He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 450

(450) Napoleon Holds the Rhine Confederation Meeting

The Spanish King’s official first visit to Paris is quite the spectacle.

-Waaaah!

The cheers of the Parisian citizens echo beyond the old Paris city walls.

In truth, it’s not that Eugene hasn’t been to France at all since becoming the King of Spain.

However, this is his first official visit, and it seems deliberately publicized both internally and externally.

However, Eugene, now quite accustomed to the enthusiasm of the Parisian citizens, showed interest in something else.

Eugene tilted his head, looking at the wooden structure in the middle of the avenue.

“Is that the Arc de Triomphe [a triumphal arch, a monument to celebrate military victories]?”

“Huh? Oh, I remember His Imperial Majesty ordered it to be built to commemorate Austerlitz [a major Napoleonic victory]. It’s well-made of wood.”

“It should be made of stone to be a proper gate, so I guess this is temporary.”

Ipolite chuckled at Eugene’s words.

“It will take a long time to build properly. I wonder if it will even be finished during His Majesty’s reign. Haha!”

The Arc de Triomphe, a monument commemorating the Napoleonic era.

However, it was made of wood in Napoleon’s time, and in the original history, it was barely completed during the Restoration period [the period after Napoleon’s fall when the Bourbon monarchy was restored to power in France].

This Arc de Triomphe is filled with the names of generals who illuminated the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era.

Eugene, who originally wouldn’t have his name on the Arc de Triomphe, looked at the gate with a strange expression before turning his gaze away.

There, a renowned general who would definitely leave his name, whether in the original history or now, was following him.

“Your name should also be on the Arc de Triomphe, Marshal Massena. Or should I call you the Duke of Rivoli now?”

“Isn’t that a title that hasn’t been confirmed yet? Please don’t flatter me too much.”

“If His Imperial Majesty dislikes it, I’ll give you the title. I can do that now.”

Then, Eugene’s commander of the Imperial Guard and Marshal of the French Empire, Andoche Junot, laughed heartily.

“Ah, right. Massena. Thanks to you, I’m already a duke, aren’t I? Hahaha!”

Junot received the title after Eugene ascended to the throne.

Duke of Abrantes, a title with a long history in Spain, but the lineage had been cut off at the time.

Junot was given the title in the original history as well, but at that time, Junot was performing poorly in the Peninsular War [the conflict in Spain and Portugal during the Napoleonic Wars], so it wasn’t a very welcome title.

Now, he hasn’t performed poorly, but he also hasn’t achieved any independent merits.

Junot’s achievements were entirely made while assisting Eugene.

Marshal Massena retorted in a teasing tone.

“That’s good, Duke of Abrantes. So, are you going to abandon Miss Laure and marry into another noble family? I heard the nobles of Castile and Aragon [historical regions of Spain] have been flocking to your door recently.”

“Come on! What do you take me for? My bed is free, but my marriage vows are sacred!”

“I don’t know if Miss Laure will like those words. Are you planning to meet Albert Fermont in Paris this time?”

At those words, Junot smacked his lips.

“He’s practically Laure’s guardian, so I have no choice. I don’t particularly like meeting that merchant.”

Junot, who rose from the ranks of non-commissioned officers, has a fairly upright personality.

That means he doesn’t get along well with resourceful entrepreneurs who don’t hesitate to use bribery and collusion.

It’s the opposite of Massena, who came from a smuggler background.

Just as Massena was about to turn away with a smirk, the Imperial Guard in black uniforms appeared from behind the Arc de Triomphe.

“Imperial Guard, present arms! For His Majesty Eugene, King of Spain, Viceroy of New France, and the Victor of Jena [another Napoleonic victory], fire a salute!”

The Imperial Guard infantry lined up on both sides of the avenue and fired a salute in unison.

-Click, bang!

It wasn’t a threatening shot, but it was natural for the citizens filling the streets and Eugene’s cavalry guard to be startled by the gunfire.

“Oh, the horses are getting startled.”

“Who prepared this damn welcoming ceremony?”

“It must be the commander of the Imperial Guard or the Inspector General of the Cavalry. Ah, is it Bessières?”

Just as Massena, Junot, and Ipolite were exclaiming in surprise, Bessières approached from the ranks of the Imperial Guard.

“It’s neither of those. It’s His Imperial Majesty.”

In short, he was instructed to attract the attention of the citizens with a flamboyant welcoming ceremony.

However, Eugene, who was being welcomed, felt a strange sensation.

