He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 286

(286) The Tsar Dreams of the New World

Russia has a peculiar abundance of monarchs who go down in history as madmen.

“Heh heh heh, I know people say I’m crazy. But to think, there would be someone willing to deal with this madman.”

In his personal study at the Peterhof Palace, Pavel raised both arms to the sky and shouted.

Empress Maria and his closest confidant nobles watched him with worried faces.

It would be better if it were just a gathering of Russian nobles.

But in this one-on-one meeting, wasn’t Eugene present?

At that moment, Eugene smiled faintly and replied.

“Your Majesty, the truly insane don’t even know they’re insane.”

“What?”

“There are many truly mad kings in Europe right now. George III of England, Maria I of Portugal, and even Christian VII of Denmark. None of them know they are insane.”

Eugene calmly stated to Pavel, who raised his eyebrows.

“On the other hand, Your Majesty is striving to do what is beneficial for the Russian Empire. You just don’t know how.”

It sounded like flattery, but at the same time, it was also a jab.

It meant he wasn’t doing his job properly.

Pavel noticed this and became angry.

“Arrogant bastard, you think I don’t know how?”

“It’s true that you don’t know how. Why did you fight against our France? It’s only natural to establish friendly relations.”

“Ha, look at this impudent brat!”

Instantly, Pavel drew the saber he was wearing at his waist.

– Shwing!

Pavel glared, pointing the sword.

“Speak properly. Otherwise, you will die in the most miserable way in this very spot. Shall I tell you how I treat the serfs! Count Arakcheev!”

Count Arakcheev, the commander of the Imperial Guard, couldn’t answer immediately.

Of course, Pavel was someone who could bring serfs and kill them without a second thought.

But he couldn’t possibly treat an envoy from another country like that, could he?

Empress Maria was also startled and stepped forward.

“Pavel, good heavens. What are you saying to a foreign envoy? Commander of the Guard, escort the envoy out at once.”

“You stay out of this, Maria!”

“This person isn’t a Russian noble. He’s the son of the French Consul! You can’t treat him carelessly!”

At that moment, Eugene pushed the sword away and retorted.

“He is also the adopted son of the Corsican monster, Your Majesty.”

Empress Maria looked at Eugene with a stung expression.

It seemed Eugene knew what she usually called Napoleon.

Of course, Eugene only knew what Maria called Napoleon in the original history.

Eugene’s gaze turned to Pavel, who was staring intently at him.

“Nevertheless, Russia must join hands with the Corsican monster. Not England.”

“That would be very advantageous for your France. How could it be beneficial for Russia? There are thousands of English merchants living here in St. Petersburg. The Royal Exchange in London even sets the price of Russian iron!”

“I am aware. This year’s imports are 70 million rubles, exports are 120 million rubles, a total surplus of 50 million rubles. Almost all of that income is acquired through trade with English merchants.”

Suddenly, very realistic numbers echoed through the study.

50 million rubles.

One ruble is 19 grams of silver, so that’s 950,000 kilograms of silver.

A huge sum, far exceeding Russia’s annual budget, was pouring in from trade with England.

England needed to build many ships and trade goods to dominate the world’s oceans.

Russia was the main supplier of those raw materials and food.

On the other hand, Russia, with its underdeveloped industry, was England’s best trading partner and gateway to overseas markets.

It wasn’t for nothing that England had a strong influence in Russia.

“You’ve done a lot of research.”

“I also know that Russia’s exports are mostly raw materials like timber, leather, resin, iron, and flax and hemp, which are raw materials for cloth.”

“Mostly raw materials. Not finished goods. And there’s nowhere else to sell them if not for the English merchants. Heh heh heh!”

Pavel suddenly laughed like a madman.

“Even this splendid palace is made entirely from things produced by serfs on the nobles’ estates. Things that are sold directly to England! Heh heh heh!”

Watching his cynical, mad laughter, Eugene wore a strange expression.

This man wasn’t crazy.

He was just immature.

He knew the situation accurately, but he didn’t know how to solve it.

In the original history, he eventually fell for Napoleon’s trick and recklessly turned to anti-British policies.

He even issued a ban on British trade, becoming a precursor to the Continental System [a large-scale embargo against British trade].

As a result, a coup d’état occurred due to the conspiracy of the British government or the dissatisfaction of the nobles, and he died.

Just as Eugene felt a slight pang of guilt, Pavel leaned in close.

“So, we are so dependent on England. We’re not just joining hands with England out of feeling or national sentiment! Why should I take your and Danton’s hand instead of Ambassador Spencer Smith’s!”

Eugene shrugged and said nonchalantly.

