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Chapter 961: Everything Suddenly Became Smooth

Archduke Charles froze on the spot.

When he had departed for Wallachia, His Imperial Majesty had informed him that Russia's willingness to hold Prussia at bay for three months was entirely due to the French Queen's mediation.

He had been skeptical at the time, but now, seeing these M1722 munitions, he knew it was all true.

It must have been his dear aunt, who, to spare Austria from the infidels' humiliation, had made such thorough preparations—

First, by providing loans to support the Austrian army's expenses, and then by encouraging Russia to threaten the border, delaying the Prussian offensive in Silesia.

And now, she must be worried about him campaigning back and forth across Austria, with logistical supplies difficult to secure, so she had given a large quantity of M1722 ammunition to the Ottomans, allowing him to use the enemy's supplies.

Archduke Charles knew that the line, "Marie Antoinette sincerely wishes you well," was definitely not written for the Ottomans.

For one, she had used her personal name, rather than the "Queen of France" commonly used in diplomatic channels.

Furthermore, the message was in Latin, the "official language" of the Catholic Church. It was clearly intended for the Austrians, who were also Catholic.

Of course, all of this had actually been orchestrated by Joseph.

Using his mother's name allowed him to avoid raising Austria's suspicions, while also doing her a favor.

The subsequent battles were without suspense.

With ample ammunition, Archduke Charles launched an attack the very next morning.

He even acquired over a dozen cannons from the Ottomans—also manufactured in Weindorf, Austria—which only added to his overwhelming advantage.

Mustafa, on the other hand, had lost his only Topiris New Army, as well as most of his "Left-Hander" troops. The Janissary Corps were no match for a European army.

With no defensible terrain on the vast Bulgarian plains, Mustafa's forces lasted only five days before losing the vast majority of their strength under Archduke Charles's swift offensive.

Finally, leading his remaining 13,000-plus Janissaries, he fled south of the Balkan Mountains, at last shaking off the relentless Austrians.

Archduke Charles immediately returned to Bucharest, leaving 6,000 soldiers to besiege the 3,000 Topiris troops there. He himself, with his main force, rushed tirelessly towards Silesia.

Although the Ottoman New Army's fighting capabilities were decent, isolated deep within enemy territory and cut off from supplies, their annihilation was only a matter of time.

By this point, less than half a month had passed since Archduke Charles had crossed the Carpathian Mountains.

Upon reaching Silesia, he immediately began setting up defenses, while Prussia's main forces were still far away in Königsberg.

A week later.

The various German states successively received envoys sent by His Imperial Majesty, the Holy Roman Emperor, requesting them to join the "International Maritime Convention" organization advocated by Denmark.

In fact, Prince Regent Frederick of Denmark had previously visited these nations, introducing them to the concept of the "Maritime Convention." However, most had stated they needed to consider it, as it would likely offend the British.

But now that it was His Imperial Majesty's command, these smaller states had no qualms.

'If everyone offends you, Britain, you can't retaliate against just one of us, can you?'

Moreover, with His Imperial Majesty at the forefront, if the British sought revenge, they would surely target Austria first.

Thus, over the following month, more than thirty ambassadors from Holy Roman Empire states successively traveled to Copenhagen, expressing their willingness to sign the "International Law of the Sea."

Frederick hadn't expected things to suddenly go so smoothly. He was overjoyed; this was a glorious diplomatic achievement unprecedented in Danish history.

After a brief preparation, he set off for Paris, intending to discuss with the French Crown Prince the convening of the first plenary session of the Maritime Convention Organization.

...

Austria's southwestern border.

Klagenfurt Fortress.

Beneath the tall beech tree in front of the camp, two Austrian officers were chatting, pipes clenched between their teeth. Yet, their eyes constantly flickered around them, betraying extreme vigilance.

The lieutenant, with coarse pores and disheveled hair, murmured, "Are you certain? I heard the Ottomans were routed in less than half a month. That's completely different from the original plan..."

The tall, sharp-eyed second lieutenant standing opposite him nodded, "I just confirmed with 'Mr. Chef' this morning. Everything proceeds as planned.

"The Prussian army has already begun its return to Silesia. Even without the Ottomans, over 70,000 Prussian soldiers will draw almost the entire Austrian army.

"So, do you have any issues on your end?"

The lieutenant exhaled, shaking his head. "None, Second Lieutenant Maistre."

"Oh, right, that artillery captain, Leimanler, is demanding an increased payment."

"Don't mention your men's names to me in the future," Maistre frowned. "How much does he want?"

"Another 500 Florins."

"Greedy men usually meet with misfortune," Maistre waved his hand dismissively. "I'll get you the money tomorrow morning. Once our people arrive, find a chance to eliminate him."

"Understood, Second Lieutenant Maistre."

"What about the infantry?"

"No problem at all," the lieutenant replied. "Twenty Florins each, and they'd even kiss a sow. Besides, this will be considered a normal defense against an enemy attack; no one will hold them accountable."

"Excellent."

After Maistre left, he set off for a town five or six kilometers from the fortress.

In this era, old armies allowed officers to leave camp freely, apart from their twice-weekly training.

Before long, in an inconspicuous tavern in town, Maistre instructed several dozen "gang members," "Everyone get ready. The Prussians should launch their attack next month."

...

Paris.

In the Golden Conference Hall of Versailles, the newly appointed Chief Minister of France, Archbishop Brienne, was reporting on the progress of government administrative reforms.

Ah, the title "Chief Minister of France" had been coined by Queen Marie.

She seemingly felt that the word "Prime Minister" didn't adequately convey the meaning of the position, and also wished to demonstrate her active involvement in the administrative reform process, thus offering this suggestion.

Joseph, naturally, accepted with pleasure.

"The selection of officials for all cabinet departments will be completed by the end of next month. However, the 'Code of Conduct' and 'Performance Standards' for officials are still being drafted, and due to insufficient manpower, they may require another three months or more..." Brienne murmured, discreetly glancing at the Crown Prince, as if afraid he would blame him for low efficiency. Seeing no reaction from him, Brienne breathed a sigh of relief.