The Shadow of Great Britain

267: Chapter 178: The Visit of the Rothschilds (4K8)_3 267: Chapter 178: The Visit of the Rothschilds (4K8)_3 Lionel’s father, Nathan Rothschild, now found himself caught between a rock and a hard place.

Continuing to invest in the Tory Party was extremely cost-ineffective, not to mention the Duke of Wellington’s previous indifference to Jewish emancipation, but even the Tory Party’s status as the opposition was cause for concern.

If they outright abandoned the Tory Party and shifted allegiance to the Whig Party, all the Rothchild Family’s efforts to curry favor with the Tories over the past decade would be wasted.

Nor could anyone guarantee when the Tories might return to power; if that happened, the Rothschilds would face a disaster upon the Tories’ next ascension.

From an investment perspective, putting all eggs in one basket does not align with the family’s interests.

As the year was coming to a close, the Rothschild Family still had some leftover political contributions.

They were unsure where to allocate the remaining funds until Arthur’s emergence offered a new possibility.

After conducting a thorough background check on Arthur, Lionel was pleasantly surprised to find that his police officer friend seemed to be at the balance point between the Whig and Tory parties.

In Tory circles, Arthur was admired by the Duke of Wellington and also a confidant of Sir Robert Peel.

On the Whig side, he was among the first graduates from the Whig Party’s left-wing educational bastion, the University of London.

It was also rumored within Scotland Yard that the soon-to-be-appointed High Chancellor, Lord Brougham, had already tussled with the Home Office to keep this prized pupil in position.

All in all, supporting Arthur apparently wouldn’t offend the bigwigs of either party.

Being so favored by both parties, this twenty-year-old was bound to at least one day head the Greater London Police Department or even the entire British local security system.

Establishing a good relationship with him would, at the very least, even if he couldn’t advocate for Jewish political rights, ensure the safety of the Rothschild Family’s properties in London from the violent mob.

This type of implicit, long-term benefit that could span decades merely required an investment of a couple of thousand British Pounds.

For such a deal, Lionel could only sum it up with one word—cheap.

With a smile, Lionel began, “Of course, we just hope to have a small shareholding in ‘The Times,’ after all, as Benjamin says, the life of the magazine ultimately lies in the hands of you founding litterateurs.”

The Rothschild Family currently had two plans: one was to offer two thousand Pounds of capital, and my real estate company controls an unused plot near Fleet Street that could be used to store the magazine’s printing machinery.

With this money and location, even if ‘The Times’ should operate at a loss, it would manage to stay afloat for three to five years.

In exchange for such an investment, the Rothschild Family would want a twenty-five percent share and an eight-year free advertising agreement.

The other option, considering the friendship I share with Benjamin and you, Nathan Rothschild would sponsor five years’ worth of ads for five hundred Pounds.

Arthur, you know that even the hottest literary magazines or media outlets like ‘The Times’ can’t fetch more than this price for ad space.

However, in that case, you might need to consider selling your current stock in the Thames River Tunnel Company and Brunel’s bridge construction company.”

At this point, Lionel took the stock certificates from his pocket and slid them across the table.

He continued with a chuckle, “Just as I promised you before, the stocks for both have been trending very well, climbing twenty percent in the past couple of months.

If you’re considering selling, I’m willing to buy them from you right now for twelve hundred Pounds.

With that money, I believe the magazine could run smoothly for a few years, helping you get through this rough patch.”

Lionel had calculated all circumstances, and the stock shares he requested weren’t excessive.

Two thousand Pounds for a twenty-five percent stake in a fledgling magazine, with the added benefit of a printing location, was almost equivalent to saying, ‘I’m giving you the money.’

Although Arthur felt that ‘The Times’ was definitely undervalued and would increase, to reach the price that Lionel offered today would take at least five to eight years.

Keep in mind, the other party didn’t have clairvoyance; Nathan Rothschild’s willingness to invest so much in ‘The Times’ was mostly out of regard for Arthur.

With such sincerity from the other side, Arthur had no reason to refuse.

Although the Duke of Wellington might not acquiesce to the emancipation of Judaism, in the face of the British Pound, even he could not refuse Rothschild’s friendship, let alone Arthur, a Scotland Yard commissioner, right?

He stood up, unable to suppress a chuckle and a sigh, taking Lionel’s hand and saying, “Lionel, I have to admit, the Rothschilds always seem so bold in their investments.”

Lionel also smiled and winked in response, “No, Arthur, quite the contrary.

Remember what I told you before?

What the Rothschilds lack most is boldness; what we strive for is a steady and stable return.”