Chapter 290: The Crown Prince's Diplomacy
Joseph immediately broke into a radiant smile. "Mother, I'd like to personally visit Vienna. I haven't had a proper chance to check in on Uncle since he fell ill."
"Oh, I will do my utmost to help Uncle resolve the Brabant issue and restore the peace he deserves."
"At the same time, Uncle and I have many things to discuss."
Queen Mary nodded with satisfaction. "That would be wonderful, dear! I've always wanted to visit my brother, but France cannot do without me. It's perfect that you can go see Benny in my stead. Oh, I must prepare some gifts for him."
Before long, the cabinet meeting concluded, and Joseph hurried back to his chambers. First, he had Eman summon Deputy Foreign Minister Count Segur and instructed him to write a letter to the American ambassador in Poland in his private capacity.
Once Count Segur had prepared the paper and pen, Joseph instructed, "The main content of the letter should be to warn Prince Poniatowski not to dispatch troops to support Prussia. Doing so would offend Austria, the only one of Poland's three great neighbors sympathetic to them. For now, Poland should seize the opportunity—while Russia is at war with Sweden and Prussia and Austria are clashing in the Southern Netherlands—to quickly resolve the 'liberum veto' issue in parliament and raise as many troops as possible."
Due to France's actions in North Africa, the Ottoman Empire surrendered earlier than in history, which gave Russia more energy to deal with Sweden. Barring any surprises, the Russo-Swedish War should also end earlier than in history, and that would be when Russia turned its attention to Poland.
To prevent Prussia and Austria from colluding, it was crucial to exert every effort to prevent the formation of a Russian-Prussian-Austrian alliance to partition Poland. First and foremost, Poland itself needed to be robust enough.
To avoid arousing suspicion from Russia, Prussia, and Austria, Joseph intended to use America as France's "White Glove" to assist Poland, so this letter had to be delivered into American hands.
Strasbourg was the last border city in France leading to Austria.
"Yes, Your Highness."
That afternoon, Joseph set off from France, but not for Austria—he needed to wait for Archbishop Talleyrand to make certain matters more convenient. More importantly, both Prussia and Austria would need to mobilize troops on a large scale, and logistics alone would take months to prepare, meaning the Brabant uprising wouldn't erupt anytime soon.
His first stop was Spain.
After all, his old friend Carlos IV's coronation required his presence as a representative of France, and there were many things he needed to instruct their somewhat unreliable ally, Spain, about.
Spain's interests were currently very much aligned with France's, and coupled with its weaker national strength, it largely followed France's lead in international affairs, making it a decent ally.
Yet, this nation, boasting vast colonies and commanding Europe's third-largest naval fleet, had devolved into the weakest of the European powers.
If Spain could be made stronger, France could leverage its strength more, especially in confronting Britain.
After all, Gibraltar, the gateway to the Mediterranean, lay on Spain's southern coast. Originally Spanish territory, it was ceded to Britain after the War of the Spanish Succession over seventy years ago.
Since then, the Spanish had harbored an enduring obsession with this strategic stronghold, sick with longing for its return.
Reclaiming the Strait of Gibraltar from the British would significantly secure French interests in North Africa—no matter how powerful the British fleet, if it couldn't pass through the Strait of Gibraltar, it couldn't reach the Mediterranean, and thus couldn't influence the North African nations on the Mediterranean's southern shore.
Joseph departed Paris, his carriage heading southwest. In just over ten days, they reached the Pyrenees Mountains at the French-Spanish border.
However, once they passed through the Pyrenees mountain pass, especially upon arriving at the Spanish city of Leon, their progress immediately slowed.
The roads in Spain were simply leagues behind those in France.
Fortunately, Joseph was traveling in the latest "Gem" carriage, which offered excellent comfort, but even so, his backside felt like it was undergoing torture.
After another half-month of bumpy travel, Joseph finally caught sight of Madrid's distant buildings. He was already contemplating taking a ship back for the return journey.
Carlos IV extended the highest honors to the French Crown Prince—a guard of honor lined up five kilometers outside Madrid, and the Spanish Secretary of State personally guided the procession to the magnificent Royal Palace of Madrid.
Carlos IV led his good friend from the palace square, walking all the way into the palace. Exquisite carpets were laid, honor guards stood solemnly on either side, and thousands of Spanish nobles and dignitaries who had come to offer congratulations gathered before the palace, respectfully gazing at Joseph. In the distance, the sound of cannon salutes was almost continuous.
All Spaniards knew that the French King was an extreme social recluse, making it almost impossible to expect him to visit Spain. Therefore, the French Crown Prince's presence represented the French King.
Joseph accepted a bouquet of flowers presented by a group of Spanish children and entered the palace alongside Carlos IV.
He noticed that the newly crowned Spanish Queen, Maria Luisa, though constantly by their side, appeared cautious and spoke very little throughout.
Joseph inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. 'It seems the old king truly stripped this woman of her power, and she shouldn't be able to ruin Spain as she did in history. My efforts in helping Carlos IV catch her paramour weren't in vain after all.'
After an extremely lavish banquet, Joseph savored the seafood-rich Spanish feast. To be honest, some Spanish dishes were even more delicious than French cuisine.
For instance, the main course—Spanish baked seafood stew. A large pot was brought directly to the table, with oysters arranged in the outermost layer, followed by a layer of lobster, then a layer of deboned fish, a layer of grilled octopus, a layer of sea urchin...
The entire pot was then baked with cheese and sprinkled with spices; merely looking at it made one's mouth water.
Joseph only ate less than half a pot and was already so full he could barely bend over.
Carlos IV then dragged his good friend into the palace theater, where "Phaedra" by a French playwright was being performed.
In the VIP box on the second floor, Joseph watched his royal cousin carefree critiquing the actors' performances. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, and seized on a scene where a prime minister appeared to speak.
"By the way, speaking of prime ministers, Your Majesty, isn't your current Secretary of State Count Floridablanca?"
Carlos IV waved his hand.
"You can just call me Antonio. Oh, yes, it's still Redondo."
Joseph frowned slightly. 'Count Floridablanca was Charles III's Secretary of State. It seems without that fellow Godoy causing trouble, Carlos IV kept the old king's cabinet.'
However, this Count Floridablanca was not exactly fond of France.
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