Chapter 826: Chapter 734 Threat

Lord Grenville delivered a speech on behalf of the King of England to commence the naval review.

Afterward, the sailors aboard the “Victory” expertly raised one-third of the sails, and the battleship slowly navigated out of the harbor.

The port instantly erupted with the thunderous roar of ceremonial cannon fire, followed by the melodic sounding of horns from dozens of warships stationed in the naval base.

Lord Grenville inclined his head slightly toward the foreign diplomats seated on the front deck and smiled, saying, “The naval review has officially begun. Wishing everyone a pleasant afternoon.”

Five massive first- and second-level battleships were the first to glide past the crowd.

Following them were two columns of slightly smaller third-level warships, numbering as many as sixteen.

Behind those came the fourth-level battleships, equipped with fewer than 60 cannons, totaling twenty-one in all.

Aboard the “Victory,” aside from the Dutch Foreign Minister, who still had some naval background, the other diplomats from various nations were all wide-eyed with shock.

In truth, even the Dutch Navy, ranked fourth in Europe, had only a few fourth-level ships as its main force.

As for naval dwarfs like Prussia, they didn’t even possess many cruisers.

When the vast black mass of warships had all sailed past the “Victory,” Admiral Jervis stood off to one side and said, “Next, please enjoy the demonstration of fleet combat maneuvers.”

A string of flags was immediately hoisted aboard the “Victory,” relaying orders to the British fleet outside the port. The fleet then split into two groups that maneuvered into wide circles, forming two battle lines before unfurling their sails and racing toward each other at top speed.

Fifteen minutes later, the two battle lines began to converge.

The foremost two second-level ships opened all their cannon ports on one side, unleashing a thundering salvo from over forty cannons simultaneously.

On the “Victory,” positioned just half a nautical mile away, the diplomats from various nations instinctively covered their ears and widened their eyes, watching the black clouds of dense smoke descend onto the scene like a storm.

More warships continued converging afterward. The two battle lines ran parallel to each other, with cannons on every ship unleashing unrelenting fire toward the opposition. Tongues of flame intertwined densely, making it seem as though the sea itself had ignited into a raging inferno.

For a moment, the diplomats from all nations, even knowing full well that the cannons were firing blank rounds, were still overwhelmed by the terrifying display.

At this moment, they were all firmly convinced that anything appearing on the sea would be effortlessly crushed by this invincible fleet.

Who knows how much time had passed, but the cannon fire began to subside over the sea. Yet aboard the “Victory,” people’s hearts were still pounding uncontrollably.

Lord Grenville was the first to rise, looking satisfied at everyone’s expressions. Smiling, he gestured toward the direction of the cabin, saying, “A lavish dinner has been prepared in the officers’ meeting room. You are all warmly invited to join.”

Inside the ship’s cabin, the band had switched to a soothing and lively tune. In the flickering candlelight, dish after dish of exquisite food was laid out on the tables.

Before the feast began, Lord Grenville approached Count Rhinefeels, the Austrian Foreign Minister, and took a seat to his left, speaking in German, “Voratelle, my old friend, it’s wonderful to see you.”

“It is an honor to receive your invitation, my friend.”

Skipping over courteous remarks, Grenville adopted a serious expression and said, “It’s evident that the present moment presents an excellent opportunity for both our nations.”

“What exactly are you referring to?”

“An opportunity to resolve the troubles confronting our respective countries,” said the British diplomat. “Let me be frank. Your nation’s finances are not in good shape, the serf reform has stalled, and across various regions, nobles are openly critical of His Majesty the Emperor.”

Count Rhinefeels didn’t offer a stance: “I’d like to hear more about this ‘opportunity’ you mention.”

“Precisely, an opportunity,” Grenville nodded. “I believe you are already keenly aware of the root cause of Austria’s current problems.”

“…”

Through the ship’s porthole, Grenville gazed toward the opposite shore: “France. Austria’s fiscal revenues have been steadily shrinking. The primary reason lies in the extensive Southern German Market being monopolized by the French, not to mention the rampant influx of French goods into your domestic markets.

“If my memory serves, your trade income dropped by 17% compared to the year before, leading to widespread reductions in factory production and even closures.”

Although Count Rhinefeels looked displeased, he remained silent. In reality, Austria’s trade revenue had actually plummeted by a shocking 27% compared to the previous year!

For the sake of imperial dignity, His Majesty the Emperor had ordered the public release of only the 17% figure.

Grenville continued, “As for Southern Netherlands, historically a reliable revenue source for Austria, it is now generating tax revenues for the French.

“Oh, I’ve been to that region–a stretch of ironworks running almost continuously, day and night, funneling coal delivered from major coal mines into furnaces. The production of iron ingots alone exceeds the combined output of all other regions in Austria by twice as much!

“I recall the French had initially proposed joint ownership of the benefits there. But tell me, what has Austria gained from it? A negligible sum in tax revenues.”

Here Grenville was deliberately distorting the facts.

The Franco-Austrian agreement had originally promised shared access to Walloon Region’s markets, allowing both nations to invest there.

Later, Austria, preoccupied either with wars or the coronation of a new emperor, hadn’t invested a single penny in the region.

Meanwhile, France had poured over ten million francs into Southern Netherlands just through government funding, with private investments far surpassing that. This allowed them to acquire all the major coal mines in Walloon Region, construct numerous ironworks, and lay wooden railroad tracks to transport products to the Southern German states for sale, thereby fostering a virtuous cycle.

This was largely because Joseph, drawing upon information from later generations, understood the magnitude of Walloon Region’s coal reserves and development potential. Thus, he dared to invest so boldly.

Had Austria been privy to the same information, even without making massive investments, they certainly wouldn’t have done nothing.

But the reality was that Austria had paid little attention to Walloon Region.

By the time they realized France was profiting, any plans to invest were met with the discovery that all valuable industries had already been monopolized by the French.

To be fair, Walloon Region’s tax revenues still technically belonged to Austria, as the area remained nominally Austrian territory.

Thus, Austria did see a significant increase in tax revenues with the region’s development. However, compared to the high profits yielded by the coal and iron enterprises, this tax revenue was deemed insignificant by Austria.

Count Rhinefeels instinctively nodded, “Indeed, that is true. However, we are bound by agreements with France…”

The British Foreign Minister promptly interjected, “Unjust agreements must be abolished! That includes the Rhine-Saone Treaty, which enables France to invade the Southern German Market without scruples.

“Without such a damned treaty, those markets would belong to you. Any financial troubles would be resolved without difficulty.”

Count Rhinefeels let out a sigh, “You are correct. We’ve also attempted to amend this treaty, but…”

“But the French resorted to military threats against you… Oh, I mean against the Southern German States.”

Grenville’s tone brimmed with persuasion. “Now is the time for us to unite, ensuring that the French can never again threaten any nation!”