but…”

“Yes, then that’s a good thing.”

He had said he would do it because they told him to, but was this something that deserved the grand cause of maintaining peace in Europe?

When Guizot hesitated to answer, Wellesley smiled even more brightly and whispered to him.

“France must put forward the justification that it is protecting Europe from those rioters in order to freely intervene in other countries. If France doesn’t step up first, Russia will take the lead.”

“Russia? Are you saying that Russia might get involved in this situation?”

“Of course. What kind of people are the Russians? They recently fought and won against the Qing Dynasty [China] and seized territory, so how arrogant will they become? When things get noisy in Germany in the future, they will send troops under the pretext of supporting them.”

“So you’re saying we should move one step faster.”

“Yes. Russia probably can’t imagine that France, which is on fire, can support neighboring countries. So they will be preparing leisurely.”

That’s right. France was not in a position to help other countries because it was in a difficult situation.

Even if this side was about to be turned upside down, why would they send support troops?

Moreover, if they tried to raise an army when there was a crop failure and food was scarce, the necks of the cabinet members, not the rioters in the neighboring country, would be hung in the square.

“You’re saying that we should receive food, quickly stabilize the inside, and send support troops to Germany. I think we can do that. But wouldn’t that be impossible unless Prussia or Austria ask for support? It doesn’t look good for us to propose it first.”

“Ah, don’t worry. I’ve already contacted our embassy in Austria, so we’ll get a reply soon. If France owes Germany a debt here, there will definitely be a time when it can be used in the future, right?”

It was true that not only the British Empire but also France was trying to desperately suppress Russia’s expansion, so it was not a bad proposal.

Although they were somehow suppressing it now, Russia’s desire to move south would inevitably explode if it was not properly curbed someday.

But the problem was that the Ottoman Empire, which was supposed to stop it, was getting worse and worse.

On the other hand, Russia was getting stronger and stronger, so if Russia actually started moving south, the Ottomans would never be able to stop it alone.

Then, naturally, England or France would have to intervene, but no matter how much they joined forces, a full-scale war with Russia would be devastating.

It would be good to have as many hands as possible, so if they could put a leash on Austria, there would be no better move than this.

“So, according to the Prime Minister, Austria will ask France for support on its own? We can send support troops then.”

“Yes. That’s right.”

Guizot clicked his tongue inwardly as he looked at Wellesley’s friendly smile.

‘Look at that. He’s already planned out a huge picture while smiling so brightly.’

Most likely, all the proposals that Killian made to this side yesterday were agreed upon with Wellesley in advance.

As expected, the most cautious person to watch out for in the British Empire was definitely this person.

Guizot nodded, repeatedly resolving not to be fooled by Wellesley’s benevolent face.

“I understand. First of all, I will follow the Prime Minister’s advice on future matters. By the way, you said that the British Empire and France are joining hands to protect the peace of Europe, but what role does the British Empire plan to play in that?”

“Of course, we will actively use the naval power of the British Empire, which boasts the strongest military power in the world. We plan to use all of our naval power, which encompasses not only Europe but also Asia and, if necessary, America, to protect world peace.”

“So you’re saying you’ll leave the land to us.”

“Yes. No matter how much Russia or whatever, isn’t France the one with the strongest army in the world? I hope I’m not the only one who thinks this isn’t the past tense?”

“Of course not. Our French army is naturally proud to have the best army in Europe even now.”

It was an obvious compliment, but there is no French person in the world who can say no, we are weak.

Moreover, while providing help in this way, giving France’s pride as much as possible was a strategy that analyzed France’s characteristics better than anyone else.

France, which still has the best pride in the world, could never refuse such a proposal.

“As expected, I believed that France would say that. Then, I look forward to working with you in the future. The food is scheduled to be transported starting next week, so please make the best use of it.”

“Yes. Thank you again for the Prime Minister’s consideration.”

Guizot left in a hurry, thinking that if he stayed here any longer, he might receive another request.

He would have to compete with such a person for national interests once he became Prime Minister next year, and he was starting to lose confidence in whether he could do that.

But that didn’t mean he was terribly anxious or intimidated.

Anyway, France and the British Empire were no longer fighting each other like before.

From the Prime Minister’s perspective, they should board the same boat to protect the peace of Europe, so France had no reason to refuse this.

Guizot decided to clearly define the path that France should take after he became Prime Minister on this occasion.

If you can’t win? You have no choice but to join.

* * *

Guizot, who returned to France, immediately requested Louis-Philippe [King of France] to form a new cabinet.

The justification for holding them accountable for failing to cope with the chaotic situation at home and abroad and forming a new emergency cabinet was so compelling that the King allowed it without hesitation.

Guizot, appointed as the new Prime Minister of France in such a swift manner, fearlessly managed the chaos of the unstable society.

“Dear citizens of Paris! I sympathize with your feelings more than anyone else, as you are suffering from the recent rise in grain prices. When I was newly appointed as Prime Minister, His Majesty the King asked me to be responsible for the safety and lives of the citizens above all else. For the time being, I will try my best to achieve only that goal.

This is by no means just empty talk. A large-scale grain import from the British Empire will take place starting next week. These grains will be released to the market at cost, and anyone who tries to take advantage of the current crop failure to make excessive profits will be immediately judged by strict law!”

Guizot, who had gathered a crowd of workers in the square, raised a piece of bread he had prepared in advance high into the sky and continued his passionate speech.

“In sympathy with your pain, I will also eat only rye bread and simple soup from today! You, our France, will not be broken by this level of hardship! I, François Guizot, and His Majesty the King will always be by your side. Don’t lose hope! Long live France!”

“Long live France!”

“Long live Prime Minister!”

The workers, who had been spewing all sorts of insults such as ‘bastard’ and ‘trash’ until recently, changed their attitude as if nothing had happened and shouted and cheered the names of Guizot and the King.

‘Wow, this actually works.’

Guizot realized once again that the advice he received from Killian was so effective and let out a hollow laugh.

It was quite a chore to eat tasteless bread and drink near-watery soup, but if this could quell people’s complaints, what could be more cost-effective than this?

And the advice he heard from Killian was not the end of it.

There was still a clever way to stabilize the unstable political situation in France more easily.

When it comes to the ability to create division, you can’t surpass the British Empire.

Even he, who believed that France lacked nothing compared to the British Empire, could not deny this.

Perhaps most politicians would think the same.

Guizot confirmed that the number of people listening to the speech was increasing and solemnly opened his mouth again.

It was time to advance the plan to the next stage.