In the British Embassy in Paris, British Foreign Secretary George and Minister Roberto Fernandez sat opposite each other, and the atmosphere in the room was very depressing.

It can be seen from their faces that the welcome banquet that has just ended is not so pleasant.

Napoleon IV was not only absent himself, but also gave short notice to convene a government meeting during the banquet, and the French high-level left en masse.

The powerful men left, and the last thing that received Sir George was a few Foreign Office staff and a bunch of nobles with empty titles.

The most basic principle of reciprocal reception has been abandoned, and this is no longer just a matter of disappointment, it is a complete disregard for George, and it does not give the British Empire any face.

It is not surprising diplomatically that such a thing has been diplomatically coldly treated. Anglo-French relations were already bad, and more rude things than this had happened, and what worried George was the mission.

"Your Excellency, you have been in Paris for a long time, and you know the French government well. What do you think it will cost to convince the French to support us? ”

Georges was in a hurry on his visit to Paris, and until he was unsure of what France wanted, he had to improvise on the actual situation.

After a little thought, Roberto Fernández: "Sir, the French have a great appetite, and I am afraid that a little profit will not satisfy them."

If the situation is not particularly critical, I would suggest that the French government be stabilized, and the cost of wooing them is too great.

In fact, now the French government is busy sorting out its internal affairs, and the French government will not be able to mix in international affairs in a short time. ”

It is normal for countries to rob while the fire is hot, and now that Britain needs France, the French government will naturally not be polite.

George was unmoved: "What do the French want most right now?" ”

In diplomatic activities, even if you talk about it, you can't afford to make a profit.

George did not think that he could convince the French by deception, and now in order to win over the French government, it was necessary to show real benefits.

Minister Roberto Fernández replied: "The strategic objectives of the French have hardly changed. It has always been aimed at the hegemony of the European continent, and after the Great Revolution, it has converged a little, and now there is a trend of resurgence.

Radical groups in France wanted to expand into Central Europe and seize continental hegemony; The capitalists wanted to seize Belgium and the Rhineland, solve the problem of the cost of raw materials for industry.

These interests were opposed by the conservative wing of the domestic aristocracy, who feared that the march into Central Europe would lead to a new war against France.

It is precisely these conservatives who are in power at present, who oppose expansion on the European continent and advocate easing relations with the countries of the continent and using the method of developing colonies to solve the problem of insufficient raw materials for domestic industry.

The French government has been very lively in recent times. After Napoleon IV returned to Paris from his trip to Algeria, he ordered the removal of a number of local bureaucrats.

For the sake of the vacated official hats, the major factions within the French government are fighting for life and death, and there are even high-ranking officials who directly fight each other.

Now Napoleon IV is busy balancing the forces of all sides, and unless we can come up with conditions that none of the French interests can refuse, we will not be able to win over the French in the short term. ”

Knowing in advance that the internal situation in France was complicated, George could not imagine that the French government was in such a mess.

When the political struggle is fierce, there is no need to ask why. "If you are for it, I will be against" and vice versa.

Everyone is against for the sake of opposition, and it may not work out, but it is enough to harm the other party.

Just a little trivial matter, everyone can quarrel endlessly, not to mention the major international team?

If he really did the ideological work one by one, George had no doubt, and before he could convince the gang, he would retire first.

"Belgium and the German Confederation are both potential allies of ours, and to support the expansion of the French into Central Europe would mean abandoning these allies.

Moreover, with the current strength of the French, expansion into Central Europe at this time may not be successful.

With the appeal of Austria, it is entirely possible to form a new anti-French coalition. Other countries cannot be sure that Belgium and the German Confederation, the direct victims, will definitely be the first to lean in.

Whoever wins in the end, Europe will be dominated by one family, and we will be passive. ”

There is no way, supporting the expansion of the French into Central Europe will not only cost Britain's international reputation, but also mean that they will have to give up their fulcrum in Central Europe, and it will be difficult for them to meddle in continental European affairs in the future.

If that's all there is to it, it's not non-negotiable. In any case, the international reputation of the British is not good, and it will not fall anywhere.

The point is that after losing the backstage, Belgium and the German Confederation will definitely drag Austria into the water, and in the end it will become France vs Austria-led anti-French alliance.

Britain and Russia contain each other, and the outcome of the Franco-Austrian war becomes uncontrollable.

Unless it is a lose-lose situation, the winner is the European hegemon, and it is still the European hegemon hostile to Britain.

Minister Roberto Fernández nodded: "Of course, it is our national policy to maintain the balance of power on the European continent.

If we can't start strategically, then we can only start economically, but the sequelae will be more serious.

For example: the unilateral abolition of high tariffs against the French. ”

Hearing this proposal, George's face suddenly fell. Not only is the sequelae more serious, but it is clear that it is human life.

The high tariffs in response to France were retaliatory actions for the French to withdraw from the free trade system.

Moreover, the tariffs between Britain and France are now almost equal to each other. The unilateral abolition of Britain meant that French goods could enter and leave the British market freely; In order for British goods to enter the French market, they have to pay high tariffs.

If George dared to agree to such conditions, the domestic capitalists would have to tear him apart.

"Your Excellency, this joke is not funny at all. Do you know what it means to unilaterally abandon tariffs? ”

Minister Roberto Fernández nodded: "Of course, that means that Britain has become an economic colony of the French.

So, from the very beginning I was against co-opting the French at this time. Now we have too few chips in our hands, and the appetite of the French is too great to negotiate in itself.

In fact, we all know that the possibility of Austria's direct involvement in Central Asia is almost nil, with the Persian Empire in between.

It doesn't matter if the French are restrained or not. As long as the French do not have problems, even if they do nothing, the Austrian government must take precautions.

It is imperative to find a way to end the arms race, rather than wasting time on an impossible goal. ”

The risks and benefits are directly proportional, and if the French intervene to contain Austria, no one can guarantee that they will not misfire and detonate a war between the two countries.

If it doesn't even pay enough for the appearance, how can the French government be willing to take the risk?

After a pause, George said slowly, "What if we were allied with the French?"

We cannot support the expansion of the French into Central Europe, but that does not mean that we cannot acquiesce in the expansion of the French into Central Europe.

In any case, Austria will have to take the top, and the French will not rush to send troops until they are completely sure.

Britain needs time, as long as it is delayed until we solve the problems of Central Asia, whether this covenant will be fulfilled in the end, and the initiative is still in our hands. ”

After pondering for a while, Roberto Fernandez said cautiously: "Sir, is this the final decision in China?"

You know, after doing this, the results of so many years of operating in France will be ruined. ”

The pro-British faction does not mean unconditionally pro-British, and the vast majority of pro-British elements will still put their own national interests first.

Originally, the short selling of the franc in the past few years had offended the French fiercely, which led to a sharp decrease in the number of pro-British people in the French government.

Now there is another wave, and it is estimated that even the pro-British group in the French government will disappear in the future, and all that remains is naked hatred.

In the eyes of most people, a traitor is more hateful than an enemy. There is actually only a thin line between the pro-British and the anti-British.

Unmoved, George said, "It's a price that has to be paid. I wouldn't be willing to be so extreme if it were possible, but there was no way for the good of Britain.

Isn't our painstaking management just for this day?

From now on, the embassy is going to mobilize all of our connections to facilitate this alliance. ”

……