He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 384

(384) The Third Coalition is Formed

Now in his tenth year as king, Prussian monarch Friedrich Wilhelm hadn’t had a single peaceful day.

“But today is truly unbelievable. What? Russia is fighting whom?”

In the king’s office at Sanssouci Palace in Berlin, Chancellor Baron Stein replied, sweating profusely.

“It’s England, Your Majesty.”

“Baron Stein, do you think that makes sense? What possible conflict of interest could Russia and England have? Perhaps a military clash in the New World?”

“It’s about a plot to assassinate the Tsar [the Russian emperor], Your Majesty.”

Wilhelm, shocked by Baron Stein’s report, which was faster than those from Austria or Hungary, exclaimed:

“Those crazy pirates! Trying to assassinate another country’s monarch, they must be out of their minds!”

The 19th century is an era of chaos.

It was a time when workers were emerging from the revolution and the bourgeoisie [the middle class].

But it was also a time when empires, kingdoms, and nobles were still going strong.

The divine right of kings was something only Russia believed in, in this post-Enlightenment era, but it was also a time when monarchs actually existed as the sovereign and representative of the state.

So, assassinating another country’s monarch was something that could easily lead to war.

Even for England, a country that recklessly engaged in diplomatic warfare and conspiracies, this was crossing the line.

However, Foreign Minister Hardenberg shook his head.

“It’s not that surprising, Your Majesty. Aren’t the English the fools who tried to assassinate Napoleon and ended up killing all the Spanish throne successors?”

“Heh, that’s funny. Well, if they were going to kill them, they should have at least succeeded. But, Foreign Minister Hardenberg, who brought this news?”

“It’s Metternich, the chancellor of Austria, or rather, Magyar [referring to the Kingdom of Hungary within the Austrian Empire], Your Majesty.”

Wilhelm frowned deeply at those words.

“Metternich? The envoy who created the Duchy of Galicia for France?”

Of course, the Duke of Galicia was nominally a German nobleman, Duke Friedrich.

However, he was originally a French soldier, a monarch pushed in by Eugene.

Thus, all countries regarded it as a pro-French satellite state.

Metternich was the very person who negotiated that deal.

Hardenberg reported respectfully.

“That is correct.”

“I don’t know if he was sent by the Magyar king or the former Austrian emperor, but he’s out of his mind. Sending the guy who created a French satellite state right in front of our Prussia.”

“Still, he represents Magyar. You must meet him.”

Wilhelm grimaced but eventually nodded.

“Let him in! But if he talks nonsense, throw him out immediately. Baron Stein!”

If he talks nonsense, he can throw him out himself.

But why is Wilhelm ordering the chancellor to do it?

This is because of Friedrich Wilhelm III’s past personal weaknesses.

At that moment, Metternich briskly entered.

“Greetings, descendant of the great Friedrich. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to see your face.”

Wilhelm frowned again upon hearing his first name.

“Are you mocking me, saying my name is the same as the great Friedrich [Frederick the Great]?”

“I did not say that. But if it were Friedrich the Great, I wouldn’t even be able to see you right now. He would already be on the battlefield.”

“What?”

Metternich smiled smoothly and then blurted out.

“It is an era where England and Russia fight instead of joining hands.”

In the blink of an eye as Wilhelm pondered this sudden talk of international affairs, Metternich launched into a lengthy explanation.

“France destroyed the Holy Roman Empire and divided the empire. Furthermore, they united the princes of the Rhineland and formed an alliance.”

“Come on, who doesn’t know that?”

“It seems you do not. In this situation, Your Majesty is content with annexing the territory of ‘Hanofe’ [Hanover]?”

Wilhelm flinched.

Hanofe, the German name for the Kingdom of Hanover.

It had been three years since they had seized Hanofe in a surprise attack, incited by France.

England has not yet shown any signs of trying to reclaim it.

However, Metternich asserted that England would not forget.

“But if things continue like this, Prussia will face the French army without any allies! Because England will remember!”

Wilhelm sweated and looked away.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Then let’s ask the Foreign Minister, who is from Hanofe. Foreign Minister Hardenberg! It has been three years since Prussia occupied Hanofe. Austria has been dissolved, and Russia is fighting England. But France’s allies and satellite states are right in front of Prussia.”

“Wait, that’s.”

Just as King Wilhelm was about to wave his hand in embarrassment, Metternich pressed the Foreign Minister.

“So, is Prussia safe?”

Foreign Minister Karl August von Hardenberg is originally from Hanover.

Not just any Hanoverian nobleman, but the son of Christian, who was the commander-in-chief of George III’s Hanoverian army.

If his wife hadn’t had an affair with the British Crown Prince George, Hardenberg would have had no reason to come to Prussia.

Therefore, Hardenberg is considered an anti-British and relatively pro-French diplomat.

Seeing Metternich, who knew all this and was asking, Hardenberg gritted his teeth and replied.

“It is not safe, Chancellor Metternich.”

“Then! Will France, or rather, the invader and ruthless usurper, Napoleon, miss this golden opportunity? This opportunity to attack Prussia without worrying about England!”

“Are you saying we should fight France? If that’s what you’ve come here to say, I will have you expelled immediately, by order of His Majesty!”

At that moment, the most beautiful voice in Sanssouci resounded.

“That won’t do!”

All the courtiers except the king bowed their heads.

Even the king was startled and jumped up from his seat.

Queen Louise, famous for her beauty and recorded in history, was entering.

“Oh, Your Majesty the Queen. What brings you here?”

“Chancellor Stein, your loyalty is lacking. If such an important person had come, you should have told me sooner! If it weren’t for my brother-in-law, Louis Ferdinand, I would have missed it!”

“P-Prince, when did you get here?”

