"You may be too pessimistic," said Lord Grenville, comforting his senior with a pleasant countenance. "We have not been without gains.
"More than three months have passed since the plan was initiated, and the costs of production for the French factories surely exceeded 500,000 British Pounds. Although we did not meet our initial target, it still inflicted a blow to their industrial competitiveness.
"Furthermore, following this affair, France will inevitably harbor resentment towards Austria and Italy, and driving a wedge between them is precisely our strategic direction.
"You have done very well."
The Duke of Leeds, who had braced himself for punishment, did not expect Grenville to offer such a "reinterpretation." He immediately turned to him and asked, "Do you really think so?"
"I swear," said the British Foreign Minister with a smile, "that's exactly what I put in my report to Congress."
He was well aware that victories and defeats were unavoidable in the strategic struggles between great nations; one must not complain about one's own people's incompetence after a single failure, thereby affecting morale.
"You truly are, full of wisdom! Thank you very much."
"It's nothing," said Grenville with a smile, waving it off. He then continued, "However, we must also take this opportunity to continue our strike against the French industry."
"Mr. Hope's plan, after all, was but a minor trick. To crush an industrial system as vast as France's, we must start from the national level, from materials, and the market."
Grenville, while speaking, opened the carriage door for the Duke of Leeds, bowed, and let him in, then sat down opposite him: "I've brought back some good news from Russia.
"For instance, the Empress of Russia has agreed to exchange interests in the Balkan Peninsula and threaten to deploy troops to intervene in the Silesian situation, to compel Austria and Prussia to cease hostilities."
"That is indeed good news!" exclaimed the Duke of Leeds, excited.
Grenville nodded: "However, we must persuade Prussia to deploy more than 80,000 troops to join Russia in attacking Poland, while ensuring that Austria does not oppose this action."
He lowered his hand in a suppressive gesture: "Let's return to trade matters.
"I've signed a supplementary trade clause with Russia, which will expand the import of raw materials from Russia. Moreover, our nation has also obtained authorization to mine coal and iron in the southern region of Donbass, under terms identical to those of France."
These two statements might seem trivial, but they represented significant diplomatic victories.
Take the Russo-British trade, for instance. Previous Tsars had always been wary of Russia's heavy dependence on the British market, constantly looking for alternative markets, like France, and trying to reduce exports to England.
Yet, this time, Catherine had, contrary to her usual stance, agreed to increase exports to England to facilitate the war against Poland.
One should note that when it comes to purchasing power, French companies were no match for the British. An increase in British imports would inevitably constrain France's source of raw materials—most of Russia's export goods were industrial raw materials.
As for Donbass, if Britain could successfully develop large coal and iron mines there, it could disrupt the largest cooperation project between Russia and France, and even drive French companies out with cutthroat competition.
"So now we must turn our attention to another major source of raw materials for France," continued Grenville.
"Do you mean, the United States?" mused the Duke of Leeds.
"Yes," the Foreign Minister nodded. "So, I hope you can make a trip to Philadelphia."
The Duke of Leeds frowned slightly: "But France and America are currently very 'intimate'; it might be difficult..."
"As long as we're willing to give up some interests, it can be done," said Grenville with an easy grace. "For example, the Indians."
The Duke was somewhat surprised: "Congress has agreed?"
"Yes, His Majesty the King signed off on it just last week."
Since its independence from Britain, the British had been clandestinely funding Indian tribes in North America to take revenge on the Americans who had driven them out.
Over the years, the Indians, clad in British textiles and armed with Brown Bess muskets, had contended with American pioneers in the wilderness and mountains, significantly hindering America's westward expansion.
Even defeated Indians would flee into British-controlled territories—aside from Canada, the British still maintained several scattered outposts in North America, which did not start to gradually fall to American control until the 1830s.
If Britain were to cease support for the Indians now, it would allow the United States to acquire a vast territory in a short time.
Certainly, it would be a strategic advantage of enormous proportion!
The Duke of Leeds' face lit up with joy: "The Americans have always been eager for our market. If we can give their Congress a reason to accept us, I'm confident I can persuade them to drop the French!"
As a former British colony, American goods production was originally planned according to British demands. It was only because of the Revolutionary War that they had turned to France.
Restoring trade with Britain to previous levels would undoubtedly be more profitable for the United States.
But Grenville did not intend to stop there: "While you negotiate with the Americans, you could also take time to stir things up in Santo Domingo.
"You've probably heard that the Abolitionist and Slave-holding factions there are locked in fierce conflict. Those of the 'second class' are leading their slaves in riots everywhere to gain the right to vote.
"Of course, the French Government still has strong control there, but if the second class obtains weapons and funds, with the large number of blacks, they could give the French government a severe headache.
"Even, drive the French out from there."
Santo Domingo, later known as Haiti, located southeast of the United States in the Caribbean Sea Region, is currently one of France's key colonies.
It was a major producer of sugarcane, the world's largest single source of sugarcane, second only to India. Plantation owners dominated the area, purchasing large numbers of slaves to cultivate sugarcane, contributing 30 to 40 million francs of sugarcane trade to France annually.
However, it was the Plantation Owners' cruel exploitation of slaves that led to intense slave revolts.
After more than a hundred years of colonization, Santo Domingo had a large number of mixed-race descendants of whites and blacks, the so-called "second-class"—society here was divided into three classes: whites as first class, mixed-race as second class, and free blacks as third class. As for slaves, regrettably, they were not considered part of the populace.
Currently, there were 30,000 whites, over 500,000 slaves, as well as tens of thousands of mixed-race people and free blacks in Haiti.
The mixed-race class, influenced by European abolitionist movements and also seeking greater political rights, began to advocate for the abolitionist movement and grant citizenship to the slaves.
The white Plantation Owners, in turn, brutally suppressed them. However, as time passed and the second and third classes' momentum grew, Santo Domingo was on the verge of an impending storm.
In history, the largest slave uprising in Santo Domingo broke out at the end of August this year, ending French rule two years later.