Chapter 558: A Merchant's Trick
Seeing the Duke of Leeds nod, Clästil instinctively recoiled.
He understood very well what a planned breach of contract, targeting the French market with a sum of 13 million Florins in a short time, would mean.
"This... this could even trigger a war!" he stammered, his voice trembling.
"So what? It would simply be a war between the Holy Roman Emperor and the King of France," the Duke of Leeds chuckled, leaning back on the sofa armrest. "You're not even an Austrian noble, so why concern yourself with the affairs of monarchs?"
"No, no, I wouldn't dare..."
"My old friend, I hear your business is experiencing some difficulties. Without help, perhaps it won't survive past July?"
Clästil lowered his head, tacitly admitting it.
"You see, there's actually no risk at all," the Duke of Leeds' voice was full of enticement. "By the time the French discover the issue, you will have already left Vienna with all your assets and the one million Florins I've granted you.
"Afterward, you can begin a new, prosperous life in a place where no one knows you – be it Britain, Russia, or America, all are suitable.
"Of course, if you handle it correctly, no one will even be able to link this matter back to you."
When Clästil heard "one million Florins," his heart immediately began to pound.
His current debts already exceeded 400,000 Florins; without intervention, he would go bankrupt in as little as five months.
Yet the Englishman's proposal offered him hope!
After a long moment, he wiped the cold sweat from his brow with a handkerchief, swallowed hard, and asked,
"You guarantee diplomatic asylum?"
"I swear it in the name of Jesus."
Clästil finally gritted his teeth and nodded. "But you'll have to pay me half the compensation upfront."
"That's reasonable."
Half an hour later, the Duke of Leeds left the brick-red villa with a calm expression and stepped into his carriage.
He didn't particularly admire such despicable merchant tricks, but according to his estimation, it would take at least one, perhaps even two years, for Prussia and Austria to reach a ceasefire, form common interests, and complete their military preparations.
Before then, having these money-minded merchants cause some trouble for France would certainly make his plans easier to implement.
Indeed, after being forced to resign as Foreign Secretary, he hadn't admitted defeat. Instead, he meticulously studied the French, who had brought him such disgrace, and ultimately completed a strategic plan against France, which he submitted to William Pitt Junior and saw adopted.
Subsequently, Britain's political elite refined it further, and it was now being fully implemented.
The Duke of Leeds looked up at his attendant. "What time is Baron Walter's salon?"
"Seven in the evening, my lord. Two and a half hours from now."
The Duke of Leeds pondered for a moment, then instructed, "First, let's go to Baron Thugut's."
Compared to the petty schemes of those conniving merchants, what he was about to do was a major undertaking that could truly shift the political landscape of the European continent.
Currently, anti-Prussian sentiment in Austria was very strong, with many demanding no ceasefire until Silesia was reclaimed. At the same time, pro-French factions also held considerable influence.
He intended to help Lord Grenville turn this situation around, a task of no small difficulty.
However, as an old hand in diplomacy, he had already devised several strategies. The breakthrough lay with Empress Ludovika and the anti-French faction in Vienna rallied by her cousin, Baron Walter.
The Duke of Leeds suddenly recalled something and told his attendant, "Have Bresse keep a close eye on Clästil, ensuring we can act at any moment."
"Yes, my lord."
...
Pest, a central province of Austria.
Inside a luxurious polo club, Baron Graz spoke with great eloquence to the general manager of the Mockbruno Caravan seated before him:
"There's absolutely no risk. The company has received substantial investment, and payments for goods will never be delayed. You can rest assured."
Seeing the other man still hesitating, he triumphantly placed a bank deposit slip on the table.
"Look, this is the deposit for the first batch of equipment, a full 30,000 Florins. The company's business is enormous, guaranteed to be profitable.
"All you need to do is introduce French partners in the name of your caravan, and you'll receive a considerable commission."
The caravan manager's concerns vanished instantly upon seeing the 30,000 Florins. This newly established company clearly possessed strong financial backing, and since they were purchasing goods with real money, there was no possibility of being deceived.
