1850 American Gold Tycoon.

Chapter 722: Napoleon III's Ambition

The French are sincere in the negotiations, but they just won't let go of the shares of Los Angeles Petrochemical.

As a result, the two sides spent three full days at the negotiation table without any progress.

"The French would rather offer to send troops to intervene in our civil war than make concessions on the issue of Los Angeles petrochemical shares." Sartre said dejectedly as he walked out of the negotiation venue again with disappointment.

"If they insist on half of LA Petrochemical's shares, it will be difficult for the negotiations to make progress."

The members of the French delegation were very tight-lipped and had a high level of professionalism.

Even Le Goff and Tromeran, two French officials who had very good personal relations with the top leaders of the American Republic, did not reveal the bottom line of France's negotiations even when they were drunk.

"Is France's finances in trouble? Or is Napoleon III planning a major project?"

Liang Yao thought about it for three days and three nights, but he still couldn't figure out why the French were so eager to have a stable source of income.

According to intelligence provided by the Rothschild family, although France is in financial difficulties, it is not yet to the point where it cannot survive.

Since Napoleon III took control of the highest power in France, France has been thriving and all industries have flourished, gradually narrowing the gap in national strength with its old enemy across the strait.

Externally, he won the Crimean War and the expedition to Mexico in succession.

Napoleon III’s popularity at home was at its peak, and he was loved by most of the French people. He had none of the troubles that had bewildered his predecessor, Louis XVI.

"If the French are really short of money, it is not impossible to lend them some money with the credit of the French government in exchange for their concessions on the Los Angeles petrochemical shares," Sartre suggested.

The French government has a good reputation. California has bought French bonds before. During the Crimean War, the California state government bought war bonds issued by the French government.

"That was in the past." Liang Yao shook his head. "We don't have any spare money now."

Times were different then. Before the founding of the American Republic, the finances of the West Coast region were indeed very abundant, especially California, which had a large surplus every year.

Now the civil war is still going on. The American Republic has 70,000 to 80,000 professional soldiers, and the subsequent development of the central border areas will require huge amounts of real money.

Where is the extra money to lend to the French?

"What should we do? We can't just keep the situation like this?" Sartre said worriedly, "Yesterday Le Goff secretly told me that if we can't reach an agreement in the next two days, Napoleon III will leave for the south."

"It's just a pretense." Liang Yao smiled and said, "I think Napoleon III told him to tell you this. I'm going to visit Napoleon III tonight and feel out his attitude."

In the evening, Liang Yao tidied up a little and went to visit Napoleon III at his residence.

Napoleon III seemed to have anticipated Liang Yao's arrival and went out to greet him in person.

Both Liang Yao and Napoleon III were legitimate dictatorial leaders authorized by the people under modern authoritarian regimes.

As long as the two can reach an agreement, the following negotiations will be just a formality.

This is why Liang Yao decided to visit Napoleon III in person.

Napoleon III had lived a life of luxury for more than ten years.

It is inevitable that people become a little portly when they reach middle age. After Napoleon III sat down, his beer belly was clearly visible.

"President Liang, you sent a team to Panama in 1854. Why did it end in vain?"

Napoleon III spoke first and talked about the past when Liang Yao sent a surveying team to the Isthmus of Panama to carry out surveying work.

"The project is too difficult, requires too much money, and the geographical conditions are too complicated." Liang Yao told the truth.

There is nothing to hide. In his early years, he did have the idea of ​​building the Panama Canal.

Once the Panama Canal is completed, the voyage between the east and west coasts of North America, from New York to San Francisco, will be reduced from 22500 kilometers to 13000 kilometers, saving 58% of the voyage distance.

However, it was difficult for him to achieve his goal with his strength then and even now, so he had to give up.

"Since I met you, I have learned more about Chinese history. Do you know who are the two Chinese emperors I admire most?" Napoleon III said slowly.

"Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Taizong of Tang?" Liang Yao gave a relatively standard answer. "You are only half right. The two Chinese emperors I admire most are Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Yang of Sui." Napoleon III said.

"During their reign, the Great Wall and the Grand Canal were built. These two miraculous projects are still the two most important arteries for maintaining the order of the empire a thousand years later.

The Grand Canal, in particular, is still in use today. During the trade war between Britain and the Qing Dynasty, the British army cut off the economic artery of the Grand Canal, forcing the Qing Empire to surrender and negotiate peace.

Napoleon III could see this level, and his understanding of Chinese history was higher than Liang Yao expected.

"To be precise, it was not during their reign that the Great Wall and the canal were built. The Great Wall and the canal had already existed. What these two emperors did during their reign was to connect the segments of the Great Wall and the waterways."

Having said that, Liang Yao already knew Napoleon III's intention.

"Your Majesty is so interested in the canal. Do you want to build it?"

"I have established the Suez Canal Company, which has given a construction period of 10 years. I am not very satisfied with this period," said Napoleon III. "The efficiency of Egyptian workers is too low. I need more efficient workers."

It turns out that Napoleon III wanted to build the Suez Canal. No wonder the French have always wanted half of the shares of Los Angeles Petrochemical.

To build a mega project like the Suez Canal would certainly cost an enormous amount of money.

The cost of building the Suez Canal was at least 1500 million pounds, or 4.3 million gold francs, or 7305 million federal dollars.

With such a huge amount of project funds, not to mention France, even the British Empire, which is now at the peak of its power, would have to think carefully if it wanted to build the Suez Canal.

I have to say that Napoleon III was very courageous.

Once the Suez Canal is built and under French control, it will be a win-win situation for him.

The traditional Eurasian route bypasses the Cape of Good Hope in Africa, which is under the control of the British East India Company. This route has long been monopolized by Britain.

If France's Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, the voyage between Europe and Asia will be shortened by 8000 kilometers. France can not only reap huge economic benefits by controlling one of the key choke points of the Suez Canal, but also have the capital to challenge Britain's maritime hegemony.

There are many jewels in Queen Victoria's crown, and India is undoubtedly the biggest and most dazzling one among them.

In addition, strengthening control over the Ottoman marginal areas through the Suez Canal project can also curb the expansion of Tsarist Russia and Austria in the Middle East, which can be said to kill two birds with one stone strategically.

But all this is based on the premise that Napoleon III can withstand the pressure from Britain and gain actual control of the Suez Canal.

In other words, the day the canal was completed was the day Britain and France turned from friends into enemies.

The British Empire would not allow its throat to be controlled by the French.

"The labor efficiency in the American Republic is indeed higher, but the labor wages in the American Republic are higher than those in Paris, France," said Liang Yao.

"Furthermore, a mega project like the Suez Canal would require millions of workers, and we cannot dispatch such a large number of workers."

The high wages in the core area of ​​the American Republic, namely the west coast, were formed during the gold rush period.

At that time, labor was extremely scarce on the West Coast, and gold was abundant, which pushed up wages.

The labor force in the West Coast region is not as tight as before, but wages are still much higher than in other regions.

The average salary of Northern Federal workers is about 8 Federal dollars per month, which is considered a very high salary standard in the world.

The average monthly salary of workers on the West Coast converted into federal dollars is about $14. If you are an oil worker in Los Angeles, your salary is even higher, up to $20 a month.

"You know I'm referring to the Qing laborers." Napoleon III knew Liang Yao was pretending to be confused. "Only you can hire so many Qing laborers for me and provide funds, so I think we are very suitable partners."

"This is not a labor issue, but a political issue," Liang Yao said seriously.

"I can provide labor and funds for Your Majesty, but I wonder what else Your Majesty can provide? I think Your Majesty should understand that once the American Republic participates in the construction of the Suez Canal, it will become an enemy of the most powerful empire in the world."

(End of this chapter)