Chapter 67

New book, seeking collections and recommendations.

August 21, 1843. Quai d'Orsay, French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Paris.

"Sir, Mr. Bai, the friendly relations between France and China can be traced back to the era of Louis XIV and Emperor Kangxi. Unlike Britain, France has only goodwill and no ambitions towards China, and is sincerely willing to help China reform and restore its former glory..."

The speaker was François Pierre Guillaume Guizot, the French Foreign Minister and the actual power behind the Soutrot Cabinet. He was a man in his fifties, tall and thin, with a very serious appearance. Dressed in a stiff suit, he looked like a personification of rigidity and stubbornness.

If Zhu Jishi were a historian rather than a doctor, he would certainly be very familiar with this man. Because Mr. Guizot was actually a very famous historian. Before entering politics, he served as a history professor at the University of Paris and wrote a series of historical works, including "The Origin of Representative Government in Europe," "An Outline of French History," "Memoirs of the English Revolution," and "A History of the English Revolution during the Reigns of Charles I and Charles II."

His entry into French politics, however, was quite different from his rigid and stubborn appearance. In fact, he was also an expert in political bed politics. He married Pauline de Meulan, a French noblewoman 14 years his senior, and through this marriage, he met many leading figures of the French Royalist Party, which allowed him to enter the political arena. Since 1840, he had been serving as the French Foreign Minister and was the actual power in the French Cabinet. Marshal Soult, who was nearly 70 years old, was old and senile, and was essentially his puppet.

In the past few days, while Zhu Jishi was touring Paris, Minister Guizot had been frequently meeting with French political leaders, discussing only one matter: how to adjust the diplomatic relations with China. The original plan to force the Qing government to sign an unequal treaty similar to the Treaty of Nanking now seemed to be a pipe dream.

Because the sudden appearance of Zhu Jishi and Bai Siwen almost meant that France's internal affairs were completely known to the Qing government. France was no longer the military power it was under Emperor Napoleon. France's military performance could only be described as miserable, as evidenced by the Algerian War. As the actual controller of the Cabinet, Guizot also publicly declared in a speech: "We do not want to talk about conquest, war, and revenge. Let France prosper, let it be free, rich, intelligent, and carefree— we will not lament its lack of influence on world affairs."

This statement, while somewhat sour grapes, accurately reflected France's current situation. The country simply did not have the strength to undertake a military expedition halfway around the world; at most, it could intimidate the ignorant and backward people of the East... However, Zhu Jishi and Bai Siwen, sitting opposite Minister Guizot, did not look ignorant at all.

But Guizot still intended to use his silver tongue to persuade them. He picked up the wine glass on the table and took a large sip—inside was the cocaine wine just delivered by the Château Segur. Although it tasted no different from ordinary wine, ... well, the feeling after drinking it was excellent, invigorating, and made one feel like there was an endless amount to say! It was truly a good drink!

"But there is no such thing as a free lunch, and France cannot help China reform for nothing. Moreover, we French believe that helping someone is more difficult than bullying someone, so the reward should be greater. In the current situation, the compensation France receives for helping China should not be less than what Britain, which bullied China, received!"

After listening to this lofty statement, Zhu Jishi smiled and turned to Bai Siwen, asking, "Svenson... do you think what Minister Guizot said makes sense?"

Bai Siwen was taken aback and replied with a bitter smile, "Your Grace, your question... today is not a Sino-French negotiation, and we are not imperial envoys. Whether it makes sense or not, it's not up to us to decide!"

They were speaking in Chinese, which Guizot did not understand, assuming they were discussing his proposal.

Zhu Jishi chuckled and said, "Let's pretend it's a Sino-French negotiation. I guarantee that the conditions we negotiate in Paris will be better than those negotiated by the Qing envoys! Svenson, share your thoughts."

Bai Siwen nodded and, after a moment of silence, said, "Your Grace, in my opinion, we should try to win over France. After all, France and Britain are not on good terms..."

"Use the barbarians to control the barbarians?" Zhu Jishi blurted out these four words. Even if he was not well-versed in history, he knew about the Qing Dynasty's foreign policy.

"Exactly! Use the barbarians to control the barbarians!" Bai Siwen nodded heavily and continued, "We can offer France some benefits. With France's help, we can find a way to deal with Britain."

Zhu Jishi smiled bitterly, "Using the barbarians to control the barbarians is possible, but the prerequisite is a deep understanding of the situation in Western countries and true diplomatic skills... which neither of us has. I am a natural scientist, and you are just a half-baked expert. So, it's best to give up on this idea." He turned to Guizot and smiled, speaking in English, "Minister, Mr. Bai will truthfully report your feedback to his superiors, but... I would like to remind you that the conflict between China and Britain was entirely due to a misunderstanding. This misunderstanding has now been resolved, so China will no longer consider Britain an enemy and will not refuse British assistance in the future. I believe you understand this, Minister?"

Guizot's face turned slightly pale, and he said, word by word, "Sir, I think you should not let personal feelings influence state affairs too much! Although you have many friends in Britain, Britain has just invaded your homeland!"

Zhu Jishi shook his head, "Minister, you should have read the interview with me in the Rheinische Zeitung. China is not my homeland, and I am not a Chinese official, not now, and not in the future... My goal is to introduce Western science, history, geography, and political thought to the Chinese, to help them truly open their eyes to the world. Then, they will naturally know who their true friends are and who is deceiving them."

Guizot's face was as cold as water, and he looked at Zhu Jishi and Bai Siwen coldly.

Zhu Jishi continued, "Today, I have come to visit you for two reasons. First, I urge the French government to treat China equally, not as a colony or a semi-colony. In fact, China is not such a country! France does not have the power to treat China like Britain does!

Second, I hope the French government can assist me in establishing Western-style secondary and higher education institutions in Hong Kong. Prince Albert of Britain has already provided me with much assistance, including land and some faculty for the schools... I believe the French government would also be willing to provide some assistance for China's modern education?"

"Of course," Guizot nodded. He himself had been a university professor and knew that providing education to the elites of a backward nation was also an excellent opportunity to cultivate agents. He thought for a moment and added, "However, we have one condition: the schools you establish must have a Roman Catholic church, and French priests must be allowed to reside there."

"Agreed, but I cannot pay for the construction of the church or the priests' salaries."

"Of course not." Guizot smiled and nodded. Today's negotiations had some results, at least the French Catholic forces would be satisfied.

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