Charles wasn't returning to Pittsburgh for the first time, but he had never been so calm.Looking at the bustling crowds, Charles added in his heart, Pittsburgh should probably be called a small town now.
The Pennsylvania Canal was originally designed to connect several existing rivers through valleys, artificial canals, and other means. After more than half a year of construction, some rivers have now been connected.
From Pittsburgh to several small towns in the eastern Appalachian Mountains, it is now possible to travel by boat, and the steel, cloth, furs, medicinal materials, and even delicacies produced in Pittsburgh have begun to sell well in these eastern villages and towns. Now, not only are large numbers of people moving to Pittsburgh to find work, but many merchants are also traveling back and forth, selling goods.
In just two months, Charles felt somewhat overwhelmed by the changes in Pittsburgh. One can imagine that once the trade route with the French Louisiana Colonies is opened, Pittsburgh's development will surely rise to another major level.
If the previous few returns saw Pittsburgh's changes primarily as an expansion in the size of the town, then this return saw the town's change as becoming prosperous.
From a small fortress of one or two hundred people to its current prosperous town, Charles felt as if he had watched the town grow up. The prosperity before his eyes gave him a great sense of accomplishment. He simply dismounted his horse and walked along the street, greeting the people passing by.
"Councilor Godfrey! You're back from Philadelphia. How did the battle in New York go?"
"Oh? The New York war isn't going so well. Is everyone's business good?"
"Good! Everyone's doing well."
"Councilor Godfrey, would you like to come to my shop and sit for a while, and see the new clothes I've made? These are all the latest styles from Paris this year!"
"Haha! Business is good. But thanks. I always wear the latest fashions from Philadelphia. I'll come see your Parisian clothes another time."
Charles chatted and laughed with familiar faces all the way to his trading center.
"Charles! You're finally back!" A young girl rushed into Charles' arms.
It was, of course, Diana Rogers, who was closest to Charles.
Behind her, Charlotte, who had rushed over to greet him, looked awkwardly at Diana, who was already embracing Charles, unsure how to greet Charles.
"Haha! Diana, you seem to have gained weight!" Charles patted Diana's bottom and pulled the girl from his embrace.
The young girl's figure was indeed changing day by day. Before he left, she still felt like a girl who had just recovered her figure. Now, after two months apart, she felt much fuller and more rounded. Only her height hadn't changed much, still maintaining her original elevation, barely reaching Charles' armpit.
"Hmm, I eat very well every day now, so of course I've gained some weight." The girl wasn't embarrassed by Charles saying she was fat.
"Good, but you can't just focus on eating; you also need to exercise more. Otherwise, being too fat won't look good."
"I also exercise every day now. I go riding on sunny days and practice dancing on rainy days, so I definitely won't get too fat." The girl's voice was still crisp and tender. However, her reasons were already well-rehearsed.
After connecting with the countess, Charles finally had a chance to walk over to Charlotte, who had been waiting for a long time. He pressed his face to hers, showing affection.
Although he missed this considerate beauty very much, the difference in their statuses was still there, so Charles couldn't show any more intimacy. He just softly comforted her with a sentence:
"You've worked hard!"
Charlotte didn't answer, just smiled at Charles with watery eyes.
Charles considered himself a workaholic. He had no days off when he was in Philadelphia, and now that he was back home, he still had to immediately meet with various people.
First were people under his command, like Greenspan and Antoine.
"Sir, I first want to report good news on behalf of Jonathan: the Scarlet Manor's wheat harvest this year was bountiful, totaling nearly 200,000 bushels. The yields of corn, cotton, and other crops were also very good. Although the yield per acre did not increase, because many of them were newly reclaimed land, this can be called a great harvest."
"Only 200,000 bushels?" Charles frowned.
The British measurement methods were also very cumbersome. Take the bushel, for example; it is a unit of volume, similar to China's 'dou' and 'sheng'. Different crops, under the same bushel, convert to different weights.
One bushel of corn and one bushel of rapeseed can differ by several catties in weight. This inconvenient unit of measurement had long been abolished in China, but the bushel continues to be used due to America's strong presence.
