In the castle's great hall, Charles quickly met the two familiar Ambassadors.
Dressed in proper attire, with powdered wigs, elegantly yet unconsciously carrying a hint of arrogance—these were the nobles of Britain and Spain.
What Charles found amusing was that these two Ambassadors, who had been on opposing sides when America first gained independence, were now united in their goal to suppress the common people of France. And, as Charles knew, in real history, they would again be on opposing sides when Napoleon conquered Spain.
Such is the way between nations. People often say that a married couple doesn't hold grudges overnight, but this saying is even more fitting for countries. Two formerly hostile nations might, for a certain cause, become allies overnight. Because of the war of Independence and the Anti-French war, America's relationship with these two countries was not particularly good, but as professional diplomats and politicians, their meeting was still very friendly. Neither the two Ambassadors nor Charles showed any aloofness, politely bowing and greeting each other.
After the perfunctory greetings were completed, Charles directly raised his question:
"I wonder, Honorable Ambassadors, what brings you to visit this time? I heard you just returned from Europe, so you must have brought some good news, right?"
The British Ambassador, without further pleasantries, smiled and said:
"Honorable Speaker, the new year is approaching, and besides the abundant good news you anticipate, we have also brought a few small requests. Only when these small requests are met can our good news finally be realized. If..."
He didn't explicitly state the rest, leaving only a smile that everyone understood.
Charles also smiled, knowing he meant that if the requests were not met, the good news wouldn't materialize. He wasn't angered by the British Ambassador's veiled threat:
"Then please, Ambassador, elaborate!"
"Mr. Speaker, our good news is all here." The British Ambassador pulled out a large sheet of paper. "A total of two hundred thousand pounds in industrial product orders, and two hundred thousand pounds in purchase intent. As long as our requests are met, they will immediately be converted into pounds and delivered to your castle!"
Charles took the sheet and scanned it.
The list of purchased goods was nothing out of the ordinary—cotton yarn, cotton cloth, firearms, and so on. Other than the large quantities, there was nothing special. However, within the purchase intent, he found the name 'landmines'. These landmines were a new weapon developed by the Pittsburgh Armory in 1784, and they had only recently been deployed on the French battlefield. He hadn't expected them to already catch the attention of the British.
It seems the British have good foresight, recognizing the immense utility of this weapon. However, even if the British wanted to buy it, he might not be willing to sell it. The British Ambassador's confidence was too strong; he might end up disappointed.
"As for our small requests, we hope that you can reduce the supply of materials to the French Revolutionary Government. We are willing to purchase all the materials originally sold to the French at an equivalent price. We also understand your position and do not expect a complete severance of your relationship with France; we only ask that you cease the supply of military firearms. For other dual-use civilian and military goods, a reduction in the intensity of supply would suffice." The Spanish Ambassador, playing the villain, stated these demands.
"Haha!" Charles raised an eyebrow and let out a bitter laugh.
He was mentally preparing his words, trying to find a way to refuse this request.
Currently, the firearms supplied to France accounted for ninety percent of the Pittsburgh Armory's firearms exports, with the remaining ten percent largely going to Florida. Similarly, the cotton cloth and cotton yarn supplied to France accounted for nearly sixty percent. Including other exported goods, there was no doubt that France was Charles' primary trading partner. The amount of profit earned from her and the growth potential were immeasurable, and he absolutely could not give up this trading profit. Even if the British were willing to pay the same price to redeem the goods, Charles could not agree. These trades were not only enormous in value but also expected to last for a very long time. Charles estimated that this scale would be maintained for the next few decades, directly impacting the long-term development of the Pittsburgh commercial conglomerate.
If France lost its supply of American materials, and the Anti-French Alliance Countries like Britain and Spain acquired his new weapons, the history of the French Revolution might be rewritten. If the revolution were suppressed prematurely by the Anti-French Alliance, how could Charles continue to sell weapons to France in the future? The British would not cover the sales revenue for the following years.
Moreover, a strong European army power aligned with American interests, while a powerful royal Navy posed a significant threat to both America and Charles himself.
"Honorable Ambassador, you seem to understand our purpose as merchants, knowing that all commercial activities are for profit. Therefore, you wish to use a payment method to acquire the goods we sell to France. But in fact, for us merchants, there is one thing that is priceless. Money lost can be earned again, but if that one thing is lost, no amount of money can bring it back, and there's no hope of earning money again!"
