I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 130

Time for Diplomacy

“Your Highness… Does Your Highness perhaps… contemplate a revolution?”

Robespierre barely managed to speak, forcibly calming his pounding heart.

There can be no transformation without pain.

It was a familiar saying to the intellectuals of the time, but no one expected the foremost nobleman of France to say such a thing.

After all, wasn’t Duke Orléans the most privileged of the privileged?

Of course, unlike other corrupt nobles, Christian was a respectable royal.

Robespierre knew this well, as he had been an ardent supporter of him since his school days.

He even thought that if all nobles and royals in the world were like Christian, he might even accept the class system.

Danton and Marat were also dumbfounded, doubting their ears.

Christian, unperturbed by their reactions, spoke calmly.

“Of course, I’m not telling you to lead a revolution. From the start, attaching the ominous word ‘revolution’ is a bit much. How about calling it reform?”

“But what Your Highness has said goes beyond the scope of simple reform.”

“Indeed. That’s why your role is important. You know that such changes cannot be achieved simply by someone trying to lead from above, right? Without the absolute support and response of the citizens, it will be a difficult fight, even with it.”

The atmosphere sank heavily.

The fact that even the highest-ranking nobleman in France would say such a thing made them realize how high the wall of reality was.

“What exactly would you have us do? If it’s for the sake of developing this France, we are prepared to work to the death.”

“It’s not that difficult. Gather intellectuals more actively than now and persuade the citizens. But I don’t like the pie-in-the-sky talk like you’re doing now. Delve more specifically into the aspects that are closely related to the daily lives of ordinary people.”

Things like human rights or the irrationality of the class system sound plausible, but they don’t evoke a strong reaction from ordinary citizens.

To do that, citizens must be in extreme situations or treated like slaves.

But the current France is in an ambiguous situation, neither one nor the other.

“People can’t stand disadvantages more than injustice. If you touch it right, I think you’ll get an immediate reaction.”

“…Simple. Well, citizens inherently have that aspect…”

“No, you shouldn’t see it that way. This isn’t simple, but a very natural human instinct. Justice, morality? Well, they’re all good. But such things only come to our ears after our lives are stable and we have [financial] 余裕 [yoyuu, lit. ‘surplus’ or ‘margin’]. If you forget this simple principle, you may achieve results in the short term, but you will inevitably fail in the long term.”

Robespierre, who had completely distanced himself from worldly desires, was lost in thought, but Danton, who affirmed human desires, nodded vigorously.

“Your Highness is right. Citizens will definitely pay more attention to the parts that are directly related to their lives. I fully agree with Your Highness’s opinion!”

“Thank you. Then, please spread our ideology well in the future, without crossing the line too much. I’ll give you the data, so make good use of it.”

To what extent would the debt improvement effect be if the first [clergy] and second [nobility] estates paid taxes like the third estate [commoners]?

And how that would directly affect the lives of citizens.

Surprisingly, Christian had already finished most of the calculations.

Moreover, the conclusion of that statistic was filled with clever and 煽動的な [sendoutekina, lit. ‘inflammatory’] phrases that would make ordinary citizens unable to resist their anger.

“Even if things go wrong and you are brought to trial, you will all be acquitted, so don’t worry. However, it should not appear that you are directly criticizing His Majesty the King or His Highness the Crown Prince. Then I can’t help you either.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

The three men, filled with expectations for the future and a sense of duty, rose from their seats.

But Danton, who was about to go out, hesitated for a moment and then returned.

“Is there anything else to say? Or is there something you’re curious about?”

“…Yes. That is, well…”

Danton, who had been hesitating, took a deep breath as if he had made up his mind, and whispered in a small voice.

“In fact, His Highness Duke Chartres contacted me before.”

“Is that so?”

Christian’s expression changed as he leisurely sipped his tea.

In a way, he seemed angry, and in a way, he seemed to be sneering.