Charles only knew that one bushel was roughly equivalent to one-fortieth of a ton, so 200,000 bushels would only be a total of 5,000 tons of wheat. One acre only yielded 500 kilograms of wheat, which, converted to mu (one mu equals six acres), meant the single-crop yield wasn't even 100 kilograms.
How could Charles not frown? In the 21st century, the wheat yield per mu in the central American wheat-producing regions was around 700 kilograms.
"Uh, 200,000 bushels is already a lot, enough to feed everyone in our town for more than two years." Greenspan was a little puzzled by his master's greed. "In England, cultivated land only produces about 22 bushels of wheat per acre. Jonathan being able to achieve nearly 20 bushels is already very good, and I heard it was even the result of using fertilizer."
"Greenspan, I'm not saying Jonathan managed poorly; I'm very satisfied with the yield he achieved. It's just that you don't know, the war in the east is very unfavorable right now.
I've already advised the residents of Philadelphia to move to Pittsburgh to settle as much as possible. Even if only 10,000 people come, do you think this amount of grain will still be enough?" Charles shook his head helplessly.
For such matters, Greenspan had no solution and could only choose other good news to report:
"Sir, our bank and town taxes are both very good. The bank merely charges those Philadelphia rich people for out-of-town withdrawals. In the past six months, it has generated over a thousand pounds in income.
Other local deposit and loan revenues, because Pittsburgh's prosperity is not yet high, are just over a thousand pounds. As for the town's taxes, although they are still primarily land taxes, and mostly paid by our Godfrey Family, the total has also exceeded two hundred pounds."
"The town is just starting to develop. The income is at this level. However, next year there should be a blowout increase in revenue. But the bank's income is indeed very good. You've done well, Greenspan." Charles generously praised his loyal subordinate.
"Haha! Actually, that out-of-town deposit and withdrawal business was entirely your creation, sir; I had virtually no credit. And the amount of deposits in the town isn't large. For deposits and withdrawals from places like taverns and general stores, we still offer them for free.
The main income comes from lending and currency exchange. However, before the last westward expedition, many prominent figures from neighboring villages and towns came to Pittsburgh. After learning we had a bank, they deposited large amounts of gold coins and pounds into the bank, and that was the main source of deposit income.
Now, just the deposits from those people exceed fifty thousand pounds, which has doubled our Pittsburgh Bank's lending capital out of thin air." Greenspan softly flattered Charles.
"Hahaha! Out-of-town deposits and withdrawals are indeed the Hashira of our bank's business. However, your ability to attract so many deposits is your credit. I will especially reward you during the year-end dividend distribution." Charles gave a direct promise.
Currently, banks still charge for accepting deposits. The twenty-odd neighboring villages and towns collectively only attracted 50,000 pounds in funds, which isn't actually that high. James of Philadelphia alone attracted nearly 10,000 pounds in two deposits from the Bonis family.
Now, even with the wealthiest people in every western town depositing money, it's still only this amount, likely related to the fact that these towns are not as wealthy as the eastern towns.
"Sir, here is the information of those depositors, please take a look." Greenspan suddenly pulled out a thick document from his pocket.
—
Charles took it, opened it, and was stunned.
It contained all the account information of major depositors and borrowers, and even some personal information.
The first entry clearly showed Mayor Patrick, who initially deposited two hundred pounds, seemingly as a test. After a period, he withdrew it, then redeposited, and redeposited again. His final deposit balance was two thousand pounds, which was the balance after withdrawing one thousand pounds for cotton textile production.
Through this account information, Charles could clearly understand Patrick's economic activities, which was simply invaluable intelligence.
Charles rubbed his forehead. No wonder later generations would specifically legislate that banks are not to disclose personal account information without court approval.
"Patrick! I want to set a rule for you: this account information is crucial identity information for our clients. From now on, besides you and me, no one in the bank is allowed to access it without authorization.
You also cannot disclose this account information to anyone else, including the Mayor, governor, or even a future President. Even if a court wants to investigate, we cannot directly agree; a specific court order for inquiring into bank accounts must be issued before we can investigate, and we can only disclose the content that is absolutely necessary to be examined in the ruling.
