Chapter 290: The Prince's Diplomacy
Joseph immediately flashed a bright smile. "Mother, I would like to personally visit Vienna. I haven't had the chance to properly visit Uncle since he fell ill.
"Oh, I will do everything I can to help Uncle solve the Brabant problem and restore the peace he deserves.
"At the same time, there are many things Uncle and I can discuss."
Queen Marie nodded in relief, clearly pleased. "That's wonderful! My dear, I've wanted to visit my brother for a long time, but I cannot leave France unattended. Now it's perfect that you can go in my place to see him. Oh, I must prepare some gifts to send with you."
Not long after, the cabinet meeting ended, and Joseph quickly returned to his quarters. He first instructed Éman to summon Count Ségur, the Assistant Foreign Minister, and asked him to write a letter to the American ambassador in Poland under a private capacity.
Once Count Ségur had prepared the paper and pen, Joseph began, "The letter should mainly advise Prince Poniatowski not to send troops to support Prussia, as doing so would alienate Austria, the only one of Poland's three powerful neighbors that has shown any sympathy towards them. For now, Poland should take advantage of Russia being preoccupied with the war against Sweden, and the fact that Prussia and Austria are entangled in the Southern Netherlands, to quickly resolve the issue of the 'liberum veto' in their parliament and train as many troops as possible."
Since France's actions in North Africa had caused the Ottomans to surrender earlier than in history, Russia now had more resources to focus on Sweden. If things went as expected, the Russo-Swedish War might end sooner than it did historically, which would mean Russia could soon turn its attention to Poland.
To prevent an alliance between Russia, Prussia, and Austria to partition Poland, Poland needed to strengthen itself as much as possible. And to avoid raising suspicions among Russia, Prussia, and Austria, Joseph decided to have America act as France's intermediary in assisting Poland, which is why this letter needed to be delivered to the Americans.
Count Ségur quickly noted down the Crown Prince's instructions. Joseph then added, "By the way, once Archbishop Talleyrand returns from England, instruct him to proceed directly to Strasbourg and wait for me there before heading to Vienna together. Make sure he brings a few reliable aides with him."
Strasbourg was the last French city before the Austrian border.
"Yes, Your Highness."
That same afternoon, Joseph set out from France, but not for Austria—he needed to wait for the Foreign Minister, Talleyrand, before going there, as some matters would be easier to handle with him. More importantly, Prussia and Austria were still in the process of mobilizing their forces, which would take months of preparation, so the Brabant Revolution would not escalate into full-scale war anytime soon.
His first stop was Spain.
After all, his old friend Carlos IV had just been crowned, and he had to represent France and extend formal congratulations. Moreover, there were quite a few matters to discuss with this ally, even if Spain was not the most reliable one.
Currently, Spain's interests were closely aligned with France's, and given its relatively weak power, it generally followed France's lead in international matters, making it a fairly dependable ally.
But despite Spain's vast colonial holdings and its status as the third-largest naval power in Europe, it had become the weakest of the great powers.
If Spain could be strengthened, France could rely more on its support, especially in dealing with Britain.
It's important to remember that 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.
Ever since, the Spanish had been obsessed with reclaiming this strategic stronghold, to the point of it being almost a national obsession.
Recapturing Gibraltar from the British would greatly secure France's interests in North Africa. No matter how strong the British navy was, if they couldn't pass through the Strait of Gibraltar, they couldn't reach the Mediterranean and thus couldn't influence the North African countries along the southern coast.
Joseph left Paris, heading southwest, and in just ten days, he reached the Pyrenees, the border between France and Spain.
However, once he crossed the mountain pass into Spain, especially upon reaching the city of León, the pace of travel slowed dramatically.
Spanish roads were far inferior to those in France, to say the least.
Fortunately, Joseph was traveling in the latest model of the "Gem" carriage, which offered considerable comfort. Still, even with such a smooth ride, his backside felt as if it were being tortured.
After enduring nearly two more weeks of bumpy travel, Joseph finally caught sight of Madrid's distant skyline. He was already considering taking a ship for the return journey.
Carlos IV gave the French Crown Prince an extraordinarily warm reception. A welcoming guard was arranged five miles outside of Madrid, led by the Spanish Minister of State himself, guiding the carriage convoy to the grand Royal Palace of Madrid.
Carlos IV walked with his good friend from the palace square, holding hands all the way to the palace. Along the way, fine carpets were laid out, honor guards stood at attention on both sides, and over a thousand Spanish nobles and foreign dignitaries who had come to offer congratulations watched the Crown Prince respectfully from the palace steps. In the distance, the sound of cannons echoed without pause.
The Spanish knew well that the King of France was a reclusive introvert, and it was almost unthinkable that he would come to Spain. So, the Crown Prince's presence here was seen as representing the French King himself.
Joseph accepted a bouquet of flowers from a group of Spanish children and entered the palace with Carlos IV.
He noticed that the new Spanish Queen, María Luisa, although constantly at his side, seemed timid and barely spoke during the entire event.
Joseph breathed a silent sigh of relief. It seemed the old king had indeed stripped this woman of her power, preventing her from causing the same havoc she did in history. All his efforts to help Carlos IV deal with her had not been in vain.
After a lavish banquet, where Joseph savored a seafood-rich Spanish meal, he couldn't help but think that some Spanish dishes were even better than French cuisine.
For instance, the main course, Spanish seafood casserole, was served in a large barrel right at the table. The dish was layered: oysters around the outer edge, followed by a layer of lobster, then filleted fish, grilled octopus, and finally sea urchins.
The entire barrel was baked with cheese and topped with spices—a sight that made one's mouth water.
Joseph managed to eat only half of the dish before he was so full he could barely move.
Carlos IV then dragged his good friend into the royal theater, where a play by a French playwright, Phaedra, was being performed.
In the second-floor VIP room, Joseph listened to his cousin merrily critique the actors' performances. He sighed inwardly and decided to bring up the topic by referencing a scene in the play involving a prime minister.
"Speaking of prime ministers, Your Majesty, isn't your current Minister of State the Count of Floridablanca?"
Carlos IV waved his hand dismissively. "You can call me Antonio. Oh, yes, it's still Redondo."
Joseph frowned slightly. The Count of Floridablanca had been Carlos III's Minister of State, and it seemed that without Godoy causing trouble, Carlos IV had retained his father's cabinet.
However, the Count of Floridablanca was not particularly friendly towards France.
(End of Chapter)
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