Thus, he quickly signed the agreement Baron Graz had brought.
Before long, Graz emerged from the club, a wide smile on his face. He thought to himself, 'This business Mr. Erwin Lenner entrusted me with is simply too profitable.'
Lenner had given him a large sum of money and a list, instructing him to order a huge quantity of goods from France accordingly.
This was no small feat – with such a vast sum involved, the French weren't fools; they wouldn't sign supply contracts with just anyone. Such dealings usually required on-site inspections and initial small-scale transactions to build trust.
So, Graz, familiar with business protocols, set up several shell companies, hired a few employees to maintain appearances, and then sought out reputable major merchants or companies to establish connections in France.
With the endorsement of these individuals and companies, combined with his prompt payment of deposits, the French quickly came to trust his credibility and capabilities.
Currently, his shell companies had signed two contracts totaling over 400,000 Florins. Including today's deal, he had effortlessly earned nearly 3,000 Florins in kickbacks.
As for Erwin Lenner, he was actually a confidant of Clästil, the second president of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce, though Graz himself was completely unaware of this.
In the evening, at a ball, Baron Graz boasted about his recent achievements to Georg, who had also received a commission from Erwin Lenner.
Unexpectedly, the latter merely smiled dismissively. "You're far too cautious. I posed as a wealthy merchant and acquired a stake in a caravan in Venice – oh, just a small share.
"Then they'll help me order goods from France. I'll tell you a secret: deposits should be paid in multiple installments, making it seem as though you're constantly channeling money into their accounts..."
Over the past month, similar scenarios had been unfolding throughout Austria and the Austrian-controlled regions of Italy.
Numerous caravans and companies became involved, quickly signing colossal procurement contracts with French companies totaling over 4 million Florins – or 10 million Francs – in a short period.
Stimulated by this, the entire French industrial market experienced an unprecedented boom. All factories frantically expanded their workforce, stockpiled raw materials, and worked overtime to fulfill orders.
If one were to tally the French factories involved, they would discover that all of them were investments of the French Industrial Development Fund.
Chapter 559: The Austrian StormChapter 560: The Austrian StormVienna.A salon, hosted by Countess Niklas, was underway in a music room on the second floor of Schönbrunn Palace.However, the nobles attending the salon all knew that it had actually been requested by Baron Walter. He was currently the rising political star of Vienna.Especially after Leopold II finally completed his coronation ceremony with the Holy See, Walter's status had soared with his cousin Ludovika becoming empress.And a special guest at this salon made the gathering much livelier than usual.The salon's theme was "The Connection Between Truth, Freedom, and God's Will," but at the moment, no one in the hall was discussing it.A stout noble with a long wig and small eyes declared loudly, "We simply cannot defeat the Prussians in a short time. The war in Silesia is merely depleting the Empire's resources for no good reason!""Exactly," someone immediately chimed in. "Deploying troops to Bavaria would surely yield ten times the returns!""Now is not the time to fight to the death with Prussia! Everyone knows what a mess our finances are in. If we continue this war, the serfs will probably revolt again!"The small-eyed, stout noble passionately lectured further on the Silesian situation, then turned to the Duke of Leeds, who was seated inconspicuously nearby. "Your Grace, what do you think of what I've just said?""Oh, most excellent! We need peace; every nation needs peace."The latter casually replied, then turned to Baron Thugut and others, saying, "In other words, His Majesty the Emperor has also realized that your nation's finances are insufficient to sustain the war.""Yes, His Majesty has often referred to Breslau as a beast, constantly devouring his tax revenue.""Then why doesn't His Majesty choose to make peace?" the Duke of Leeds asked. "I mean, the Prussians are clearly unwilling to continue fighting either.""Many factors," Thugut said, swirling the wine in his glass. "For example, the military hopes to taste another Liegnitz-style victory. You know, that battle propelled many people to prominence, like Marshal Leo."And the biggest obstacle is Count