Talleyrand hurriedly said:
"Your Highness, Naples has also sold more than 6,000 tons of wheat to the United Kingdom.
"You know that this year's grain harvest along the Mediterranean Sea has been abundant, which would already have driven down wheat prices.
"According to the Trade Department's estimates, if the United Kingdom obtains another 26,000 tons of low-priced wheat, bread prices within the country will fall by 7% to 9%."
Joseph turned to look at him. "Do you remember why we wanted to drive up food prices in the United Kingdom?"
"To force the British treasury to spend several hundred thousand pounds sterling on 'bread subsidies.'"
"That is merely a side effect. The core objective is to drive up inflation in the United Kingdom." Joseph added, "Imported inflation."
Talleyrand said in confusion, "But Your Highness seemed to have said just now that we should not stop Selim III from selling low-priced wheat to the British?"
Joseph nodded calmly. "There is more than one way to drive up inflation, and a method aimed directly at the pound sterling works better."
"You mean?"
"As long as Constantinople insists that the British pay in gold coins, it will achieve that effect."
Talleyrand blinked. Though he did not understand the reasoning at all, since the Crown Prince had said so, it had to be right.
He then said awkwardly, "Your Highness, the Ottoman finances are extremely tight at present. I fear it will be difficult to persuade them to refuse pound sterling paper money."
Without hesitation, Joseph drew upon a financial attack once used by a Western empire against smaller nations in a later age:
"First, we must use every channel to publicize the depreciation of the pound sterling. Then have the Rating Agency downgrade pound sterling paper money."
Talleyrand looked even more troubled. "Your