He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 423

(423) Let’s Elect King Joseph of Sweden

Eugene isn’t the only one at a crossroads in life.

“I like the idea of you as the Queen of Sweden, Marie.”

Marie Antoinette said, placing her coffee cup down at the mansion on the outskirts of Paris, now known as the Queen’s residence.

Marie contemplates, observing the exquisitely adorned coffee cup.

Eighteen years have passed since the revolution began, and the former queen seems happier than ever.

However, she can’t help but be surprised by the sudden remark.

“Mother, what are you suddenly saying? You were so insistent that I had to obtain the Spanish throne.”

“Didn’t you hear there’s a war going on there? The king who was captured is a distant relative of yours. It means that could happen to you at any time.”

“Is Sweden safe? I heard the nobles drove out the former king? Besides, wasn’t the king before him assassinated?”

She was summoned suddenly, only to be told to become the Queen of Sweden.

She wondered if they were suggesting she marry the King of Sweden, but that’s not the case.

She hears that the King of Sweden has been ousted.

However, putting aside the ousted King Gustav IV, his father, Gustav III, was assassinated by nobles for his oppressive rule.

Sweden is by no means a good place for royalty.

If it were Poland, they would at least have a marriage alliance with the French royal family, but the Swedish Vasa dynasty has never had any marital ties with the Bourbons [a major European royal house of French origin].

Why on earth would Sweden want the French royal family?

Suddenly, Count Fersen, who was sitting next to Antoinette, spoke up.

“That’s because the previous kings were foolish enough to ignore the nobles and the parliament, Marie.”

Marie frowned as she looked at Fersen.

She doesn’t like the way he’s holding Antoinette’s hand so openly.

Also, she doesn’t like that Eugene, or perhaps Fersen’s scheme, chose Marie, rather than the Swedish royal family or parliament.

However, it’s difficult to separate Antoinette and Fersen, who are already in a publicly known affair.

In the end, Marie chose her words carefully and retorted sharply.

“Your Excellency, the Kingdom Marshal, you failed to protect the King. Again.”

“I have no excuse. But Eugene’s stepfather would be different.”

“Are you now going to sacrifice Eugene and me as well?”

Fersen shook his head sternly.

“That’s not true. Sweden isn’t necessarily a great country, but at least it’s unlikely to be driven to the brink of national ruin. Spain and Naples are too likely to be annexed by France in the future!”

This seems to be the logic Fersen used to persuade Antoinette.

Antoinette, who had been blinded by the Spanish throne, must have been shocked to hear that it could be annexed by France.

It’s even more plausible because it’s not entirely false.

However, Marie tilted her head at the mention of an unexpected country name.

“Naples? What’s that?”

“Haven’t you heard? People are coming from Lombardy and Tuscany, Genoa and Venice. Especially Joseph Bonaparte, the head of state of Lombardy, and Prime Minister Saliceti.”

“Why did they come to Paris? Is there a problem in Italy? I haven’t received any separate reports from Milan or Genoa.”

Fersen nodded.

“Yes, you’re also involved in the Beauharnais cartel’s business, aren’t you? You’ll be able to do that business more freely if you come to Sweden.”

She had taken a bit of a break while traveling to the New World, but Marie is the manager of the Beauharnais cartel’s food, canned goods, and postal business.

This began when she put the Milan canning factory owner under Marie’s name during the Italian expedition.

At the time, Eugene was so busy that he delegated even major business decisions to his managers, and the managers themselves were so focused on military supplies, finance, and trade that they neglected other industries.

Thus, Marie and her aides came to control relatively small businesses.

Marie swallowed the words that Naples would be more helpful to the business.

If Eugene had heard, he would have praised Fersen for his forward-thinking insight, considering the 21st century of the original history.

Marie shook her head and spoke again.

“Tell me what Naples is.”

“Well, you see. There’s been a severe rebellion in Naples.”

“A rebellion? There should be a garrison there, shouldn’t there?”

Fersen, who came from the northern end of Europe, explained Naples, at the southern end of Europe, as if he had seen it.

“It seems they were all pulled to the German front because of this war. It seems that the rebellion broke out as soon as General Laharpe left Naples.”

Naples is the name of a city in southern Italy, but it is also often the name of a kingdom.

Currently, strictly speaking, a satellite republic called [Parthenope] has been established.