“As I said, to achieve the great conquest of India, a land that no one in Russia has ever set foot in. And above all, to save the Russia that your mother ‘ruined’.”

Instantly, Pavel’s eyes widened again.

“What did you just say, you impudent Consul’s son?”

His mother, the woman who went down in history as Catherine the Great.

The very person who rapidly grew Russia into a vast empire spanning East and West.

Pavel had always been overshadowed by Catherine and had lived wanting to surpass her.

Eugene had accurately pierced that point.

“Your Majesty must revive the Russia that Catherine ruined. Emperor Pavel Tsar.”

Throwing the apple of temptation that he could surpass his mother.

***

Even a Tsar who is called mad doesn’t make every decision on his own.

“Rostopchin, what do you think?”

Strangely enough, the Tsar sought advice from Rostopchin.

However, this wasn’t strange if you knew the inside story.

Rostopchin was a subject dispatched to the Crown Prince’s palace when the Tsar was a Crown Prince oppressed by the Empress.

At that time, Rostopchin incurred the Empress’s displeasure and even had to go into exile.

Since he was a subject who had been with him in difficult times, it was perhaps natural for the Tsar to rely on Rostopchin.

Rostopchin, who possessed logical thinking, scratched his head quietly.

In his childhood, Rostopchin had traveled and studied in the Holy Roman Empire [a complex political entity in Central Europe], the Netherlands, and England.

Looking at his background, Rostopchin, who seemed like a pro-British figure, brought up an unexpected story.

“Are you aware that French trade is currently completely prohibited?”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“It’s one of the many policies established during the reign of the late Emperor. The late Emperor regarded the revolutionary state of France as very dangerous and completely suspended economic exchanges. Accepting exiles was also part of that.”

Rostopchin smiled meaningfully and brought up a significant point.

“But because of that, our Russian trade has become entirely dependent on England.”

It was a statement that could be made precisely because he knew England well.

Clearly, severing ties with England might be dangerous.

But Russia was currently too heavily dependent on England.

If they increased trade with France or other countries, wouldn’t they be able to replace it?

Pavel looked at Count Rostopchin and scoffed.

“Hmph, you’ve been advocating for communication with France for a long time.”

“Strangely enough, I have never been to France. Unlike the late Foreign Minister Nikita Ivanovich Panin.”

“Do you want the position of Foreign Minister? If so, I might give it to you. But you must first come up with an alternative to solve this problem.”

Pavel’s gaze suddenly turned to the globe in one corner of the study.

“India, attacking that place with France? Is that possible?”

Planning was simple.

But Pavel also knew that actual war wasn’t simple.

Even the expeditionary force he had dispatched to nearby Europe at the beginning of his reign had suffered a miserable defeat, hadn’t it?

Rostopchin subtly stepped back and passed the turn to someone else.

“You should ask a military expert about that. What do you think, Kutuzov?”

“If you’re asking me, I would say it’s the worst condition, with the Caspian Sea, the desert, and even Persia’s interference.”

“I see, it’s difficult, isn’t it? But Egypt was like that too.”

The Tsar strangely liked Kutuzov.

Considering that the Tsar usually only liked handsome people, it was a strange thing.

Perhaps the fact that the deceased Empress Catherine didn’t particularly favor Kutuzov was a plus factor.

In any case, just the fact that he was accompanying them in this meeting with his closest aides showed the extent of his favor.

At that moment, Rostopchin quickly added.

“Your Majesty, the young man we met today is a general who crossed the Mediterranean and conquered Egypt. He is a top-notch soldier. Even Kutuzov here lost to him once, although the conditions were unfavorable.”

Then Kutuzov smiled bitterly.

“Unfortunately, that’s true. Heh heh.”

“He also conquered Malta.”

“Yes? Ah, that’s true, but. That was just a stopover.”

Kutuzov very hastily downplayed Eugene’s conquest of Malta as if it were nothing.

Rostopchin, who was listening, also looked at the Tsar with an uneasy heart.

In fact, the nobles’ saying that the Tsar was crazy wasn’t entirely without basis.

Even though he spoke like a normal person, he might suddenly shout about attacking Malta.

The Emperor with a distorted face and twisted psychology, Pavel, grinned.

“Yes, I know that the Consul and his adopted son are crazy bastards. But the conquest of India is unrealistic, isn’t it? Then, what about this?”

Instantly, the Tsar grabbed the globe.

“Instead of India, what about a place we’re already in? For example, here.”

Rostopchin and Kutuzov, who were quietly watching the Tsar’s hand, turned to each other.

They wanted to stop him.

But if they stopped him here, the Tsar would probably order them to attack India at worst, or Malta at best.

