The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 857 Russia and France - An Unbreakable Alliance

March 15, 1807, Tilsit, East Prussia (Russian Sovietsk).

This is a small city located on the banks of the Neman River. After a series of wars, it became the border between Russia and France in Poland, also known as the ceasefire line.

After the rain, the clouds parted, the warm sun shone brightly, all things revived, the cold winter began to pass, and the grasslands on both sides of the Germanic River began to turn green.

However, not many citizens of Tilsit came to enjoy the spring scenery; instead, they were required to stay at home and were not allowed to move around freely.

Today, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte I of the French Empire and Tsar Alexander I of the Rus' Empire will meet on the Germanic River.

The horses' hooves clattered, but the ornately decorated carriage was empty, as it carried only delicacies and wines for the two emperors and their ministers to enjoy.

On the Germanic River, which flows relatively slowly, a white tent was erected using a huge wooden raft for the two emperors to meet.

Only royal attendants were seen in the tents on both sides of the river; there were few soldiers in sight. Everyone who approached the riverbanks underwent a rigorous body search.

At 10 a.m., amidst the attention of the crowd, a sailboat slowly sailed over. Napoleon, who considered himself the host, heard the noise and personally stepped out of his tent.

He was dressed in white trousers, a gray shirt, and a boat-shaped hat. With his sharp eyes, he could see Alexander I in a blue military uniform standing on the bow of the approaching sailing ship.

"My brother, welcome!" Napoleon was still a little nervous. He took off his hat and waved it casually as he called out.

To be honest, as an emperor who had swept across Europe, Napoleon's behavior at this time was somewhat beneath his dignity.

But if you see this as new money envying the deep family heritage of old money, then it's quite normal.

The winds of the French Revolution seemed to have swept across every corner of France, but in the mind of their emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, who came from a minor noble family and had hoped to make Corsica independent since childhood, the concepts of nobles and monarchs were still very deeply rooted.

Or rather, the French Revolution only touched the faces of Europeans, but didn't penetrate their hearts.

It did not achieve the complete demystification of the aristocracy that later republics did, to the point that Chinese people would turn their noses up at the mention of the aristocracy.

Even in later generations, Europeans still greatly admired the aristocracy.

“My brother, the great Emperor Napoleon, Alexander the Third Rome pays homage to you.” Tsar Alexander was also pleased, for he felt that Napoleon had shown him sufficient respect.

Compared to the meeting with the Crown Prince of Da Yu more than two years ago, today's opening was undoubtedly very friendly.

Alexander I still vividly remembers that meeting on the banks of the Volga River. He always felt that the Khitan crown prince was treating him like a child and was always lecturing him.

Amid the shouts, Alexander I also removed his hat. After a simple hat-removal ceremony, he leaped onto the large bamboo raft where the tent was set up. Then, the two emperors clasped hands and walked into the tent together.

Cheers erupted again throughout the day, because apart from those bloodthirsty war maniacs, no one is born wanting to fight, especially now that both sides' soldiers are exhausted.

After the emperors of Russia and France went inside, their civil and military officials followed them into the tent.

Instead of negotiations, they feasted on what was called a bamboo raft, but was actually more like a boat. During the feast, the two emperors even tasted the delicacies prepared by the other's imperial chefs.

This is a manifestation of trust, because poisoning food has been the simplest and most direct way to kill someone since ancient times. The fact that neither emperor was wary of the other's food indicates that the level of trust was already very high.

The banquet lasted for three hours, and the commotion only ended after several high-ranking generals from both sides had drunk themselves into a stupor.

If Ashang Murat was one of the drunkards, he was even helped down by court servants. There were many more on the Rus' side, with several nobles getting quite drunk.

But this is not considered impolite, because their purpose is to drink; that is their task.

Asan Murat even drank a pint of strong vodka in front of the Tsar, which was roughly equivalent to eight ounces of strong liquor, drawing cheers and praise from the entire audience. Alexander I even bestowed his gold pocket watch upon Murat.

"It's been a long time since we've had such a joyful gathering, it's wonderful!" After the drunkards had all left, leaving only the senior officials responsible for assisting in the negotiations, Tsar Alexander I couldn't help but sigh.

He certainly had a tough time. After tacitly allowing Zubov and others to murder their fathers and seize the throne, Alexander I first fought a war with the Yu-Russia, suffering a humiliating defeat. The Yu cavalry even went to the heart of the Don River to burn, kill, and plunder.

He was then immediately beaten by Napoleon at Austerlitz, followed by the Polish campaign, which was a way for him to save face, but the losses were still heavy.

Even the Ottoman Empire, seeing the Rus' Empire struggling to cope, has become increasingly ambitious. It is currently deploying a large army in hopes of reclaiming parts of Wallachia and Moldavia that were occupied by the Rus' Empire. Alexander I can only send Kutuzov to oversee the defense.

"Yes, it's wonderful!" Napoleon exclaimed, then changed the subject.

"That's precisely why I took the initiative to contact you, my brother. The French Empire and the Rus' Empire have no conflict of interest. Why should we harm each other for the benefit of others?"

