I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 373

The youngest minister in the history of the British Empire.

Overwhelming imperial support unmatched by any other royal family in the world.

And even the achievement of single-handedly elevating Canada to the level of a major European power, a feat that hadn’t received much attention until now.

It was clear that someone who had accomplished all of this couldn’t be an ordinary person.

Ambassador Bernstorff had come to this meeting fully prepared.

Suddenly, a conversation he’d had with Bismarck before coming to London flashed through his mind.

“Minister… no, from now on, you will be an ambassador. I apologize for assigning you such a role.”

“It’s quite alright. I would have refused any other post, but being the ambassador to the British Empire is a different matter entirely. I’m rather proud to have received assurance that only I can handle such a crucial role.”

“To be honest, I wish I could go myself, but alas, I don’t have two bodies.”

“You mean you feel you have to go yourself? Is it that important?”

Otto von Bismarck. The Prime Minister of Prussia, and the undisputed de facto leader of Prussia, to the point where it was said that there was iron and blood above the emperor.

Even though he was from a Junker [Prussian nobleman] family, he was neither a central aristocrat nor a powerful figure from the provinces with ties to the royal family.

Bismarck was able to wield such influence entirely because of his abilities.

And yet, he was so wary? Simply because the British Empire was a powerful nation?

Bernstorff immediately realized that wasn’t the case.

“Is there anything I should be particularly aware of when I go? Of course, I know that Prime Minister Wellesley is an extraordinary person.”

“There is one more person. The Prince Consort of the British Empire.”

“You mean the King of Canada. Of course, I will be careful. I am analyzing him as the most important figure along with Prime Minister Wellesley.”

“Is that so? Then be twice as wary as that.”

“…Is he that formidable?”

Bismarck was the person who had the most contact with Killian in Prussia.

So, of course, he would know more, but this was far removed from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ analysis.

The main assessment of Killian was that he was a gentle, humble, and trustworthy person, unlike most British people.

“Rather than a scary person, he is more like… no. It’s better to think of him as a scary person. When mutual interests align, there is no better person, but once you part ways, the aftermath will be unbearable.”

“…Pardon? There have been no reports of such circumstances.”

“This is just my feeling. A purely subjective judgment based on results. But it will probably be correct.”

Bernstorff was nominally the Minister of Foreign Affairs, but Bismarck was the most experienced diplomat in the country.

He decided to keep the Prime Minister’s words close to his heart.

Whether Bismarck’s thoughts were right or wrong, Bernstorff had to be on the same side as Killian.

That was the only way Prussia could get what it wanted most.

* * *

It is a perfectly natural common sense that there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

Especially in international diplomacy.

The reality is that no one who doesn’t know this fact can become an ambassador, let alone an employee of an embassy.

A generous alliance that gives everything away?

A true sovereign who cares about the alliance?

Everyone knew that such things were just fictional beings that didn’t appear even in fantasy novels.

Even in novels, nine out of ten of those who appear that way end up stabbing you in the back or are actually insidious figures with other purposes.

Ambassador Bernstorff and Marquis de la Valette wouldn’t believe my words entirely.

They hadn’t been parachuted in; they had been working as diplomats for at least a dozen years to get to where they were.

How could they believe my kind words when they had so much experience?

That’s why they would be all the more confused.

What on earth is this guy after?

“What do you mean by ‘we remain’?”

“Please understand that as an expression of how much we value our allies.”

“But…”

Of course, they would try to figure out what I was hiding, and I had prepared appropriate excuses for that.

“I said that, but I’m not going to give it to you for free. Of course, we will have to receive payment, and your country will have to allow us to take Qing China’s territory.”

“Where are you thinking of?”

“We are thinking of Hainan and Taiwan.”

“Both are islands.”

Marquis de la Valette, who was looking at the map, nodded calmly and asked.

“Part of Taiwan was already ceded to the British Empire. Is the rest of it Qing China’s land now?”

“I heard that the Japanese army landed and occupied most of it.”

“So you will mediate when both sides sign a truce and buy it? Hainan too?”

“That’s right.”

“How many people are there in Taiwan and Hainan?”

“Well, as far as I know, it’s about a million.”

Taiwan would have a little more, but Hainan would have less, so the average would be about that.

The two ambassadors, who were quickly calculating in their heads, glanced at each other for a moment and then asked again.

“I heard that the Philippines has an efficient system in place after being managed by Spain for many years. Are we going to take it over as it is?”

“Of course. We will sell it as it is from Spain.”

“What is the guarantee that the British Empire will take over the Philippines?”

“Spain is currently heavily indebted. If they lose the war, they will never be able to repay it. The colonies in the Americas will be taken by the North and South [referring to the American Civil War], so the only place Spain can give up is there.”

They didn’t ask the stupid question of what would happen if the North and South coveted the Philippines.

If they weren’t clueless idiots, they would know that there was no possibility of them coveting Asia from there.

“The population of the Philippines is about 5 million… Spain has already established a stable system. Frankly, isn’t this structure too beneficial for us?”

“That’s not true. We are looking at different things. France and Prussia would not gain much even if they occupied Taiwan or Hainan. The population is small, and the value as a colony is not very high. But we already have developed territories nearby.”

“You mean Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Tainan.”

“Yes, if you link it with that side, it’s not a useless land either.”

There is no one in the world who offers a losing deal.

The point is whether the islands near Qing China, which will be newly acquired even if the good colony of the Philippines is sold, are valuable.

