His Excellency the Count of Grandet

Traveling across the North Atlantic by boat is definitely a grueling journey, especially when compared - the airplanes of later generations are by no means the same as the steamboats of today, both in terms of speed and comfort.

Because of this, Charles' excuse for seasickness was not recognized.Especially his appearance is very deceptive - white and delicate - it is only normal that he can't stand the wind and waves at sea.

Moreover, although for the vast majority of the gentlemen of the expedition, their ships were already able to leave the British ships behind, but in the second half of the journey, because of dizziness or unadapted board and lodging at sea, those who needed to rest in bed There were more and more people, and none of them thought that the first Charles who lay down had another reason.

As for Charles himself, he really can't think of comparing it with the feeling of flying.The reason is simple, Victor's technique in bed is quite good.Especially when the waves are ups and downs, the enjoyment of riding up and down——

Even the toes are electrified and trembling. Is it too strong for the first time and the following consecutive days?

But now that it's cool, Charles is not so hypocritical, he can do whatever feels comfortable.Anyway, according to his thinking, when they saw the land, none of them would be too busy to touch the ground, so why bother with the short-term indulgence?

All in all, Victor can be considered to have eaten meat this time, to the extent that his mouth is full of oil and his face is red.In the eyes of people who don't know the inside story, the head of their inspection team is getting more and more energetic and happy, and can't help but reaffirm that the trip to the United States will definitely make money, and it will definitely make a lot of money——

Otherwise, what other reason could make a Lafitte so amiable?

This idea can boost morale anyway, so Victor didn't intend to clarify it—not to mention, sensitive reasons can't be clarified either.

All in all, everyone in the inspection team has great confidence in their trip this time.So when I saw the distant horizon ten days earlier than usual, there was a small climax on the deck.

"We're coming!"

"If the direction is right, the fleet will be able to enter the Chesapeake Bay within two days!"

"That's right, at that time, as long as you bypass Delaware and go west into the estuary, Washington is close at hand!"

Since it is an official delegation, in order to show sincerity and facilitate communication, the first stop is naturally the capital Washington.

"I hope they can fix the White House," Victor said. "It will give our people some confidence."

Less than ten years after the US-British War, the British army burned down the White House, Parliament, Treasury and other buildings when they invaded Washington.But it's hard to say right or wrong, because the US Army burned almost all of York (now Toronto) before.

Charles knew that Victor, like him, had no interest in war at all, and he said that just to make the negotiation go smoothly, so he smiled slightly. "There should be no problem," he said. "How could the Americans fight the British if they didn't want to get rid of their previous status?"

This is just a colloquial expression.The so-called status includes the colonial rule of the British on North America, including the dumping of British industrial products at low prices to bypass tariffs to squeeze the domestic manufacturing industry in the United States, and also includes the global hegemony of the empire on which the sun never sets—

It is still too early for the Americans to overtake the British in this last point, if there is any hope of a rapid rise in American industry within a few decades.But just as the French do not want to be left behind, so do the Americans.

Charles knew this, and of course Victor knew it too. "So we have a basis for cooperation." He thought for a while, and added: "The British are tough on the Americans, yes, but I have already foreseen the situation that the British can't handle. As long as the industry spreads, the new With the rise of the country, they cannot continue to dominate.”

A popular analogy is that a person looks at a big cake like a football field.He saved the cake before because he had a gun, while others had only knives or were empty-handed.Then if other people have guns one after another, can they still let that person monopolize all the benefits?

"Speaking of which, we seem to be causing trouble for the British." Charles smiled a little bigger, "But this will not affect the progress of Duke Decaz in London."

"Of course not," Victor said firmly. "The Americans are much more radical than we are—even if there's a little friction, they'll focus on the bigger one. I would say that the Emperor helped us a lot by selling Louisiana to the Americans a few years ago. Because that As a result, whether it is Spain or the United Kingdom, the focus is on the United States."

The emperor Victor said was Napoleon.Back then, because of the tight war in Europe, Napoleon had no resources to manage his colonies in the Americas, so he sold a large piece of land on both sides of the Mississippi River (about one-quarter to three-thirds of the current U.S. territory). One-third of the size) were packaged and sold.

