Chapter 263: Chapter 12: The Integrity of the Great Powers
Cairo

After the mediation by England and France, negotiations finally made a phased breakthrough, with Jonas agreeing to a limited compromise. However, this so-called compromise was only in his own view, which the Egyptians could not feel.

“Mr. Mahmud, we could choose not to pursue your responsibility, but you must pay sufficient compensation; otherwise, I cannot explain it to the nationals.

You must pay one million Divine Shield for goods damage, two million Divine Shield for condolence payments, two million Divine Shield for mental damage compensation. This is the bottom line of the New Holy Roman Empire,” Jonas extorted.

5 million Divine Shield is equivalent to 2.5 million British Pounds, or 18.3 tons of gold, a figure far exceeding the financial revenue of the Egyptian Government—it’s absurd to expect acceptance.

Mahmud retorted angrily, “Impossible, this is extortion!

What goods damage is worth one million Divine Shield? This caravan is just transporting jars and pots, hardly worth a few coins, the total value of all goods wouldn’t exceed five thousand Divine Shield.

Your side only lost three people, and you demand two million Divine Shield for condolence payments; it’s practically a joke, at most it would be five hundred Divine Shield.

The losses of the Aligonis Tribe are dozens of times greater than yours. Shouldn’t your country also pay for their compensation? We’re not asking for much, a direct offset would suffice.

Mental damage compensation is even more nonsensical. It’s us who suffered the loss. If there’s to be a claim, it should be the Egyptian Government making demands upon your country!”

Jonas explained earnestly, “Mr. Mahmud, this shows your ignorance.

The jars and pots from the caravan are precious antiques, each worth a fortune. One million Divine Shield is just the wholesale price. If sold separately at retail, there would be no problem fetching three to five million Divine Shield.

The three unfortunate victims were among the finest talent of the New Holy Roman Empire. Had they not met with misadventure, they might have become great nobility in the future; hence their families demand that your government provide compensation worthy of nobility.

Taking into consideration the victims’ feelings, we believe such reasonable demands should be supported.

The illegal actions of officials from your government have deeply wounded the hearts of over fifty million New Holy Roman Empire citizens. Is a mere two million Divine Shield for mental damage compensation really too much to ask for?”

Jonas’s explanation made the representatives of England and France’s eyes gleam, as if they were prepared to learn from this excellent experience.

What’s to fear from fallacy? In this era, when did the colonial powers ever reason in their overseas actions?

Mahmud was left speechless with anger for a moment. With such absurdity, how could negotiations continue?

The opponents might be shamelessly unreasonable, yet they could only argue with reason. They also needed sufficiently strong arguments to win the support of England and France in order to balance the Austrians.

The French representative De Laisebu advised, “Mr. Jonas, your country’s demands are too high; they far exceed the capacity of the Egyptian Government to bear.”

The lion opens its mouth wide, but after all, it’s just negotiation. How can you reduce the price without talking? But if you start by saying it’s the bottom line, how can there be further discussion?

Jonas said with a cheerful smile, “No matter, if there’s no money, then customs tariffs, mining rights, road rights, or land can be used to offset the debt.

We’re not here for the money; we just want a fair outcome. The Egyptian Government can discuss what exactly to use for compensation payments.”

Once the picture became clear, Jonas, a businessman whose work as a diplomat was secondary, was in it for the profits. The French were doing the best business in the Egypt Area, involved in the most industries; the British were next, having obtained road building rights and were expanding their influence.

Austrian businessmen were in quite an awkward position, unable to enter many industries, and Austrian goods exported to Egypt were subject to heavy taxes.

Others might tolerate, but Jonas, who was personally affected, could not. He too wanted to get his hands on the privileges owned by the British and French merchants.

Of course, this had to be on the premise of fulfilling the orders of the Vienna Government.

Mahmud roared, “That’s impossible, the Egyptian Government will never accept your extortion. You are free to leave, or if you wish to stay and eat sand, then stay!”

“`

What a joke, to pay such a high price for a little oasis without any value—do they really think the Egyptian Government is easy to bully?

Upon hearing Mahmud’s words, Jonas felt exultant inside, but he kept a poker face and said, “The Sinai Peninsula is not worth five million Divine Shield.