Marie, who was pregnant and had come along in the carriage, must have been surprised by the gunfire, but it wasn’t strange since Napoleon wouldn’t normally care about that.

However, Napoleon is particularly jealous of being in the spotlight.

It’s really odd to turn the attention to Eugene in Paris, the heart of the French Empire.

“Where is His Majesty?”

Bessières, the deputy commander of the French Imperial Guard, saluted and said.

“He is at the Palace of Fontainebleau [a royal palace southeast of Paris]. He ordered you to come immediately after the parade.”

Fontainebleau, an old palace of the Bourbon royal family located south of Paris.

Napoleon has been using it mainly for holding important talks before and after the establishment of the French Empire.

But to call Eugene, a foreign king, here is quite ominous.

Suddenly, Marie, who was peeking out of the carriage with a surprised face, asked.

“Why not Paris?”

Eugene lightly approached and stroked Marie, smiling bitterly.

“It seems like he’s preparing a show.”

In fact, few people in this era like shows as much as Napoleon.

***

However, even Eugene, who knew that, was shocked by the sight that unfolded in front of the Palace of Fontainebleau.

“Oh, my son, the victor of Jena, Eugene, has arrived!”

First of all, the fact that the Emperor was wearing a military uniform and enthusiastically greeting him with the Imperial Guard is a secondary issue.

The real first problem is the men and women in fancy clothes around the Emperor, wearing awkward smiles.

They are the princes and their families who rushed from the Rhine Confederation [a confederation of German states allied with Napoleon].

Eugene hurriedly approached the Emperor and asked.

“Your Imperial Majesty, aren’t these the princes of the Rhine Confederation?”

“That’s right. The King of Bavaria, the Duke of Saxony and Grand Duke of Warsaw, and even the Archbishop of Mainz have all come in person!”

“There must be a reason for gathering all these people?”

Napoleon burst into a hearty laugh and replied.

“Hahaha! It’s already been seven years since the French Empire was born! In the meantime, my brother became the King of Sweden, and my son became the King of Spain. Shouldn’t we gather the important members of the Empire to celebrate?”

Of course, it’s utter nonsense.

However, in this world, the nonsense of the Emperor must be heard like a solemn command.

The princes of the Rhine also nodded their heads and shouted.

“Congratulations, Your Majesty. May the French Empire and the Bonaparte family last forever!”

“You have become the King of Spain. Oh, has Her Majesty the Queen come with you?”

“Oh, I heard you had a child? What did you name him?”

Marie smiled and replied, listening to the congratulations from the King of Bavaria, the Grand Duke of Warsaw, and the Archbishop of Mainz.

“It will be announced to each country soon. We named him [Karl], after his grandfather.”

Karl, why is this the name of the newborn child’s grandfather?

It’s because Charles Bonaparte, Napoleon’s father, had the original name [Carlo].

He changed it to Charles when he became a naturalized French citizen, but in Spanish, it becomes Karl.

Napoleon also nodded with a satisfied expression.

“Good name. Eugene, your younger brother also took his name from my father!”

“That’s right, Your Majesty.”

“It would have been nice to see him here, but it’s a pity he couldn’t come because he was young. Next time, I will definitely go see him!”

Marie looked at Napoleon, who was making a huge promise to visit Madrid directly, and asked Eugene in a low voice.

“What’s going on, Eugene?”

Marie hasn’t been feeling very well since giving birth.

However, Napoleon called her directly, and she was very worried about sending Eugene to Paris alone.

The reason is simple: Pauline is still in Paris.

But when she actually came, Napoleon had gathered the princes of the Rhine Confederation altogether.

Above all, the Palace of Fontainebleau is where important diplomatic treaties are concluded.

It’s very meaningful.

Eugene sensitively examined the princes and ambassadors participating in the welcoming ceremony in front of the palace and said.

“It seems like he’s trying to show off to someone.”

“To whom? Isn’t the French domestic situation stable?”

“Probably to England or Hungary. Judging by the fact that James Maitland, Earl of Lauderdale, and Metternich are here.”

Since England is still at war, a special envoy, Earl of Lauderdale, has come.

Also, Metternich, the ambassador of the Kingdom of Hungary, is already a prominent figure in Parisian diplomatic circles, even for Eugene.

Of course, if you look closely, most of his capabilities were gained through his popularity with women.

Thinking that far, Eugene frowned.

“But there shouldn’t be a reason to do this now.”

