"I knew it, they definitely wouldn’t let it go easily!"
Upon hearing the report from the black eunuch that the French and Spanish envoys were coming together, Sultan Abdul Rahman sighed and muttered softly.
To the arrival of the French and Spanish envoys, Abdul Rahman didn’t feel particularly surprised.
In his view, if France and Spain had no reaction upon learning that the Kingdom of Morocco signed a treaty with Britain, that would truly be unexpected.
However, the fact that the French and Spanish envoys could co to the Royal Palace together to reprimand him indeed exceeded Abdul Rahman’s expectations.
Could it be that the French Empire and the Kingdom of Spain are preparing to unite in pressuring ?
Abdul Rahman couldn’t help but think to himself, and his expression gradually beca more serious.
The black eunuch standing next to Sultan Abdul Rahman noticed that His Majesty the Sultan hadn’t spoken for a long ti, and hurriedly reminded him with a sharp voice, "Your Majesty, the envoys from France and Spain are still waiting outside the palace!"
The comprehended Sultan Abdul Rahman replied to the black eunuch, "Oh... let both envoys co in! Don’t keep them waiting too long!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" The black eunuch bowed in response, then turned to leave.
The black eunuch departed from the Sultan’s study and quickly arrived at the entrance of the Rabat Royal Palace along the corridor.
Standing at the palace entrance for so ti, the French and Spanish envoys smiled upon seeing the black eunuch appear.
Imdiately, the French envoy asked the black eunuch, "Is His Majesty Sultan Abdul Rahman willing to et with us?"
The black eunuch smiled slightly and calmly replied in French, "Your Excellencies, His Majesty has agreed to et with you!
Please follow !"
Led by the black eunuch, the French and Spanish envoys arrived at Abdul Rahman’s study.
The door of the study room was opened, revealing Sultan Abdul Rahman pretending to read docunts on the desk.
Upon hearing the door’s noise, Sultan Abdul Rahman looked up, saw the French and Spanish envoys at the door, and then stood up, saying to the envoys of the two countries, "Your Excellencies, what brings you here together? Please co in!"
At Abdul Rahman’s invitation, the French and Spanish envoys sat on the sofa beside the desk.
After settling the French and Spanish envoys, Abdul Rahman ordered the black eunuch, "Quickly, serve a pot of tea!"
"Yes!" The black eunuch nodded before turning to leave the study once more.
"No need for tea!" The French envoy shook his head in refusal, "The purpose of this visit is not to drink tea at the Rabat Royal Palace!"
"Indeed!" The Spanish envoy echoed, saying to Abdul Rahman, "Your Majesty, our purpose here is not simply to drink tea with you!
All ceremonial formalities can be omitted!"
"Since neither of you wishes to drink tea, I won’t insist!" Abdul Rahman didn’t get upset at the straightforward rejection from the French and Spanish envoys. He maintained his smile and casually asked them, "What exactly brings you here today?"
"Respected Sultan, I heard that two months ago, you signed a mutually beneficial and friendly agreent with the Kingdom of Britain... Is this true?" The French envoy asked Abdul Rahman with a slightly questioning tone.
Abdul Rahman’s expression changed slightly, and he snorted coldly, responding to the French envoy with indifference, "Indeed, that did happen! Why? Does the Kingdom of Morocco need to report any treaty to the French Empire?"
Facing Abdul Rahman’s "resistance," the French envoy kept his smile and maintained a calm tone, "Your Majesty, the Morocco Duchy doesn’t need to report any treaties to France! Additionally, we have no right to ddle in the affairs of a sovereign nation!"
Saying this, the French envoy paused montarily, and then shifted his tone, "But what I intend to say is that a nation’s security cannot be built on undermining the security of another nation!
Such actions undoubtedly provoke an unnecessary conflict!"
"Undermine the security of another nation?" Abdul Rahman imdiately retorted to the French envoy, "Your Excellency, I would like to ask how the treaty signed between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Kingdom of Britain undermined the security of any country!
Your country, France, and our own holand are separated by the diterranean, while Spain and we are also separated by the Gibraltar Strait!
We have not hard the security of any country!"
