Just as Bashirio reford the bad atmosphere within the Paris Northern Industrial Group and Jero Bonaparte eagerly awaited the appeal for aid from the Post Envoy, an unexpected change was also occurring in North Africa.
The initiator of this unexpected change was none other than the Kingdom of Morocco, situated in North Africa.
On a Sunday morning nearing late December, French Minister of Foreign Affairs De Luyis hurriedly arrived at the entrance of the Tuileries Palace in a carriage, stepping on the snow-covered steps, and entered the palace hall.
The servants inside the hall quickly stopped De Luyis and inquired, "Minister Luyis, do you have an urgent matter to report to Your Majesty?"
"Of course!" De Luyis replied without hesitation.
"Please proceed to the reception room and wait for a mont. I will report imdiately!" said the servant, instructing his colleague to take De Luyis to the reception room.
The colleague promptly ran up to De Luyis and responded, "Please follow !"
De Luyis followed the Tuileries Palace servant to the reception room, while another servant ran directly towards the room of the Royal Chief Steward, Vilnius.
When the servant reached the door of the Royal Chief Steward’s room, he took a deep breath and gently knocked on the door.
After a while, a lazy voice was heard from inside the room, "Who is it?"
The owner of the voice was none other than Emperor Jero Bonaparte himself.
"Your Majesty!" the servant said with a hint of excitent to Jero Bonaparte.
"What’s the matter?" Jero Bonaparte further inquired.
The servant inford Jero Bonaparte through the door about the arrival of De Luyis at the Tuileries Palace.
Inside the room, Jero Bonaparte was montarily taken aback upon hearing De Luyis’s arrival, then realized that De Luyis must have sothing important to discuss with him.
Thus, Jero Bonaparte asked the servant outside the door, "Did Luyis tell you what he ca for?"
"Minister Luyis only ntioned that it’s an urgent matter, nothing more!" the servant quickly answered.
"Alright, I understand! Go tell Luyis that I will be there shortly!" Jero Bonaparte shouted towards the door and then turned back to the bed.
"Did Minister Luyis co over?" Vilnius, with a slightly flushed face, asked Jero Bonaparte charmingly.
"Yes!" Jero Bonaparte sighed while picking up the clothes scattered on the carpet and putting them on, complaining softly to Vilnius, "That old guy really gives no ti for freedom!
Sooner or later, I’ll dismiss him!"
Vilnius smiled faintly, understanding that Jero Bonaparte’s words were rely out of montary annoyance; the weight of Minister De Luyis in Jero Bonaparte’s heart was certainly not insignificant.
Otherwise, how could he have brought De Luyis back from his position as Austrian Ambassador to serve as the Minister of Foreign Affairs once again?
To secure De Luyis in the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jero Bonaparte promoted the forr Minister of Foreign Affairs, Valerovsky, in na only, transferring him to serve as the Pri Minister of the Luxembourg Duchy.
Although the Luxembourg Duchy was nominally on equal footing with France, with its Pri Minister aligned in status with the Speaker of the Legislative Corps, far surpassing the Cabinet Ministers, the power of the Pri Minister of Luxembourg was far less than that of the Cabinet Minister, especially the Cabinet Minister who held sway over the Empire’s foreign affairs.
This was enough to prove Jero Bonaparte’s trust in De Luyis.
"Alright! Stop talking about it. You should hurry to et with Minister Luyis!" Vilnius softly advised Jero Bonaparte, "I think Minister De Luyis must have sothing that requires your decision, which is why he has co to find you!"
"If Luyis tries to fool with trivial matters, I will make him realize the power of the Emperor!" Jero Bonaparte mumbled to himself, then he turned to Vilnius again and said, "Just sleep a while longer!"
Vilnius nodded, watching Jero Bonaparte leave the room.
Leaving Vilnius’s room, Jero Bonaparte walked directly towards the study.
When he opened the study’s door, he found that De Luyis wasn’t inside.
"Not in the study? Then he must be in the parlor!" Jero Bonaparte murmured softly, then closed the door and headed towards the parlor.
In the parlor, Jero Bonaparte saw Minister De Luyis, who was sitting on a Turkish-style sofa, waiting for Jero Bonaparte’s arrival.
The appearance of Jero Bonaparte prompted De Luyis to quickly stand up to greet him.
After shaking hands, the two sat on the sofa together. Jero Bonaparte asked Mr. Luyis in a slightly ironic tone, "Mr. Luyis, do you have more bad news to share with !"
"Your Majesty, nothing can be hidden from you!" Mr. Luyis replied to Jero Bonaparte with a wry smile.