Let's consider this our bank's highest confidentiality system. You can promote it to our users as part of our bank's services."
Greenspan initially seemed not to grasp it, not understanding why they would offend even the governor and the court for account information. He lowered his head and pondered for a while before suddenly realizing and saying:
"Indeed, if I were a user, I would also choose the bank that would least disclose my account information."
"Hmm!" Charles smiled and nodded, expressing satisfaction with his subordinate's understanding.
"Basic confidentiality, I think, should be no problem, but even opposing court inquiries, sir, is it worth it?"
"Haha! Of course it's worth it. This one point, at least, should be dragged out as long as possible. Once we've accumulated enough capital, then we can consider relaxing it appropriately. But it's probably unlikely to relax it while it's in my hands, hahahaha..." Charles laughed very happily.
Most banks can achieve general confidentiality. But such a high level of confidentiality was only achieved by Swiss banks during World war II, and their level of confidentiality was even higher.
Although this offended governments around the world, after continuous disputes, UBS finally relented and agreed to disclose some information to a limited extent. However, the bank with the highest level of confidentiality has always been UBS.
And it has been practically proven that under this bank's highest confidentiality system, the direct and indirect profits obtained were shockingly high. When the safest bank in the world is mentioned, most people's first thought is UBS, not because of its high defense capabilities, but because of its highest level of confidentiality.
Antoine's report was much simpler, mainly describing the process of clearing out the remaining four Iroquois Tribes. The most perilous part of this western expedition was the decisive battle on the shores of Lake Superior; the process of clearing out the tribes was not particularly worth elaborating on.
Relatively speaking, Antoine himself was not the kind of person who could turn warfare into an art form. However, Antoine's gains were very good, even higher than Greenspan's normal operating income.
Charles already knew about the battlefield gains from the previous war report, so they weren't included this time. However, just from sweeping up the remaining members of those Iroquois Tribes, because they went to their usual tribal settlements where they lived, and mostly captured women, children, and the elderly, the spoils were particularly astonishing.
The precious metals, such as gold and silver, seized from these tribes exceeded five thousand pounds. Various furs and medicinal materials, calculated at acquisition prices, exceeded one thousand pounds. Other items included countless weapons, horses, grain, roughly processed natural gemstones, and primitive tribal artworks.
According to Greenspan's estimate, the original value of these various spoils should be between thirty and fifty thousand pounds. Because many items could not be directly calculated, such as the most numerous animal skins, they could yield more than double the profit after processing in Pittsburgh. If sold in the East, they could yield five times the profit.
And if sold in Europe, they could yield ten times the profit.
If the money from the redemption of the women, children, and elderly by the other two Indian tribes was included, the gains from this raid would be even higher.
Charles was indeed greatly pleased, not expecting such high returns from a single westward expedition.
"Has the distribution of the spoils of war been decided?"
"Since this expedition was primarily carried out by us Pittsburghers, and even all the weapons were directly funded by our town's budget, the mayors discussed it and agreed that our town should receive half of the profits. The specific distribution will be made after your return, which was also my suggestion to the mayors." Antoine subtly took credit for himself.
"Good! Hahaha! Antoine, you've done very well. I want all those horses, gold, and artworks, but I'll pick out some good things from them to reward you." Charles laughed loudly in praise.
"Actually, Major Sullivan also contributed to this. I wonder if you could set aside an additional reward for him as well." Antoine pretended not to hear Charles' claim to take all the main spoils.
"Heh heh!" The smile had not yet left Charles' face, and he fully agreed with Antoine's consideration. "The Western Expeditionary Force led by Sullivan is the true main force of Pittsburgh. Of course, I won't forget the contributions of my own people. Where have they advanced to now? Has Massac Town been taken?"
"At the beginning of October, Sullivan's messenger said that several managers of the Coal and Steel Consortium had been sent to St. Louis. Just a few days ago, Sullivan's messenger arrived again, saying that they had already had a skirmish with the cavalry scouts of Massac Town. If Sullivan's command was not mistaken, I think they should be drinking and dancing in the bars of Massac Town by now." Antoine reported.
