Chapter 76: Who's Fooling Whom?
Joseph naturally didn't jostle with the common audience. Instead, escorted by his guards, he entered the theater directly through the VIP passage.
His seat was a luxurious private box on the third floor, directly facing the stage. It was very spacious, capable of accommodating twelve people, but at the moment, he was the only one seated there.
As the audience gradually filled in, music swelled around them, and the stage curtains slowly parted.
The stage set was a light gray castle.
Inside the castle, a blond youth in a blue double-breasted coat etched runes onto a conical glass vial. Instantly, colorful mist swirled within the bottle.
The robed elder before him glanced at the vial and spoke with an indifferent voice:
"Thanks to the elements' blessing. My dear Hunter Shaw, I regret to inform you that you have only reached Level Three Alchemist."
Immediately, mocking voices rose from the surroundings:
"Oh, do my ears deceive me? Our genius has only reached Level Three?"
"To think such a genius would fall so quickly..."
Joseph was surprised that, aside from their somewhat exaggerated expressions, the actors were quite good. As he focused on enjoying the performance, he heard a knock on the box door.
Eman glanced outside, then leaned in to whisper to Joseph: "Your Royal Highness, it's the British Ambassador."
"Please, let him in."
Immediately, the box door opened. A middle-aged man in a gray-black robe, with remarkably thin lips, removed his hat and bowed to Joseph: "Esteemed Crown Prince, I am truly fortunate to encounter you here.
"You may not know me, but I am David Hartley, the current British Ambassador to France. Of course, I am visiting you today in a private capacity."
Joseph nodded at him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ambassador. Please, have a seat."
Hartley sat in the back corner of the box, a spot where he couldn't be seen from other boxes. As an ambassador, meeting the French Crown Prince in private was quite inappropriate, and if it became public, it could even lead to diplomatic issues.
"Esteemed Crown Prince, I often hear people praise you," Hartley said with a faint smile. "The talent of the 'Son of Divine Favor' astounds the world; he is immensely benevolent and brimming with wisdom..."
After a long preamble of flattery, the British Ambassador continued: "Your Royal Highness, as you know, I have always advocated for the firm development of traditional Anglo-French friendship..."
Joseph's eyelid twitched. 'Anglo-French traditional friendship?' he thought. 'Are you referring to the kind of friendship where we constantly scheme to undermine each other?'
Hartley, true to his reputation as an experienced politician, spoke his falsehoods with utmost sincerity: "However, in the past, due to the provocations of certain ambitious individuals, many frictions arose between our two nations. This is truly regrettable.
"Even now, there are still many who do not wish to see our friendship flourish."
He glanced at Joseph, probing: "Therefore, I believe we should focus even more on fostering this valuable friendship. What are your thoughts?"
Joseph didn't know what trick he was pulling, so he played along. "Indeed, long live Anglo-French friendship."
Hartley's Eyes Lit Up. He clearly didn't perceive the thirteen-year-old boy before him as a cunning old fox, muttering to himself: 'This Crown Prince is indeed pro-British; the intelligence was correct.'
He then went on about the broad prospects of Anglo-French cooperation before changing the subject. "Your Royal Highness, I've actually had a proposal that would benefit both our countries."
Joseph adopted an interested posture. "Oh? Please elaborate."
Hartley straightened up. "I've heard that Your Royal Highness vehemently opposed wasting funds on building large warships. I wholeheartedly agree with this."
Joseph's gaze sharpened. 'This was discussed in a cabinet meeting; how did the British get this information? It seems I need to thoroughly investigate the mole problem.'
Hartley continued: "Actually, there are some people in Britain who constantly advocate for building warships, wasting taxpayer money. I believe that this money doesn't need to be wasted at all. If everyone simply stops frantically building warships, mutual threats will disappear.
"Therefore, I suggest we can push for a treaty to limit the scale of shipbuilding for all nations.
"For example, Britain would launch no more than 5,000 tons of warships annually, and France no more than 2,000 tons. Oh, you know, Britain has a vast maritime trade network and needs more ships.
"Of course, countries like Spain and the Netherlands should also participate in signing the treaty..."
Joseph couldn't help but frown. 'Is he really trying to fool me like a child?'
Historically, both Emperor Napoleon and Emperor William II had proven with bloody lessons that if continental European nations lacked a powerful fleet, they would inevitably be blockaded to death.
His instruction for the navy to temporarily halt the construction of sailing warships was merely to avoid waste, yet he hadn't expected the British to misunderstand it as an abandonment of the challenge to the British Navy.
Seeing Hartley still speaking with a Mouth Like a Rushing River, he immediately cut him off, steering the conversation toward his desired rhythm:
"Ambassador, a shipbuilding treaty seems a bit distant. Why don't we first examine existing treaties?"
"Existing ones?"
"Such as the Eden Treaty."
Hartley immediately grew wary. "Your Royal Highness, I believe this treaty is already quite comprehensive and reasonable, with nothing further worth discussing."
"Indeed, it's very reasonable, but there's still room for further improvement," Joseph said with a faint smile. "Actually, France's industrial manufacturing capacity is quite weak. Many essential goods cannot be produced domestically, and affordable, high-quality British products are precisely what we need.
"But as you know, the Tariffs stipulated in the Eden Treaty are still too high, leading to inflated prices for these goods. The French people end up paying a lot more for them."
Hartley was momentarily stunned. 'This tone is quite unusual. Normally, the French vehemently push for higher Tariffs to protect their industries. Yet, this Crown Prince thinks they're too high...'
'He truly is pro-British, I was right!'
Hartley cautiously inquired, "Then what is your suggestion?"
Joseph declared with righteous conviction: "I believe negotiations for the Eden Treaty should continue, to further lower Tariffs! This is truly in the best interest of both our nations."
Hartley smiled. "Could you elaborate?"
"First, Tariffs on industrial products, including textiles, Steel, and paper, should be reduced by at least half," Joseph said, observing the British Ambassador's expression, then added, "To demonstrate equality between our two nations, Britain should also simultaneously lower its Tariffs on French industrial products."
Hartley nodded. "Equality, yes, you are absolutely right, equality must be demonstrated."
Britain's current industrial scale and technology far surpassed France's, so there was no fear of competition from French industrial goods. In his view, even if import Tariffs on British industrial goods were reduced to zero, it would have no impact.
Seeing Hartley barely suppressing his excitement, Joseph knew it was time to reel him in. "However, you know, if I want to push forward with treaty negotiations, I must first silence those at home. They constantly harp on about 'damaging French interests.'
"Therefore, I'd like to propose a different approach: for instance, temporarily raising French industrial product Tariffs to 25% first, then gradually lowering them each year to reach 5% within seven years. That way, they gain short-term benefits and won't be as resistant."
Currently, the Eden Treaty stipulates that France's industrial product Tariffs are between 12% and 15%. Under this proposed model, they would reach their existing level in just three years.
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