"Ah!" Jero Bonaparte said with a slightly surprised expression, "It really is bad news!"
"Indeed!" Mr. Luyis nodded and answered Jero Bonaparte, "According to the report from our ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco, the Kingdom of Morocco secretly signed a trade treaty with the Kingdom of Britain a few days ago!"
Upon hearing this, Jero Bonaparte’s expression imdiately turned serious.
Having long regarded the Kingdom of Morocco as his spoils, he would never allow Britons to take over the Kingdom of Morocco.
Because once the Kingdom of Britain takes over the Kingdom of Morocco, it would an Britain’s colonies would border France’s most crucial colony (which can also be referred to as an overseas province), which is detrintal to France’s control over Algeria.
The French Army can conduct cross-border enforcent on the Kingdom of Morocco, but it would be difficult to do so once Morocco becos a British colony.
If friction arises between Britain and France in the future, the Kingdom of Morocco, as a British colony, would beco a stronghold against France in Algeria.
Both emotionally and rationally, Jero Bonaparte cannot allow the Kingdom of Britain even the slightest chance to ddle in the Kingdom of Morocco.
"What are the contents of the treaty?" Jero Bonaparte asked gravely.
"Your Majesty, this is the letter from the ambassador to Morocco handed over to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs!" Mr. Luyis handed the letter from the Moroccan ambassador to Jero Bonaparte.
Jero Bonaparte unfolded the letter and read it carefully.
The contents of the letter mainly discussed the treaty signed between the Kingdom of Britain and the Kingdom of Morocco, which included allowing British rchants to trade throughout the Duchy of Morocco, implenting agreed tariffs (charging a 10% commodity tax per the agreent), and granting extraterritorial jurisdiction to British rchants.
Upon reading the agreent, Jero Bonaparte could see nothing but the words "humiliation and loss of sovereignty."
After reading the letter, Jero Bonaparte couldn’t imagine that, as the only country in North Africa capable of "independence and autonomy" (Egypt and Tunisia nominally follow Ottoman Empire commands, and Algeria has been completely occupied by France), the Kingdom of Morocco could have maneuvered among England, France, and Spain, yet instead, they chose to hang on the tightrope of the Kingdom of Britain.
Is being the dog of the Kingdom of Britain more noble than being the dog of France and Spain?
"Abdul Rahman (Sultan of the Morocco Duchy), what exactly are you trying to do!" Jero Bonaparte stomped his foot, slightly agitated, "Doesn’t he know that doing so will only turn them into puppets of the Kingdom of Britain?"
"Your Majesty, actually, I understand why Abdul Rahman was eager to sign this treaty!" Mr. Luyis said calmly to Jero Bonaparte.
"Tell ! What is their purpose?" Jero Bonaparte asked Mr. Luyis.
"Your Majesty, Abdul Rahman’s purpose is to guard against our invasion!" Mr. Luyis bluntly said to Jero Bonaparte.
"We haven’t even started to invade him, and he’s already so eager to turn himself into a puppet?" Jero Bonaparte still didn’t quite understand.
Although he indeed had plans to occupy Morocco, the occupation of the King of Morocco was not an imdiate plan.
And if the agreent between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Kingdom of Britain is not restricted, the Kingdom of Morocco will soon turn into a puppet state of the Kingdom of Britain.
"Your Majesty, haven’t we had enough friction with the Kingdom of Morocco?" Mr. Luyis rhetorically asked, then continued, "Back when the Bourbon Dynasty occupied Algeria, the frequency of France’s friction with Algeria was far less than our current friction with Morocco!
At that ti, we did not invade Algeria or Algeria.
If I were the Sultan of the Kingdom of Morocco, I would also be full of fear towards France."
"Indeed!" Jero Bonaparte nodded in agreent with Mr. Luyis’ words.
"And becoming a puppet state of the Kingdom of Britain is much better than living in exile overseas!" Mr. Luyis gave another reason.
"So, Abdul Rahman is determined to curry favor with the English, isn’t he?" Jero Bonaparte frowned slightly and said to Mr. Luyis.
"Very likely!" Mr. Luyis responded to Jero Bonaparte. "However, I suggest we propose a treaty to the Kingdom of Morocco similar to the one with the Kingdom of Britain!
If the Kingdom of Morocco signs it, then all is well!
If Morocco is unwilling to sign..."
Before Mr. Luyis could finish, Jero Bonaparte interrupted, saying to Mr. Luyis, "If Morocco is unwilling, then we will send troops to Morocco! Am I right, Luyis!"
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