"Good, my managers have reached St. Louis, so contact with France should have been established, and also with the Ambassador I specifically dispatched. According to the time estimate, they should be returning soon. I wonder what their results will be…"
As Charles was discussing achievements with his subordinates, Charlotte gently knocked on the door and entered, saying that Mayor Patrick and representatives from several other towns stationed in Pittsburgh had come to see Charles.
"Please invite them in quickly!" Charles immediately agreed.
He even personally went to the door to greet Patrick and his entourage:
"Ah! Patrick, my Mayor, you've not only gotten much fatter yourself, but you've also made our town bigger and more prosperous. Recommending you as mayor back then was truly the wisest decision our town ever made!"
"Hahahaha! Thank you for the compliment, Charles. A single word from you is more important than the approval of the entire town." Patrick also returned Charles' compliment without hesitation.
Everyone finished their greetings and sat down.
Patrick, with his belly that had grown another size, managed to half-recline in a large rocking chair. After taking a sip of the half-glass of whiskey Charlotte brought him, he spoke with a smile:
"Charles, you must have heard about our town's income situation from Greenspan and the others. Since you're back, we can start distributing that income. We didn't dare to act on our own when you weren't here."
"You're talking about the spoils captured by the Western Expeditionary Force, right? I've heard about it generally. We can distribute it now." Charles nodded. "Have all those items been valued? Is there any problem with the distribution?"
"Uh, valued?" Patrick turned to look at the other mayors around him.
"Yes. To distribute, we must first appraise our captured goods, and then distribute them according to the total value. If there's a dispute over an item to be distributed, it should be auctioned off, and then the proceeds from the sale should be directly distributed. Otherwise, distribution will be very troublesome and lead to many disputes." Charles had a slight smile on his face.
He had originally thought, when Greenspan estimated three to five thousand pounds, that every item had already been valued. Since it hadn't been valued yet, then he shouldn't be blamed for using his power and foresight to gain benefits for himself.
"Oh, then let's find another time to appraise it. We originally thought these items could basically be distributed according to need, as the needs of other towns and our town don't conflict." Patrick subtly winked at Charles.
Charles remained unmoved, pretending not to see it.
Mayor Patrick's biggest flaw was his greed for wealth. This time, he must have received benefits from several towns, which is why he wanted to speak on their behalf. Of course, it's also possible he had already selected valuable items and wanted to deceive the other mayors.
"That's good too. We weren't very clear about the value of some things anyway. It's good to have someone appraise them for us and then distribute them fairly." A town representative spoke up in support of Charles' decision.
"Hmm. Councilor Charles, actually, we are all very eager to know the situation in the east. How is the battle in New York progressing? What is Philadelphia's decision now? Can you tell us, who are not well-informed, about these matters?" A town representative changed the subject, beginning to inquire about the things they cared about.
These people were essentially the Ambassadors of those towns stationed in Pittsburgh. They usually had to look after the interests of their townspeople working in Pittsburgh, and now they also had to collect political news from high society. If anything major happened, they had to quickly relay the message back.
Of course, Charles would not refuse their questions. He immediately gave them a detailed account of the situation in New York and Philadelphia. He also did not conceal the possible future developments of the war, directly stating his concerns about potential dangers in the east and advising all villages and towns to prepare their militias for training, ready to defend against scattered troops at any time.
Hearing that Washington had already withdrawn from New York, the representatives of these towns were greatly shocked. Although news of the unfavorable situation in New York had already spread, hearing it from ordinary people felt different from hearing it from Charles, a Continental Congress Representative.
Upon receiving this confirmed news, several people could not sit still and immediately stood up to bid farewell to Charles and Patrick, claiming they had other matters and needed to leave. Although it was clear to everyone that these individuals were eager to return and relay Charles' words to their respective towns, as an unwritten rule of diplomacy, no one broke the silence, and everyone found an excuse to leave.
When the last town representative left, Patrick, who had been leisurely sitting in the rocking chair, slowly swayed to his feet.
"Oh dear! Charles, you've ruined a great opportunity for me this time!"
"Oh?" Charles smiled, picked up the wine bottle, and refilled Patrick's empty glass. "Is it about those spoils? Are there any good items you've taken a fancy to? If it's a single item, we can keep it aside then."
