The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 295

Chapter 295: Austria's Interests

“Oh, let her stay busy. Tuscany is so far away; traveling back and forth isn’t easy,” Joseph said with a polite smile, firmly declining. He had come to Austria for serious matters and had no desire to be trailed by a young girl all day.

Vitoluca was momentarily taken aback but quickly resumed her smile. The French Crown Prince was worried that Clementine’s hurried return might exhaust her. Not only was her son-in-law handsome, but he was also considerate.

Her satisfaction with him grew immensely.

Under the guidance of Leopold II and his wife, Joseph traveled through the streets of Vienna toward Schönbrunn Palace.

Vienna differed greatly from what Joseph had imagined. Instead of tranquil, artistic charm, the city appeared dilapidated. While a few street performers dotted the roads, the sounds they produced were often harsh and unpleasant.

The streets were littered with waste, rivaling the uncleanliness of Paris before its public toilet renovations. Additionally, piles of garbage obstructed many street corners, partially blocking roads.

What bothered Joseph most, however, were the subtle yet undeniable looks of hostility from passersby when they glanced at the French Crown Prince's carriage. But this was unsurprising; France and Austria had fought over continental supremacy for centuries, and their peoples had harbored mutual resentment for just as long.

Finally arriving at Schönbrunn Palace, the nobles waiting outside exhibited basic warmth and courtesy in their greetings.

Despite his frail health, Joseph II personally came to the palace entrance, supported by servants, to greet his nephew.

Joseph immediately stepped forward to salute his uncle. Then, gently pushing aside the servants, he supported his uncle’s arm himself and said warmly, “Your Majesty, my father often speaks of you. If not for his preoccupations with state affairs, he would have visited long ago. Oh, and my mother misses you dearly as well. She asked me to bring you many gifts, which are in the carriages behind us.”

Hearing this, Vitoluca, who was standing behind them, twitched at the corner of her eye. What? Those gifts weren’t meant for me?

Unaware of her thoughts, Joseph continued speaking to Joseph II. “Mother heard about the rebellion in the Southern Netherlands and was worried you might be overburdened. She insisted that I help alleviate your concerns.”

Joseph II nodded with relief, wanting to respond, but was seized by a fit of coughing. He could only gesture toward the banquet hall with a raised hand.

Trailing behind them, Austria’s State Chancellor, Count Kaunitz, overheard Joseph’s words and turned to the French Foreign Minister, Archbishop Talleyrand. Speaking in fluent French, he inquired in a low voice, “Archbishop Talleyrand, does His Highness the Crown Prince mean that France will send troops to support Austria in the Southern Netherlands?”

Kaunitz was one of the most pro-French figures in Austria’s leadership. He spent several months every year vacationing in France, even sending his most expensive clothes to Paris for laundering to maintain his authentic Parisian flair. Naturally, he was keen for France to assist Austria in quelling the Southern Netherlands rebellion.

Talleyrand smiled sincerely. “Indeed, Her Majesty the Queen plans to dispatch troops. However, as you know, France’s current financial situation is dire, and we can’t even scrape together funds for mobilizing a few hundred thousand soldiers.”

“Vienna can provide funding…”

Kaunitz had barely begun when Talleyrand interrupted him with a smile. “That’s why the Duke of Broglie has proposed that France instead provide logistical support for Austrian forces.

“Transporting supplies from Vienna to Brabant, over a distance of nearly a thousand kilometers—or more than 120 Austrian leagues—would be highly costly.

“We, however, can provide supplies from Verdun, which is much more convenient.”

Kaunitz’s eyes lit up. In the event of war in the Southern Netherlands, Prussia’s greatest advantage over Austria would be its shorter supply lines. If Austria received logistical support from France, Prussia’s advantage would turn into a disadvantage, as France directly bordered the Southern Netherlands.

Even if France refrained from deploying troops, their logistical support would be a tremendous boon to Austria’s military.

Kaunitz immediately bowed slightly to Talleyrand. “Please extend my gratitude to Her Majesty the Queen for making a decision that benefits both France and Austria.”

Talleyrand, however, displayed a troubled expression. “You see, France’s dreadful finances make me worry that in the heat of the Southern Netherlands campaign, there might be problems acquiring military supplies. Those unscrupulous merchants wouldn’t even extend credit to the royal family.”

Kaunitz hastened to respond, “We can’t possibly let Her Majesty bear the expenses. Vienna will cover all material costs at procurement prices.”

Thus, without deploying a single soldier, France earned a significant favor from Austria. As for the “procurement prices,” France could name any figure it pleased—still cheaper than Austria transporting supplies itself.

Once inside the banquet hall, Kaunitz seated Talleyrand beside him and began discussing the logistics of supplying the Southern Netherlands campaign.

Midway through their conversation, Kaunitz sighed. “Even with French assistance, this expedition will strain the Empire’s finances once again…”

Talleyrand nodded in agreement. “In truth, the Southern Netherlands’ overseas trade revenue has been dwindling, making it almost worthless to His Majesty the Emperor.

“Oh, by the way, if Duke Ottodol of Bavaria is interested in the Southern Netherlands, perhaps this rebellion could provide an opportunity for some territorial exchanges?”

Kaunitz looked at him in surprise. Securing territorial swaps with Bavaria had long been one of Austria’s strategic ambitions. Compared to the distant and rebellious Southern Netherlands, the wealthy and adjacent Bavaria was far more desirable.

“But,” Kaunitz frowned and shook his head, “I doubt Duke Ottodol would agree.”

“On that matter, I can assist in persuading him,” Talleyrand replied confidently.

During their journey, Joseph had mentioned that Duke Ottodol harbored ambitions of restoring the grandeur of the medieval Burgundian dynasty—not the current Burgundy region in France but the vast domain that stretched across the Southern Netherlands to Mannheim.

Hence, Ottodol yearned to acquire the Southern Netherlands, allowing him to evade the constraints of the Holy Roman Empire’s electoral principalities and pass the land to his illegitimate children. The duke had no legitimate heirs, only a multitude of illegitimate ones. Consequently, Bavaria would pass to Saxon relatives. For him, the Southern Netherlands held far more allure than affluent Bavaria.

Kaunitz, now elated, grasped Talleyrand’s hand. “You’re certain you can manage this?”

“Yes, I have some confidence in my persuasive skills,” Talleyrand replied with a smile. “Moreover, if Austria and Bavaria reach an exchange agreement, the Southern Netherlands rebellion would become Bavaria’s concern. Duke Ottodol would undoubtedly deploy more troops to quell it.

“Following that, Austria and Bavaria, with aligned interests, could achieve even greater things together.”

He gestured northward. “Such as dealing with Saxony—or even advancing into Silesia!”

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