The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 306

Chapter 306: The Selection of Talent

Napoleon couldn't help but feel a tinge of emotion.

He had always believed that his older brother should not have abandoned his legal studies to go into business—facts had indeed proven that his brother wasn’t much of a businessman. After all these years, he had barely managed to break even.

Yet now, his brother had only recently taken up a position at the Trade Delegation and was already accompanying the Minister of Commerce abroad for negotiations. It seemed he had finally found a path where his strengths could shine.

The latter part of Joseph Bwanaba’s letter conveyed a message from their mother, Maria Letizia.

She said that the government had finally issued the compensation for the vineyard last month, cutting the family’s debt in half and greatly easing the pressure of interest payments.

Furthermore, the French Brewing Technology Association had decided to invest in building a large-scale distillery in Ajaccio. Construction was already underway. In order to ensure a steady supply of raw materials, the distillery had signed procurement contracts with vineyards around Ajaccio. So long as no natural disasters struck, the Bwanaba family would earn a steady annual income of nearly 2,000 livres from this alone.

In short, the family’s financial situation had greatly improved—so much so that they could now afford to hire workers for the vineyard.

At the end, their mother instructed Napoleon not to take leave to return home anymore. She urged him to focus on his military duties and strive for a swift promotion.

In truth, Napoleon’s so-called “returning home to help” had only been a pretense, an excuse to participate in the activities of the Corsican Restoration Society. But upon reading the letter, for some reason, a weight lifted from his chest. Shaking his head, he muttered to himself, “Looks like it won’t be easy to get back to Corsica until I come up with a new excuse that can fool Mother.”

In other words, he was now free to visit Verdun and inspect that new type of mounted artillery cart!

What he didn’t know was that all the matters concerning his family vineyard had been arranged by His Highness the Crown Prince, solely to allow him peace of mind in his military service.

Of course, Joseph’s construction of the distillery in Corsica also served to improve the local standard of living. Once the people saw a profitable path, they'd be busy growing grapes instead—who would still bother with “overthrowing French rule”?

Even the distillery was built by the French—if the French were driven out, who would they sell their grapes to?

...

While Napoleon was reading his family’s letter, not far away in the cavalry camp, a soldier around his age—curly-haired, slightly chubby, and with a hint of melancholy in his eyes—was lying atop a hay cart, frantically scribbling a letter home before the postman departed.

He bit down on his pencil and continued writing:

“Dear Father, I’ve made my final decision—I will not return to Fort Fortinière to study fashion trade, because today I have found my true calling: to join the Imperial Guard and become an outstanding cavalry officer!”

Yes, in the Imperial Guard, no matter your background, you can be promoted to officer—as long as you are brave enough and train hard enough, you can make it.

Do you know what a remarkable army it is? Every soldier is unbelievably strong—carrying both a rifle and a blanket, yet still able to run five kilometers in twenty minutes. Oh, that’s 1.25 leagues. They change formations so quickly it’s like some giant is pulling them with strings... And their marksmanship—unbelievable... and those dashing uniforms...

In short, I am absolutely certain this is the place where my dreams will come true! Please forgive me—I truly cannot return. If I did, Fort Fortinière would lose a future great general...

After finishing, he read over the letter once more and signed at the bottom: Joachim Murat. Then he sealed it in an envelope.

Next, he pulled out the “Imperial Guard Application Form” he kept close to his body and began filling it out with full focus.

The cavalry company commander passed by, took a glance at the half-completed form, and pretended not to see anything—raising his head and walking on. After all, he had submitted the same form to the postman just moments ago.

In fact, nearly the entire Champagne Corps was filling out that form at the moment.

...

Bavaria.

Northwest of Munich.

A black carriage jolted along a bumpy road. Inside, Joseph Bwanaba was meticulously reviewing the documents in his hands, occasionally cross-referencing figures with his assistant—his focus absolute.

That stack of documents contained the results of his recent commercial research conducted in Württemberg, including numerous surveys and field data.

All of it was to be used in the upcoming trade negotiations scheduled for the day after tomorrow.

Upon arriving in Munich, he first reported to the Assistant Minister of Commerce—his direct superior—then locked himself in the hotel, memorizing the data thoroughly. Only when negotiations officially began in early June did he emerge.

Outside Munich Palace, the roads were lined with bands and honor guards. Ushers darted about amidst the music, welcoming trade delegates from various nations.

On the plaza before the palace, Grand Duke Ottodol of Bavaria presided over a brief opening ceremony for the negotiations, after which he sullenly left all matters in the hands of State Minister Pomenthal and departed in low spirits.

It was no surprise he was displeased—just recently, he had been dreaming up ways to grant the lands of the Southern Netherlands, which he had expected to acquire, to his illegitimate sons. But then came the devastating news of Austria’s defeat, and all his dreams turned to dust.

Pomenthal ushered the delegates into the grand meeting hall, delivered a formal greeting, and then turned toward Baron Thugut, the Austrian Foreign Minister.

With a nod and a polite smile, Thugut stepped to the front of the hall, cleared his throat, and announced loudly:

“I trust all of you are well aware of just how chaotic the current trade environment in the German territories has become.

“Constantly changing tariffs, sudden new fees, a myriad of access restrictions—all of these have seriously hindered our trade operations...”

“Therefore, under the joint initiative of His Majesty the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire,” he gestured toward Talleyrand and Bailly, “and His Majesty the King of France, we are embarking on the discussion and signing of an unprecedented, grand agreement!”

However, unlike Thugut’s impassioned delivery, the delegates from smaller states such as Bavaria, Salzburg, Württemberg, and Baden remained largely uninterested.

These minor states had little chance of competing with major powers like France and Austria in trade or industry, and so they harbored significant reservations about this so-called “free trade.”

Still, unwilling to offend Emperor Joseph II, they had no choice but to go through the motions. In truth, few of them held any hope of reaching a meaningful trade agreement.

After delivering his ceremonial speech, Baron Thugut ordered his assistant to distribute the preliminary trade plan documents to everyone:

“This is Austria’s draft proposal for the agreement. Please have a look. Of course, this is only a preliminary draft—the detailed provisions still require careful discussion.”

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