“I’ll have to hear the details. You stay here, and tell Robespierre and Marat to go back first.”

“Understood.”

Anyway, to change this country, it is advantageous to bring in someone with even a little more power.

Danton decided to go all-in on Prince Christian’s side, like Robespierre.

※※※

“Duke Chartres… he’s moving as expected. Very desirable.”

Even if Danton hadn’t informed me, I would have found out in the near future, but there’s nothing to lose by knowing it first.

Rather, I could see how much they trusted me, so I could consider it a considerable gain.

“Didn’t Duke Chartres change his mind and stay quiet?”

Mari, who was watching the children playing in the garden, tilted her head and asked.

“That’s what they say.”

“Then why is he meeting with intellectuals with reformist tendencies?”

“I guess he thinks that change is needed in this country in his own way.”

“Hmm… suspicious. Somehow, it seems like you know everything but are pretending not to.”

Mari has not yet solved the answer to the homework I gave her last time.

Given her personality, it was an impossible problem to solve in the first place, but since she said she would think about it herself, I have no intention of telling her the answer.

“I’m going to let Duke Chartres do as he pleases for now. He won’t be a hindrance to me, but rather a help.”

When you think about it, wasn’t I the benefactor who saved his life?

Since he received a life-saving grace, he should repay me with all his heart and soul.

Of course, if Duke Chartres himself knew this fact, he would feel so 冤枉 [yuānwǎng, wronged] that he would vomit blood.

While I was reviewing my plans, thinking that things might be easier than I thought, my eldest son Theodore’s childish voice broke my thoughts.

“Wow! Soldiers, soldiers!”

When I turned my head slightly, I saw three young men in full uniform coming this way with the guidance of a servant.

Come to think of it, I was supposed to meet these three today.

It seems like only yesterday that I saw them as little kids in Brienne, but they’re already old enough to be commissioned as officers.

Of course, they’re still quite young since they graduated early in their first year, but they still exude a soldierly feel.

“We greet Your Highness the Prince. Napoleon Bonaparte, Louis Nicolas Davout, Jean Lannes. We have come at Your Highness’s call.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m deeply moved that the students our foundation sponsors have grown up so well.”

“It’s all thanks to Your Highness’s sponsorship. We will repay this grace by pledging our loyalty to the royal family for the rest of our lives.”

“The way to repay the grace is for you to become valuable talents for France. Let’s sit down first. Bring some tea and food.”

The three men sat down in awe.

Then, Theodore and Beatrice, who had been watching intently from behind, ran up to Napoleon, their eyes shining as they looked at his uniform.

“Cool uniform! I thought all soldiers were old men, but these brothers are so young?”

Theodore, who usually can’t get enough of cool weapons and heroic tales, kept circling around Napoleon and his party, exclaiming in admiration.

Beatrice, who likes military uniforms due to her brother’s influence, also showed great interest in Napoleon.

I’m so glad I didn’t say something cliché like, ‘If you become a great soldier, I’ll let you marry me.’

If I had, Napoleon would have been confirmed to have an accidental death. Ahem.

“Madam, it seems like we need to talk about the military, so could you please take the children inside?”

“Okay. Kids~ Let’s go inside now so we don’t interfere with Daddy’s work.”

“Yes~!”

The children immediately stuck to their mother and entered the palace, as if they had never been interested.

Napoleon and his party smiled as they watched the scene with satisfaction.

After all, children are the best at diluting a tense atmosphere.

This is all possible because Theodore and Beatrice are so cute that there are no others like them in the world.

No, now that I think about it, since there are two of them, it would be correct to express it as if there were no three like them. I stand corrected.

I barely suppressed the corners of my mouth from rising and began in a solemn tone.

“I showed you an embarrassing side. Please understand.”

“Not at all. Rather, we were even more moved to see Your Highness’s human side.”

Napoleon, Davout, and Lannes picked up the teacups placed on the table with a more relaxed attitude, as if their words were not false.

