Make France Great Again-Chapter 900 - 891: Bad News Arriving One After Another
Abdul Rahman, who had received assurances from the British Envoy, finally relaxed his somewhat anxious heart, promptly thanking the British Envoy and gifting him valuable presents.
Receiving the gifts made the British Envoy immediately beam with joy, and he once again issued Abdul Rahman a blank check.
On the other hand, the French Envoy and the Spanish Envoy, after departing from Rabat, returned to their respective embassies and promptly reported Abdul Rahman’s rejection to the Paris/Madrid government.
...
The letter from Rabat took five days, crossing the Mediterranean and most of France, and finally arrived at a subsidiary agency of the French Empire’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in mid-February.
Upon receiving the letter, the subsidiary agency immediately passed it to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State wasted no time, turning to the Minister’s office. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
At that moment, within the Minister’s office, the French Empire’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, De Luyis, was sitting at his desk, reviewing documents submitted by the French Envoy to the Ottoman Empire. These documents detailed the itinerary of the Persian Envoy Farokh Khan Aminmoruk upon his arrival.
Indeed, the Persian Envoy, who had stayed in Constantinople for nearly three months, finally, in early February, abandoned the United States of America and turned to the French Empire for assistance.
The reason why the Kaiji Kingdom abandoned the United States so quickly—and three months was relatively quick in an era where diplomacy operated in yearly terms—to choose the French Empire is twofold: Firstly, due to the powerful military force of the Kingdom of Britain, which made it impossible for the Kaijia Dynasty to leisurely conduct diplomatic activities.
During these three months, the British Army, led by the Duke of Cambridge, won successive battles, annihilating nearly half of the Kaiji Kingdom’s field troops and its garrisoned forces (the field troops recklessly insisted on fighting the British Army and were consequently beaten severely), forcing the army stationed in the Herat Region to be withdrawn to defend their home country.
However, even after redeploying the remaining field troops back to Herat, the Kaiji Kingdom no longer dared to launch an attack on Britain.
Britain, having learned from its previous lessons in Afghanistan, did not venture too far inland. Instead, relying on its irrefutable naval supremacy, it blockaded all ports of the Kaijia Dynasty.
At present, the Kaijia Dynasty has effectively become an inland nation. If the blockade continues, the entire economy of the Kaiji Kingdom will be devastated by the Kingdom of Britain.
Thus, it is impossible for the Kaijia Dynasty to continue waiting for the "negotiation" from the United States of America.
Secondly, due to the active promotion by the Russian Empire (led by Alexander II) behind the Kaijia Dynasty.
Under these two circumstances, the Kaijia Dynasty abandoned the United States of America and considered seeking help from the French Empire.
To determine whether the French Empire would be willing to intervene for the Kaiji Kingdom, the Persian Envoy Farokh Khan Aminmoruk first visited Fuad, the then Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Ottoman Empire.
Upon hearing that the Persian Envoy Farokh Khan Aminmoruk had come bearing gifts, Fuad immediately showed a surprised expression.
Fuad did not understand why the Persian Envoy had come to visit him. However, since the envoy had come, it was difficult for Fuad to refuse.
Thus, Fuad enthusiastically met with Farokh Khan Aminmoruk.
In the exchange with Farokh Khan Aminmoruk, Fuad learned that the Persian Envoy came to establish contact with the French Envoy to the Ottoman Empire through him.
In the face of the Persian Envoy’s kind gesture, Fuad undertook the role of intermediary.
Farokh Khan Aminmoruk was able to meet with the French Envoy to the Ottoman Empire at Fuad’s residence.
At the meeting, both parties engaged in small talk without getting to the point, until Fuad, acting as the intermediary, explained the Persian Envoy’s objectives to the French Envoy.
Only then did Farokh Khan Aminmoruk get to the point, expressing his hope to represent the Kaiji Kingdom on a state visit to Paris.
(The implication being: hoping the French Empire could make a stance on the issue between the Kaiji Kingdom and the Kingdom of Britain.
After all, at this time, the Kaiji Kingdom and the Kingdom of Britain were at war.
The Kaiji Kingdom Envoy being allowed to visit Paris would precisely indicate the attitude of France.)
The French Envoy to the Ottoman Empire immediately stated that he needed to inquire with Paris first before informing the Persian Envoy.
Farokh Khan Aminmoruk readily agreed but hoped France could expedite the issue.
On the evening the meeting concluded, the French Envoy to the Ottoman Empire sent a telegram to Paris, detailing his meeting with the Persian Envoy, while inquiring if France agreed to the Persian envoy’s visit.
