I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 241

The European nations have such a love for justifications for war.

In fact, it’s not just Europe, but throughout history, nations have prioritized justifications for war above all else. Especially in Europe, where numerous countries were in constant conflict, every action had to be carefully considered unless you were prepared to take on all of Europe single-handedly.

Seizing upon any pretext to declare war was all too common.

After all, the pursuit of territory and interests was a shared trait among European nations.

In particular, the beautiful European tradition of ganging up on any nation that was doing well only solidified this tendency.

Even in the distant future, when the old era is completely gone, Europe, with its strong ties to the past, cannot break free from these shackles.

So, what exactly constitutes this justification?

In the past, religious conflict was the best excuse, but recently, it has become much less convincing.

Even if you shout, ‘The Pope wills it!’ many citizens respond with something like, ‘So what?’

Exploiting succession disputes, once a reliable tactic, is no longer as effective.

With the influence of royal families waning and the power of parliaments growing, it’s no longer possible to exploit such issues as easily as in the past.

Nevertheless, one ultimate excuse remains, a *deus ex machina* [a plot device where a seemingly unsolvable problem is suddenly and abruptly resolved by an unexpected and unlikely occurrence] that always justifies military intervention.

Self-defense.

Under this banner, no nation can object to another’s use of force.

The same applies to France landing tens of thousands of troops in Guangdong Province.

-Did Qing China attack France first?

-Why would Qing China do that? Are they crazy?

-It’s said that rioters, not soldiers, started a riot and then attacked France?

-Or rather, there were rumors that they were regular troops disguised as rioters.

-Anyway, France must be furious.

If struck, strike back; if attacked, retaliate.

No country could find fault with this simple and clear principle.

Of course, suspicions arose that this was all a staged performance, but what could be done?

Without clear evidence, it remains nothing more than a conspiracy theory.

The landing of the 2nd Army received unanimous approval from the parliament, confirming that Napoleon had not exceeded the authority granted to him.

In other words, he was assured that any future actions would not be subject to interference from the home country.

Like the neighboring country’s belief that war is an opportunity, Napoleon’s advance immediately impacted the French economy.

Whether it was concluded that the uncertainty had been resolved, the stock market, which had been fluctuating, completely stabilized.

At the same time, the stock prices of companies producing weapons and operating merchant ships soared.

No one knew what France and Napoleon were planning, but the mere fact that France had drawn its sword was enough to trigger such a reaction.

I personally wonder how this trend will unfold in the coming days, with all of Europe’s attention focused on Paris.

As all of Europe’s attention was focused on Paris, I had to face a barrage of questions from reporters every time I went outside.

‘Prime Minister! Does the movement of French troops indicate France’s intention to intervene in this war?’

‘This is Maurice from the Paris City News! Prime Minister, there are opinions that the scope of the enemy defined by France, which has declared self-defense, is ambiguous. What are your thoughts on this?’

‘I’m a correspondent from The Times of England! I would like to ask if France intends to intervene in the Uyghur front!’

Wow, now even foreign newspapers are sending correspondents, not just domestic ones.

The guards formed a human wall to block the reporters’ access, but their zeal for coverage remained unchanged.

They tried to squeeze through any gap to ask questions, but unfortunately, I only had one answer to give.

‘The parliament trusts Commander Napoleon’s ability to assess the situation on the ground and has decided to delegate all operational rights to him. As Prime Minister, I support the parliament’s decision.’

‘Prime Minister! However, some voices are calling for more information.’

‘Prime Minister, on the other hand······.’

Go ahead and investigate all you want.

The only thing everyone will say is predetermined.

Even the answers from other members of parliament besides me were all the same.

‘Councilor Danton! Please tell us something about the military operation in Asia!’

‘Military operations are classified because they are of great importance to national interests.’

‘Can’t you even tell us about the general direction?’

‘The parliament trusts Commander Napoleon’s ability to assess the situation on the ground, so······.’

The French high-ranking officials, already possessed by parrots, did not say exactly what was happening in Asia.

What was certain was that their own soldiers and merchants, who were legitimately working in the distant eastern lands, were being threatened.

And the parliament was taking this seriously and had no intention of standing idly by.

Most citizens are not very interested in the details and tend to only recognize the big picture.

This time was no different.

The most important thing is that their country remains the victor.

This was the thinking of most countries in this era, not just France.

But as always.

There has never been a war in this world where everyone can be a winner.

※※※

‘How is it? Did the Tsar understand?’

‘Isn’t that the problem right now? France is about to crush Guangdong Province. We need to discuss where this fire will spread.’

Leonti Leontievich Bennigsen, the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, muttered with a bitter expression, shaking his head.

From the Seven Years’ War to the war with the Ottoman Empire and the suppression of the Polish rebellion, he was more of a veteran whose experience shone brighter than his insight.

‘The one leading the French army is none other than Napoleon. The battle that completely crushed Prussia has been passed down almost like a legend in our country.’

‘Everyone knows that Napoleon is outstanding. But do you know how far it is from Guangdong Province to here? It’s farther than from your capital to Paris. This is that kind of land.’

‘Well… if they were going to intervene here, they probably wouldn’t have landed in Guangdong Province.’

That’s right.

The possibility of the French forces in Guangdong affecting them in Uyghur is almost non-existent.