"Hehe! I haven't. Even if there's something I like, I'll find another way to redeem it. I'm entirely for the benefit of the whole town, you know. It's a pity you ruined it." Patrick picked up his glass and took another shallow sip.
"Other villages and towns don't have good methods for processing furs, so when distributing the spoils this time, they mainly focused on gold, silver, warhorses, and other items with very clear prices, not caring at all about those animal skins with unlimited potential…"
"Heh heh, then it's a good thing I stopped it. This time, I really want the gold and silver, those hard currencies."
"Hmm?" Patrick was stunned.
"Among the spoils this time, what I am most willing to give up are the captured weapons. I hope all the other items can remain in Pittsburgh. I can exchange them for steel products, fertilizers, cloth, and other goods," Charles said slowly.
Grain, needless to say, was scarce and mostly resolved. Gold and gems, one could serve as reserves for future US dollar issuance, the other could be sold to Europe to earn a large amount of foreign exchange; horses were the main transportation power for developing the Midwest and would definitely be kept in Pittsburgh; animal skins and medicinal materials were also items that could multiply in value after processing; as for the remaining Indian-style artworks, such as feather crowns inlaid with gems and bead strings carved from animal teeth, these items, which currently had little artistic value, would increase infinitely in value if collected for one or two hundred years. Charles was very willing to acquire them at a low discounted price, as gifts to pass down to future generations.
"Ah! You want everything else but not those weapons? Those weapons aren't worth much now; we might have to compensate them with many other things." Patrick understood Charles' position in this town and did not directly refute him.
"Heh heh! Don't worry, even if we can't exchange goods, those mayors would be very willing to accept my loans." Charles said confidently.
This was also true. These towns now really liked Pittsburgh's industrial and agricultural products, and no town relied on these captured items for their livelihood. Keeping them in safe Pittsburgh was not an unacceptable matter for them.
Since the powerful Charles had already said so, what more could Patrick say?
"By the way, Charles, recently a lot of strangers have come to Pittsburgh. They seem to have considerable backing. When they arrived in Pittsburgh, they ignored me, the mayor, and other officials, and only contacted the property owners, wanting to buy their land and their businesses," Patrick said softly.
"Heh heh! Is it because they didn't visit you that you think they have a background?" Charles laughed.
This Patrick loved money the most. If those people didn't visit him and give him gifts, it would naturally cause his displeasure. However, Patrick's guess that these people had a background was probably not baseless.
Pittsburgh used to be just a small frontier town in the west. Now, the canal was about to open, and connections to Louisiana would soon be established. Pittsburgh would soon become a major trade and transportation hub. This transformation from wilderness to prosperity would undoubtedly generate countless benefits. Many respectable people from large eastern cities saw this, so it was not surprising for them to extend their claws and explore.
If it were in Philadelphia, he might have taken the initiative to share some of the profits, but in Pittsburgh, his own backyard, Charles would absolutely not allow them to cause trouble. Want to share profits? Yes! But it must be with his consent.
Charles smiled darkly.
Patrick saw Charles' expression and also smiled slightly, knowing that Charles had understood the meaning of his words, and so he said no more, preparing to bid farewell and leave.
Actually, the changes and achievements in Pittsburgh over these two months were far from being fully understood through just one conversation.
After a full night's rest at Charles' home, recovering from the fatigue of the journey and enjoying the comfort of beautiful women, he then plunged into various affairs: inspecting newly opened factories, handling the distribution of spoils, visiting recovering militiamen, and even watching young girls practice new dances, and so on.
There was a small unexpected incident: Charles realized that consuming many spoils would tie up a large amount of capital. In the end, he took over the warhorses and animal skins in the name of Pittsburgh. This way, the items remained in Pittsburgh, did not conflict with his plans, and also gave Patrick a portion of the profits, making the Mayor extremely happy.
Although these matters were tedious, Charles found joy in them.
However, two or three days later, he received more good news: the Ambassador to Louisiana and several managers had all returned, bringing back many things.