It is a country named after the Greek era, and there are many people with anti-French sentiments, including Catholic clergy and the lowest classes.

Fortunately, the clergy had defected as the Vatican had made peace with France early on, but the peasant class often rebelled.

In particular, at one point, nearly ten thousand peasant soldiers colluded with the former royal family, who had fled to Sicily, to overthrow the entire French army.

But of course, they were not at a level to resist the French regular army.

Also, because the clergy became uncooperative, France was easily suppressing them.

However, as Laharpe marched north due to the War of the Third Coalition [a European conflict from 1803-1806], the entire Naples area was eventually covered in rebellion.

“I heard that General Laharpe is now the commander of the Swiss defense.”

“Seeing that you know even military secrets, you’ve certainly captured Eugene’s heart.”

“Eugene is my husband. There’s no need to capture his heart.”

Just as Marie was about to retort, Fersen shook his head.

“You’re not married yet. If you go to Naples, there may be another marriage with the Habsburg family [one of the most influential royal houses of Europe] or another royal family. But Sweden is different.”

At first glance, it’s an unpleasant remark.

However, Fersen’s words are not necessarily wrong.

Anyway, the fact that they reject the Bourbons the most was revealed at the last [Bonaparte] family gathering.

As Marie closed her lips, Fersen asserted.

“The Emperor doesn’t care about that place.”

“Has my value dropped that much? Still, I thought I was an heir who could claim the Spanish throne?”

“The game has already changed.”

Fersen looked back at Antoinette and Marie and asserted.

“As former King Carlos IV and Godoy stepped down helplessly, your succession status has also been shaken. If you want to claim the Spanish throne, now you have no choice but war. The same goes for Naples.”

As a great nobleman who has spent a long time as a diplomat, Fersen judged the political situation quite accurately.

Spain has already entered a state of war, and the throne is unlikely to be peacefully succeeded.

Marie’s succession, which was already lacking in legitimacy, must of course start from scratch.

However, Sweden, where Fersen has persuaded the noble council, is different.

“Yes, Marie. Sweden is the only, the only peaceful land.”

The moment Antoinette tried to persuade Marie, Marie stood up from her seat.

“There’s nothing to think about.”

“Huh? Yes, it’s better to get the crown peacefully, right?”

“Whether I go to Sweden or Naples, it’s not up to me to decide. Mother. Nor Fersen.”

Suddenly, Marie’s eyes lit up.

“It’s up to my husband, Eugene Bonaparte, to decide. And I’ll follow Eugene.”

Even if there is no crown, it is enough if she has Eugene.

***

Of course, Eugene has no intention of giving up the crown.

“Italy is not a bad place. Stepfather. Please think about it.”

Still, he’s not happy to see the real estate scammer, Saliceti, in front of him.

In the first place, Napoleon advanced because Italy was prosperous.

But is there anyone who doesn’t know that Italy itself is a political entity stained with rebellion and division, not just Naples?

“Prime Minister Saliceti, since when has selling false properties become your job?”

“What are you talking about? I’m advising you for the sake of stepfather. I’m so sorry. Haven’t we been together since Toulon?”

“But you’re recommending a land where a rebellion has broken out?”

Saliceti, the Prime Minister of the Lombard Republic, waved his hand.

“Not Naples, Italy. Stepfather. The throne of Naples is just the starting point.”

In short, he mentioned the throne of the unified Kingdom of Italy.

The so-called political entity [Italy] has never existed for more than 1600 years.

Since the fall of the Roman Empire, the Italian peninsula has always been divided.

However, at the same time, there has always been a movement to unify the peninsula because of the legacy of the Roman Empire.

Saliceti, who was from Corsica and studied in Pisa, seems to have had such a dream.

“Keep going.”

“In the end, it is more efficient to unite and control Italy as one. But who will His Majesty the Emperor trust? Isn’t it a relative or an adopted son? Unfortunately, none of the relatives have the ability to become king.”

“Uncle Joseph is here.”

Then Joseph, the leader of Lombardy, who was ahead of Saliceti, shook his head.

“I can do peaceful negotiations, but I can’t do war. Eugene, Italy is a land where rebellions are constantly taking place and where powerful countries will invade. You need military power.”

Of course, it’s like a prophecy to Eugene, who knows the original history.

