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Chapter 857: Expanding the Backyard

The surroundings fell silent in an instant, the only sound remaining in the hunting grounds was the distant baying of hounds.

The high-ranking officials from various nations stared wide-eyed at the French Crown Prince, their hearts filled with shock, panic, and a sliver of anticipation.

Revenge against the Holy See?

This was no laughing matter!

While the Papacy today was a shadow of its former self from centuries ago, lacking the power to command the entire European continent, an attack on the Papal States might give major Catholic powers a pretext to send troops into the Apennine Peninsula!

At this thought, everyone couldn't help but steal glances at the Count of Floridablanca.

After all, Spain was currently one of the three primary pillars supporting the Holy See.

Joseph turned to the Spanish Chief Minister at the opportune moment, his expression solemn. "Count of Floridablanca, what do you say?"

The latter didn't seem surprised at all.

The French Crown Prince had long since coordinated his views with him on this matter. Carlos IV had already approved the plan to dismantle the Papal States, with only one condition: Spain would not be drawn into the conflict.

Naturally, this was the consensus among the secularists in Spain. For decades, many reform attempts by the secular faction had yielded little result due to the Church's interference.

Moreover, if the Church's power were weakened, the secular ministers would gain significantly more authority.

Back in Spain, Campos had already begun arranging measures to restrain the Church's influence. As soon as trouble arose for the Roman Curia, he would dare to launch a "coup" against the ecclesiastical forces!

The Count of Floridablanca crossed himself and looked away. "The authenticity of the Donation of Constantine is indeed questionable. Perhaps some appropriate adjustments to the Papal States are necessary."

His mention of the "Donation of Constantine" referred to the era when Pepin the Short conquered vast swaths of Italian land and gifted them to the Papacy. To bolster the legitimacy of these lands, the Roman Curia had fabricated a document claiming that in the fourth century, the Roman Emperor Constantine had gifted central Italy to the Church.

During the era when the Papacy was at the height of its power, the various Italian states knew the document was a forgery, but they could only swallow their pride and endure it.

Now that Spain was leading the charge in questioning the Donation of Constantine, their stance was crystal clear.

The eyes of the Italian high-ranking officials began to light up.

The Roman Curia had three pillars: France, Spain, and Austria. Now France was calling for action, Spain was at least tacitly consenting, and Austria was about to be driven out of the Apennine Peninsula.

This was a genuine opportunity to acquire a vast amount of territory!

The Prince of Parma gripped his reins tightly and called out, "Your Highness, you are absolutely right. The unholy conduct of the Papal States must be corrected!"

The Modena Foreign Minister, however, knew things wouldn't be so simple. He looked cautiously at Joseph. "Your Highness, we have an obligation to punish Austria's accomplice. However, if we march against the Papal States, Naples will likely intervene..."

Naples was the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, the largest state on the Apennine Peninsula.

In history, Naples had fought numerous wars with Milan and other Northern Italian states in an attempt to unify Italy.

And standing between them and Northern Italy were the Papal States.

If the Papal States came under fire, Naples would certainly not stand idly by.

The Governor of Genoa added, "Furthermore, Tuscany's military strength is not to be underestimated..."

Joseph had long expected this reaction.

Among these minor powers, only Sardinia possessed some modicum of combat effectiveness. For these six nations to take on the Papal States and Tuscany alone would indeed be a struggle.

And even if they managed to conquer them, they wouldn't be able to hold the territory.

He immediately waved his hand.

"This is the very reason the Mediterranean Security Organization exists. I suggest the organization activate its protection clauses to prevent Modena and Parma from being threatened by Austria's accomplices!

"At the same time, France promises that all lands seized by the Papal States will be returned to the various Italian states."

The high-ranking officials of the Italian states were instantly thrilled, exchanging excited glances.

They knew that any military operation against the Papal States and Tuscany would be led by France. Naturally, the lion's share of the spoils would usually go to the French, while they would be lucky to get some scraps.

But now the Crown Prince had declared that France would not participate in the partitioning of Italian territory.

That meant the entire Papal States and Tuscany would be divided among their six Italian states! And both France and Spain would back them up!

This was a windfall they hadn't dared to dream of before.

To put it in perspective, Tuscany and the Papal States combined were nearly equal in size to the sum of their six nations.

The Modena Foreign Minister no longer hesitated. He bowed to Joseph. "Your Highness, Modena will dispatch three thousand soldiers from the Royal Guard to execute the Security Organization's resolution."

The other nations followed suit, pledging their troops with increasing determination. With the French army backing them, joining the expedition was practically free profit. Only a fool would be reluctant now.

In that moment, the representatives of various nations felt a deep sense of conviction: joining the Mediterranean Security Organization had been an incredibly wise decision.

Of course, Joseph wasn't doing this out of the goodness of his heart.

Central Italy was far from France, lacking any foundation for direct rule. It was better to distribute the land among his followers to strengthen the cohesion of the Security Organization.

Moreover, once the Papal States and Tuscany were conquered, France would have the final say in how the territory was distributed.

At that point, it would depend on which follower was more obedient.

The states that aligned themselves most closely with France would receive more and better land.

This would significantly enhance France's control over its "backyard."

He could even leave some ambiguous borders. If any follower developed ulterior motives later, these disputed territories could serve as leverage to rein in the traitors.

Meanwhile, under the pressure of the Security Organization's coalition forces, the Holy See would have no choice but to bow to France. That would be the time to launch the plan for the Papacy to return to Avignon.

Gaining control over the Holy See would drastically improve France's say in European affairs and its ability to influence public opinion.

Furthermore, this was a potent weapon for Joseph to initiate domestic religious reforms.

While the French clergy might claim independence from Rome, as soon as their interests were threatened, they would immediately conspire together.

The Church still held massive influence in France and occupied a staggering amount of wealth. Attempting reform recklessly could lead to social unrest.

But with the Holy See in hand, Joseph's options for dealing with them would multiply instantly.

As for Tuscany, its dismantling was entirely intended to weaken Austria while expanding his own backyard.

In truth, according to Joseph's vision, Tuscany could be preserved.

Of course, its territory would be much smaller than it was now, and its monarch could certainly no longer be a member of the House of Habsburg.