The main items were goods purchased as ordered, all advanced European industrial and agricultural products urgently needed by Pittsburgh, and also daily necessities that Charles greatly desired, such as tea and silk. In addition, there was a batch of gifts from the colonial governor to Charles. These gifts were quite unusual: a pair of Gallic horses and a pair of Bordeaux dogs.
Charles immediately met with the Ambassador and the managers, asking them in detail about their situation in Louisiana, the alliance, and the governor's attitude.
However, the news reported was not very good.
What pleased the governor most was that Charles had handed over the Ambassador who presumptuously called himself "Duke of Ohio." That was why he gave many noble gifts, expressing his willingness to maintain personal friendship with Charles, and sent an Ambassador to invite Charles to visit Louisiana at an appropriate time.
As for the Ambassador's mention of uniting against the British, or even seeking Louisiana's support for the United States, the governor showed no interest, refusing to discuss it, citing the need to await clear instructions from his country.
One of the managers also quietly complained that their group, while purchasing goods transported from Europe in St. Louis, was monitored by the Louisiana colonial army. Aside from normal purchases, they were not allowed to contact other colonists, and even at night, people guarded their lodging. Charles frowned deeply upon hearing this.
Compared to the king of France's support, the governor of Louisiana's support is more important. If I don't support the independence movement in America, and even if France internally agrees to aid, America might not receive much help from Louisiana.
After all, internal French aid is certainly limited. No matter how important it is, it's not as convenient and substantial as support from Louisiana.
Deep down, Charles understood the governor's concerns. After all, he represented the interests of the colonial suzerain. The current independence movement in America was, in fact, challenging the entire colonial system. For him, as a beneficiary of the colonial system, not strongly opposing independence was already quite good.
The monitoring and precautions taken against his people in Louisiana were probably due to concerns about America exporting ideas of independence. Now, he had even sent an envoy and gifts, indicating that at least this governor did not harbor genuine hostility towards America.
And Charles, who knew American history, had to admit that the United States indeed had a tradition of exporting independence.
Although he already knew about the governor's stance, Charles still received the governor's envoy in a friendly manner.
"Hello! Esteemed sir Godfrey, I am lord Dupont, a lord of king Louis of France and an envoy of the governor of Louisiana. I represent His Excellency the governor in conveying his respect and friendship to you." A young Frenchman, wearing a wig and noble attire, greeted Charles.
Addressing him as "Sir" while calling himself a "lord," yet still maintaining a friendly and harmonious atmosphere, this was the skill of a true diplomat.
"Hello! lord Dupont, I am a citizen of the United States, a representative of the Continental Congress, the Speaker of Pittsburgh, and the Conqueror of Iroquois, Godfrey." Charles also announced his titles, following the guidance of his translator, Moulton.
During this, both naturally spoke in French and english. Fortunately, after half a year of studying, Charles and Moulton's French had improved considerably, and understanding lord Dupont's words was not an issue. However, to be on the safe side, a translator was cautiously kept nearby.
"Thank you very much for His Excellency the governor's gifts, those two horses and this pair of dogs. I like them very much."
"To thank you for sending that usurper to St. Louis, that is a small token of His Excellency the governor's regard. It's good that you like it. However, His Excellency the governor feels he should thank you personally, but unfortunately, he is bound by his post and cannot leave. Therefore, he has sent me to represent him and formally invite you to visit Louisiana at an appropriate time," lord Dupont politely extended the invitation.
Charles did not immediately agree to visit. This was not a question of willingness or unwillingness. Rather, his current status was unusual, and a visit to Philadelphia would indeed be troublesome. So he merely stated that he would consider it carefully before deciding, and asked the envoy to stay in Pittsburgh for a few days to await his reply. The subsequent conversation was not very meaningful.
In fact, lord Dupont's visit was also purely ceremonial. He presented the governor's letter inviting Charles to visit Louisiana, and then they discussed the development of Pittsburgh. He talked about the local customs and traditions along the way, but remained silent about the current situation and military matters.
Whenever Charles tried to bring up such topics, he would skillfully change the subject, discussing other things. Charles secretly admired him, thinking that lord Dupont, despite appearing like a frivolous noble scion, was actually a very mature diplomat.