Chancellor Stein looked behind the Queen in confusion.

The son of the famous youngest brother of Friedrich the Great.

Prince Louis Ferdinand, the king’s uncle but younger in age, smiled beside the Queen.

“If it’s a matter of fighting Napoleon, I can’t be left out either. Chancellor Stein.”

The leader of the so-called anti-French hardliners is also Louis Ferdinand.

Even though he himself received a French education, as his name suggests.

But the more surprising one was the Queen.

The Queen has always been a pacifist and opposed war.

So why did she come here and defend Metternich?

Queen Louise took the king’s hand and whispered.

“Your Majesty, I have always been against war.”

“You have, Queen. Why did you suddenly come here? You’re not feeling well either.”

“But the whole of Europe is undergoing upheaval. If Prussia is left alone in this situation, it will only be isolated and destroyed. If the old empire, the princes of the Rhine, and even England abandon us.”

King Wilhelm blinked incessantly.

There are several ways for a queen to exercise power in a monarchy.

Among them, Queen Louise uses the most orthodox method of capturing the king’s heart and exercising real power.

The reason why this method works is twofold.

One is that Wilhelm is truly head over heels for the Queen, and the other is Wilhelm’s weakness.

“So, we must choose. England or France!”

The Prussian monarch Wilhelm is extremely indecisive and lacks decisiveness.

Therefore, when making decisions, he always relied on the advice of his closest retainers and Queen Louise.

Wilhelm blinked, sighed, and turned his head.

“Metternich, can you negotiate in a way that doesn’t involve giving up Hanofe?”

“Your Majesty! Are you entrusting the fate of the nation to a foreigner!”

“If we’re going to be like that, you’re a foreigner too, Minister Hardenberg.”

Just as Hardenberg was about to glare, Metternich smiled and bowed his head.

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

Of course, the fact that Metternich approached Louis Ferdinand first is a secret between the prince and Metternich.

***

The Austrian king, who can be said to be the home country, has no will to wage war.

“Another war? We can’t afford to fight anymore. Metternich. You went to Hungary and came back as a hardliner.”

The last Holy Roman Emperor Franz II, and the Austrian King Franz I, sighed and said.

“Your Imperial Majesty.”

“I am no longer an emperor. I am just the king of the Austrian kingdom. And I am always being watched by Bohemia, a French satellite state. Did you know that Louis Bonaparte came by recently too?”

“To me, you are forever the Emperor of the Empire. And the one who will regain the throne.”

Metternich looked around the Hofburg Palace in Vienna and asserted.

“But if you do not play any role in this century of upheaval in Europe, you will not be able to regain the throne.”

As befits a former imperial capital, the Hofburg is still splendid.

However, even the works of art were either taken by France as reparations or looted, and many places have not yet been restored.

Due to financial difficulties, the royal family is even letting go of the artists they used to sponsor.

Even the famous Beethoven is said to have left Vienna and is wandering around.

King Franz, looking around the fallen palace, asked with a miserable face.

“What are the chances?”

“England, Prussia, and Hungary have formed an alliance. To the north, Sweden, and to the south, the Kingdom of Sicily are together.”

“Russia is not with us? It’s more disadvantageous than the last Second Coalition. How are we going to win?”

Then, a brown-haired young man stepped out from behind Metternich.

“No, there are two more countries, Your Majesty.”

It is Baron Castlereagh, the British envoy.

“Spain and Portugal.”

“What? Leaving Portugal aside, wasn’t Spain, or rather, España [Spain], a French ally?”

“Not anymore. Or rather, to be exact, it hasn’t been since yesterday.”

Baron Castlereagh looked at the information sheet from the British Embassy that had just arrived and smiled.

“Godoy has been ousted, and the rightful heir of the [Bourbon] dynasty, King Fernando, has ascended to the throne as the 7th!”

Then Franz widened his eyes.

“Wasn’t Fernando dead?”

Did the dead Crown Prince Fernando come back to life?

***

Of course, that’s not the case.

“Now, Fernando, my relative. Now forget the old days of Sicily and sit on the throne of España!”

In front of the throne in the Royal Palace of Madrid, another Fernando was trembling.

This Fernando is originally the third son of the former Spanish King Carlos III.

The first son is Carlos IV, who entrusted all power to Godoy, so he can be said to be the current king’s brother.

Furthermore, he was the king of the Kingdom of Naples-Sicily, and after Naples was taken by France, he had been the monarch of only the island of Sicily.

But this man is now standing in front of the throne in Madrid.

“Isn’t this seat my brother’s throne?”

“Then, are you going to be stuck in Sicily forever?”

“Count of Provence, or rather, His Majesty [Louis XVIII]. Can I rule this great country?”

The self-proclaimed Louis XVIII, Count Louis Stanislas of Provence, laughed heartily.

“Don’t worry. I, who was the brother of the king of the great country of France, and the British ambassador here will protect you, won’t we? Isn’t that right, British Ambassador [Wellesley]?”

Behind the Count of Provence, the British were standing with the Spanish nobles.

So it’s very simple.

What the British Embassy was trying to do in Russia happened in España.

The difference from Russia is that it succeeded in España.

The British Ambassador to España, ‘Wellesley,’ was about to bow when a young soldier standing next to him asked.

“Richard, do we have to keep watching this clown show?”

“Arthur, this is the presence of the new King of Spain. And he is the person you must protect.”

“I’d rather protect Tipu [Tipu Sultan, a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in India]. So, do I have to fight Napoleon?”

The British Ambassador, Richard Wellesley, looked at his brother and said in a low voice.

“Maybe it will be his son.”

As a result, a pro-British regime was established in España, and the encirclement of France was completed.

The Third Coalition, or the Anti-Napoleon Coalition, was formed.