Chapter 305: The Choice of Talent
Napoleon couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion.
He had always believed his elder brother shouldn't have abandoned his legal studies to go into business—and indeed, his brother's business acumen hadn't been particularly impressive, barely breaking even all these years.
Yet now, shortly after taking a position at the negotiation representative office, his brother was going abroad with the Minister of Trade to negotiate. It seemed he had finally found a path where he could truly excel.
The latter half of Joseph Bonaparte's letter relayed a message from their mother, Maria Letizia.
Their mother wrote that the government had finally issued the vineyard compensation last month, reducing the family's debts by half and significantly easing the interest burden.
Furthermore, the French Brewing Technology Association had decided to invest in building a large winery in Ajaccio, with construction currently underway. To ensure a sufficient supply of raw materials, this winery had signed supply contracts with vineyards surrounding Ajaccio. As long as there were no natural disasters, the Bonaparte family would receive a stable annual income of nearly 2,000 Livres from this arrangement.
In short, the family's financial situation had greatly improved, even to the point where they could afford to hire people to work in the vineyard.
Their mother's final instruction to Napoleon was that he no longer needed to ask for leave to come home and help. Instead, he should perform well in the army and strive for an early promotion.
In reality, Napoleon's "going home to help" was merely an excuse to participate in the Corsican Restoration Organization's activities. But when he read what the letter said, he inexplicably felt a sense of relief, shaking his head and muttering to himself, 'It seems it won't be easy to return to Corsica until I find a new excuse that can fool Mother.'
What he didn't know was that the matters concerning his family's vineyard had all been arranged by the Crown Prince, specifically to ensure he could remain in the army with peace of mind.
Of course, Joseph's decision to build a winery in Corsica was also intended to improve the living standards of the local populace. When people saw a way to earn money, they would naturally be busy growing grapes, and who would bother with "overthrowing French rule"?
Even the winery was built by the French. If they drove the French away, to whom would they sell their grapes?
As Napoleon read his family letter, in a nearby cavalry barracks, a soldier about his age, with curly hair, a slightly plump face, and a touch of melancholy in his eyes, was hunched over a hay cart, rapidly writing a letter home so he could hand it to the postman before they departed.
He bit his pencil, then lowered his head and continued writing: "My dear Father, I have made my final decision. I will not return to Fortinières to learn about selling fashion, because today I have found my true life's purpose: to join the Guards Corps and become an excellent cavalry officer!
"Yes, in the Guards Corps, anyone, regardless of their background, can be promoted to officer, as long as they are brave enough and train hard enough.
"Do you know what an amazing army it is? Their soldiers are all incredibly strong, carrying their rifles and blankets, yet they can run five kilometers in 20 minutes—oh, that's 1.25 leagues. They change formations so quickly it's as if a giant is pulling them with strings... and their astonishing shooting skills... oh, and those handsome uniforms...
"In short, I am absolutely certain that is where I will achieve my dreams! Please forgive me, I truly cannot return, or else Fortinières will be missing a great general..."
After writing, he reread it, then signed it "Joachim Murat" at the end before sealing the letter in an envelope.
He then pulled out the "Guards Corps Application Form" he kept close to him and began to fill it out intently.
The cavalry company commander walked past him, glanced at the partially filled application form, but averted his gaze as if he hadn't seen anything—he himself had filled out the same application form and had just handed it to the postman.
In fact, at this time, nearly everyone in the Champagne Legion was filling out such a form.
...
Bavaria.
Northwest of Munich.
A black carriage rumbled over the bumpy road. Inside the compartment, Joseph Bonaparte carefully reviewed the documents in his hand, occasionally cross-referencing numbers with his assistant, appearing extremely focused.
The stack of documents was the result of his recent business survey in Württemberg, including a large number of questionnaires and data collected on-site.
These were all crucial materials that would be used in the trade negotiations the day after tomorrow.
Upon arriving in Munich, he first reported his work to the Assistant Minister of Trade, his immediate superior, and then sequestered himself in the hotel, memorizing the data until the beginning of June, when the negotiations officially commenced.
Outside the Munich Palace, bands and honor guards lined both sides of the road. Ceremonial officers moved back and forth to the sound of music, welcoming the negotiating representatives from various nations.
Duke Karl Theodor of Bavaria presided over a brief opening ceremony for the negotiations in the square in front of the palace, then handed all matters over to State Minister Bomenthal before departing, looking glum.
It was no wonder he was in low spirits; not long ago, he had been meticulously planning how he would bestow the acquired Southern Netherlands territories upon his illegitimate children, only to receive news of Austria's defeat, shattering all his dreams.
Bomenthal ushered the negotiating representatives into the conference hall, delivered a speech, and then turned to Baron Thugut, the Austrian Foreign Minister.
The latter smiled and nodded, rose, and walked to the front of the hall. He cleared his throat and declared loudly, "I believe all of you are well aware of how chaotic the trade situation in the German region currently is.
"Constantly changing tariffs, sudden additional fees, and various entry restrictions have greatly hampered our trade development..."
"Therefore, under the joint initiative of His Majesty the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire," he said, gesturing towards Talleyrand and Bailly, "and His Majesty the King of France, we shall begin discussions and the signing of an unprecedented, great agreement!"
However, unlike his passionate enthusiasm, the representatives from smaller states such as Bavaria, Salzburg, Württemberg, and Baden seemed less interested.
These smaller nations found it difficult to compete with major powers like France and Austria in the industrial and trade sectors, and thus harbored reservations about so-called "free trade."
But unwilling to offend Joseph II, they could only go through the motions and didn't actually hold much expectation for any trade agreement to be reached.
After finishing the pleasantries, Baron Thugut instructed his assistant to distribute the prepared trade plan documents to everyone. "This is Austria's initial draft agreement. Please take a look. Of course, this is merely a preliminary draft, and the specific terms will require detailed discussion before they can be finalized."
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