France and Rus' certainly had conflicting interests. For example, the largest grain export route of the Rus' Empire was not through the East European Plain, Poland, and Prussia.

Because the freight and transit taxes would be more valuable than the grain itself, and Poland and Prussia were also major competitors of the Rus' Empire's grain exports, they would not allow the Rus' Empire's grain to pass through freely.

Therefore, the Rus' Empire's grain exports were loaded onto ships in places like Odessa on the northern coast of the Black Sea and transported through the Bosphorus Strait into the Mediterranean Sea.

Finally, it docked at the Kotor Bay naval port in the Principality of Montenegro, which belonged to the Rus' Empire, and then exported grain to food-starved states such as northern Italy.

Yes, the Rus' Empire always had naval ports in the Adriatic Sea and also effectively controlled the Ionian Islands off the west coast of Greece.

This was the most important way for the Rus' Empire to export grain, without exception. Moreover, the Rus' Empire was extremely dependent on sulfur from Sicily, with nearly 80% of its gunpowder production using sulfur from Sicily as a raw material.

Of course, if we consider these factors from the perspective of the life and death of the Rus' Empire, they are indeed worth giving up. The Rus' Empire would not be destroyed if it lost its benefits in Italy.

Upon hearing Napoleon I's statement that there was no conflict of interest between the two sides, Speransky, a confidant of Tsar Alexander I, immediately seized upon Napoleon's weakness.

"Does His Majesty the French Emperor mean he agrees to preserve the interests of the Third Rome in the Mediterranean?"

"The French Empire was certainly willing to guarantee the interests of the Rus' Empire in the Mediterranean and welcomed the grain trade from the Black Sea."

Therefore, with the promise from the French Empire, I think the Rus' Empire will no longer need to spend large sums of money each year to maintain a naval presence in the Mediterranean.

The one who responded to Speransky was not the French Emperor Napoleon, but the famous French Revolution's four-surname servant, the current French Foreign Minister Charles Maurice Talleyrand.

Napoleon then realized what was happening and, feigning sincerity, said to Tsar Alexander I, "My brother, the greatest danger to your empire is not whether grain can be exported smoothly, but the arrival of the fourth Yellow Peril."

After saying this, Napoleon wore a sorrowful expression of concern for his country and its people. He stood up and looked eastward with feigned profundity.

"For thousands of years, Easterners have been persecuting and enslaving us Westerners, from Attila the Scourge of God to the bloody Mongol conquests of the west and the early Ottoman conquests of Europe."

"It can be said that they have always wanted to destroy us, to enslave us. My brother, after the war on the northern shore of the Caspian Sea, don't you understand? A new Yellow Peril is descending upon us."

Napoleon became more and more impassioned as he spoke, waving his hands dramatically. "And this time the Yellow Peril is even more insidious, because it is not a barbaric Eastern people like the Huns, Mongols, or Turkic Ottomans, but a Seres who know how to present themselves as members of the civilized world."

They are even more terrifying, not only because of their powerful military and large population, but also because they are better at disguising themselves, making many people unaware of their danger.

They are like the most skilled hunters, often taking advantage of your deception to suddenly bite your throat and kill you swiftly.

“My brother, you Rus’ people should know better than we French people how terrible this is. I think it’s time for us to unite and deal with the terrible Seris Empire.”

Wow, there are some capable people in France, and many of them can see through what Mozibu's policy of "East meets West, everyone is civilized" is really trying to achieve.

They also perfectly linked the expansion of Dayu to the historical Yellow Peril. Moreover, their so-called fourth Yellow Peril sounds very reasonable and is indeed very intimidating.

Alexander I's expression was priceless; he even wanted to stand up and applaud Napoleon. The high-ranking officials of the Rus' Empire behind him, including Speransky, were also somewhat moved.

If Napoleon had said these words to the English or the people of the Italian states, they might not have been moved at all.

However, for the Rus' people, who had been ruled by the Mongols, were deeply worried about the westward expansion of the Great Yu, and had actually lost millions of square kilometers of land, this sentiment resonated with them.

"But Your Majesty the French Emperor, the Third Rome has reached a peace treaty with the Khitan Empire, which stipulates the boundaries of both sides."

This was agreed to in person by His Highness the Crown Prince of the Khitan Empire, and the Emperor personally signed the agreement; they would not continue westward expansion.

Speransky felt that Napoleon's words made sense, but he knew that at this time, he could not agree with this view.

"Minister, I've heard that you are one of the most intelligent people in Russia, and one of His Majesty the Tsar's most trusted ministers."

In the name of God, do you really believe that the Seres will abide by the peace treaty and that they have no interest in the rich lands of the Rus' Empire?
If they didn't, then why did they occupy the Caucasus region, or even Asia Minor? Why did their emperor support Prince Ferdinand of Belgium?

Although Napoleon lacked strategic vision, he was a formidable political figure and a master of rhetoric. His words immediately rendered Speransky speechless.

“My brother, I have come with sincerity. You have witnessed the bravery of the French soldiers. Although your soldiers are not bad either, if there must be a winner in our struggle, that person is very likely not you.”