However, lord Dupont's praise for Pittsburgh also made Charles very pleased. He happily introduced the changes in Pittsburgh over the past year, as well as his upcoming plans, including the commercial district centered around the original town, the university district and industrial zone already under construction, the planned civilian residential area, and the luxury residential and leisure area that had started construction earlier.
Charles particularly emphasized the luxury leisure area. This was originally built to attract wealthy gentry from Philadelphia. Now that there was a French nobleman who loved enjoyment in front of him, Charles naturally didn't mind promoting it to him, and incidentally, asking him to help bring over those down-and-out French nobles from Louisiana to spend money.
This leisure area not only included traditional colonial hunting and fishing recreation, but also a large number of regular modern leisure center activities such as golf and sauna. He even subtly mentioned gambling and providing high-end exotic services.
"Are there really such games? When can these things start? I must come and try them then." lord Dupont's eyes rarely shone so brightly, wishing he could go and experience the entertainment and leisure activities Charles spoke of right now.
"Alas! You don't know the situation in St. Louis. She is known as the largest city in the central America, but she can't even compare to the countryside of Marseille. Besides desolation, it's still desolation. If you can establish a dedicated place for noble leisure in Pittsburgh, you will definitely attract all those pleasure-loving fellows from St. Louis, and they will never return to St. Louis."
"Hahaha! lord Dupont, you don't need to rush. This leisure area is expected to be partially operational by next year. You can make two round trips to St. Louis and then come to Pittsburgh to enjoy an authentic noble life again," Charles said with a smile.
To traditional nobles, pioneering colonial life was indeed not a life of enjoyment. The governor of Louisiana was often concurrently the commander of the colonial garrison. Those civil official nobles who only knew how to dance and drink would be too scared to get out of bed at the mere mention of coming to the New World, let alone become governor.
After sending someone to escort lord Dupont to Scarlet Manor for Jonathan to entertain, he himself began discussing matters concerning Louisiana with the main officials of Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh, after the autumn harvest, was at its most prosperous. With economic development, Charles' hospitality improved continuously. This time, when he invited Patrick and the others for discussions, he specifically asked Charlotte to serve tea bought from St. Louis.
Sitting leisurely in a rocking chair, smelling the rich tea, with a pair of Bordeaux dogs lying at his feet,
Charles gently stroked the heads of the two dogs, making them emit satisfied whimpers. He felt very content. No wonder that governor sent him this pair of Bordeaux dogs. Keeping dogs, drinking tea, sitting in a rocking chair, and watching slaves work , this must be the most leisurely noble life in the eyes of colonial people.
"Hehe! Charles, your pair of Bordeaux dogs are really good. I don't think you like them very much, so why don't you just give them to me?"
Patrick had just sat down in another rocking chair when he made this request to Charles.
"This? Uh, I don't mind. But my countess Diana… I'm afraid I can't agree to that request." Charles gave a dry laugh.
It wasn't that he disliked dogs, he just wasn't very good at raising them. In the past, he used to envy other people's beautiful dogs, especially the heartwarming scenes of human-dog interaction. Charles always envied them and even looked up a lot of information on pet dogs.
Bordeaux dogs are a very powerful mastiff breed. What Charles remembered most vividly was its head, which was huge and heavy, reportedly the largest of all dog breeds in the world. Its forehead was broad, its face covered in wrinkles.
Its lower jaw protruded. Its upper lips hung down on both sides, covering the lower jaw. Its nostrils were open, and the skin on its neck was loose, forming a distinct dewlap on its throat. Its ears were long and hung down behind its head.
Throughout their long history, these dogs played many roles, serving as war dogs, herding dogs, and even famous arena fighting dogs, competing for glory with angry bulls and fierce bears.
In the late Middle Ages, they also found work as cattle herders and private guard dogs. But during the French Revolution, in order to protect the property of their noble masters, most of these loyal dogs were brutally slaughtered.
The few remaining dogs were later protected and bred by the French Mastiff Club, but were considered no longer very pure. The two dogs Charles had were true Bordeaux dogs. Even for that reason, Charles was unwilling to part with them.
