I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 240

< The French Advance >

“Russia and even the Holy Roman Empire and Spain are supporting us!”

“Woo-hoo! Let’s put in a little more effort!”

“We are free! Qing, get out!”

The Uyghurs, who had been under Qing rule for half a century, had been celebrating more frequently recently.

At first, they thought Russia was just using them, but now they were so deeply involved that they couldn’t back out.

A clash of pride that had become a fight they could not afford to lose.

The Uyghurs poured everything into this opportunity, driven by the desperation that there might not be another chance.

It helped that during the Qing Dynasty’s rule, a large amount of pastureland was converted into farmland, greatly increasing crop production and population.

Of course, that doesn’t mean the Uyghurs became wealthy under Qing rule.

The Silk Road trade system was completely destroyed when the Qing came in, further reducing real wealth.

So, the accumulated discontent was immense.

Even after being defeated by the invading British army and having their militia annihilated, they did not falter.

“Those damn Brits are running out of supplies too!”

“Just hold on tight!”

“Once the allied nations join, those bastards will have no choice but to retreat!”

It was truly a desperate struggle.

Even though they were inferior in combat power, they believed that if they could hold the British forces back, their chances of winning would continue to increase.

However, the inner thoughts of the Russian allied forces were quite different, making their struggle pale in comparison.

“The United States has joined after Britain, what should we do?”

“Wouldn’t it be worth a try once the Holy Roman Empire’s army arrives? The United States is just pretending to be a great power, aren’t they?”

“The problem is that the Holy Roman army is also having difficulty joining on a large scale.”

“It’s not easy. Still, it’s fortunate that the Uyghurs are fighting to the death.”

“Indeed. They are fighting like mad. Hehehe.”

Frankly speaking, Russia and Spain had not even a speck of interest in the independence of the Uyghurs.

Especially Spain, they didn’t even know the relationship between the Uyghurs and the Qing properly.

The only emotion they were feeling now was relief that the cannon fodder was working hard.

“Wouldn’t it be great if we could incite the Uyghurs to wear down the British supplies and then swallow the prize at the end?”

“Oh, that’s a brilliant idea. I actually wanted to do that too, but the Tsar [Czar, Russian emperor] keeps pushing me……”

“If it’s an order directly from the Tsar, it’s hard to ignore. What does he say?”

“He says that if the war drags on, domestic public opinion will become uneasy, so either end it as quickly as possible, or at least bring back news of a victory that the British army has been defeated.”

The Spanish commander’s face hardened slightly at the absurd nonsense.

Even though the British army was weaker than the navy, there was no guarantee that Russia or Spain would win.

But what kind of victory news are they supposed to bring back?

“We must not fight now. We need to buy at least another month.”

“I’m thinking the same thing, but……”

“Then let’s do this. We’ll report that our arrival and the arrival of the Holy Roman support troops are a bit delayed, so we need more time.”

“That would be fine. I understand. The Tsar will understand if we say that we don’t need to take all the blame alone.”

It was only a temporary solution, but it would at least buy some time.

“But what if France tries to mediate if we keep dragging it out? Our original plan was to crush the British army in the early stages……”

“···We can just make various excuses and refuse to negotiate. France won’t be able to force our actions.”

“Hmm···I understand. The important thing is how France comes out. Please continue to investigate the French side from your country and Rome. We have no choice but to be a step behind because of the distance.”

“Leave it to us. Hehehe.”

Building wealth on the sacrifices of others is all too familiar to Spain.

Whether the Uyghurs die or not, they only care about winning the war.

The two countries’ schemes to increase their chances of winning continued relentlessly.

※※※

Fierce discussions were pouring out not only from Russia and Britain.

There was a country that had to intervene in this chaotic situation in some way.

“Prime Minister, shouldn’t we just join hands with Russia and push Britain away?”

“No. We must judge calmly. Even if we push Britain away here, we can’t occupy India in an instant, so there’s no reason for us to join this mess.”

“No. Intervention itself is a definite matter. The problem is how to intervene.”

“As Congressman Danton said, the stock prices are fluctuating every day and economic uncertainty is increasing because of the war everywhere, so we can’t just sit back and watch.”

“But what’s the point of us arguing here? We’ve already delegated the operation to the Asian Commander-in-Chief.”

Because the issue was so important, the French House of Representatives still hadn’t reached a consensus.

In fact, it is a characteristic of France that if 100 people gather, all 100 people have something to say.

Of course, it was rare for opinions to be exactly unified even within the ruling or opposition parties.

“The right to operate is delegated to that side, but diplomatic and economic policies are another story. And it is the role of the parliament to set the direction so that operations can be carried out well in Asia.”

“Our way is to leave the work on the ground to the field. If we tell them to do this or that, it will only distract the commander and cause accidents that will ruin things.”

“No, that’s true, but……”

Seeing them arguing among themselves for an hour already, my head started to hurt.

Since it seemed like they wouldn’t reach a consensus even if left alone for a hundred years, it would be better to wrap things up.

