Talleyrand nodded deeply in agreement, "Indeed, Grand Vizier, there are always some shameless wretches who attempt to disrupt our normal trade by war or intimidation."
He brushed aside Mekka Mohammed's hand, smiling, "However, from my experience, those who commit evil will meet with misfortune. Perhaps their fleet will be engulfed by a storm the moment it sails past the Strait of Gibraltar."
"A storm? In the Mediterranean?"
Talleyrand gestured dismissively, "Perhaps an encounter with a sea monster, who knows? But I believe that normal commercial traffic in the Mediterranean will not be hindered by the British."
Mekka Mohammed stared intently at the "nonsensical" cripple, yet saw utter confidence on his broad face.
"Forgive my frankness, but your fleet is no match for the English."
"You will see," Talleyrand maintained his smile, "The overbearing British Navy will also have to abide by the rules of the Mediterranean."
Mekka Mohammed still shook his head slightly, "Even if what you say comes to fruition, my Empire would still fall into a very unfavorable trading position, which is not at all desirable..."
His worries were necessary. Once Mediterranean shipping was monopolized by France, they could freely manipulate the prices of goods arriving at port, essentially controlling the lifeline of Ottoman maritime trade.
Talleyrand immediately responded, "My dearest friend, you should not underestimate the friendship between our two nations.
"This new steamship is not solely operated by my country but can be sold to you at any time."
Mekka Mohammed's breathing quickened, "Are you serious?"
"Of course, our two countries have vast potential for cooperation," Talleyrand said with a beaming smile, "A 32-meter steamship would only cost 300,000 akçe, which is a significant discount."
Typically, one franc could be exchanged for 10 akçe, but as Ottoman silver coins contained more impurities, it was usually possible to get 12 akçe.
That is to say, the sales price of a steamship was around 25,000 francs. And the cost was roughly 14,000 francs.
For such high-tech products, this was undoubtedly a huge discount.
Joseph knew that if he truly monopolized Mediterranean shipping with steamships, it would only antagonize the Ottoman Empire to death. The end result would be nothing more than trade sanctions and a stronger alliance between the British and the Turks.
But selling the steamships to the Ottoman Empire could firmly draw them to his side.
Firstly, the Ottoman Empire having received such a great benefit from me, ought to give me something in return in trade agreements. Not to mention significantly lowering tariffs, but at least in terms of important raw material exports, France could obtain precedence.
Secondly, the Ottomans surely couldn't repair this high-tech gadget themselves. The maintenance costs later on could easily recoup the discounted sales price.
As for technological leakage, steamships were basically unfit for military use, so let the leakage be. By the time other nations could replicate it, France would have already recouped its investment and be developing the next generation of products.
Moreover, it was very difficult to keep such large civilian products completely secret.
Mekka Mohammed immediately stood up and gestured to Talleyrand with a hand on his chest, "This matter is of great importance, I need to report to His Majesty the Sultan."
"Of course," Talleyrand looked at his coffee cup with a shake of his head, "To tell the truth, I haven't had enough."
The Grand Vizier was momentarily taken aback, then slowly sat down again.
Talleyrand continued, "You see, if we forget about the small disagreements in North Africa, there are actually many areas in which we can cooperate."
Mekka Mohammed nodded, "I am listening to your wisdom."
Talleyrand picked up the refilled cup of coffee with satisfaction, "We need to better satisfy each other's needs.
"For example, my country will increase shipments of silk, iron goods, chemical products, and, weapons to Constantinople and the Levant. Oh, I almost forgot, steamships too."
The Grand Vizier immediately caught the keyword, "Weapons, you say?"
"Flintlock guns, cannons, military uniforms, surveying equipment. It depends on what you want. Even blueprints could be traded."
France was popularizing the caplock gun, and selling the outdated flintlock guns would be most appropriate. The same logic applied to old-fashioned cannon carriages.
The Ottoman military might was feeble, chiefly because of the corrupt Imperial Guard system, so it was completely safe to sell them weapons without worrying they would become a military powerhouse.
And soon, it would be essential for the Ottomans to contain Russia to relieve pressure on Poland. Providing them with some superior weapons at this time was indeed necessary.
Mekka Mohammed felt a surge of ecstasy but before he could say anything, Talleyrand continued, "And I need more cotton and sugarcane. You could satisfy these small wishes of mine, couldn't you?"
The Ottoman Empire, though in decline, still had substantial wealth and resources.
For instance, Syria and Greece were major cotton-producing regions, with nearly 20% of England's needed cotton imported from there.
And while Egypt's sugarcane production was far less than the Caribbean Sea Region, it was the closest supplier to Europe.
Mekka Mohammed nodded, "I will certainly suggest this to His Majesty the Sultan."
Talleyrand, however, seemed to have more to say, "Oh, I've heard that His Majesty the Sultan is currently training the 'Topis' new army."
"Yes, currently there are 600 soldiers, all being trained according to Russian military doctrine."
There was no need for secrecy since this was an important reform by Selim III, and major nations' intelligence services would surely not be unaware of this.
Talleyrand looked genuinely regretful, "As we all know, a good teacher is sometimes even more important than the talent of the student.
"To be honest, His Majesty's new army has chosen the worst possible teacher. Please forgive my bluntness."
"This was General Omar Aga's advice to His Majesty," he replied.
Talleyrand lowered his voice, "General Omar Aga is treating the Russians as strong just because he was once captured by the Russian Army."
"Ah, perhaps that's the case..."
"In fact, the training level of the Russian Army is among the lowest of the major nations."
The Grand Vizier sensed the implication in his words, "Do you mean that French officers could be sent to help train Topis?"
Talleyrand shook his head, "No, I think any European country's army would be unsuitable for training them.
"I know that your Imperial Guard has always strongly opposed training the new army, and their primary argument is the unacceptable notion of having infidels as instructors.
"This has led to the Topis being able to maintain only a very small scale, otherwise, it would infuriate all of the Imperial Guard."
"But in the world of Islam, there is simply no one who can train them."
"Who are you referring to?"
"The Royal Tunisian Legion."