In the future, Italy will be a place where Austria, France, and the Kingdom of Sardinia will compete.

Come to think of it, Eugene was too busy to pay attention, but Sardinia is still an independent force.

Just like Sicily.

Eugene smiled and asked back.

“How about Sweden?”

“Huh? Oh, it’s not bad there, but why would you go to a country that has been deprived of its territory by Russia? Besides, isn’t it a country where the former king was ousted by a coup and the former king was assassinated?”

“No, not me. Uncle.”

The moment Joseph was surprised, Eugene snorted.

“Let’s be honest. You’re avoiding it because Italy is being militarily invaded, and His Majesty the Emperor might deprive you of the throne at any time, right?”

Joseph and Saliceti closed their mouths.

The so-called satellite republic system was actually created when the republic was still strong after the Great Revolution.

However, after France was transformed into an empire, the status of the satellite republic became ambiguous.

Still, the Netherlands and Switzerland, which had a strong tradition of independence, are somehow maintaining the system.

On the other hand, each satellite republic in Italy was virtually becoming a colony of France.

Joseph and Saliceti, who were virtually playing the role of king and prime minister in Lombardy, must have been uneasy.

So, their primary goal is to put Eugene at the forefront and change Naples to a kingdom system from the beginning, and introduce a monarchy to Lombardy as well.

But what if you go to a country that already has a tradition of monarchy as a king?

“It’s in the north, but the country is solid and the economy is strong. Sweden is not bad.”

“Oh, but if Russia invades.”

“France has to stop that. It’s a country ruled by the Emperor’s brother.”

Eugene assured and stared at Joseph.

“As long as you respect the parliament, you can pass on the throne to your bloodline forever. Your daughter can be queen! How about it, wouldn’t you like to try it?”

Joseph, who was looking back at Saliceti, licked his lips and asked.

“But then, what throne are you going to take?”

So, if possible, he’s saying he wants to be the King of Sweden.

***

Of course, in fact, Napoleon has no interest in Sweden or Naples.

“Budget! The budget is the problem! Right now, Spain is swallowing capital as if a hippo is swallowing water!”

Napoleon, who had returned to the Emperor’s office after a long time, was screaming.

It must be because the time when he was intoxicated with the glory of victory was over, and the bills began to arrive.

For some reason, Eugene turned the conversation slightly, as if he was about to ask for money.

“I heard the capital was occupied, Your Majesty.”

“I caught the fake king too! But what good is that? The self-proclaimed Louis XVII, the British ambassador, and key figures all escaped!”

“Did Massena get out of Madrid?”

Napoleon threw the report on the desk and shouted.

“Yes. A document asking for forgiveness for the crime of retreat has arrived. Ha! Massena is making fun of me. I can’t praise him!”

Talleyrand’s point is accurate.

Militarily, it is a defeat, but politically, it is a success, and diplomatically, it is difficult.

That’s exactly what happened when Massena retreated immediately after occupying the capital.

However, the British or Spanish great nobles are not in control either.

To resolve the situation here, you must either retreat completely or intervene fully.

However, Napoleon chose full intervention in the original history and fell into a quagmire.

Even if he doesn’t know history, Napoleon, who has a strategic eye, finds it difficult to choose easily.

Eugene stared at Napoleon and said.

“If we continue like this, the whole of Spain will become an anarchy.”

“Huh, isn’t that the scene I saw in France?”

“It was a reign of terror, but it never reached a state of anarchy.”

Napoleon twisted his lips and sneered at Eugene.

“You’re talking as if it’s someone else’s business. Ha, I heard Fersen brought the Swedish crown. Why, is your heart pounding?”

He didn’t say it on purpose, but he seems to be aware of all the situations in Paris.

I’m sure Fouché or Savary have already submitted a lot of reports.

Eugene, who smiled for a moment, asked.

“Will you give it to me if I ask?”

“I can give it to you! But take care of your wife’s inheritance and go!”

“Then give me the throne. However, a legitimate inheritance.”

The moment Napoleon’s eyes widened, Eugene knelt down.

“I will be the King of Spain. And I will solve the troubles of the Iberian Peninsula. Instead, please appoint Uncle Joseph as the King of Sweden.”

The crossroads of throne selection.

In the end, Eugene chose the Spanish throne.