He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 531

Bordeaux, a port city open to the Atlantic Ocean, is known as the gateway to the Atlantic, even within France, which is surrounded by the sea on three sides.

“It was originally destined to be overshadowed by London and Manchester, but now it’s truly the world’s best port!”

Now a seasoned seafarer at 52, Robert Surcouf exclaimed enthusiastically.

He had traveled the world, feeling that the Earth was too small.

But even for a sailor, longing for his hometown is inevitable.

Returning to France after a long time, especially to Bordeaux, always brings a pleasant feeling.

On the other hand, his stern brother, Nicolas Surcouf, coldly retorted while supervising the ships arriving at the harbor.

“Aren’t New York or Miami ahead? Or maybe the Suez Canal?”

“What are you talking about! The world’s leading industrial nation is France! And France’s export port is Bordeaux! So Bordeaux is the best in the world!”

“It doesn’t look like much, Robert.”

Nicolas frowned, observing the harbor with a critical eye.

“It seems all the sailors have deserted while I was away, haven’t they?”

Robert, a former privateer fleet commander and admiral of the Atlantic patrol fleet, is different from Nicolas.

Nicolas was once a privateer captain, but he mainly handled coastal defense and operations within French waters.

Therefore, supervising Bordeaux, known as France’s top port, is also one of Nicolas’s duties.

However, the harbor, which should be bustling, is unusually quiet.

Nicolas’s ship arrived at a port where not a single port worker was visible.

“It’s a strike, Your Excellency Grand Admiral Nicolas Surcouf,” the person who came to greet him explained simply.

“It’s been a while, Monsieur Ely. Are you still working with Rochejacquelein?”

“I retired a long time ago. I only work when His Majesty calls me occasionally.”

“Then you must be here to escort this person.”

Nicolas politely turned to the [esteemed guest] standing behind him and paid his respects.

“Marshal General Hoche.”

The 57-year-old marshal general, the same age as the late Emperor, asked the second-in-command of the Surété [security agency] who came to greet him.

“What has been happening in the homeland, Ely?”

Ely, the second-in-command of the Surété, shrugged and replied.

“The Empire’s mainland is currently on the verge of a general strike and uprising by the labor unions. The port unions are at the forefront of this.”

Since the Industrial Revolution, there have been three main groups of discontented individuals.

University students with higher education.

Farmers who gradually feel marginalized.

And factory workers, who can be called the vanguard of industrialization.

These three groups have joined forces to stage protests everywhere.

However, due to the coordinated response of the national police, the three groups cannot effectively unite.

In particular, farmers have been receiving considerable subsidies since the old days due to the Emperor’s special [favor].

In addition, a recent incident has largely neutralized the university student malcontent group.

As a result, the only group left with significant momentum is the workers.

Among them, the port union, which is the least monitored, is at the forefront.

Marshal General Hoche, who cannot be called a labor union expert, tilted his head.

“Then why did His Majesty call me from South America? Surely not to suppress them?”

“Of course not. Your Excellency is a meritorious subject of the Revolution. There is no way he would order you to fire on the people.”

“Then what is the reason for needing a soldier?”

One of the Emperor’s closest aides, Ely, smiled subtly.

“Intimidation. Just the fact that Your Excellency, a meritorious subject of the Revolution and Marshal General of the Empire, has arrived will prevent any reckless armed uprising.”

If there had only been demonstrations during the Great Revolution, the national overthrow would not have occurred.

In the end, the decisive moment was the armed uprising.

The royal family, unable to stop the armed revolutionary protesters at the time, completely lost control.

After that, the National Guard and the Revolutionary Army took over the military power, completely neutralizing the royal family.

Therefore, quietly controlling the military is very important when dealing with revolutionary attempts.

“I see. Is His Majesty in Paris?”

Hoche asked with a sigh, and Ely shook his head.

“He has temporarily left his post.”

“Why? If Paris is in an urgent situation, it is not the time for the monarch to leave the capital.”

“Unfortunately, there is a reason. The newly elected Pope Leo XII has requested an audience. In exchange for declaring opposition to the riots, he has asked for the restoration of the Papal States.”

It has been 15 years since the Emperor took power.

In the meantime, the cooperative former Pope Pius died, and Leo was newly appointed.

However, the new Pope Leo is insisting on the revival of the Papal States, which have frequently been dissolved throughout history.

Of course, the Emperor’s position is to be satisfied with the Egyptian Suez territory and the New World’s Papal States granted to the Knights of St. John.

However, the religious forces have always been the most effective at preventing revolutions.

Therefore, he is in a position where he cannot completely suppress the church’s dissatisfaction.

That is why the Emperor left directly for Rome.

Hoche, who was a meritorious subject of the anti-religious revolution, frowned.

“It’s absurd. We shouldn’t have left the Papal States alone.”

“His Majesty doesn’t really like coercive methods. It can’t be helped.”

“I think my army would be more effective when directed at the Pope than at the French.”

Ely chuckled and told Hoche.

“In any case, Your Excellency must go to Paris.”

To take command of Paris.

That is what the Emperor ordered.

Hoche nodded with a bitter smile at the unwelcome order.

In any case, the Emperor is like a son to Hoche, so he cannot refuse to protect him.

“Let’s hurry.”

Soon after, the steam-powered car that Hoche boarded emitted smoke.

-Vroom!

The sight of a steam-powered car running instead of cavalry.

It can be said to be a scene showing that the 19th century is an era of innovation.

***

However, in the era of innovation, the faces occupying the cabinet are still from the 18th century.

“Oh, thank goodness! Your Excellency Marshal General has arrived! It was really beyond my ability to handle!”

