"Alliance?" Joseph paused for a moment, then immediately revealed a smile. "My dear father-in-law really dares to dream, doesn't he?"
Talleyrand glanced at him quietly, then deliberated: "Your Highness, I believe now may not be the best time to ally with Russia."
Joseph responded with a simple "Hmm," and continued toward the Hall of Mirrors.
The optimal state between France and Russia is to keep a strategic distance, while steadily drawing closer in trade.
If the two countries draw too near, it can only provoke fear across the European Continent and in the Ottoman Empire, severely worsening France's geopolitical situation.
And this, is absolutely the scenario the British want most to see.
Of course, France could maintain a certain degree of "flirting" with Russia, making the Prussian-Austrian coalition feel strategic pressure, so they dare not harm France's interests.