In fact, Eugene hasn’t been paying much attention to the French situation, or even the European political situation, lately.

First of all, his duties as the King of Spain were too numerous, and the task of cracking down on the New World colonies to prevent them from rebelling was also overwhelming.

But considering that it’s spring of 1809, there’s something that bothers him.

Suddenly, Eugene called his chief secretary who was following behind.

“Ipolite, find Rochejacquelein [a leader of the Chouans, a royalist rebel group in Brittany].”

“Huh, the leader of the Chouans can’t be here.”

“If my guess is correct, he’s here. Hurry, find him right now.”

At the firm command, Ipolite was surprised and quickly disappeared, and Eugene frowned again.

“Something’s wrong. Could it be that he’s going to issue the Continental System [a trade embargo against Great Britain]?”

It was a very low voice, but Marie heard it.

“What does that mean? How can you blockade the continent?”

“Well, think of it as similar to what England did when it fought with America. They blockaded the sea with their navy, but we can blockade each port.”

“Then that means exchanges with New France or Nueva España [Spanish colonies in the Americas] will be cut off? And what about the French troops in Egypt or Constantinople [present-day Istanbul]?”

Marie doesn’t have much interest in national administration or international affairs.

But as the princess of the former royal family, the Queen of Spain, and Eugene’s partner, she sees and hears too much from the side.

That’s why she makes very simple but sharp points.

Eugene nodded.

“Yes, originally there shouldn’t be any colonies or overseas garrisons. That’s why it was easy to choose the Continental System.”

There’s a reason why Napoleon chose the Continental System in the original history.

It’s because France had very few rights and interests outside the European continent.

But now there are too many.

“Still, if you want to defeat England, maybe you have to do it once. In the short term.”

Eugene judged so.

He thought that Napoleon seemed to have decided to declare the Continental System in order to wage a war with England.

***

That’s what he thought until he heard it from an unexpected person that it was completely a misjudgment.

“Russia has gone crazy and decided to invade India.”

Pauline, who was wearing clothes that revealed her body, actually just a nightgown, said.

This is the famous forest of Fontainebleau.

It’s an environment where you can’t help but get lost without the lanterns hanging everywhere at night, but Pauline didn’t bring any attendants with her.

In fact, if she brought attendants, there would be scandals if they were men, and gossip if they were women.

Eugene looked at Pauline with an absurd expression and asked.

“Why are you telling me that instead of Rochejacquelein, Pauline?”

“Oh my, you should call me the Duchess of Parma. Your Majesty the King of Spain. No, Castile and Aragon, and where else. Anyway, were you the king of a long list?”

“I asked why you’re in this Fontainebleau forest. In that outfit too.”

Pauline smiled as if it were natural and replied.

“The outfit is like this because I came out of the bedroom. Rochejacquelein is busy and couldn’t come from Paris. The reason I came is because Ipolite couldn’t find him and asked me.”

Eugene grabbed his throbbing head and sighed.

“Louis must have told you.”

“I have a good relationship with my husband. Hehe.”

“But do you come out like this at night to meet a strange man?”

Louis Charles de Bourbon-Parma.

Marie Therese’s only younger brother and Pauline’s husband.

He is also still Napoleon’s adjutant.

A woman who readily speaks of secrets she heard from her husband, Pauline approached Eugene.

“What are you talking about? Why are we strangers? We’re clearly aunt and nephew. Besides.”

Pauline’s body, which was revealed to be pure white in the moonlight, was close to Eugene.

“The body doesn’t lie, Eugene. Unlike your tongue.”

Eugene quickly stepped back.

This place is too dangerous.

Marie came with him, and if anyone saw them, everything could be over.

“First of all, the information. An invasion of India, whose idea is it?”

“Hmm, does Marie treat you ‘well’ these days? You’re holding back better than I thought?”

“That’s not the issue right now. Is it the Tsar or the Crown Prince?”

At that moment, Pauline, who was trying to seduce Eugene again, stopped in surprise.

“I heard it’s the Crown Prince. How did you know that?”

However, Eugene was the most surprised.

Now he realized why Napoleon had planned this [show].

Eugene staggered and gritted his teeth.

“This is a disaster.”

“Why?”

“Russia is going to start a civil war.”

Just as Pauline was about to widen her eyes, Eugene looked back at the Palace of Fontainebleau and flashed his eyes.

“That’s why His Imperial Majesty called me.”

Now Napoleon is toying with the Russian [expedition card].