—
In fact, Scarlet Manor also had many beautiful hunting dogs from England, but with such a large pack, it felt a bit lacking. This time, the pair of Bordeaux dogs, due to a moment of oversight, were first liked by the lonely countess Diana.
She even generously shared the meat on her plate with these two large dogs, and the two dogs were also very willing to eat from Diana's plate. They only liked to follow Charles, their true owner, but didn't show much affection, making him still green with envy when he looked at Diana.
"Alas! What a pity. Most of these Bordeaux dogs don't adapt well to America. The governor must have put in a lot of effort to raise them. Now that he can generously give them away, it shows that, at least for independent-minded people like us, he doesn't dislike us from the bottom of his heart. Refusing our envoy's request was probably more out of duty," Patrick tried to tempt the two dogs with some food, but they didn't even sniff the small sweet pie in his hand.
"Indeed! In fact, his deliberate dispatch of an envoy and his invitation for me to visit have an exploratory meaning. I just don't know how he dealt with the French envoy from the 'Ohio Duchy.' If we knew that, we might have a general idea of his thoughts." Charles patted the Bordeaux dog's hindquarters, and one of the dogs immediately pounced, biting the sweet pie from Patrick's hand.
"Hahaha! Good dog!" Patrick, who quickly retracted his hand, was not angry. Instead, he burst into delighted laughter.
Greenspan, standing nearby, quickly called Charlotte to lead the two dogs out so the meeting could continue.
"Actually, we don't need to judge his attitude. I think that envoy definitely didn't just come to invite you to visit. Why don't we send the envoy to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia and let those representatives worry about it?
Uh, Charles, I didn't mean you. Anyway, we can completely do what we want. Pittsburgh was originally built by the French army, and we still have a very good relationship with France. We can directly interact with Louisiana; it doesn't necessarily have to be on behalf of the United States," Patrick offered his opinion.
Charles pondered for a moment, feeling that this seemed a bit weak and didn't align with his intention to demonstrate greater achievements to the Continental Congress.
"Sir, actually, the war is still a bit far from us. We can fully develop trade with Louisiana first," Greenspan suggested softly.
Seeing Antoine and the old militiaman-turned-notary American looking displeased, he added, "Only when Pittsburgh's trade develops and the town becomes a large city will we have the ability to support matters in the east. Right now, even if we wanted to send some weapons to the Continental army, we couldn't afford it!"
Hearing this, Antoine and the others softened their expressions.
"Mr. Speaker, we firmly support all your decisions. We believe you are truly considering the welfare of our three million compatriots in America," the two old militiamen unanimously declared to Charles.
"Haha!" Charles gave a wry smile.
Of course, he was only considering his own interests. However, now the interests of three million Americans were tied to his own, forcing him to consider them as much as possible.
"Actually, I also really want to see St. Louis, and what a French colony is really like. Didn't they say Louisiana is an even more desolate place than Pittsburgh? How can they still buy so many goods there? I'm very interested in their transportation and goods.
Even if we can't get direct aid from Louisiana, just getting their trade routes would already be a very good achievement. I still think it's better to rely on oneself than on others! As for diplomatic matters, it's indeed better to leave them to the other representatives of the Continental Congress. However, that envoy was ordered to see me, so if he were to detour to Philadelphia, I'd have to ask him first," Charles nodded.
"We respect all your decisions," everyone unanimously declared.
The matter concerning Louisiana was thus settled.
Just then, the latest war report from the east arrived: on October twenty-sixth, the Continental army retreated to White Plains in New Jersey. On the twenty-eighth, the British army pursued them. After several hours of intense fighting, the Continental army lost three hundred men and voluntarily withdrew.
Washington led his troops to retreat and defend North Castle, felling trees to construct fortifications. When General Howe's troops arrived there, it was raining heavily for days, hindering military operations. The two armies are now in a stalemate within New Jersey.
Charles knew this might be a rare period of calm and decided to officially visit St. Louis a few days later. lord Dupont, the governor's envoy, after hearing Charles agree to the visit, also accepted his other suggestion and agreed to go to Philadelphia to meet other "friends" and convey "friendship" to the governor.
Charles had to admit that Patrick was not wrong; lord Dupont indeed had deeper plans.