69 Debt Relief.
Not long before, he was paraded through London to their Embassy, a big manor in some of the outskirts.
Felipe didn't feel anything; it was the same old London he grew up in, though he preferred being in the country house all the time he could.
Nonetheless, he started his printer empire! Writing books and doing opinion-based columns that fucking shaped the law that was being implemented in the UK Congress.
He would be grateful for the British Royalty's hospitality towards their house and, of course, to the country, letting them stay over.
"You guys are spending too much in embassies." Felipe said as massaged his temples.
Funny enough, he knew very well that the person who had spent most in the Embassy had been the one in France; of course, the integrity of a French Embassy will never be infringed upon by any world war… super secure investment.
They bought a royal manor from the State after the King of France was again put in power.
They are remodelled and staffed with Colombian Servants! The only training, ticket cost to go to fucking France, the Salary, everything else was just ridiculous.
Felipe agreed only because it was such a famous castle.
Nevertheless, it is not good when you plan to antagonize a country with sovereign power in the land upon which the Castle has been made.
He was not happy about the constant parties thrown so often.
Nonetheless, they were great to lobby; he could at least pass down the expenses into business expenses in their books.
The Embassy was far from Paris, yet everyone would make the trip, especially very influential people; that was his only solace when he saw the bill from France.
"Well, Sergio's spending might be the only thing that would help Your Majesty with Haiti's matter," Aurelio said as he served some tea to his Prince.
"… Lobbying has worked for the Matches Company… I am not sure money and domains could be any good." Felipe said with a realistic thought.
"During Sergio's stay, he has obtained a great deal of influence in high society, including the King… they might not dismiss it… but he can strategically shift their attention through Lobbying."
"A crusade?" Felipe asked as his newspaper informed him; nonetheless, his anti-Ottoman rhetoric has become well known across the countries.
"You should be more concerned with the British than the French… Ottomans keep the Russians from the Mediterranean… they are a buffer which keeps the peace in Europe." Aurelio explained.
"They are already annoyed that you indirectly force the hand of the Three Powers to Launch a Greek Revolution and a naval slaughter of the Egyptian and Ottoman ships."
It is the end of 1826; a war between the Greeks and the Egyptians should not happen until 1827, yet it has already happened! The Greeks liberated the central Island and pushed north, claiming the lives of thousands of Ottomans.
Private Civilians from the UK have used their fortune to fight for Greece and its history. Aside from the UK, they have seen volunteers across all superpowers.
Felipe has put much effort into selling the Greek cause to the world.
"Constantinople suffers under their hands…" Felipe said he felt better after talking about it with his old friend.
"…" Aurelio sighed deeply as he saw the ambition in his Prince. He developed the same type of ambition during the turmoil era of the early stages of the empire.
"I don't have the money to fund a war… insurance for the burnt-out factories has been set aside for USA Investments. We can barely create ships in great demand in a short time." Felipe said. "I will need you to give me an audience with the Jews… the Rothschilds."
"… They are very ambitious people," Aurelio said as he was worried about the prospect of getting loans from the Jews.
"I will have something they want more than money," Felipe said before seeping from his tea.
"…"
"Judeah… or the Kingdom of Jerusalem… This is something they would kill for. Enough to fund war against the Ottomans as it would be based on their defeat."
"…"
"I said I want to make a crusade… I want to do it… the trick for a successful one would be balancing the self-interests of all the countries involved, especially the Russians…. As you said… The Ottomans are the ones keeping the peace in Europe… the trick would be replacing the Ottomans with Greece so fast that none of the parties involved would be able to react." Felipe explained.
"A quick war."
"Yes, the objective of the war should be Constantinople; now it turns into a Crusade where everyone participates as the major superpowers eat out the carcass of the previous Empire," Felipe explained a bit.
"A quick war… how does a quick war work among superpowers?"
"I do not know."
"…"
"I also don't know how to keep the Austrians from fully eating up the entire Balkan peninsula once the entire thing starts," Felipe said as he chuckled a bit.
"… It does not sound like a war that will be quick."
"… Yeah, and not a cheap one," Felipe said as he sighed. "Get me the meeting with the Rothschilds."
"I will do that as soon as possible… but first, you are required to be at Kensington Palace for tomorrow's noon lunch with the King of England, the Prime minister and a bunch of Dukes and lower nobility," Aurelio said as he went behind his desk, took a stack of papers, and put them in front of Felipe.
"These are the files of all the people attending tomorrow's… From their relationships to their businesses and interests… they are ordered from the most important to the least important to most important."
"How come? The order?"
"You memorize the first and last things you absorb more," Aurelio said as he smiled. "Many people are trying to meet you… your careless behaviour has given you fame… like before."
"I do not do such things as careless." Felipe laughed softly as he opened the first file, and it was the King of England. There are all the titles, his full name and much more. Right at the bottom, he found the note made by his Ambassador. *The King believes the fame and influence of Your Majesty are not deserving; after all, Your Majesty is just a prince from a former colonial territory, a beach washed off a family that came to England for Help.*
"I am kind of getting an idea of why our debt was sold to the East Indies Company," Felipe said as he sighed deeply.
"I am so sorry, I tried to lobby against it… the pressure to sell it came from inside, and it was done fast enough where I could not notify Your Majesty on time to try and prevent it," Aurelio said as he bowed his head.
"Debts… loans… war worthy things."
"Speaking of financial terms, the East Indies Company has rejected your offer to manufacture the Sewing Machine… They counter it… They showed great interest in providing Catholic Europeans as means of payment..." The Ambassador said as he took a piece of paper from the file cabinet and gave it to his Prince.
"… Counter offer... They want to have their sweatshops." Felipe said in a low voice as he skimmed the unfolded long paper signed by the CEO of the East Indies Company as a legal offer.
Previously, he made an offer to the delegation of the East Indies Company; that offer was that Felipe would have a monopoly on the Sweatshops from which the clothing would come, and the East Indies Company would have a monopoly on the clothing sellers.
Now, the Counteroffer gave the sweatshop monopoly to the West Indies Company while they would get the monopoly to sell machines only to the West Indie Company in the UK.
"Heh." Felipe could not say anything but laugh. "If they want to mine gold alone, so be it. I will provide the tools."
The only reason why he wanted the sweatshop was that he wanted to ride the entire wave of the Victorian era to charge for women's clothing at retail; that way, he would be able to pay off the massive debt in a better way.
Either way, he would get good to sell the East Indies Company, which would alleviate the debt hugely; he began to think that the debt being bought by the company was somewhat a blessing in disguise; after all, the Bank of England does not receive Sewing machines as payment, the East Indies Company might do.
He only has to play his cards right.
"The meeting with the East Indies Company?"
"That would be Scheduled as you please, though I recommend taking that one tomorrow instead of the Rothschilds, as the debt of our country every time Sergio throws a gala party," Aurelio said while laughing at the end, making the Prince also Laugh.
"Yes indeed, the Ottomans can wait… our financial health can not." Felipe said, "Then make a meeting with the company for after tomorrow and with the Rothschild in 3 days from today… make sure also to extend the…"
"Montefiore, Goldsmid, Solomons, Samuda, Mocatta, Cohen, Lindo, Abrahams, Sebag and any other Jewish Rich Financial Family with money to send for a war." Aurelio finished the sentence of his Prince with a smile.
"Precisely."
"Your majesty… it is my job to know these things… and also to tell you that these families did not reach the big statues they have today by being… Gentle/Fair."
"I know."