After listening to my explanation, the two ambassadors looked at the map for a while and then slowly exchanged glances.

“Did you have this proposal in mind from the beginning when you said you would meet us both at once?”

“Of course.”

“Then can we assume that the story is already over with the government?”

“The Greater Asia policy is entirely under my jurisdiction. You can assume that my will is reflected as it is unless there are special circumstances.”

“I heard that the Philippines is largely divided into three regions, so the key will be how to divide it.”

To mention the division means that they have accepted it.

As expected, if you put a competitor next to them, they will try to bite if they think it will be a little profitable.

In fact, the reason why I called the two of them at the same time was because of this.

The Philippines is an archipelago of nearly 7,000 islands and is largely classified into three regions.

However, the population, economic level, and types of goods grown in these three places were different, so it was necessary to preemptively occupy the desired place.

If one side hesitates, the other side will quickly take what they want, and they will end up chasing chickens and staring at the roof [a metaphor for getting nothing].

At first, they were suspicious of me, who seemed to be giving everything away, so they couldn’t easily come forward, but if they roughly understood it in their heads, now it’s a race against time.

Competition is really a good thing.

“I heard that Luzon Island is the largest in the Philippines. How about France taking Luzon Island and Prussia taking Visayas and Mindanao?”

“Luzon has the Philippines’ representative granary, so why is France taking it?”

“That’s a misunderstanding. Cebu in the Visayas is also said to be one of the most developed cities in the Philippines. If you combine the other two regions, the population is similar and the area is much larger.”

The Philippines is a long island region stretching from north to south, so it is inevitably sensitive to location.

Luzon Island is not only a population or agricultural area, but also the northernmost region of the Philippines, making it easy to trade with Asia.

That’s because it’s close to Indochina, which France occupies, and if you go up a little, you’ll see Qing China right away.

I should just let the two sides argue about who will eat which area and proceed with my planned work.

“Luzon can grow all tobacco and coffee and has a fertile granary, so it cannot be evaluated simply by area. And France already has Indochina in Asia, doesn’t it? For Prussia, acquiring the Philippines is an opportunity to establish an important base in Asia.”

“Then wouldn’t it be more profitable to have a larger land?”

I’m the one who’s selling it, but they’re having an impromptu discussion among themselves and it’s a mess.

Thinking about it, it’s really a funny sight.

If someone who didn’t know saw it, they would have no choice but to mistake that the Philippines had already been handed over to this side.

The reality is that Spain has not yet lost the war, and the Philippines has nothing to do with any of the three countries here.

But the words of taking over and selling it, and dividing it are coming out so casually, how can I not laugh bitterly.

Anyway, this debate will never end in a short time, so I think I can send them back now and watch the progress leisurely.

“…Then let’s do this. We will concede. France will take Luzon.”

“…Pardon?”

“Hmm?”

At Ambassador Bernstorff’s sudden remark, not only Marquis de la Valette but also I narrowed my eyes and watched him.

What? It was unexpected to give an immediate answer here.

Are you making a decision on such an important matter in this place?

No. Rather, even if he is an ambassador from a minister, no matter how powerful he is, he can’t make such a decision alone.

If there is criticism from the home country later, he will not be able to handle the aftermath.

To be honest, I was just interested, but Marquis de la Valette looked at Bernstorff with a wary look.

“Can you make that decision right here?”

“I can. I have already received permission from the Prime Minister.”

“Does that mean that Prime Minister Bismarck already knew about the purchase of the Philippines?”

“Ah, that’s not it. However, he gave me some autonomy. Of course, I’m not just giving it away. Of course, I’m going to make concessions through negotiations.”

“Negotiations?”

Bernstorff took his eyes off Marquis de la Valette and glanced at me very quickly.

The subtly moving gaze and the fingers that were slightly stiffened and moved again.

Even the position of the coffee cup that was deliberately raised to cover the twisted shoulders or mouth.

I’ve only been talking for a few hours, but looking at the reaction that has changed subtly from the beginning, it’s clear that this is not a word that was planned from the beginning.

In other words, it’s a performance close to improvisation, and it might be a good opportunity to gauge the diplomatic skills of Prussia and France.

Marquis de la Valette judged that it would act as a troublesome variable and tried to leave, making excuses.

“If there is something to discuss formally with the home country, it doesn’t seem appropriate to discuss it in this place. His Majesty is also here, so later separately…”

“No, I think this is the most appropriate place. This is because it requires the consent of both the British Empire and France.”

“But this is not a place to discuss such formal diplomatic issues…”

“Then will the ambassador go back? If the ambassador goes back, I will finalize the Philippine issue with His Majesty and send a message to the French Embassy.”

If you say that you can’t discuss formal diplomatic issues here, you shouldn’t mention the Philippine issue either.

Then Prussia will say that they will take Luzon first, so France is in a checkmate.

It seems that Bernstorff is one step ahead.

“Ahem, I understand. Then let’s hear it first. What conditions does Prussia want to present?”

“Rather than conditions, it is to urge the fulfillment of the contract. Didn’t you agree to fully support Prussia becoming the leader of the German Confederation in return for participating in the Civil War? I think it’s time to fulfill the contract.”

I wondered why they sent someone who had even served as a minister as an ambassador, but it seems that there was something they were really aiming for.

Marquis de la Valette, who could not accept the sudden change in the situation, put down his coffee cup with trembling hands.