Chapter 885: Gathering in Paris
Chapter 885: Gathering in Paris
For centuries, the people of Tuscany had held a firm conviction: as long as a nation's economy and culture were sufficiently developed, it could command the respect and even the adoration of other nations without needing an army.
Based on this philosophy, Tuscany had previously entrusted its entire national defense to Austrian garrisons.
However, when Napoleon marched his troops toward Mantua, the Austrian forces stationed within Tuscany were all led away by Argentau.
Now, the total number of soldiers in Tuscany amounted to fewer than a thousand. Furthermore, these men were primarily responsible for urban policing; their field combat capabilities were essentially non-existent.
Father Benner repeated his previous proclamation several times before turning to leave.
From start to finish, no one dared to step forward and stop him.
Two days later.
Florence, Pitti Palace.
Indeed, following Father Benner's speech that day, more than half of the Tuscan soldiers had deserted that very night.
The officers, however, didn't flee—most of them chose to pledge their immediate loyalty to the Duke of Florence across the line.
On the other side, the former Grand Duke of Tuscany and younger brother of the Holy Roman Emperor, Ferdinand III, was seized by city officers and handed over to the Medici family.
Yet, following the Crown Prince's prior instructions, Father Benner had Ferdinand III sent back to Austria.
Joseph knew that holding Ferdinand III wouldn't be of much use. It was far better to let him become a burden to Franz II. As an Archduke and a member of the imperial family, Ferdinand's annual annuity would be at least seven or eight hundred thousand Florins. From now on, that was a bill the Emperor would have to foot himself.
The Duke of Florence turned his head but didn't see his wife, who was twenty years his junior, lying beside him as she had been the night before.
He put on the clothes handed to him by a maid and walked out of the bedroom. From the adjacent room, he heard the voice of his wife, Caterina.
"And bring this gown as well; it's perfect for an audience with the Queen. Oh, be careful with my perfume! It's worth three hundred Ducats..."
The Duke of Florence pushed the door open to find a flurry of activity. Maids were busy everywhere, and luggage was scattered throughout the room.
Caterina turned and saw her husband, immediately giving him a warm embrace. "Good morning, dear. You're finally awake?"
The Duke gestured toward the chaotic room. "What is all this for?"
"Preparations for Paris, of course," Caterina replied before waving to a nearby attendant. "Romon, where is that document? Bring it for the Duke to sign."
"Yes, Madame," the attendant replied, respectfully handing several pages of paper to the Duke.
The Duke scanned the list and saw top-tier masterpieces: Botticelli's 'The Birth of Venus', Caravaggio's 'Medusa', and Michelangelo's 'The Holy Family with St. John'.
He looked at his wife in shock. "What is the meaning of this?"
"Gifts for the King of France," Caterina explained. "I heard that the French army collected many artworks when they entered Milan. Their King must have a passion for such things."
Seeing her husband still dazed, she assumed he was reluctant to part with them and leaned in to whisper in his ear.
"You must realize whose power allowed us to move into this palace. There are surely still supporters of the House of Habsburg within Tuscany. If you want to sit securely on this throne, you must win the favor of the French Royal Family."
The Duke of Florence nodded slowly and obediently signed the document.
Caterina smiled with satisfaction. "Once the coronation ceremony concludes tomorrow, we will depart for France that same night."
"By the way, you must work harder on your French. Although I can speak for you, it would cause the nobles at Versailles to look down on you..."
...
The Palace of Versailles.
Joseph looked over the text of the Rhine Trade Alliance Agreement and nodded with satisfaction.
The tariff rates were even lower than those in the previous Seine-Rhine River Agreement, and there were almost no restrictions regarding market access.
When he reached the list of signatory member states, he couldn't help but look up in surprise. "Mainz? Why are they here?"
Bailly, sitting across from him, hurried to explain, "Your Highness, Mainz is worried our army might cross the river to attack them. They hope that by joining the trade alliance, they can secure a safety guarantee from our nation."
"Furthermore, I've heard their diplomats were given the cold shoulder in Vienna. This is likely their way of expressing dissatisfaction to their Emperor."
Joseph continued browsing the member states and soon spotted Baden.
He couldn't help but shake his head with a chuckle.
Grand Duke Carl Friedrich certainly possessed great political wisdom. He had traveled vast distances to join the Iberian-Apennine Common Market while simultaneously joining the Rhine Trade Alliance.
In the future, Baden would be able to play both sides, likely amassing a fortune in the process.
However, as a loyal subordinate of France, Baden had always performed well. It was only right to give them some rewards.
As Joseph looked at the names of the countries on the document, a sense of grand ambition welled up within him.
With these two trade agreements signed, France now possessed a massive free market extending from central Germany in the north to North Africa in the south, and as far east as central Italy.
This would provide powerful support for France's Industrial Revolution.
While it might not yet match Britain in terms of market scale or raw material sources, it had the advantage of proximity and ease of management.
Once French influence expanded to southern Italy and the entirety of North Africa, it was truly uncertain who would be wealthier in a decade—France or Britain!
While Joseph and Bailly were talking, a commotion echoed from outside the room.
Eman knocked and entered shortly after, bowing to Joseph. "Your Highness, the Duke of Florence has sent some gifts."
Soon, Joseph watched as servants carefully carried in world-famous paintings one by one, placing them gently on velvet carpets.
Joseph's gaze swept over these artworks, which in his previous life could only be seen on a computer screen, and he let out a soft sigh.
This Duke of Florence certainly knew how to navigate social graces, but these gifts...
'Selling them would be inappropriate. Keeping them means they'll just end up sitting in the Louvre. It would have been much more practical if he'd just sent a million gold Ducats instead.'
The Duke of Florence was still on his way, but the gifts had arrived first.
Seeing Joseph's reaction, a Tuscan official nearby grew anxious and stepped forward with a bow. "Your Highness, if these are not to your liking, His Excellency mentioned that 'David' and 'The School of Athens' could also be sent. However, their transportation would be much slower."
"'David'?" Joseph recalled the marble sculpture that stood nearly three stories tall and immediately shook his head. "No, no. These are quite enough."
The Countess of Debeninac, Queen Mary's lady-in-waiting, knocked and entered. Her gaze lingered briefly on the paintings in the room with shock before she curtsied to Joseph. "Your Highness, Her Majesty the Queen asked me to remind you that you must memorize the protocols for an audience with the Holy Father."
"The Holy Father?" Joseph asked, slightly surprised.
Eman hurried to whisper a reminder, "Your Highness, the Pope will arrive in Paris in four days."
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