North America 1849, from Gold Rush to Warlord

Chapter 269 Let them beat their brains to a pulp
“Supporting Tsarist Russia will certainly bring me huge rewards. But… it will also come at a huge cost!”

Azu calmly replied, "If I were to publicly express my support for Your Majesty's empire, I would inevitably offend countries such as Britain, France, the Ottoman Empire, and Austria."

"Your Majesty, you should know that I have established very close commercial ties with these countries."

Every year, the commercial trade between California and these countries amounts to hundreds of millions!

"On the contrary, our trade with the Russian Empire... well, it's almost negligible...!"

"If supporting Tsarist Russia leads to the severing of commercial ties with other powers, the price is one I cannot afford."

Azu continued, "Moreover, if I overstep my authority to represent the United States and make public statements, my influence and political reputation in the United States will certainly be greatly affected."

"Therefore, Your Majesty, I appreciate your kindness, but I... cannot fulfill your request!"

Nicholas I's sickly face revealed deep disappointment: "So, Count Goldberg is unwilling to stand on my side in the upcoming war...?"

Azu smiled and shook his head: "I'm just saying that I can't publicly declare my support for His Majesty. But... I can certainly provide Tsarist Russia with all possible assistance through clandestine means...!"

"Oh...?" Upon hearing this, Nicholas I's interest was immediately piqued again: "Count, you mean...?"

Azu replied, "I can provide Your Majesty with large quantities of the weapons and medicines you require."

"I will do everything in my power to help Your Majesty and your empire win this war!"

Nicholas I, Crown Prince Alexander II, and several other high-ranking officials of the empire all showed expressions of delight upon hearing this.

Before they could speak, Azu continued, "However, all of this must be done in secret. Under no circumstances will I publicly express support for Tsarist Russia, much less admit that I provided Tsarist Russia with a large amount of military supplies!"

"On this point, I hope Your Majesty can understand!"

Upon hearing this, Nicholas I, the Crown Prince, and others exchanged glances and nodded silently.

Azu added, "Furthermore, I do not wish for our relationship to be leaked through the channels of the Russian Empire... Otherwise, this support could be interrupted at any time... I believe His Majesty should be able to understand this point!"

After a moment's thought, Nicholas I nodded again: "That's perfectly fine...!"

With that, Nicholas I swept his gaze across the faces of everyone present and warned, "The content of today's meeting is known only to those present!"

"No one may disclose the contents of today's meeting in any way!"

"Otherwise, I will punish you severely... Do you understand?"

"Yes, Your Majesty!!"

Only after everyone bowed in acknowledgment did Nicholas I turn to Azu and smile, saying, "Your Excellency, you can rest assured that the secret cooperation between us will be kept strictly confidential by the entire Russian Empire, from top to bottom!"

Azu nodded and smiled, "Your Majesty's wisdom and decisiveness are truly admirable...!"

Nicholas I pressed on, "Count, I wonder how much weaponry and necessary medical supplies you can provide for my empire in the upcoming war?"

Azu pondered, “Your Majesty should know that a civil war between the North and the South in the United States could break out at any time.”

"Therefore, although my arsenal has a considerable production capacity, it must first meet the domestic demand for equipment replacement... The remaining capacity, as well as the limited inventory, can all be provided to His Majesty...!"

"As for the specific quantity...!" Azu pondered, "Before the end of this year, I can provide His Majesty with 200,000 Minié rifles, 500 hand-cranked machine guns, and at least 300 cannons of various calibers."

"And there are 50 million bullets of various calibers; 100,000 artillery shells of various calibers...!"

"Regarding medicine, I can guarantee that Your Majesty can provide as much as you need at the most favorable price...!"

The more Azu spoke, the more excited the Russian Empire leaders present became.

The numbers mentioned above alone were enough for Tsarist Russia to equip a dozen or twenty divisions of its army.

It should be noted that the Tsarist Russian army at that time was still generally using outdated smoothbore muskets, which had a slow rate of fire, poor accuracy, and short range.

The armies of countries like Britain, France, and Prussia have now largely switched to rifled Minié muskets, which completely outclass the outdated smoothbore muskets in every respect.

If the equipment level of the Tsarist Russian army could be brought to a level basically on par with that of the British and French armies, given the size of the Tsarist Russian army and the fearless spirit of the "gray beasts," they would have no fear of the allied forces of the great powers in land battles...!
But that wasn't all. Azu continued, "By next year, once I've basically fulfilled the domestic orders, most of the production capacity of my arsenal will be able to produce weapons and ammunition for His Majesty...!"

"If Your Majesty can hold on for another year, the amount of military equipment I can provide will at least double!"

"Clap...!" Even the ailing and sickly Nicholas I couldn't help but clap his hands excitedly: "Your Excellency, it is truly a blessing for the Empire to have a friend like you!"

The Crown Prince, sitting next to the Tsar, was in his prime and had been involved in state affairs for more than a decade.

At this moment, Alexander II, equally excited but still maintaining basic composure, asked, "Your Excellency, you have given the Empire such great support, what kind of reward should the Empire give you in return?"

