Chapter 2079 Tianshui is ready (5)

"Let's see."

Bonaparte found a thick book from the box in the accompanying library. She opened it and took a look, and found that it was all comics.

"This is a British 'comic'." He said as he closed the curtains of the carriage.

Georgiana looked through the colorful cartoons by candlelight, many of which were satirical cartoons. One of them was obviously a picture of the Chinese emperor receiving foreign envoys, but this picture was wrong from all aspects.

She didn't know what Qianlong looked like, but he couldn't be as fat as in the comics, and he was lying on a scarlet Persian carpet. The Forbidden City in the travel magazine had the Golden Palace, and the emperor should be sitting on the throne.

Next to him stood a man holding a red scimitar in his hand. The knife had red patterns, but at first glance it looked more like blood. The British envoy looked frightened and knelt on his knees, looking like he was being intimidated.

Already.

"What is this painting? The Mongolian golden tent?" Georgiana asked in disbelief.

"Have you seen how they painted me?" Bonaparte said indifferently.

Georgiana was immediately speechless.

"I heard that the Macartney envoy's meeting with the emperor did not go well this time. Their conditions were not met." Bonaparte sat next to her, leaning closely against her and pressing his body weight on her.

, as if she were a pillow.

"What conditions?" Georgiana asked.

"Have you ever heard the saying 'Who are your friends and who are your allies'?"

"I've heard it now, who said this?" she asked excitedly.

"Didn't your British friends tell you?" he asked with a smile.

"Someone told me, 'France is an ally we cannot trust.'" Georgiana answered honestly.

"Silver is important, but having silver does not mean having everything. East Asia has a tribute system that has been implemented for many years, and we are forming a new system, my continental system, and England's trading system. They want a system that they can freely plunder

market."

Georgiana was startled.

"Do you know what a tribute is?" Bonaparte asked.

"Yes, I think I know." She said softly, "Envoys from vassal countries must present gifts when they meet the monarch."

"This is an Eastern etiquette. The Sultan of Turkey also paid tribute to me with pearls in the past. According to etiquette, I will give him a gift in return, which is the tapestry you found. If England needs to establish a trading base in various Asian countries, they must destroy this tribute.

System, in order to gain access to the market within the empire and the tributary system circle. Many British and Dutch people believed that diplomacy was not feasible, but Macartney felt that Qianlong was an enlightened monarch. As long as he made it clear to the emperor that Guangzhou Customs

The corruption of officials made him realize that official corruption caused business difficulties, and their business demands would be responded to."

"And they didn't get what they wanted." Georgiana said, looking at the painting in her hand.

"After listening to what Mr. Brown said just now, do you think the Emperor is an enlightened monarch?" Bonaparte asked.

Georgiana had nothing to say.

"Sooner or later, Britain's trade logic and China's self-proclaimed tributary logic will conflict. China's silk still has export limits. Silk and satin exports are carried out by official merchant ships in Jiangsu and Zhejiang when they go to Japan to purchase copper and silver. Guangzhou only has raw silk, Mr. Brown

The roll of silk used by the palace is very precious. I heard that he still has another roll. You..."

"I don't want it," she said without hesitation. "I like fish, but that doesn't mean I have to accept it. It means I have to accommodate some of his demands."

"I will tell him that you like the fan he gave you very much." Bonaparte squeezed her hand and said, "Remember what I just told you, 'Who is your friend and who is your ally'?"

"Do allies have to accept gifts?" she asked in confusion.

"Because of India, Britain has a foundation for development in East Asia. The inflow of silver has brought prosperity to the empire, but it has also laid the foundation for instability. The silver mines in Peru are almost exhausted. You know how much shortages there are in Britain now?"

money."

"But it would be unwise to start a war with China now."

"Yes, it would be unwise to start a war 'now'." Bonaparte repeated her words. "I heard that they are still using matchlocks and are not interested in the cannons and muskets brought by the mission."

Georgiana once again had nothing to say.

"There are three ways to solve this problem. First, Britain uses force to destroy the tribute system and coerces the empire to manage trade according to 'reasonable conditions'. Second, Britain completely abandons trade. Third, Britain absolutely obeys all the regulations of the tribute system. What do you think of England?

Which path will you choose?”

"Oh." She said in frustration.

"One day I will encounter the same problem. It is unwise for Britain and France to go to war 'now'. Mr. Brown loves you very much, so don't break his heart." Bonaparte said jokingly.

"What?" she asked in confusion.

He seemed to be thinking about how to explain to her.

"Because sugar and silk are not restricted?" she asked.

"This is the benefit of free trade." He replied immediately with a sigh of relief.

"But that's wrong," said Georgiana.

"Why do you think that?" he asked.

Georgiana had seen that while the rich man's wife lived frugally and took care of the housework at home, he took his mistress to buy luxury goods in London.

The same was true for men in the Victorian era. It was fashionable to keep an elegant mistress outside the home. It was fashionable to use a mistress instead of a legal spouse to take him out with him. Even French men were like this. Their wives gave birth to children at home. Louis XV always brought his mistress to the event.

Various public places.

The liberation of desire and love is one of the driving forces of luxury consumption. Which of those "adventurers" doesn't want to find a rich man with a successful career?

"You said you like candy."

"It's not sugar squeezed out by slaves." She said listlessly, "Let's go."

After saying that, she planned to throw away the picture album in her hand and leave the carriage.

But as soon as she stood up, he pulled her into his arms.

This was a passionate kiss, unlike at the banquet venue before, even that was bold enough.

The carriage was filled with the rustle of cloth, which made her feel immoral.

"He's going to kill me, right?" he asked after the kiss ended.

Georgiana stared into his eyes.

"Unless he comes to me." She said calmly.

He also looked at her without saying a word.

"You want to leave early, Sultan?" Georgiana asked.

"I like the old me, the power-loving me," Bonaparte said.

"One day we will all live like the people we hate the most, but you seemed to hate a lot of people in the past." She said with a smile, straightened her appearance, and left the carriage.

The moment she opened the car door, there was a burst of cheers, and then she saw a magical scene. A ball of fire was burning in the water column of the fountain. It looked like a flaming fountain where water and fire blended together.

"There is oil in the water!" said a woman. "It's oil that burns in the water."

"No, it's just ordinary water, I can guarantee that." A man said, "Can you please stop."

"Of course." A young man replied, and then the fire-breathing fountain stopped spraying water, and of course the fire went out.

"Look, it's just water," said the man who just spoke.

Everyone began to whisper.

"Would you like to see anything strange?" Georgiana asked Bonaparte, but his face was gloomy and unhappy.

So she stopped caring about him and went to see what was going on over there.
Chapter completed!