Chapter 527: Chapter 438 The Taste of Vienna

Catherine II was truly a commanding sovereign, her mind worked blazingly fast, and she forthwith continued:

"Furthermore, I will relocate 3,000 serfs to Donbass and sponsor France's development plans with 50,000 rubles.

"In return, I hope to acquire one-third of the mining revenue from the Donbass region."

Talleyrand instantly displayed the standard diplomatic smile:

"Your Majesty, you know that our nation will face great risks in developing Donbass. You are aware that those initial explorations are unreliable, and it's quite possible that we might end up with just a small mine of a few hundred tons..."

To be honest, the 3,000 serfs would indeed be somewhat helpful to the development work, but Joseph had long been prepared with other labor forces, and even without these people, work could still start as usual.

As for 50,000 rubles, that's about 200,000 francs, which, when invested in a place as vast as Donbass, wouldn't even make a splash.