Baron Tugut immediately said in disbelief, “Your Highness, excuse my boldness, but you aren’t joking, are you?”
Joseph gripped his arms firmly—Tugut was not tall, and Joseph, at one meter seventy, was only slightly shorter— and said earnestly, “I believe Her Majesty the Queen will certainly agree with my proposal. France and Austria are the closest of friends and naturally must do everything in their power to help each other through difficult times!”
The eyes of the Austrian Foreign Minister sparked with light, and he nodded excitedly, “Yes, you are absolutely right! The Franco-Austrian alliance is forever the most steadfast of allies!”
“If that’s the case, then I shall rush to the Palace of Versailles overnight and request His Majesty for military aid for Luxembourg.”
Jospeh saw him preparing to rise and hurriedly stopped him, “We must block Blücher’s offensive as soon as possible to prevent Luxembourg from falling. Traveling to Paris and back will take too long.”
“What do you suggest then?”
Jospeh assumed a thoughtful stance, “In that case, you should return to Vienna immediately. Please implore His Imperial Majesty to issue a decree, commanding the Austrian Army and officials in Luxembourg to fully cooperate with me in sniping the Prussians, whilst recalling the troops planned for reinforcement in the Southern Netherlands to continue attacking Silesia with all their might.
“As for the Palace of Versailles, you can simply send an aide to deliver the state letter to Her Majesty the Queen.”
Baron Tugut wanted to nod but hesitated, “Isn’t it too disrespectful to have only an aide meet Her Majesty?”
“State affairs are of paramount importance!” Joseph spoke with righteous indignation, “Rest assured, Her Majesty will definitely understand your predicament. Besides, I can send someone to accompany your aide to Paris to explain the situation on your behalf.”
“I am truly grateful to you!” Tugut immediately bowed deeply to Joseph, “Austria will forever remember your kindness!”
Vienna.
Schonbrunn Palace.
Joseph II put down Tugut’s secret letter—his Foreign Minister had just arrived in Bavaria; the letter had been brought back by a messenger galloping for three days—and his pale face finally showed a faint smile as he said to Leopold II:
“Our sister agrees to go snipe at Blücher. With this, we can continue to maintain a superior troop strength in Silesia. Oh, tell General Leao to accept the command of the French Army.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Leopold II nodded, but then added in a grave tone, “Your Majesty, could the large entrance of French troops into the Lowlands cause any trouble?”
The Walloon Region of the Southern Netherlands predominantly speaks French and is very close to France. Austria had always been wary of France’s influence there.
Joseph II sighed wearily, “General Wilmze failed to properly deploy at Luxembourg and hurried off to Silesia, leaving a gap for the Prussians to exploit…
“What else can we do now, except rely on the French Army? Should we abandon the Silesian front?”
Upon hearing this, Leopold II lowered his head.
Austria had already suffered three defeats in the Silesian Wars, and the people could not bear a fourth. It was a critical time as his brother was alienating the noble class with his vigorous reforms. Another defeat at the front might very well lead to great turmoil internally.
“You need not worry,” Joseph II waved his hand dismissively, “The Prussian Army in the Southern Netherlands, along with the rebels, totals over thirty thousand men. Twenty-thousand French soldiers, if they can hold Luxembourg, will have done very well; it is unlikely they will advance into the Southern Netherlands. Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire
“And as long as we resolve the battle in Silesia quickly, the Prussians will naturally withdraw from the Southern Netherlands.”
Leopold II might have acknowledged his brother’s point, but he still felt somewhat reluctant, lamenting, “But Luxembourg…”
Joseph II had expended all his energy and had lain down, “Consider it a trade of interests; giving Luxembourg to the French is also acceptable.”
After all, as long as they could take the rich Silesia, everything would be worth it.
Moreover, without the help of the French, Austria would lose not only the Southern Netherlands but also Luxembourg. Trading the small Luxembourg for the Southern Netherlands, which was more than ten times larger, was not too bad a deal.
Leopold II left the Emperor’s bedroom, pondering over how to recruit more troops for Silesia, and before he knew it, he had arrived back at his own quarters.
The moment he entered, he heard his wife’s angry, shrill scream: “How could she do this?! This is an insult to me, and to Austria as well!” Then came the sound of porcelain crashing heavily to the floor.
Leopold II furrowed his brow and looked towards the guard standing at the door. The guard immediately lowered his head in panic and muttered softly, “Your Majesty, she went into your study…”
Leopold II immediately thought of something, hurried into the room, and headed straight for the study. There, he saw a group of maids and servants standing in the corner, looking terrified, while several antique porcelain pieces that had been on the table were now shattered on the floor, leaving only a letter on the vast table.
The letter Marie Antoinette wrote to His Majesty the Emperor, which had made no mention of the Crown Prince of France’s marriage. However, the Emperor, due to his failing health, had entrusted it to his care. Then war broke out, and he had not had a chance to attend to it.
Unexpectedly, Ludovica had found it.
Leopold II cleared his throat, stepped forward to pick up the letter, and then held his wife’s hand, consoling her, “My dear, Clementine is still far too young to bear children, and it’s normal for my sister to have such concerns. The Emperor has decided not to bring the matter up again.”
“Why shouldn’t he bring it up?! Didn’t you and your brother both say this matter would certainly be settled?” Ludovica yanked her hand away, her voice filled with anger, “I’ve already told almost all the noble ladies and celebrities that Clementine would become the Crown Princess of France, and received countless congratulations…”
“Now, you’re telling me to drop the matter?!” She pointed at her husband’s nose, her voice fierce, “You coward! How can you even call yourself a husband and a father? That woman has insulted us, and you don’t dare seek justice for us!”
“Marie Antoinette!” she screamed until her throat was hoarse, “One day, I will make her pay back this humiliation a hundredfold!”
Leopold II tucked the letter into his pocket, shaking his head, “Don’t be like this, Ludovica, she is my own sister. And in fact, there never was any talk of engagement from the side of the Palace of Versailles, you spread the news on your own…”
“Sigh, forget about it. We will find Clementine another suitable match, and His Majesty will surely provide her with a generous dowry and ensure her happiness in the future.”
“No, how can I forget! You care about family ties, why doesn’t she?” Ludovica’s chest heaved violently, her eyes full of coldness, “I want that woman to realize the grave mistake she made!”
Leopold II shook his head helplessly, whispering orders to the servants to take good care of the lady of the house, while he turned and headed to the council hall. Austria had a myriad of affairs waiting for his attention, and he couldn’t afford to be distracted by such trivial family matters.
…
France, Verdun.
Just as the Austrian Foreign Minister left, Joseph immediately ordered the Guard Corps to move towards Luxembourg.
He knew that Joseph II had no other choice but to rely on France to deal with Blucher.