I'm the Dauphin in France

Chapter 1344 A calculated scheme and Milan's festival
London.

Sir Charles Grey, Assistant to the British Foreign Secretary, was enjoying afternoon tea in the backyard when the butler hurried over, curtsied, and said, "Sir, Mr. Clary has brought a stranger to see you."

Sir Grey frowned; he disliked having his leisure time ruined by such an impolite person.

But when he glanced at the almost pure white tea in his cup, his interest in tea vanished instantly—to cope with the soaring price of tea, even his afternoon tea had to be diluted with large amounts of milk, leaving it with almost no tea flavor.

He stood up and waved his hand: "Tell them to wait for me in the reception room."

However, he quickly forgave Clary's rude behavior.

Because the "French businessman" brought by the latter told him a very important piece of information.

"Are you sure the information is reliable?" he asked the Frenchman.

“I swear to God.”

Tell me more details.

The French businessman, all smiles, rubbed his hands together and said, "Look, that thousand pounds?"

"At most £500."

"Then I'll have to sell it to Lloyd's. They've agreed to pay a thousand pounds."

Gray looked at Clary, who nodded, and immediately agreed, "Alright then, one thousand pounds. But you must not leave London until I confirm the matter is true."

If even Lloyd's of London is willing to buy this news, then it must be true.

The French businessman nodded: "Very reasonable, sir."

"Specifically, the negotiations will be held in Milan on the 10th of next month. Judging from the current attitude of the Russians, they are very eager to make peace with Paris..."

The next day.

Sir Grey and Foreign Secretary Lord Hawkesburg arrived at 10 Downing Street.

“That man’s brother-in-law is an aide to an official at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ liaison office in northern Italy,” Gray reported to the Prime Minister. “The Admiralty’s intelligence department has also confirmed that St. Petersburg has been sending people to Paris frequently recently.”

“You’ve done a good job.” Little Pitt nodded, then looked at Lord Hawkesburg. “Why are the French negotiating in Milan?”

"Your Excellency the Prime Minister, I believe they are trying to entangle more countries and thus put more pressure on Russia."

In reality, even if Joseph told him that he had brought so many countries into the negotiations only to slow down the process and give Britain a chance to "intervene," the British would still send people to stop Russia as he wished.

Because this is a completely open conspiracy.

Britain could not stand idly by and watch Russia also fall into France's arms—after all, Britain was also extremely dependent on Russia for raw materials and markets.

The British government could not have foreseen that even if Russia and France signed an agreement targeting Britain, the Russians would still do business with Britain through smuggling at all costs.

Little Pete continued, "What compromises do you think St. Petersburg will make?"

"It's hard to say," the Foreign Minister said. "Right now, the situation in Russia is terrible. Kutuzov's troops haven't received timely logistical supplies and are stuck in Minsk on the defensive."

"The Polish army has surrounded the 3 Cossacks in Vilnius, and the battle could end at any moment."

"And the situation in the South Caucasus is equally bad."

“It is said that an Ottoman army has launched a surprise attack on the southwest of Tabriz, possibly numbering at least 5. If the intelligence is true, then the Russian army will most likely withdraw from Georgia within two or three months. You know, that would deprive the garrison in Zandan of all logistical supplies.” Little Pete frowned. “So, even if the French demand the cessation of Baltic trade, the Tsar is likely to accept?”

“Even more serious,” Lord Hawkesburg said, “for example, the formation of a Franco-Russian alliance to declare war on our country. And those two countries even have a marriage alliance.”

Little Pete looked up at the ceiling and took a deep breath: "God, we must stop this from happening."

He instructed the Foreign Minister: "First, help the Russians hold off the Polish army's attack. You must immediately go to St. Petersburg and provide the Tsar with a loan and the necessary military supplies."

"At the same time, we can send people to mediate the Russo-Polish war and promise the Poles some benefits, as long as it can buy us time."

"On the Persian side, we should use our existing networks to try and get them to reach a ceasefire with Russia."

The Foreign Minister cautiously cautioned, "Your Excellency, this will likely require a considerable investment of funds."

Whether it's aiding Russia or enticing Poland and Persia, the terms will always be in pounds sterling.

“I know.” Little Pete nodded helplessly. “You can decide for yourself within one million pounds. In addition, I also grant you the authority to allocate supplies to the Baltic and the Middle East.”

He wasn't sure if one million pounds would be enough, but with soaring prices and a very bad financial situation, this was the limit of the foreign aid Britain could provide.

……

1800 2 Month 10 Day.

Milan.

Colorful flags fluttered everywhere in the streets and alleys, and music filled the air.

Every now and then, foreign honor guards in various attire would escort diplomats along the road. Milanese citizens would immediately gather around to watch the spectacle, and sometimes the carriages would scatter some reward money, which would immediately draw cheers.

If someone didn't know better, they would definitely think that this place is celebrating some major holiday.

However, the reality is that member states of the Mediterranean Security Organization are going to hold ceasefire negotiations with Russia here.

But for the states of northern Italy, this was more exciting than any holiday—this time, they were the victors, accepting the armistice request from powerful Russia.

Moreover, Paris meant that they were free to propose their own conditions!

Even if they had to pay out of their own pockets, they would still be willing to experience the feeling of being bossed around by a major power.

Milan, in particular, celebrated as if their army had defeated the Russians, starting days in advance.

The celebrations reached their peak when Count Segur, the French Deputy Foreign Minister, arrived in Milan.

In the square outside the Marino Palace, diplomatic representatives from various countries followed Segur, walking confidently toward the negotiation hall.

France's demonstration of great respect for the member states of the security organization has further strengthened the organization's internal cohesion.

Soon, the negotiating representatives from various countries took their seats on either side of the long table covered with a red carpet.

Then, Russian Foreign Minister Vorontsov, with a solemn expression, appeared outside the door.

After a series of routine ceremonies, the Milanese Foreign Minister, as the host, first read out the enormous damage Russia had caused to France, Venice, Milan, and other countries in this war, and then signaled to Count Ségur to take the lead in proposing a ceasefire for France.

"Russia should pay Venice 1200 million francs in war reparations." Segur's first sentence surprised everyone.

(End of this chapter)