Azu smiled and said, "I came here today to buy an Alaskan Malamute...!"

Nicholas I waved his hand dismissively: "As long as the Earl keeps his word, I have said that Alaska can be given to the Earl...!"

Azu smiled and shook his head: "Since I'm going to secretly support the Russian Empire, then the matter of Alaska is no longer in a hurry...!"

"Oh...?" Nicholas I asked in surprise, "What do you mean?"

Azu replied, "Your Majesty, if I easily purchase Alaska, and in future wars, a large number of advanced weapons of unknown origin appear in the Russian army, who will the great powers such as Britain and France suspect first...?"

“Of course it’s suspicion…!” Nicholas I suddenly stopped, looking at Azu meaningfully: “Count, I never imagined that a young man like you would have such far-sighted and profound insight and shrewdness…!”

Azu smiled faintly: "So, this time, no matter what secret agreement we reach, on the surface, we should pretend that the negotiations broke down and that we parted on bad terms...!"

"hehe……!"

Everyone present was a seasoned politician, and almost simultaneously they all revealed enigmatic smiles.

Azu continued, "Nominally, Alaska doesn't need to be handed over to me for the time being... However, would Your Majesty mind handing over the actual operational control of the Russian-American Company to me first?"

“Oh…? The Russo-American Company…!” Nicholas I mused, “Once your first batch of military supplies arrives in the Empire, the Russo-American Company will be yours!”

Like the East India Company, the Russian-American Company is the real developer and operator of Alaska.

Although nominally Alaska's sovereignty still belongs to Tsarist Russia, given Tsarist Russia's negligible control over Alaska... controlling the Russian-American Company meant controlling Alaska!

Azu smiled and nodded: "Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty...! After the war is over, Your Majesty can hand over sovereignty of Alaska to me... What do you think, Your Majesty?"

“Absolutely…!” Nicholas I readily agreed.

Azu continued, "Of course, Alaska alone cannot fully compensate for my support of His Majesty...!"

Nicholas I nodded in agreement: "Based on the prices of the arms you provided to Prussia and Austria, even the first batch of weapons cost well over ten million dollars, and including medicines, it is close to twenty million dollars."

"Given the Earl's immense support for the Empire, Alaska is valued at... well, six million dollars, with the remainder to be paid by the Empire in equivalent gold... What does the Earl think?"

Although Ah Zu has no shortage of gold, who would complain about having too much of this eternal hard currency?

Azu nodded with a smile.

But at this moment, Alexander II interjected, "Count, California is so far from the Empire, and the Black Sea straits are blocked by the Ottomans. How can you possibly deliver military supplies to the Empire?"

Azu smiled and said, "In addition to a high-speed fleet, I also have a large fleet of high-speed merchant ships!"

"Let alone a weak country like the Ottomans, even if Britain and France joined forces, they could not blockade my high-speed fleet!"

"With the speed of my merchant fleet, it's entirely possible to force our way through the Black Sea straits and deliver supplies directly to the Crimean Peninsula...!"

"Even if we deliver the military supplies in St. Petersburg in a low-key manner, it's perfectly fine... It all depends on what Your Majesty and the Crown Prince decide...!" "Hahaha...cough cough...!"

In his excitement, Nicholas I coughed violently before saying, "Of course, it would be best to deliver it directly on the Crimean Peninsula!"

Although war has not yet officially broken out, the atmosphere surrounding Crimea is already tense and fraught with tension.

Both sides in the war had long ago decided that this would be the future battlefield.

With such a vast territory, if military supplies could be transported directly to the Crimean Peninsula, it would save Russia a great deal of trouble.

Azu smiled at the Crown Prince and asked, "Your Highness, is there any other question?"

Alexander II pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head: "Your Excellency, the support you have provided to the Empire is far too timely and too powerful!"

"Your contributions to the empire will never be forgotten by my father, the emperor, and all the people of the empire!"

Nicholas I looked approvingly at his eldest son: "Your Excellency, what my son said is exactly what I wanted to say!"

……

After this private meeting, Azu and his party returned to the hotel that had been arranged for them.

In the study of the hotel's top suite, Azu, Victoria, Feng Yunshan, and others exchanged their experiences from the trip.

Feng Yunshan participated in the entire secret meeting as Azu's secretary.

After his own people sat down, Feng Yunshan couldn't help but ask the question that had been weighing on his mind for a long time.

"Boss, why are we risking offending Britain and France this time to give full support to Tsarist Russia?"

Feng Yunshan asked, "Britain and France are among the world's leading powers. Although Tsarist Russia has a vast territory and a large population, its actual strength cannot be compared with that of Britain and France."

"In my opinion, we should stand on the side of the strong to ensure final victory...!"

"To achieve victory...?" Azu smiled and shook his head, then asked in return, "Mr. Feng, in this war, whether Britain and France win or Tsarist Russia wins, does it have any practical significance for us?"

"This...!" Feng Yunshan pondered for a long time before shaking his head and saying, "Boss, my vision and perspective are limited. I really can't see what significance it would have for us if either side won!"

"That's right!" Azu laughed. "Who wins or loses doesn't matter to us!"