Of course, Hoche is not in a position to tell Marceau, who is delighted, to step down because he is old.

But shouldn’t a new generation be making its mark in the military as well?

Hoche, who had been questioning the Emperor’s personnel management for a moment, tilted his head.

“Suchet, Oudinot, and Grouchy are still active, aren’t they? And Ney too.”

“Those guys only know how to fight; they don’t know anything about coordination, do they? They can’t treat their own people like rebels.”

“Do you think I’ll be any different, Minister Marceau?”

Defense Minister Marceau chuckled.

“You are different. Haven’t you controlled the Egyptians for over 10 years with hardly any bloodshed? And recently, the Mapuche people in South America too! Then it will be much easier with the French!”

However, uncivilized ethnic groups and Europeans have different ways of thinking.

Furthermore, the French are a difficult people who even overthrew the absolute monarchy.

Suddenly, cheers erupted from behind Hoche, who was still wearing a bitter smile.

“Oh! Your Excellency Marshal General has arrived! I’m delighted. How long has it been?”

On the other hand, Hoche turned his head with a stiff face and replied.

“You’re still in the cabinet, Fouché.”

“Why do you look so unwelcoming? We’re comrades from the same Great Revolution.”

Hoche coldly retorted to the former revolutionary and Minister of Police, Fouché, who was acting friendly.

“It’s not up to me to decide your fate, so it’s hard to complain. However, I wish you would disappear from my sight.”

Fouché stiffened his face, then politely smiled and paid his respects.

Being able to smile even in front of someone he hates is what people like Fouché are like.

Of course, he will remember the grudge until the end.

But haven’t Hoche and Fouché been close to being rivals since long ago?

Marceau grabbed Hoche as soon as Fouché left with a flustered face.

“Aren’t you being too blatant?”

“I don’t need to be mindful of Fouché. More than that, why is that guy still holding the position of Minister of Police?”

“Well, His Majesty’s personnel policy is to put the right person in the right place. There is no one among His Majesty’s direct line who can get their hands dirty while taking the blame.”

Hoche frowned at the Emperor’s personnel management, which he still didn’t like, and asked.

“What are the government’s measures?”

“First, Lafayette, the popular new Prime Minister, will be appointed. Then, a [National Insurance] decree will be issued in the form of a proposal by His Highness Grand Duke Charles Napoleon.”

“National insurance? The state provides insurance? Is there enough financial leeway for that?”

Hoche asked, drawing on the knowledge he had gained while serving as the Governor-General of Buenos Aires, and Marceau sighed.

“We have to create it even if we don’t have it. It seems we’ll have to sell Suez Canal shares again.”

Hoche’s eyes widened.

The Suez Canal shares are clearly valuable.

However, if we keep selling them like this, the French Empire government’s control will inevitably decrease.

“It’s not appropriate to say this as someone who has already stepped down from the front lines, but control of the Suez Canal is very important to the Empire. If the shares fall below the majority, it will be difficult to control.”

“Can’t we just control it with military force?”

“Then the value of the Suez Canal shares that we have sold so far will collapse. There will be no trust.”

Hoche, who was once the Governor-General of Egypt, sternly warned.

“You know this too, right? Suez Canal shares are not just assets, but a means of controlling the Eastern Mediterranean and French capitalists. We shouldn’t turn them into scraps of paper.”

As expected, Marceau, who was once a military attaché in Constantinople [modern-day Istanbul], raised both hands.

“The Minister of Finance will take care of it, right? Sigh.”

On the eve of the revolution.

The French Empire is also facing a financial crisis like the old kingdom [referring to the pre-revolution monarchy].

***

Then who is the Minister of Finance?

“Unfortunately, it’s an era where the Minister of Finance has become more important than the Minister of Foreign Affairs. I am holding both positions.”

Hoche asked Lafayette, the Prime Minister who greeted him with a very troubled face.

“Does the Prime Minister have any measures?”

“I don’t think it’s something the Marshal General should worry about, but I’ll answer you. I do.”

“What measures?”

Prime Minister Lafayette pointed to the globe.

“To sell Gibraltar to the United Kingdom of Spain.”

Hoche blinked.

First of all, it doesn’t make sense.

Gibraltar is British territory.

Could it be that he intends to occupy it through war?

Wouldn’t that require more military spending?

“You’re saying you’re going to sell a place that isn’t French territory to Spain to raise funds?”

“It will work now.”

“How?”

Lafayette said again with a troubled expression.

“We have decided to provide the United Kingdom with a loan of 1 billion francs. In return, we will receive Gibraltar.”

This time, Hoche was so dumbfounded that he shouted.

“Where are you going to get another 1 billion francs when we’re short on finances?”

“We’ll solve that by selling Gibraltar too.”

“Wait a minute, then.”

Lafayette frowned and replied.

“That’s right. The proceeds from the transfer of Gibraltar are foreign exchange.”

It’s nothing short of a scam.

Of course, the French Empire does not lose out on the deal.

But how did they conclude such a truly unfair contract?

Hoche said with a bitter smile.

“You’ve become quite the villain, General, or rather, Prime Minister.”

“It’s not me; it’s what Talleyrand has been doing.”

“Is Talleyrand still in charge of diplomacy?”

Lafayette nodded and stared at Hoche.

“When you see His Majesty, tell him. New wine is good in new bottles, and at least we should get rid of the villains.”

That’s exactly what Hoche wants to say.

It would be even better if he could retire as well.

But will the Emperor listen?

Hoche nodded with a completely uncertain face.

“I guess I have to tell him. I understand.”

May 1825, when the lava of revolution is seething beneath the surface.

The Emperor’s Marshal General Hoche has also returned home.

To protect Paris from the flames of revolution.