"An alliance?" Joseph's steps paused for a moment before he smiled. "My father-in-law truly dared to dream."
Talleyrand discreetly glanced at him and chose his words carefully. "Your Highness, I believe this may not be the right time to form an alliance with Russia." Joseph gave a noncommittal hum and continued toward the Hall of Mirrors.
The best arrangement between France and Russia was to maintain strategic distance while steadily drawing closer in trade.
If the two countries came too close, it would only provoke fear throughout the entire European Continent and the Ottoman Empire, severely worsening France's geopolitical position.
And that was exactly what the United Kingdom most wanted to see.
Of course, France could maintain a certain degree of "eyebrow flirting" with Russia, making Prussia and Austria caught between them feel strategic pressure and thus hesitate to damage French interests.
But that balance had to be handled carefully. After all, Poland would feel the pressure too, perhaps even more directly than Prussia and Austria.
So, even considering Poland alone, France could not accept an alliance with Russia.
Seeing that the Crown Prince seemed to approve of his view, Talleyrand immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried that the Crown Prince might choose an alliance with Russia out of affection for his wife.
He hurried two steps after him and continued, "Your Highness, word from Saint Petersburg says that the Tsar has decided to withdraw the troops in Transcaucasia." Joseph frowned, but quickly accepted the outcome.
Paul I had completely repudiated his mother's strategy, so it was not strange that he wished to end the war with Persia.
It was only that, in history, Russia was still struggling with Persian forces around Georgia at this time. Yet now it had already fought its way to Zanjan,