As the Spanish side said, the physical distance was more than 1.5 times the distance from Moscow to Paris.

‘Then what is France aiming for?’

‘Well… maybe they want to consolidate their dominance in southern Qing while England is away?’

‘It would be fortunate if it were just that, but if the Tsar hears this news, he will surely become impatient again······.’

How did I manage to buy time, and now this is a bolt from the blue?

Even Bennigsen heard that Alexander I was considering Mikhail Kutuzov as the next commander.

The Tsar was not satisfied with the current stagnant situation on the front lines.

‘If Kutuzov comes, it’s the same as me being dismissed.’

Kutuzov, who lost one eye in the Turkish War, is one of Russia’s greatest generals, recognized by everyone.

Bennigsen also believed that he could not match Kutuzov in terms of pure command ability.

They were the same age, so they were more aware of each other.

Bennigsen knew that he was maintaining his position because Alexander I kept Kutuzov at a distance.

‘We’ve had quite a bit of fun using the Uyghurs as shields, so shouldn’t we start taking the next action?’

‘It seems a bit early, but… I understand. We should start fighting soon.’

The news of the French advance was shaking not only them but also the British.

Then, this moment might be the best time to start the war.

The commanders of both countries suppressed their uneasy feelings and placed a chess piece representing the French army on the map of Guangdong Province.

Now, they had to pray that the piece would not take any unexpected actions that deviated from their movements.

※※※

Even though Qing China lost the last war, they still had pride in being the strongest in the world.

They had only been defeated by the combined forces of European countries last time, and they were confident that they would not be defeated even if they fought against countries like Russia or England.

However, they also had trauma.

The devilish unit that literally ground down the Mongol Eight Banners, the best elite among the Eight Banners.

The French 2nd Army.

Even the arrogant Qing military concluded that they should avoid a full-scale war against these killing machines as much as possible.

Even a part of the army showed such power, so how much more powerful would it be if the entire army landed?

Therefore, the Viceroy of Liangguang [the governor-general overseeing Guangdong and Guangxi provinces], who governed Guangdong and Guangxi, could not even open his mouth to the French 2nd Army, which had landed with a unilateral notice.

‘The home country will take all possible measures to ensure the safety of its citizens and soldiers. Any objections?’

‘No, no. How could there be?’

‘First, we will sweep away the rioters who claim to be the National Liberation Front. Do you agree?’

‘Aiya~ We would be grateful if you would do that.’

The Emperor’s order to the Viceroy of Liangguang was to appease and coax these crazy killing machines as much as possible and send them back to Hong Kong.

Originally, the dynasties of the Central Plains had always appeased and coaxed the barbarians whenever they were rampant.

They had completely erased the fact that they were also from those barbarian origins, but anyway, the Qing imperial family was faithfully following the laws of the Central Plains.

‘However, experts who investigated the scene of the accident said that the rioters who attacked our base this time were unusually armed. Are they really just simple rioters?’

The Viceroy of Liangguang shuddered as he met Napoleon’s cold gaze.

‘Are these guys trying to solidify the conspiracy theory that the Eight Banners [Qing military units], disguised themselves as rioters and attacked the French?’

The Viceroy of Liangguang was well aware of the existence of that absurd rumor.

Honestly, why would Qing China have anything to gain from attacking the French army in good condition?

It was nonsense that was not worth considering, but if France clung to this, it would be difficult for them.

‘How could that be? Of course, it is true that the rioters’ weapons are better than those of the regular army. I don’t know if it’s Russia or England, but it seems they supplied the weapons… This has surprisingly increased the rioters’ armament level.’

‘Even so, it’s hard to believe that rioters are using weapons at the level of the regular army. Are you sure their level is not inferior to the Qing Eight Banners?’

‘That’s right. Such guys keep popping up not only in Guangdong Province but all over the country, and we have a lot of concerns. That’s why this unfortunate incident······’

‘Then we can’t overlook it.’

Napoleon cut off the governor’s words and lit his pipe.

‘Our merchants live not only in Guangdong but also in various areas where trade is permitted, but the security is so poor. How can our good citizens live in peace of mind?’

‘No, that’s… we are doing our best to manage so that such unfortunate events do not happen······’

‘Isn’t it because that didn’t work that this accident happened? Besides, the governor just said that he is worried that the rioters’ armament level is not inferior to the Eight Banners.’

Damn it.

He wasn’t trying to preach a conspiracy theory, but was aiming for this from the beginning.

The governor’s face turned pale as he finally understood Napoleon’s intentions.

Regardless of whether the governor was out of his mind, the interpreter mercilessly hammered Napoleon’s words into his ears.

‘Please entrust all rights to suppress or negotiate the rebellions that are taking place in various regions to France. We promise to suppress any absurd riots and find a compromise that everyone can be satisfied with if it is a legitimate uprising.’

‘I, impossible… I have no authority to do that······.’

‘Then I’ll wait here. Please convey it to the Emperor. However, as I said before, we will never compromise on the safety of our citizens.’

The Viceroy of Liangguang, realizing that he was screwed, swallowed hard.

The number of provinces where rebellions are taking place is at least 10.

To transfer authority over all these places?

This is the same as making an unacceptable request from the beginning.

Moreover, if it is a place where a rebellion is taking place, of course.

Doesn’t that include Xinjiang Uyghur, where the forces of many great powers are currently concentrated?

End