The telegram, after a single relay, reached Paris, less than two hours after being sent from the French Envoy to the Ottoman Empire.
Upon reading the telegram, De Luyis immediately ordered the telegraph office to send a telegram to the French Envoy to the Ottoman Empire, agreeing to the Persian envoy’s visit to France.
The French Envoy to the Ottoman Empire received the telegram from Paris early the next morning.
The following afternoon, the French Envoy to the Ottoman Empire directly visited the Persian Envoy’s hotel to inform him of the permission to visit France.
The Persian Envoy promptly thanked the French Envoy to the Ottoman Empire and requested one more day to prepare.
The French Envoy to the Ottoman Empire agreed to Farokh Khan Aminmoruk’s request.
Another day passed, and Farokh Khan Aminmoruk arrived at the French Embassy to the Ottoman Empire, handing over his travel arrangements to the French Envoy.
Farokh Khan Aminmoruk told the French Envoy that he would act according to the itinerary.
The French Envoy nodded, indicating that he would send the news back to France as soon as possible.
...
De Luyis held the itinerary forwarded by the French Embassy to the Ottoman Empire, and after looking over the itinerary, he made corresponding arrangements for the Post Envoy’s travels, ultimately writing all the arrangements down on paper and handing it to Jerome Bonaparte.
Only with Emperor Jerome Bonaparte’s approval could all the arrangements take effect.
Just as De Luyis was about to finish writing all the arrangements, a knock on the door sounded.
De Luyis briefly lifted his head and said "Come in," before bowing his head once more.
The door slowly opened, and the Secretary of State entered the room, holding a letter from the Kingdom of Morocco in his hand.
"Minister Luyis, I have a letter here from the Kingdom of Morocco. I wonder if now is a good time..." the Secretary of State cautiously asked the busy De Luyis.
Upon hearing the Secretary of State’s report, De Luyis briefly raised his head, then gestured to the empty space on the desk and calmly said, "Understood! Just leave the letter here!"
"Yes!" The Secretary of State quickly jogged to De Luyis’s desk, placing the letter in the designated spot.
"If there’s nothing else, you may leave!" De Luyis paused briefly, then casually instructed.
"Yes!" The Secretary of State responded and exited.
An hour later, De Luyis stopped writing and carefully re-read everything he had written, a smile inadvertently creeping across his face.
Next, De Luyis remembered the letter he had asked the Secretary of State to place beside the desk earlier,
He picked up the letter, tore open the envelope, took out the letter, and read it carefully.
The expression on De Luyis’s face shifted from joy to gravity, and he murmured under his breath, "How dare they?"
After a while, De Luyis returned the letter to the envelope, then placed the letter along with the just-written itinerary arrangements into his briefcase, and left the office.
Walking in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs corridor, De Luyis met the Secretary of State at the staircase. He immediately commanded, "Get me a carriage ready!"
"Yes!" The Secretary of State, without hesitation, replied to De Luyis and then turned to run downstairs.
Reaching the first floor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, De Luyis quietly waited for a moment, after which the Secretary of State reappeared before him.
"Minister Luyis, the carriage is ready!" the Secretary of State replied to De Luyis.
"I know! Thank you for your efforts!" De Luyis offered his encouragement before rushing out of the ministry building and leaving by carriage.
The carriage carried De Luyis along Quai d’Orsay Street, heading east, until it reached a bridge spanning north to south across, and after crossing the bridge, continued west, quickly arriving at Tuileries Palace on Champs-Élysées.
The carriage stopped at the gates of Tuileries Palace, and De Luyis opened the door and alighted.
Entering the hall of Tuileries Palace, De Luyis quickly encountered Bashirio.
Led by Bashirio, De Luyis came before Jerome Bonaparte.
"Let me guess what you’re going to report today?" Jerome Bonaparte mused for a moment before addressing De Luyis, "Could it be the news of the Post Envoy’s visit?"
A look of astonishment flashed in De Luyis’s eyes, surprised that Jerome Bonaparte guessed one of the matters so quickly.
"Indeed, Your Majesty!" De Luyis nodded to Jerome Bonaparte and then added, "But it’s not just about the Post Envoy."
"Could it be that Morocco has replied as well?" Jerome Bonaparte smiled and asked, his insightful expression suggesting the emperor already knew.
"Indeed!"
De Luyis replied, while placing the French Envoy to Morocco’s letter and the documents concerning the Post Envoy’s itinerary on Jerome Bonaparte’s desk.
"No hurry, let’s look at them one by one!"