“As you can guess, the reason I called you is because of the letter I received from Napoleon. You want to be assigned to New France?”

“Yes. I heard that the military authority of New France belongs solely to Your Highness. We want to make achievements under Your Highness.”

“Wanting to make achievements means you want to participate in the battles taking place there.”

Anyway, I was going to persuade them to go even if they said they didn’t want to, so I couldn’t be happier that they wanted to go first.

However, there is one thing. I was concerned that if they started to obsess over achievements too much, it could have a negative impact on their growth in the long term.

“I heard that talents who have already received Your Highness’s grace are active in the New World and proving their worth. We also hope to be like that.”

As soon as Napoleon finished speaking, Lannes and Davout nodded at the same time.

Looking at their determined faces, it seems that they had already finished talking about it in advance and had made up their minds.

“New France is in a situation where it needs even one more excellent talent right now, so from my point of view, it’s very welcome. However, since you are talents who have just graduated from the military academy, I think you need to receive training before taking on full-fledged duties as officers.”

“I heard that there are many soldiers with abundant combat experience in the New World. I think learning there will be a more practical and nutritious experience.”

“Okay. If that’s what you want, I have no complaints either. However, keep this fact in mind.”

It’s good to be full of enthusiasm to repay the grace I received. That means they have a deep sense of loyalty.

However, Napoleon and his friends are not yet the greatest generals in history, nor are they marshals who commanded all of Europe.

They are just unfinished great potentials who still have a long way to go.

If they are too greedy, they are likely to cause a big accident.

“The main enemies you will face in New France are the natives of the New World. Among them are those who refuse to be incorporated into this side and choose to resist to the end. However, since the majority of the natives are cooperating with this side and are being incorporated into this side one after another, you must never make the mistake of viewing the natives as targets for suppression.”

“Understood. We will never carry out excessive extermination wars or cruel punishments that could adversely affect the Indians.”

“Good. If you keep that in mind, there won’t be any major problems there, so please work hard. I’ll let you receive officer training until you leave France. And you can go to the battlefield after gaining about a year of experience in the New World. I look forward to your future performances, Captain Napoleon.”

“Yes! I will do my best to meet your expectations… Yes, Cap, Captain?”

Even the great Napoleon was wide-eyed at the super-express promotion of being promised a captaincy even before being commissioned as a second lieutenant.

Davout and Lannes had the same reaction.

Deon, who was watching the backs of the three men who were leaving hesitantly, still unable to escape from the shock, asked.

“Your Highness really gives special treatment to that boy Napoleon. You even went to Brienne last time…”

“It’s worth it. Don’t you get a sense of it just by looking at the soldiers I sent to New France with special treatment?”

“Well… I can’t understand how Your Highness, who has never been to the battlefield yourself, discovers such excellent soldiers.”

André Masséna and Berthier, who went to the New World a few years earlier than Napoleon, were almost writing legends there now.

Napoleon will also build up heroic tales that are not inferior to them before long.

I, who sensed that the perfect time had finally come, ordered Deon, who was still looking at me with curious eyes.

“Tell the Spanish ambassador to come here right now. If you tell them that I want to take over Louisiana little by little, they will run here like an arrow.”

France was still leaving Louisiana, which it had agreed to receive through the Gibraltar Protection Treaty, as it was.

Spain had been receiving requests from the United States to sell it to them, so they told us to please take it quickly, but we were making excuses and 계속 [gyesok, lit. ‘continuously’] postponing the date.

Since the agreement to receive the territory was to be kept secret, it must have been very difficult for Spain.

They wanted to pass it on to France and wash their hands of it, but we had no intention of receiving it.

They’ll think they’ve finally caught their breath, but unfortunately, the real event hasn’t even started yet.

Now, from now on, it’s time for the most enjoyable and effective SNS in the world, 선동 [seondong, incitement] and fabrication.

End of Time for Diplomacy