"Oh? There's such a thing?" A hint of sarcasm flashed in the British Ambassador's eyes.
He didn't believe there was anything in trade that couldn't be acquired; it was just an exorbitant demand, hoping to gain more advantages.
"Of course, Ambassador, whether as an ordinary person or a merchant, credibility—credibility is the most important thing. Once a merchant loses credibility, not only will future trade be difficult, but even basic human interaction will likely be problematic. I believe this is also the view of all Americans." Charles affirmed with a stern face.
"Uh..." Both Ambassadors stopped simultaneously.
This was an over-the-top statement, and no one could directly say that credibility was unimportant, especially professional diplomats like them. But they also clearly understood that their so-called credibility was entirely guaranteed by the guns and cannons behind them; without power, it would be impossible to make people uphold promises.
However, even though they kNew York was using grand words to block their mouths, they couldn't find a reason to refute him. Instead, through this conversation, they clearly understood Charles' attitude: he would absolutely not agree to cease military trade with France.
Looking at the two stunned Ambassadors before him, Charles was very pleased.
Only by continuously supplying various materials and weapons to France could he ensure that their fight against the Anti-French Alliance Countries would continue uninterrupted. Only then could he continuously sell arms and materials to both warring parties, and only then could he guarantee his and All American Merchants' interests. On this point, he believed All American Merchants shared the same view. Therefore, no matter what terms the British offered, he would not waver.
Recognizing Charles' firm stance, the Ambassadors of both countries finally abandoned their hope of achieving success through peaceful means. They exchanged glances, and finally, the British Ambassador spoke:
"Honorable Speaker, if your statement truly represents the opinion of all America, then I think you might be in great trouble."
Charles curled the corner of his mouth, smiling disdainfully.
This was a common tactic of diplomats: if soft approaches failed, they resorted to hard ones; if negotiations broke down, they issued threats. Charles could easily guess what kind of threat the British would issue—nothing more than blockading the French coastline, preventing American merchant ships from docking in Europe. However, no matter what, supplying materials to France was crucial to his long-term plans. Even if Britain imitated Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare during World war I and indiscriminately attacked American merchant ships, he would still ensure America continued to sell weapons to France. Moreover, this was not World war I; even if the royal Navy was powerful, it couldn't completely blockade the French coastline, as the French also had a navy, and a relatively strong one at that. Historically, after Napoleon gained the allegiance of the Spanish Armada, he even nearly counter-attacked and invaded the British mainland. If the royal Navy couldn't successfully blockade America then, it certainly couldn't blockade France now.
However, pleasantries still needed to be exchanged:
"Ambassador, please don't be angry. Regardless of our trade with France, our trade with other European countries will still continue. Trade freedom and free trade are the constant pursuits and guiding principles of All American Merchants."
He knew in his heart that these two Ambassadors would not listen to his explanation; instead, they would perceive him as cowardly and issue even greater threats.
Sure enough, the British Ambassador's words were exactly as Charles expected:
"No! Honorable sir, I have already received notification from the royal Navy that if America cannot be persuaded to stop supplying firearms to France, the royal Navy will attack American merchant ships carrying firearms until no such vessels are seen again. In the spirit of our long-standing friendship, I hope you will reconsider your decision."
"Hmph! sirs, do you intend to declare war on America?" Charles also dropped his smile, his tone stern, showing no fear on his face.
He had anticipated such an outcome when he began supplying firearms to the French Revolutionary Government and had made some preparations. After nearly two years, these preparations were almost complete. At that time, let the royal Navy chase his merchant ships and eat their dust on the high seas.
"No, Honorable sir, the British king and his government have no intention of declaring war on America. Your normal trade will be guaranteed. But all firearms supplied to France must cease. If American merchant ships can accept the royal Navy's arrangements, I believe the royal Navy will not truly attack your country's merchant ships." The British Ambassador's attitude softened somewhat.
After all, although Britain was then a formidable empire on which the sun never set, conducting two large-scale wars simultaneously was still quite difficult. This was not a question of whether their overall strength could overcome the challenge; rather, Britain simply had a limited population, and there were certainly more than one or two places where the British and other powers clashed. If too many wars were dragged on, no one could predict the outcome.