Just like he did later in the original history.

Rostopchin, who knew the Tsar’s personality even if he didn’t know history, forced a gentle smile and nodded.

“This really needs to be done in secret. Your Majesty.”

The problem was that the result was somehow more crazy than India.

***

Outside the Emperor’s reception room, Ippolit, who was standing behind Eugene, said.

“Eugene, if you’re going to commit suicide, please do it alone.”

Danton, who had been pacing anxiously next to Eugene, stopped.

He completely agreed.

But did Ippolit really have the right to say that?

Danton sneered and asked Ippolit.

“I agree with Monsieur Charles. But, did you seduce the Tsar’s lover by any chance?”

“Heeek! Ambassador, quiet. How did you know?”

“Well, I was trying to spend ‘quality’ time with the noble ladies at the banquet, but I couldn’t help but overhear.”

Danton smiled at Eugene and Ippolit, two young men who were dangerous in different ways.

“Don’t get me involved unless you both have spare lives. Heh heh.”

Eugene glanced at Ippolit and shrugged.

“It’ll be fine. Pavel isn’t as crazy as you think. Not after meeting him in person.”

“Really? I heard they cut off heads with axes here instead of guillotines.”

“Of course, he’ll probably send a noble who had an affair with his lover to Siberia.”

Of course, under normal circumstances, Ippolit should be reprimanded.

To mess with the Emperor’s lover, wasn’t that crazy?

But Ippolit was a French playboy who had even messed with a princess in the harem.

He wasn’t likely to change his habits suddenly, and from Eugene’s perspective, it was none of his business as long as he didn’t mess with Josephine, Marie, or Pauline.

Just as Ippolit, who still hadn’t come to his senses, was about to make a joke, the outer door of the reception room opened.

“Please come in. General Eugene Freiherr.”

As a young noble with a cold impression turned in front of Eugene, Caulaincourt followed closely.

“Count Nikita Petrovich Panin. From a prestigious family, and a pro-British diplomat.”

“He won’t be happy to see us. He’ll probably tell Sidney everything that was said here, won’t he?”

“I’ll talk to Count Rostopchin about that and take care of it.”

The elegant aristocratic aide, General Caulaincourt, smiled and whispered.

“Just make it happen.”

Eugene looked at Caulaincourt and smiled.

There was definitely a reason why Napoleon favored this aristocratic general in the original history.

It was because of his attitude of accepting any dangerous task and thoroughly serving his superior.

After passing through the reception room, Eugene re-entered the inner chambers of the Imperial Palace.

“Have you come?”

Eugene blinked.

This time, there was no one else.

Only Tsar Pavel.

It was truly a one-on-one meeting.

After taking a deep breath for a moment, Eugene calmly asked.

“I would like to hear your answer, Your Majesty.”

“Only I have the authority to rush things. You impudent Consul’s son.”

“We also need to decide whether or not to pull out of St. Petersburg, don’t we?”

Pavel, who was scrutinizing Eugene again, twisted his lips.

“Alright, I’ll make a counter-proposal. India is difficult. Instead, how about conquering that place?”

Instantly, Pavel turned the globe next to him.

– Whirr, thud!

When the globe stopped, Eugene’s eyes widened.

Eugene would never know that the reason why he was surprised at this moment was the same as Count Rostopchin’s.

Because Count Rostopchin would keep it a secret until the end.

Barely suppressing his startled heart, Eugene opened his mouth.

“Alaska?”

“Do you know it? It’s the land where we built our first settlement last year. Currently, Alexander Andreyevich Baranov is there as our governor. Coincidentally, we’ve received reports that British Canada is encroaching on our territory.”

“What on earth are you planning to do with this?”

Tsar Pavel declared with a very solemn face.

“India, good. It’s a land of glory. But I believe the future lies in the New World. How about Russia and France joining hands on the opposite side of the world and having a showdown with England?”

It was truly crazy.

Strictly speaking, India wasn’t completely British territory, and even if they conquered it, it wouldn’t necessarily mean fighting England directly.

But Canada was clearly a British colony.

No matter how much Alaska was a Russian colony, it was a place truly on the opposite side of the world from the Russian mainland.

Forming an alliance with France there and fighting Russia again?

In a place more than ten times the distance Eugene had traveled by ship from Paris to St. Petersburg.

But at the same time, it was also a sound that made his heart race.

Why was Eugene here?

To persuade them of the crazy idea of conquering India.

Because he had succeeded in conquering Egypt.

Now, the crazy Tsar was speaking to the son of the French Consul.

Would you like to embark on the conquest of the New World together?