Alexei pondered for a moment, then hesitated, “Your Highness, I must admit, your proposal is very sound.”
“However, there are already quite a few people engaged in such trade between France and Russia, and I don’t think we can be more competitive than them.”
Joseph smiled and nodded; Alexei was indeed a smart man, not the frivolous young man he appeared to be. It seemed that partnering with him would not be disappointing.
“First of all, the current volume of Franco-Russian trade is far from sufficient.”
“If I remember correctly, there are over three hundred merchant ships sailing from England to Riga every year. Yet only a tenth of that number sail from Lyon to the Black Sea.”
“I tell you, France is going to start industrial reforms, and the demand for Russian goods will increase substantially, especially for flax. In that case, the existing merchant ships will be far from adequate.”
Alexei nodded slightly, realizing the Crown Prince of France had insider information. With this in mind, the business indeed seemed viable.
Joseph leaned forward, lowering his voice, “Furthermore, I can offer you tariff advantages. I guarantee they will not be insignificant.”
“Are you serious?”
“Of course.”
Joseph had ample confidence to secure those tariff advantages in the Cabinet. He didn’t even need to lower the tariffs; merely turning a blind eye to his trading firm would suffice.
Doing so would not only draw in the Russians but also reduce the cost of raw materials for the French textile industry, increasing its competitiveness.
At the same time, it would reduce trade ties between England and Russia, raising the cost of linen products for the British.
He continued, “Additionally, you can use your connections in Russia to secure cheaper commodities like flax and oils. By reducing costs at both ends, how could there not be a profit?”
Alexei was elated; if he could export to France with low tariffs, it would greatly reduce Russia’s trade dependency on England. This had been a great task that the Empress had wanted to achieve for more than a decade without success! If he could credit his brother with this achievement, it would surely change the way his mother viewed his brother!
He clasped his hands together excitedly, “Your Highness, I find your proposal very feasible. I will do my best to lower the cost of goods.”
Joseph smiled and bowed, “I am delighted to cooperate with you, Earl Bobrinsky.”
The dishes Alexei ordered at the dinner table had long gone cold, yet he hadn’t thought about eating them.
Joseph had a fresh hot dish brought up, signaling to the illegitimate son, “I think you should enjoy your dinner now.”
After Alexei had finished eating, the two discussed some details of the trading company, effectively finalizing their partnership.
The reason Joseph bypassed the Russian government to establish a trading company was primarily to avoid lengthy trade negotiations. Negotiating efficiency in this era was very low, especially given the distance between France and Russia. If the negotiating representatives had differing opinions, consulting their respective governments could easily take more than two months.
So, he adopted this private approach to kick-start trade between the two countries. Once the trade volume grew and both sides developed market dependency, negotiating a trade agreement would be much easier.
Besides, this also indirectly allowed him to control some raw material imports, making the Capitalists somewhat more obedient.
Late at night, after ten o’clock, Alexei took his leave from Joseph but stood there gazing at his departing figure, a sense of unreality welling up in his heart.
What kind of a young man was this, who suddenly appeared before him, solved his dilemma with a trading company, and also presented Russia with a great gift?
He had not quite believed those rumors about the Crown Prince of France, such as overseeing police reforms that greatly improved security in Paris or planning the grand fashion week. He assumed officials handled everything and merely attributed their achievements to the Crown Prince.
But after meeting him tonight, Alexei was convinced that the rumors about the Crown Prince were true and that his eloquence and wisdom were even more remarkable than the tales suggested.
Alexei suddenly felt regret. If his brother Paul had this wisdom, he wouldn’t have had to spend so many years away from home, numbing himself with alcohol and women, presenting himself as a useless dandy. Discover stories at m,v l’-NovelFull.net
…
While Joseph and Alexei discussed the trading company, an auction was taking place in the grand hall of the fashion week.
The attendees were dignitaries from various countries, and many members of the Royal Family. Queen Mary, who had given a brief speech for fashion week, was also dragged by her niece to sit in the balcony on the second floor.
The auction items were mainly expensive dresses and luxury goods.
None of these could catch the Queen’s eye; her mind was filled with the conversation she had with Louis XVI at noon.
It was after lunch when she casually mentioned her son’s fiancée to her husband.
She had fully expected that her niece had won over the Crown Prince, but the King told her that after speaking with his son, neither Clementine nor Maria would satisfy him as a fiancée.
She looked at her lively and charming niece with some distress. Oh, God, how could Joseph not like her?
For a moment, she truly wanted to be like other kings and queens and simply inform her son that Clementine was to be his future bride. But she could not bear to see her son look disheartened or unhappy.