Your country must reduce tariffs, eliminate restrictions on Austrian goods entering Egypt, and ensure equal treatment for Austrian businessmen in Egypt!”

Unaware that he had been duped, Mahmud thought Jonas was making concessions and, after pondering for a moment, replied, “Mr. Jonas, your demands are too excessive. The freedom to determine tariffs is our sovereign right and absolutely cannot be relinquished.”

Mahmud need not worry; England and France were similarly eyeing Egypt’s tariffs, and on this issue, they dared not show any favoritism.

Jonas, frowning, said, “It’s getting late, everyone, let’s calm down. We’ll discuss the issue of tariffs tomorrow. Are the other terms considered settled?”

Negotiations had been going on for so long that it was the first time Mahmud had seen Jonas actively request a recess. Despite some confusion, Mahmud did not object.

After leaving the conference room, Jonas immediately instructed the clerk sent by the Vienna Government, “Will, organize today’s meeting notes and send them back home, implying that the Egyptian Government agrees to cede the Sinai Peninsula.”

Will, furrowing his brow, said, “Mr. Jonas, the Egyptian Government has not agreed to cede the Sinai Peninsula. Isn’t this deceiving our own country?”

Jonas scoffed, “How can it be called deception? If we transmit the meeting details and interpret them to our greatest advantage, it’s as if that fool Mahmud wants to cede the Sinai Peninsula to us, isn’t it?

Stop being naive, Will. International politics are just that dark. We only need to confirm what benefits us and ignore the clauses that don’t.

Negotiating with these indigenous countries, ambiguous agreements, or memorandums, are the best ways to gain benefits.

Don’t look at the French as if they are supporting the Egyptian Government. When we brought up reducing tariffs, that De Laisebu fellow was tempted too.

When it comes to interests, everyone is no philanthropist. Without sufficient benefits, they won’t take a stand for the Egyptian Government.

Now let’s have our people in the Sinai Peninsula proclaim sovereignty. Later on, the Egyptian Government will have to choose between war and more endless negotiations at the table.

This meeting record is just an excuse to act, making our actions seem more presentable, but in essence, it’s aggression!”

Will nodded thoughtfully, realizing that without creating a fait accompli, the Egyptian Government would never sell out its country! Though the economic value of the Sinai Peninsula was low, it was not a reason to betray one’s country.

Even if, in this era, the Egyptian Government was influenced by Western culture and their passion for the land was not as intense as in later generations, they still feared that any concession would trigger a domino effect and lead to the partition of Egypt by European countries.

On June 26, 1855, the Austrian colonists raised the flag of the New Holy Roman Empire on the Sinai Peninsula, declaring sovereignty over it.

Met with strong protest from the Egyptian Government, Jonas simply used the meeting record as an excuse, completing a diplomatic extortion. Ultimately, mediated by England and France, the Vienna Government agreed to pay 50,000 Divine Shield as ransom for the Sinai Peninsula.

Under strong demands from England and France, the Vienna Government made concessions, promising not to seek further expansion in the Egypt Area and to stop colonial activities there immediately.

On July 21, 1855, Jonas represented the New Holy Roman Empire in signing the “Sinai Peninsula Land Trade Treaty” with the Egyptian Government. The next day, England, France, and Austria signed the “Cairo Treaty,” with Austria formally withdrawing from colonial activities in the Egypt Area.

Having secured the Sinai Peninsula, the Vienna Government was satisfied with their foothold toward the Suez Canal.

By merely giving up a worthless Sinai Peninsula, England and France successfully excluded Austria from the Egypt Area and were also satisfied.

The only tragedy was the Egyptian Government, which lost a piece of territory in the Sinai Peninsula for nothing. The nominal payment of 50,000 Divine Shield for the land was merely rotated through their hands and then used as compensation for the Arish incident, transferred to the Colonial Squad.

This was also a bounty paid by the Vienna Government to the Colonial Squad, compensating them for enduring six months in the desert sands. As leaders of the Colonial Squad, Leo Haf and Andrea were also granted the titles of Honorary Knight.

All in all, things ended satisfactorily.