My brother, for the sake of Western interests, I am willing to sign a mutually beneficial treaty with you under these circumstances, and then we will face the Yellow Peril from the East together. Can't you make some concessions?

Having silenced Speransky, Napoleon astutely realized that Alexander I was not actually good at negotiation and was no match for someone like him who had risen from the bottom. He then immediately used words to put Alexander I in a difficult position.

Alexander I was indeed put in an awkward position, especially since he agreed with Napoleon's words that compared to the Khitan, France posed little threat to the Rus' Empire.

After a long pause, Alexander I finally stammered, "If I relinquish my interests in the Mediterranean, what will I receive in return?"

“My brother, you should not only give up your interests in the Mediterranean, but you should also give up Wallachia and Moldavia to the Ottoman Empire, because we need the cooperation of the Ottoman Empire.”

With the Ottoman Empire, we could not only contain Prince Ferdinand of Belgium, but also use Ottoman territory to transfer our army to India, completely destroying the Yellow Peril strategy devised by the Seres Emperor to enslave us Westerners.

Napoleon described his ideas in detail to Alexander I.

That would mean blockading England, and then France, Ross, and the Ottomans would act simultaneously from three directions: the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, and Persia, launching a multi-pronged attack.

Once they could threaten India, they would immediately force England to surrender, then drive the Seres Empire back to their traditional sphere of influence, ultimately creating a confrontation between East and West.

"I, Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France, hereby pledge that I am willing to cede the Kingdom of Persia, and we may also share the benefits of India."

I believe that with the wealth of India and the population of Persia, the serf problem of the Rus' Empire can certainly be solved well.

At the same time, I can make concessions on the territorial issues of Poland and Prussia, and on the issue of the succession to the thrones of the German states.

This was pure deception and empty promises. Apart from the petty benefits mentioned later, everything about Persia and India was just empty talk. However, Tsar Alexander I fell into deep thought.

The key issue was that the Rus' army was outnumbered and unable to defeat the French army.

The current draw, where they are slightly at a disadvantage, is already a very rare situation. If the fighting continues, the Rus' Empire will certainly lose its territory in Poland.

Therefore, Tsar Alexander I could have agreed to these things; otherwise, he wouldn't have come to Tilsit.

Since there had already been general communication, his willingness to come actually meant that the Tsar agreed to the general direction.

"I, and the Third Rome, have lost too much." Alexander I had already made his decision, but he was still making a final effort to persuade them.

He needed a peace treaty with France, and even if a peace treaty was signed, it did not mean that the Rus' Empire would immediately launch an attack on the Khitan Empire. In many ways, it was possible to have a compromise and coordinate with both sides.

Therefore, signing a peace treaty now would not be a great loss for the Tsar.

"With France as an unbreakable ally, you and your empire will only gain more," Napoleon emphasized confidently.

When Alexander I heard Napoleon say this, he became somewhat curious. "My brother, how can our alliance be so unbreakable?"

Napoleon coughed, signaling his French ministers to step back. Alexander I hesitated for a moment, then also dismissed his ministers, leaving only the two emperors in the tent.

“My brother, I don’t want to hide anything from you. For God’s sake, I’m telling you the truth. My queen, Josephine, is infertile, so I have no heir to the empire to this day.”

Her birth was too humble; I think that even if there were an heir, she wouldn't be suitable to be the second emperor of the French Empire.

I grass!

Alexander I was extremely nervous because Napoleon's words implied that he wanted to form a marriage alliance with him.

However, at present, Alexander I only has one close relative who can be a marriage partner, namely his sister, Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna.

It looks pretty good, right? But...but!

He couldn't accept it, not even a little bit, that his sister Catherine was marrying into France, marrying Napoleon.

“I think if you’d like,” Napoleon said, deliberately drawing out the last syllable as he looked at Alexander I.

Because he recently obtained a top-secret information from a former Jacobin member in Belgium.

They're here, they're here! Alexander I was extremely nervous and furious.
"If you wish, my brother, I hope to choose between your sister, Grand Duchess Catherine, and Grand Duchess Anna, to become the Queen of France. This will be the solid foundation of our unbreakable alliance."

Damn it, Grand Duchess Anna, although also Alexander I's sister, was born in 1795 and is only twelve years old now, while Napoleon was born in 1769 and is already thirty-eight years old.

However, Alexander I breathed a sigh of relief and said somewhat vaguely, "My sister Anna is only twelve years old and is not yet of marriageable age."

Napoleon was now convinced that the secret he had received from Belgium was true.

But who passed this to him through this Belgian, and what purpose was it intended to serve?

too weird!

“That doesn’t matter, because you know, my brother, I can’t end my marriage with Josephine immediately; it will take several years.” Napoleon thought for a moment and held up three fingers.

"I think three years is a suitable time, by which time Grand Duchess Anna will be fifteen years old."

Alexander I glanced at Napoleon discreetly, not noticing that the latter seemed surprised by Napoleon's refusal to marry his younger sister Catherine, who was of a more suitable age. It seemed that Napoleon did not find this particularly strange.

Alexander I, who breathed a long sigh of relief, slowly nodded.

If this marriage alliance could be established, and the future French emperor would be his nephew, it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing.

(End of this chapter)