Chapter 662: Cooperation
Talleyrand nodded in deep agreement. "Precisely, Your Excellency the Grand Vizier, there are always unscrupulous individuals who try to disrupt our normal trade relations through war or intimidation."
He gently removed Melik Mohammed's hand and smiled faintly. "However, in my experience, those who do evil are bound to meet with misfortune. Perhaps their fleet will be swallowed by a storm just as it passes through the Strait of Gibraltar."
"A storm? In the Mediterranean?"
Talleyrand waved a hand. "Perhaps they'll encounter a sea monster; who knows? But I am confident that normal commercial traffic in the Mediterranean will never be disrupted by the British."
Melik Mohammed stared intently at the "rambling" cripple, yet on that round face, he saw unshakeable confidence.
"With all due respect, your fleet is still no match for the British."
"You will see." Talleyrand maintained his smile. "Even the arrogant British Navy will abide by the rules of the Mediterranean."
Melik Mohammed still shook his head slightly. "Even if what you say comes to pass, our nation would still be in a very disadvantageous trade situation. This is not something our country desires..."
His concern was valid. Once France monopolized Mediterranean shipping, they could arbitrarily manipulate the prices of goods at port, which would mean controlling the Ottoman Empire's maritime trade lifeline.
"These new steamships are not to be operated solely by our country, but can be sold to you at any time."
Melik Mohammed's breath hitched. "Are you serious?"
"Of course, our two nations have vast potential for future cooperation," Talleyrand said with a smile. "A 32-meter steamship will only cost 300,000 Akçes, which is a very significant discount."
Typically, 1 Franc could be exchanged for 10 Akçes. However, because Ottoman silver coins contained many impurities, they could exchange for a maximum of 12 Akçes.
In other words, a steam paddleboat would sell for around 25,000 Francs. Its cost was roughly 14,000 Francs.
For a high-tech product like this, it was undoubtedly an enormous bargain.
Joseph knew that if they truly monopolized Mediterranean shipping with steamships, they would only deeply offend the Ottoman Empire. The ultimate outcome would be nothing more than trade embargoes and unprecedented unity between Britain and the Ottomans.
Selling the steamships to the Ottomans, however, would firmly draw them to France's side.
Firstly, since the Ottoman Empire was receiving such a significant benefit from France, they would surely have to offer some concessions in trade agreements. Not necessarily a drastic reduction in tariffs, but at least France could gain priority in the export of crucial raw materials.
Secondly, the Ottomans certainly wouldn't be able to repair such high-tech items as steamships themselves. Later maintenance fees could easily recoup the discounted selling price.
As for technology leaks, paddle steamships were largely unsuitable for military use, so a leak wasn't a major concern. By the time other nations could replicate them, France would have already recovered its investment and moved on to developing the next generation of products.
Furthermore, it was difficult to maintain strict secrecy for such large civilian goods.
Melik Mohammed immediately stood up. He placed his hand on his chest, bowing slightly to Talleyrand. "This matter is of great importance, and I must report it to His Majesty the Sultan."
"Naturally." Talleyrand glanced at his coffee cup, shaking his head regretfully. "To be honest, I haven't had enough yet."
The Grand Vizier paused, startled. Then he slowly sat back down.
Talleyrand continued. "You see, as long as we put aside the minor disagreements over North Africa, there are actually many areas where we can cooperate."
Melik Mohammed nodded. "I am listening to your esteemed opinions."
Talleyrand picked up his refilled coffee cup with satisfaction. "We need to better fulfill each other's needs."
"For example, our country will increase shipments of silk, ironware, chemical products, and weapons to Constantinople and the Levant. Oh, and I almost forgot, steamships too."
The Grand Vizier immediately latched onto the keyword. "What kind of weapons are you referring to?"
"Flintlock muskets, cannons, military uniforms, surveying tools. It all depends on what you desire. Even blueprints can be traded."
France was popularizing percussion cap muskets, so selling outdated flintlock muskets for a good price was ideal. The same applied to cannons with old carriages.
The Ottoman military was weak, fundamentally due to its corrupt Janissary system. Therefore, they could easily sell weapons and equipment to them, without any concern that it would make them a military power.
Moreover, the Ottomans would soon be needed to tie down Russia, to alleviate pressure on Poland. Providing them with some superior weapons at this time was also quite necessary.
A surge of euphoria swept through Melik Mohammed. Before he could speak, he heard Talleyrand continue, "And I need more cotton and sugarcane. You should be able to fulfill this small request of mine, shouldn't you?"
Although the Ottoman Empire was in decline, it was still vast and possessed considerable reserves.
For example, Syria and Greece were important cotton-producing regions. Nearly 20% of the cotton required by Britain was imported from there.
While Egypt's sugarcane production was far lower than that of the Caribbean, it was the closest producing region to Europe.
Melik Mohammed nodded. "I will certainly recommend this to His Majesty the Sultan."
Talleyrand, not yet finished, added. "Oh, I hear His Majesty the Sultan is training the 'Topçus' New Army."
"Yes, currently there are 600 soldiers, all trained according to Russian drill regulations."
He had no need to conceal it, as it was a significant part of Salem III's reforms. The intelligence agencies of major powers couldn't possibly be unaware of it.
Talleyrand appeared very regretful. "It is well known that an excellent teacher is even more crucial than a student's talent."
"To be honest, His Majesty the Sultan's New Army has chosen the worst possible teachers. Please forgive my bluntness."
"General Omar Agha advised His Majesty on this."
Talleyrand lowered his voice. "General Omar Agha merely considers the Russians strong because he was once captured by their army."
"Ah, perhaps that is the case..."
"In reality, the Russian army's training standards are among the lowest of the major powers."
The Grand Vizier understood his implication. "Are you suggesting that French officers could be sent to help train the Topçus?"
Talleyrand, however, shook his head. "No, I believe no European army is suitable for training them."
"I am aware that your nation's Janissaries have always strongly opposed training a new army, and their biggest reason is their refusal to accept infidels as instructors."
"This has meant that the Topçus can only maintain a very small scale, otherwise, it would provoke all the Janissaries."
"But in the Islamic world, there are simply no instructors capable of training them."
"No, there are."
"You mean?"
"The Tunisian Legion."
Comments