On the one hand, this brought Napoleon rich resources to maintain the war, and on the other hand, just as Victor said, it diverted the attention of Britain and Spain, which also had large colonies in North America.Considering that the United States finally succeeded in occupying half of North America's land after various international frictions, France's withdrawal from selling land is simply a timely stop loss.

Ciel thought about these comparisons before and after, and didn't say it directly. "Actually, Americans are not radical. It's just that the situation is different. They are more anxious than us."

Victor smiled knowingly. "Who let them not get it done internally?"

The United States has been independent for less than 50 years, and it is nothing compared to established powers.Moreover, they only have a dozen or twenty states now, which is far less than the fifty in later generations.But in these places, two factions have been clearly distinguished-the southern faction and the northern faction.

Briefly talk about this faction divided by region.

First up is Southern Pie.Because of the rich land, most of the southern United States are plantations.The biggest cost of planting is labor, so if you want to make money, you need a lot of cheap slaves.

Now for the Northern faction.This side is biased toward liberal capitalism, hoping to catch up with or even surpass Britain in manufacturing.In other words, most people support industrial production and oppose slavery ideologically.

In addition to internal strife, the United States was sandwiched between the Spanish and British colonies, both of which were eager to claim their land.You don't need to think about it, you know, this day will definitely not be easy.

In short, if France can barely maintain superficial harmony today, then the United States is really suffering from internal and external troubles.

"Although it may be very unprogressive to say this, compared with the Americans, our situation is really fortunate." Shire said.At any rate, before they left Paris, the domestic political situation was fairly stable; as for the economy, now that Michelle is on their side, there is no need to worry about the future—otherwise, how could Victor have a long time to leave Paris?

"Maybe it was lucky before." Victor added.The assassination of the Duke of Berry, none of them expected, and the escape from danger in the end was completely forced luck. "But I'm sure, if this trip to the Americas can be successful, it will definitely prove our strength."

"Strength enough to turn the world around." Xia Er whispered, with imperceptible inevitability in his tone.

This universe, in a small way, is France, and in a big way, it is the world!

The fleet sailed into the mouth of the Potomac River mightily, and after turning a few turns, Washington was right in front of us.

Shire's prediction was correct. This city that has experienced the baptism of guns has taken on a brand new look, and it is almost difficult to find traces left by the war.Public buildings like the Congress are newly built, and the quartzite sections shine brightly in the sun.There are people coming and going on the street, and the carriages are busy shuttling between the streets carefully designed by Lang Fang.Azaleas and chrysanthemums are growing wildly in the flowerbed that has not been taken care of, but it does not look messy, but strongly shows a unique posture in midsummer.

To be precise, although Washington is not as prosperous as Paris, it is full of vitality that Paris does not have.

The delegation went ashore along what should be the Lincoln Memorial in the future.The location of this pier is already very close to the White House, and it is an absolute honor to be able to drive a ship to this place.The welcome team sent by the U.S. government had arrived long ago, and cleared a passage on the pier to reach the horse-drawn carriage team picked up by the roadside.

This is a great opportunity for politicians to show up, and people like Shire who don't have the title of government official have to fall last.However, his battlefield is not in this kind of welcoming occasion, but in various business meetings and negotiations afterwards.So it was rare for him to be relaxed, smiling and watching Victor in front of him doing the scene, and observing the people he might have to deal with by the way.

The first thing that caught Shire's attention was the leader of the other side, Secretary of State Adams.The last name is very familiar, because his father was the second president of the United States, and he himself will be.

The man is 50 years old, his hairline is a little dangerous, and his eyes are shining, which fully shows the difficulty of dealing with him.If you have to divide into one category, then Adams can be regarded as the Northern School.The specific character, can only be explored later when we formally know each other.

The other person who caught Shire's eye was not Adams' deputy, or even someone in the inner circle, but someone almost as far back as he was—a Massachusetts congressman, Mr. Webster.

The author has something to say: Victor: I can’t do it in three years, and I can’t do it in three years. It’s cool, but can the frequency be higher?

Charles: Mr. Webster, please stay.I would like to discuss with you about the customs duties.

Victor: ...I knew it would be like this!