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“Oh, please let her be busy,” Joseph quickly refused with a smile. “Tuscany is so far away, and the journey back and forth is not easy.” He came to Austria for official business and did not wish to be entangled with a little lolita all day.
Ludovica was taken aback for a moment but soon broke into a smile again. The Crown Prince of France was worried that Clementine would suffer from the hardships of a hasty journey back. It turns out that her son-in-law was not only handsome but also very considerate.
She was becoming more and more satisfied by the moment!
Under the guidance of Leopold II and his wife, Joseph traveled along the streets of Vienna, heading toward Schonbrunn Palace.
Vienna was very different from what he remembered: it lacked a sense of tranquility and artistic atmosphere. Instead, it was dilapidated everywhere, and although he encountered a few street musicians, most of the music they produced was quite harsh to the ears.
The excrement on the streets could rival that of Paris before the public toilet renovations, and there was also the “scenery” of mountains of garbage. Many street corners were half-blocked by rubbish.
What made Joseph feel most uncomfortable was the faint hostility in the eyes of the passers-by when they looked at the carriage of the Crown Prince of France. But this was not surprising, as France and Austria had been waging wars for dominance of the European Continent for hundreds of years, and the people had held mutual animosity for just as long.
After some difficulty, they arrived at Schonbrunn Palace, where the nobles gathered to greet them showed a basic warmth and etiquette.
Joseph II, regardless of his ill health, also came to the entrance of Schonbrunn Palace with the help of servants to welcome his nephew.
Joseph hurried forward to greet his uncle, then pushed aside the servants and personally took his arm, warmly saying, “Your Imperial Majesty, my father always talks about how he would have visited you if he weren’t so busy with state affairs. Oh, and my mother misses you very much too, she even asked me to bring many gifts for you, they are in the carriage behind us.”
Ludovica twitched the corner of her eye upon hearing this. Hmm? Weren’t those gifts on the carriage meant as a welcome present for me?
Joseph had no idea what she was thinking and continued to Joseph II, “Mother heard about the rebellion in the Southern Netherlands and is worried that you are overburdened. She insisted that I must help alleviate your worries.”
Joseph II nodded with relief and wanted to say something but was seized by a fit of violent coughing, merely raising his hand towards the direction of the banquet hall to gesture.
Following closely behind, Austrian Minister of State Count Kaunitz overheard Joseph’s words and turned to look at the French Foreign Minister beside him, speaking in fluent French, “Archbishop Talleyrand, does the Crown Prince mean that France is going to send troops to support Austria in the Southern Netherlands?”
He was one of the most pro-French individuals in the Austrian upper echelons—he vacationed in France for several months every year, and even sent his most expensive clothes to Paris for laundry to maintain his typical Parisian style. Thus, he was amongst those most hopeful for French involvement in quelling the Southern Netherlands’ revolt.
Talleyrand immediately showed a very sincere smile, “Her Majesty the Queen does indeed plan to send troops. However, as you know, France is currently in a terrible financial state, and cannot even muster the funds to mobilize a few million for the troops.”
“Regarding funding, Vienna can provide…”
Kaunitz had only spoken half a sentence before he was interrupted by Talleyrand’s smile, “That’s why Duke of Broglie proposed that France could offer logistical support to the Austrian Army.
“Transporting supplies from Vienna to Brabant requires covering almost a thousand kilometers, oh, that’s more than 120 leagues, and the transportation costs will be enormous.
“Whereas we can supply from Verdun, which would be much easier.”
Kaunitz’s eyes suddenly lit up. If a war broke out in the Netherlands, Prussia’s biggest advantage over Austria would be the shorter supply lines.
“`
And if Austria received logistical support from France, then Prussia’s advantage could turn into a disadvantage—France and the Southern Netherlands are directly adjacent to each other!
Even if France doesn’t deploy troops directly, the support for the Austrian army would still be considerable.
He promptly bowed slightly to Talleyrand, “I am grateful to Her Majesty the Queen for making a decision that is most beneficial to both Franco-Austrian interests!”
Talleyrand, however, showed a look of distress, “You see, with France’s disastrous finances, I am just worried that while the warfare in the Southern Netherlands is at a stalemate, the funds for purchasing military supplies will become a problem… Those unscrupulous merchants are even unwilling to offer a penny of credit to the Royal Family.”
Count Kaunitz replied hastily, “How could we let Her Majesty the Queen pay out of her pocket, all supplies will be paid for at the procurement price by Vienna.”
In this way, France made a significant favor from Austria without sending a single soldier. As for the “procurement price,” it was still ultimately defined by France at will, which was much cheaper than transporting from Austria.
Upon entering the banquet hall, Count Kaunitz pulled Talleyrand to a seat next to him and began discussing logistics arrangements for the Southern Netherlands.
As they spoke, he sighed, “Even with France’s help, this expedition is probably going to strain the Empire’s finances once again…”
Talleyrand nodded in agreement, “Actually, the revenue from the overseas trade in the Southern Netherlands is getting lower and lower, and it is almost worthless to His Majesty the Emperor now.
“Oh, by the way, if Duke Ottodor of Bavaria is interested in the Southern Netherlands, perhaps this could be an opportunity for some territorial exchange during this rebellion?”
Count Kaunitz looked at him in surprise; indeed, it was a strategic goal that Austria very much wanted to achieve. Compared to the distant exclave of the Southern Netherlands, the wealthy Bavaria that bordered Austria was the territory Austria most desired.
“However,” he frowned and shook his head, “Duke Ottodor might not agree, would he?”
“Concerning that matter, I can help you persuade Duke Ottodor,” Talleyrand said immediately.
Joseph had told him on the way here that Duke Ottodor always harbored the dream of resurrecting the Burgundian dynasty—not the current Burgundy region of France, but the mighty medieval Burgundy, owning vast lands from the Southern Netherlands all the way to Mannheim.
Hence, Ottodor always wanted the Southern Netherlands so he could escape the constraints of the electorate territories of the Holy Roman Empire and grant the non-electorate lands of the Southern Netherlands to his illegitimate children.
Yes, he had no legitimate children, only a plethora of illegitimate ones. This meant that his Bavaria could only be passed on to relatives in Saxony. For him, the Southern Netherlands was more valuable than the wealthy Bavaria.
Count Kaunitz grabbed Talleyrand with excitement, “Are you really confident?”
“Yes, I have some confidence in my oratory,” Talleyrand smiled and nodded, “Moreover, if Austria could reach an exchange agreement with Bavaria, then the rebellion in the Southern Netherlands would become Bavaria’s own problem. Duke Ottodor would definitely commit more troops to quelling the rebellion.
“After that, Austria and Bavaria, sharing a common interest, could do even more things together.”
He pointed northward, “For instance, dealing with Saxony or even, advancing towards Silesia!”