"In that case, we only need to consider how to seize the greatest practical benefits in this war."

Azu continued his analysis: "Britain and France pride themselves on their strength. Even if we side with them, we will most likely be looked down upon. At most, we will only be icing on the cake."

"But it's different when we're on the side of the weaker Tsarist Russia; we're offering help in their time of need!"

"Tsarist Russia needs our military supplies in large quantities. Not only can we easily take Alaska through this, but we can also make a lot of money. Why not?"

"I see...!" Feng Yunshan seemed to understand.

"Not only that...!" Azu continued, "As the saying goes, when the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits. We must take this opportunity to exhaust the national strength of Britain, France, Tsarist Russia, and the Ottoman Empire as much as possible, making them fight to the death and bleed to the last drop... That is our main objective!"

"Deplete the national strength of the great powers as much as possible...!" Feng Yunshan still couldn't see the key point: "Boss, why?"

“Hehe…!” Azu shook his head with a smile: “Mr. Feng, your vision is still limited to a city or a region, or at most the gains and losses of a country.”

"In this era of great change, to truly stand firm, one must set one's sights on the entire world...!"

“Looking at the whole world…?” Feng Yunshan seemed to have realized something again.

Azu continued, "In this era, it's either the East Wind prevailing over the West Wind, or the West Wind prevailing over the East Wind! The weaker the Western powers are, the more opportunities we have to rise up!"

At this point, Feng Yunshan finally realized what was going on!

"So that's how it is... I finally understand the deeper meaning!" Feng Yunshan looked at Azu with even more respect and heartfelt admiration.

The image of that Heavenly King Sect Leader involuntarily surfaced in his mind again, and comparing the two, Feng Yunshan felt extremely disheartened.

They were not even on the same level. The once formidable Hong was now no different from a clay chicken or a dog in Feng Yunshan's eyes!

Azu smiled and said again, "Mr. Feng, it's not just that...!"

"Oh...?" Feng Yunshan asked in surprise, "Boss, is there some trick to it?"

“Yes!” Azu nodded and said, “Don’t be fooled by the Tsar’s courteous treatment of us; it’s because he needs our help!”

"In fact, this is a country that is incredibly greedy for land and wealth!"

"Since its founding, this country has never ceased its aggression and expansion."

"Originally, Tsarist Russia was just a small principality of Moscow, with an area far smaller than present-day California."

"Through hundreds of years of aggression and expansion, Tsarist Russia acquired its vast territory today."

"Even so, Tsarist Russia was never satisfied! It continued its aggression and expansion."

Azu continued, "Now, the main direction of Tsarist Russia's aggression and expansion is in Europe, in the West!"

"For us, this is a good thing. We must ensure that Tsarist Russia continues its aggression and expansion in Europe, that they and the European powers remain in constant conflict and war, that they bleed continuously, and that they constantly deplete the national strength of the great powers."

"Tsarist Russia, like the mythical gluttonous beast, has an insatiable appetite."

"If the aggression and expansion in the direction of Europe fails completely, then Tsarist Russia's gaze and attention will certainly turn eastward, towards China...!"

Ah Zu said in a deep voice, "That's definitely a bad thing that we don't want to see!"

"Therefore, we must do everything we can to ensure that Tsarist Russia achieves a Pyrrhic victory in the end...!"

"Even if Tsarist Russia cannot achieve a Pyrrhic victory, it cannot afford to suffer a complete defeat... Otherwise, we in the East will face constant invasions from Tsarist Russia!"

In the original history, after Tsarist Russia suffered a complete defeat in the Crimean War, it lost a large amount of territory that it had seized in Europe over the years.

Then, Tsarist Russia turned its attention to China.

Northeast China, Mongolia, and Xinjiang were all being continuously annexed by Tsarist Russia.

If we start counting from the Treaty of Nerchinsk between China and Russia, in the more than two hundred years of history, Russia has swallowed up more than five million square kilometers of Chinese territory!
……

Ah Zu concluded, "Mr. Feng, in this era, one who does not plan for the world is not qualified to plan for a single nation... Even if you are about to return to China to assist the Taiping Army, I hope you will remember this saying!"

Upon hearing this, Feng Yunshan immediately stood up, bowed deeply to his ancestor, and said with great gratitude, "I will always remember your teachings, Boss!"

Azu reached out and helped Feng Yunshan up: "Mr. Feng, the God Worshipping Society and the Taiping Army represent ten years of your hard work, and I know you find it hard to give them up."

"Now that you have learned so much and traveled to so many powerful countries, I believe that your insights and vision are now vastly different from what they used to be."

Even so, you still can't save the Taiping Army. When you return home, you'll be met with disappointment and despair...!

"I won't try to persuade you anymore. I'll say it again: if things become unmanageable one day, California will always be open to you!"

"As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood! Mr. Feng, I only hope that you will do your best to preserve the wise men and generals in the Taiping Army, so as to leave behind the seeds for a future resurgence!"

Feng Yunshan still harbored a glimmer of hope, and simply replied, "I will remember what you say, boss."

(End of this chapter)