The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 262

Chapter 262: The Tunisian Conspiracy

“The Dey's position is that the lands west of the Tlemcen Fortress can be exchanged and granted to the Great Sultan,” said Rume Zaganos, envoy of Sükri Ali Touus, speaking with as much firmness as he could muster. “But Valcenis is absolutely non-negotiable.”

The Tlemcen Fortress he referred to was already near the border between Morocco and Algiers, a good hundred kilometers less than the Valcenis territory proposed by the British.

The Sultan of Morocco only smiled faintly and motioned for his guests to drink tea, making no comment on the matter.

He understood well that the British needed him, which meant these "difficult tasks" could easily be left to them.

Sure enough, after hearing the translation, Marquis Wellesley immediately shook his head. “Your Excellency, I must remind you that only a few months ago, your nation engaged in a significant conflict with France and suffered a resounding defeat.

“Furthermore, I have learned that the Crown Prince of France himself participated in that battle.

“This means that although the French have not taken further action for now—because they are embroiled in a large-scale domestic revolt—I can assure you that once the unrest settles, they will not forget Algiers’ provocation.”

The translator quickly relayed his words in Arabic.

Zaganos suppressed his rising anger, thinking bitterly that if not for British meddling, Algiers wouldn’t have lost tens of thousands of elite soldiers in Annaba. However, he also knew that Algiers was now gravely weakened. If the French did decide to retaliate, they would have no means to resist.

Thus, when the British proposed last month that Algiers exchange borderlands with Morocco for Moroccan support, the Diwan swiftly agreed to the plan.

This visit was merely an attempt to negotiate better terms, so offending the British was out of the question.

“We can offer an additional 100,000 rials…”

One hundred thousand rials, equivalent to 2.2 million livres, was nearly all of Algiers’ reserves.

Marquis Wellesley, however, immediately interrupted him. “West of Valcenis is our baseline for negotiation. If you refuse, Consul Green and I will have no choice but to regretfully take our leave.”

“Wait…”

The Algerian envoy tried his best to argue further but ultimately lowered his head in resignation. “Then the Dey hopes Britain will provide at least 20,000 sets of military equipment to help us defend against France.”

“I will petition Parliament on your behalf,” Wellesley replied with a smile before turning to Ibn Abdullah. “Esteemed Sultan, then let us proceed with assisting Algiers…”

Abdullah, however, merely stroked his teacup and said, “My lord, regarding the tariffs on British textiles and iron imports into Morocco, I believe they should be reconsidered.”

A flicker of anger crossed Marquis Wellesley's face. The mighty British Empire, being extorted by a small North African nation—unbelievable.

But for the sake of his North African strategic plan, he suppressed his irritation and replied stiffly, “I will instruct the trade representatives to discuss this matter with you in detail…”

Hours later, with British “assistance,” Algiers agreed to cede two provinces to Morocco. In return, Algiers’ navy would gain greater political standing within the Diwan, while Morocco promised to dispatch troops and provide substantial resources to help Algiers resist France. At an opportune moment, they would jointly restore the Janissary rule in Tunis.

...

The next day, Marquis Wellesley left Meknes. Upon boarding the British warship, he was approached by a messenger who saluted him. “My lord, this is from Mr. Lambert in Tripoli.”

Wellesley took the letter, broke the seal, and cross-checked its contents with a cipher book. Suddenly excited, he turned to the ship's captain and gestured urgently. “Take me to see Colonel Acton immediately. Ah, ever since the French revolt began, our fortunes have indeed turned.”

The letter reported that an Ottoman officer named Ali Benjiul had been frequently meeting with opposition figures against the local Pasha in Tripoli, suggesting the possibility of a coup.

The letter further noted that while Benjiul and his allies seemed inadequately prepared, the situation warranted close attention.

Wellesley hurried into the officers’ cabin on the second deck and addressed Colonel Acton, the fleet commander. “Raise the sails at once. We’re heading to Tripoli.”

Tripoli, to the east of Tunis, was a small state with a population of barely five or six hundred thousand. Though it officially acknowledged Ottoman suzerainty, its politics and trade were closely aligned with France.

If a coup could be orchestrated to alter its political alignment, it would perfectly complement the British strategy involving Morocco and Algiers, creating a pincer against Tunis from east and west.

Moreover, since Ali Benjiul was an Ottoman officer, it was possible to drag the Ottoman Empire into this murky game. Even if the French could not be expelled from Tunis outright, such a shift would greatly alter the balance of Mediterranean trade.

Soon, the British fleet set sail for the Strait of Gibraltar. From there, it would take about ten days to reach Tripoli after entering the Mediterranean.

Looking out at the distant horizon, Marquis Wellesley smiled to himself and murmured, “If both flanks are under pressure, why not stir up trouble in Tunis as well?

“For instance, that French-crafted lie about being ‘descendants of Rome.’ Perhaps it’s time to help the Tunisians set the record straight.”

...

Paris High Court.

The Duke of Chartres formally petitioned for the release of all confiscated assets of the Duke of Orléans, claiming the inheritance in full.

Unlike cases involving rebellious commoners, this lawsuit concerning one of France’s premier noble families was closed to all but a select few of the highest rank, with the press strictly barred from attending.

After the standard opening formalities, Prosecutor Danton stood solemnly, his cold gaze fixed on the Duke of Chartres’ legal team.

A rotund lawyer in his fifties, his face heavy with folds, took the podium first. He began with an exhaustive tribute to the illustrious status of the Orléans family before citing noble inheritance laws in excruciating detail. For over half an hour, he made his case for transferring the Duke of Orléans’ assets to the Duke of Chartres.

“Prosecution, your statement,” said Dipore, addressing Danton. As instructed by the Crown Prince, Dipore himself presided over this hearing as Chief Judge of the High Court.

Danton leaped onto the podium and declared in a booming voice, “I have no objections to the Duke of Chartres’ inheritance rights. However, I must remind the court that the Duke of Orléans was recently convicted of treason.”

Dipore was stunned as Danton immediately returned to his seat. The Crown Prince’s intent was clearly to prevent the Duke of Chartres from claiming the inheritance—what was Danton doing?

With no resistance from the prosecution, the court quickly ruled in favor of the Duke of Chartres, granting him full inheritance of the Orléans estate.

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