Kaunitz and his faction, who have always been hostile to Prussia. They constantly shout about 'recovering lost territories.' Anyone who mentions peace to His Majesty is branded a traitor by them."Furthermore, these people frequently incite nobles and even commoners to petition His Majesty. His Majesty now gets a headache just seeing him."Philip von Cobentzel, the newly appointed Assistant Minister of Interior, added, "Also, the Prussian peace terms must be considered. I believe they will undoubtedly demand the return of Liegnitz as a negotiating condition, which His Majesty can absolutely not accept."Liegnitz was conquered during the reign of Joseph II. Leopold II knew very well that if he lost this territory immediately after ascending the throne, his prestige in Austria would plummet.These truly influential figures in Austrian politics all shook their heads slightly.They had made many attempts to achieve peace but had made no progress, naturally leaving them quite disheartened.The Duke of Leeds thought for a moment, then looked at them and said, "I can try to persuade Lord Grenville to mediate on the Prussian side."So, the biggest remaining obstacle should be Count Kaunitz's stance?"Kaunitz was an extremely radical anti-Prussian and pro-French figure. Since becoming Austrian Minister of State, his core political agenda had always been to "contend with Prussia for dominance over Germany."His family, the Kaunitz-Rietberg family, had deep roots in Austria, and he himself had served three generations of Austrian monarchs as Minister of State. His opinion was definitely one that even His Majesty the Emperor had to take seriously.Cobentzel keenly noticed the matter of "Britain mediating the Silesian war" and his heart stirred. He immediately nodded and said,"If Count Kaunitz does not object, and the gains in Liegnitz can be preserved, I am confident I can persuade those warlike generals."Now, Walter, leveraging the Empress's influence, had gathered a large number of pro-Prussian and anti-French political forces. Their only concern was Kaunitz's political power. Without the latter's obstruction, they truly could exert immense influence in Vienna.Baron Thugut, however, frowned and said, "However, Count Kaunitz is very stubborn. We will probably find it difficult to make him compromise."Baron Walter also leaned in, saying with indignation, "If only we could get rid of that old fossil!"Although he was uneducated, he represented the Empress's attitude to some extent, so he had to be included in important political schemes.The Duke of Leeds smiled at him and said, "You are right. Perhaps the simplest and most direct method is the most effective. So, let us see what methods we can use to make His Excellency the Minister of State leave the political center."Thugut and the others nodded repeatedly but then fell silent. To be honest, before Klemens Metternich propped up Austria's "rickety carriage," Austria truly lacked any notable political figures.The Duke of Leeds sighed softly with some helplessness. It seemed he would have to play the villain himself.He continued, "Since Count Kaunitz is vehemently in favor of war, then we shall give him this opportunity and let him take center stage."If, at that moment, news suddenly emerges that the front lines cannot continue, or even show signs of certain defeat, he might have to bear some political responsibility..."After he had roughly outlined his plan, the others' eyes all lit up, and they exclaimed in unison, "This plan is absolutely viable!""You are truly full of wisdom. We should immediately start building momentum.""I'll handle Hungary; with your full support, I'm sure I can convince them!""I'll go to Prague; my mother is from there."...Prussia.Potsdam.William II paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, his expression alternating between annoyance and conflicted thought, muttering, "Damn it, is this how they treat allies? Why are there so few true friends like His Majesty Peter III?"He was referring to the Tsar who had suddenly changed sides, helping his father reverse the tide of the Seven Years' War.He had forgotten, however, that Peter III, for the sake of his "friendship," was ultimately overthrown by his own wife's coup and died in the cold palace.Ludwig Mencken, the Minister of Interior, walked beside him, cautiously advising, "Your Majesty, given the current situation, it is difficult for us to launch an offensive to reclaim Liegnitz."And although it is a pass in the Sudetes Mountains, its output is not significant. If the British can guarantee the safety of Breslau, our losses would not be substantial..."
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