The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 301

Chapter 301: Even Father Is Here—Something Big Must Be Happening!

The second floor of the Palace of Versailles.

Sunlight streamed through the grand arched floor-to-ceiling windows into the spacious corridor, casting a soft golden veil over Crown Prince Joseph and his entourage.

“So Austria was defeated?” Joseph frowned slightly, glancing at Eymond, who was holding the freshly delivered report.

“That is correct, Your Highness,” Eymond replied after a brief look at the document. “General Würmser lost over five thousand men and was nearly surrounded by the Prussian army. He had to retreat all the way to Luxembourg to barely fend off the Prussians’ pursuit.”

Joseph shook his head inwardly. In recorded history, Würmser wasn’t supposed to suffer defeat until the end of the year, and it was not yet June.

He turned to Eymond again. “You mentioned earlier that the Dutch also provided support to the Southern Netherlands?”

“Yes, Your Highness. The military funding of the Prussian-Dutch coalition and the weapons of the rebels were largely supplied by the States General of the Dutch Provinces.”

“No wonder,” Joseph sighed. It turned out the Dutch were far more involved than they had been historically. That might explain the swift retreat of the Austrian army. His own butterfly effect had likely altered the course of history—if William V, that habitual abstainer, were still in power in the Netherlands, they wouldn’t have been so generous in supporting the Brabant rebels.

Of course, it was also possible that the British had manipulated things behind the scenes, leading to this series of events.

Eymond added, “Your Highness, according to a report from the Intelligence Bureau received the day before yesterday, the Dutch may be planning to claim sovereignty over the Southern Netherlands. And Vandernoot seems quite willing to accept that.”

Vandernoot was one of the leaders of the Brabant uprising.

Joseph asked again, “What about the conservatives in the Southern Netherlands? That one named... Ong something?”

“Do you mean Henry Unck, Your Highness?”

“Yes, that’s him.”

“He appears to have made no comment on the matter.”

Joseph nodded and instructed, “Please have Director Fouché summoned. We need to make contact with Unck as soon as possible.”

Rubbing his brow, he added, “That means we’ll need to prioritize the Southern Netherlands issue. Oh, could you read out my current itinerary?”

“Yes, Your Highness. Your current schedule is: departing for Saint-Étienne at noon today to inspect the Royal Armory there.

“Then heading south to Lyon to promote the automated loom. Before that, Mr. Bailly will brief you on the newly established insurance company.

“After that, the next stop is Troyes, where you will personally oversee the combat evaluation of the army and give a speech to the First Imperial Guard Corps...

“Then comes the inspection of logistical supplies in Verdun...

“If progress in Bavaria proceeds smoothly, you’ll go to Munich to sign a trade agreement on behalf of His Majesty with Austria and other countries. If negotiations stall, you’ll go to Saxony first…”

Joseph waved his hand wearily. “Please move up the combat evaluation of the army and the inspection of Verdun’s logistics. Everything else will have to wait.”

Joseph knew that Austria would not take its defeat in the Southern Netherlands lightly.

Historically, Austria had even gone so far as to halt its reforms and mobilize nearly 200,000 troops, preparing for what looked like a total war against Prussia. After two and a half years of bloody conflict, they finally managed to crush the Brabant uprising.

Now, he intended to use this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to expand the war as much as possible, driving a wedge between Prussia and Austria and preventing them from ever uniting against France.

If his arrangements in Poland also bore fruit, making it impossible—or at least delaying—the partition of Poland by Russia, Prussia, and Austria, their shared interests could be dismantled.

In that case, the main theme of future continental wars would likely be the rivalry between Austria and Prussia for dominance over the Germanic lands.

France would no longer face the troublesome anti-French coalitions and could maneuver freely on the strategic stage. As continental powerhouses, Austria and Prussia would vie for French favor. The gains France could reap from such a situation would be enormous.

Now that Würmser had been quickly defeated in the Southern Netherlands, Joseph had no choice but to put domestic affairs aside and focus on military preparation.

After all, to profit from a Prussian-Austrian war, he first needed a powerful army capable of influencing the battlefield.

The stronger he was, the more valuable he became to those seeking alliances. So every franc spent on military readiness today might yield ten, even a hundredfold returns in the future!

“Your Highness, we must quicken our pace—His Majesty is likely growing impatient,” said a court official walking ahead, seeing the Crown Prince had stopped to speak with his aide. The man turned back to issue a gentle reminder.

“Oh, right.” Joseph quickly stepped up to catch up with the official, then casually asked, “By the way, what does Her Majesty want from me?”

The man answered smoothly, “I’m not sure, Your Highness. But Her Majesty appeared quite serious—seems to be something important. Oh, and His Majesty is there too.”

“Huh? Father’s here as well?” Joseph was startled. Something big must be going on, or there was no way they’d rouse Louis XVI from his usual detached seclusion.

Sure enough, when he arrived at the Trianon Palace, he found his parents sitting by the window listening to music, clearly waiting for him.

He quickly stepped forward and bowed.

Queen Marie’s stern expression softened the moment she saw her beloved son and beckoned him over. “Darling, come sit beside me!”

Joseph sat beside his mother and heard her say, “Your uncle sent a special envoy earlier.”

Joseph blinked. “Uncle? Which uncle?”

“The Grand Duke of Tuscany,” Louis XVI reminded him from the side.

Queen Marie pushed a platter of pudding and macarons toward her son. “The envoy informed your father and me about His Imperial Majesty’s health condition. Just as you mentioned a few days ago, it doesn’t look promising.”

She was, of course, referring to Emperor Joseph II.

“The envoy specifically brought up your cousin as well.” The Queen fixed her gaze on Joseph. “Darling, you’re no longer young—it’s time to settle on a marriage partner. I was already married to your father at your age. What do you think of Clementine? Your father and I are both very fond of her. Perhaps we could propose the match to your uncle…”

Joseph nearly choked on his own saliva and sprang to his feet, flustered and waving his hands. “That... that might not be ideal… About hereditary illnesses, this kind of close-kin match… Shouldn’t we at least discuss it more?”

Queen Marie immediately saw through her son’s unease and frowned slightly. “Joseph, do you have some objection to Clementine? Or... is there already someone else you fancy?”

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