"Your Majesty the Sultan, you seem to have forgotten! Algeria is now a territory of the French Empire!" The French Envoy also smirked coldly.
ntioning Algeria, Sultan Abdul Rahman’s heart couldn’t help but surge with anger as he recalled the reckless scene of France crossing the borders of Algeria and the Kingdom of Morocco to capture people, and mories of the French Empire attacking the Kingdom of Morocco with flimsy excuses.
These humiliating mories only strengthened Abdul Rahman’s resolve to oppose the extortion of the French Empire and the Kingdom of Spain.
In Sultan Abdul Rahman’s view, the Kingdom of Morocco now enjoys the protection of the Kingdom of Britain, which is the most powerful country in all of Europe, so he no longer needs to mind the faces of France and Spain.
"I admit that Algeria is indeed a territory of the French Empire, but our Kingdom of Morocco has never threatened Algeria’s security!
On the contrary, it is the French Empire that has been threatening the border security of the Kingdom of Morocco. Your country has crossed the border countless tis in the more than ten years since occupying Algeria!
And every ti, your excuses for invasion are always the sa!" Abdul Rahman angrily retorted to the French Envoy.
"So your country would rather sell itself to the Kingdom of Britain than choose to oppose the French Empire?" The French Envoy asked coldly.
"Your Excellency the Envoy, let say it again! I do not wish to be enemies with the great French Empire!" Abdul Rahman said excitedly to the French Envoy, "Our goal in doing this is rely to have the ability to protect ourselves!"
"The ans for the Kingdom of Morocco to protect itself is to threaten the security of France!" The French Envoy focused stubbornly on the issue of "border security."
[PS: In fact, the Anglo-Morocco Treaty did not cover the issue of a military alliance between Britain and Morocco, so the "border security" ntioned by the French Envoy does not hold water.
And Sultan Abdul Rahman went along with the French Envoy’s line of thinking simply because he naively believed that as long as the Kingdom of Morocco ceded economic interests to the Kingdom of Britain, the Kingdom of Britain would ensure the security of the Kingdom of Morocco!]
"The Anglo-Morocco Treaty signed between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Kingdom of Britain not only threatens the border security of France but also disregards the economic interests of France and Spain in the Kingdom of Morocco!
It has caused considerable trouble for our investnts in the Kingdom of Morocco!" said the Spanish Envoy, who had remained silent, now speaking with a solemn tone to Sultan Abdul Rahman, "So we hope the Kingdom of Morocco will turn back from the brink and soon recognize reality!
Don’t go further down the wrong path!"
Hearing the Spanish Envoy’s words, Sultan Abdul Rahman chuckled angrily and said, "Mr. Envoy, may I ask what is the right path and what is the wrong path?
Is opposing France and Spain the wrong path?"
"Of course not!" Despite the Spanish Envoy wanting to say that it indeed was, he hypocritically responded to Abdul Rahman, "Whether a path is right or wrong does not depend solely on France and Spain; it also depends on other countries!
Only a path recognized unanimously by other countries is the correct path!"
"The Kingdom of Morocco has already received the recognition of the Kingdom of Britain, and we are now on the right path!" Abdul Rahman countered.
"Your esteed Majesty, since you are unwilling to talk peacefully with us, we have nothing more to say!" remarked the French Envoy, seeing the unyielding stance of Abdul Rahman, before ending the conversation, but he left an opening, "However, I still hope you can carefully consider your current predicant!
Constant refusal will not benefit your country in any way!
Moreover, do you truly believe that the Kingdom of Britain will fight to the end with France and Spain for your sake?"
With that, the French Envoy rose and bid farewell to Sultan Abdul Rahman, and the Spanish Envoy followed suit and took his leave.
Watching the French and Spanish Envoys depart, Sultan Abdul Rahman suddenly felt an inexplicable anxiety. He did not understand the aning behind the French Envoy’s last words and was also uncertain if the Kingdom of Britain would fulfill its promise to ensure the security of the Kingdom of Morocco.
Thus, shortly after the departure of the envoys from France and Spain, Sultan Abdul Rahman sent soone to the British Embassy to invite the British Envoy to Morocco to the palace, and he told the British Envoy in detail about his conversation with the envoys of France and Spain.
The British Envoy to Morocco, after listening, confidently assured that the Kingdom of Britain would go all out to ensure the safety of the Kingdom of Morocco.
However, the British Envoy to Morocco was unaware that a crisis threatening Britain’s rule in India was brewing.
Reviews
All reviews (0)