“Thank you for the constructive opinions of the members. However, it was a decision made after careful consideration and combining information from other sources, so there will be no need to revise the current policy.”

“Prime Minister, but……”

“Hey! The Prime Minister made the decision after so much hard work, why are you nitpicking again!”

“That’s right! Do you know better than the Prime Minister?”

“Okay, okay, everyone, stop there and listen to the Prime Minister’s words. Ask questions then.”

They are still doing this with a problem that has already been concluded, so that’s why they ended up like that in the World War in the original history.

I suppressed the urge to swear and continued speaking.

“First of all, no matter what decision we make here, it will be too late to respond to what is happening in Asia. Unless there is no command center in Asia, we have appointed a governor and a commander-in-chief, so if we interfere excessively here, it will only cause confusion.”

“Yes···that’s right.”

“And as I explained before, the proposal from Asia was quite reasonable, and above all, it was the method that would bring the greatest benefit to France. So, we approved it with the consent of the parliament.”

“But there were also concerns that it was a gamble with everything depending on Commander Napoleon’s ability.”

“Of course, that’s why we dispatched an additional corps to Asia to relieve the burden on the commander-in-chief. Marshal Davout’s 2nd Corps, which led the last war to victory, will be additionally deployed to the Asian Command.”

The 2nd Corps is a symbol of France’s military power and a nightmare for the enemy.

I was certain that as long as they were standing on the ground under Napoleon’s command, combined with the power of the 2nd Corps, they would never lose.

“If we’re deploying the 2nd Corps, then···but wouldn’t that cost too much?”

“We have established solid bases in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, so it’s not like we’re crashing into bare ground. Experts have already calculated that we can afford that much, so you can view it if you want.”

“···I understand.”

“If the Prime Minister is so confident, we will follow.”

They don’t know.

How much ability Napoleon, who focuses solely on the battle itself without worrying about anything else, can unleash.

To be honest, I don’t know either.

Historically, Napoleon didn’t fight in such a situation very often.

But conversely, it means that Napoleon achieved such great achievements even while constantly worrying about administration, diplomacy, and international affairs, which he was not very good at.

In fact, Napoleon’s diplomatic skills were so bad that he made more enemies the more he fought.

The results will tell us how much he can run wild now that he has thrown off all the shackles.

I believe in him, so I hope he does his best.

※※※

“The most important thing in war is justification……”

Napoleon muttered constantly, looking at the officially delivered approval from the parliament.

“If you have a clear justification, the victory of the battle can be directly linked to the victory of the war.”

“Is that what the Prime Minister always said? You are very sincere.”

Davout, who had just joined with his corps today, stretched his stiff body and flopped down on the sofa.

“I came here with orders to follow your instructions, but do I really just have to do that?”

“Yes. Fortunately, the United States joined in, so the situation has become big enough. Right now, they are so caught up in fighting each other that they are completely distracted.”

“But now that the 2nd Corps has officially come to Asia, this news will reach their ears, and they will have no choice but to react, right?”

“Then that’s even better. They’ll put their heads together and think about why France brought a whole corps. And they will rush the fight even more urgently to gain a slightly more advantageous position.”

Although Napoleon was entrusted with full authority over the operation, it was limited to military command.

Negotiations with each country were under the authority of Governor Robespierre, and the Prime Minister had told him that he didn’t need to worry about it in the first place.

This made him feel more comfortable.

So, he could run wild as he pleased until Robespierre signaled, ‘That’s enough, let’s stop.’

“But I understand that justification is the most important thing, but how can we apply it to the current situation? I thought the best justification we could put forward was to mediate the war between the allies.”

“That was one way to consider it. But there’s no guarantee that those who are so greedy right now will respond to our mediation, and even if they don’t, it’s hard for us to use coercive methods, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Above all, the Prime Minister can’t enjoy great glory with that level. What I want is for the Prime Minister to rise to a position in Asia, in the world, that no one can touch.”

Davout shook his head at Napoleon’s impassioned speech, in which he even clenched his fists and became intoxicated.

“···I don’t think the Prime Minister wants more work.”

Of course, Davout’s words were not heard by Napoleon, who was already lost in his own world.

“What’s the reason the Prime Minister accepted my plan? It’s proof that the Prime Minister knows my heart and is satisfied.”

“···That’s because it’s most beneficial to France’s national interests······.”

“That’s right! This Napoleon Bonaparte will prove this time that I am the only one worthy as the Prime Minister’s right-hand man. In fact, I’ve been preparing with Nelson for this, but Nelson went to India, so this is an opportunity for me.”

Napoleon smiled as if he had the whole world and dropped a telegram from Guangdong Province on Davout’s stomach.

“I’m sorry to say this to you, who just arrived, but please start preparing to move the army.”

“Hmm?”

“The rioters in Guangdong Province dared to oppose the construction of a French military base and attacked us. The lives of innocent French merchants and engineers must never be threatened.”

Napoleon, who had instantly turned into a soldier, issued an official order as commander-in-chief.

“Gather the 2nd Corps immediately. From now on, we will land in Guangdong Province.”

< The French Advance > End