He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 453

Napoleon Covers Scandals with War

As of March 1809, Fontainebleau was teeming with prominent European royals and nobles.

“Did you hear? The Emperor summoned us all here, only to embarrass himself while trying to show off his power.”

Throughout the palace, gatherings of princes meeting with diplomats were naturally taking place.

Among them, King Maximilian Joseph of Bavaria had called upon a diplomat.

It was Metternich, the former Chancellor of Hungary and current French ambassador.

In a way, despite being demoted, he was a spirited man conducting ‘bedroom’ diplomacy with great vigor.

Metternich sipped the Egyptian coffee served at the Fontainebleau Palace and laughed.

“You seem to find this very amusing, Your Majesty King Maximilian of Bavaria.”

“Hardly. I merely wish to accurately assess the current situation, Ambassador Metternich.”

“Then you should discuss it with the Bavarian ambassador or other princes. Why summon me?”

King Maximilian looked around before lowering his voice.

“In this forest of Fontainebleau, it seems you, the Hungarian ambassador, are the only one with the spirit to stand against the Emperor.”

The palace’s rear garden, thick with trees, wasn’t just a meeting place for the King and diplomat.

Princes, noble ladies, and diplomats alike were gathering in groups, engaging in heated discussions.

In any case, Napoleon had gathered them all, and with no specific decisions made, rumors were rampant, making it quite a commotion.

“Did you hear? Emperor Napoleon supposedly has an illegitimate child in the Duchy of Warsaw?”

“It’s not uncommon for royals to have illegitimate children. Ahem!”

“Even though he’s the son of the revolution and all that, he does everything the royals do. Haha!”

Listening to the Dukes of the Rhine Confederation chuckling, King Maximilian nodded.

“They mock him like that, but no one dares to oppose him. That’s the reality.”

Metternich shrugged and replied.

“What can we do? Even during the First Coalition against France, the [French] Empire was still strong. Prussia was mighty, and Spain held its own. The Italian Peninsula was full of our allies.”

“Indeed. Now the Empire has been dismantled, and Prussia’s military is restricted. Milan, Venice, and Naples have fallen, practically becoming French territories. And Spain has become a land of contention.”

“It’s one of Napoleon’s best foreign policies. It’s no exaggeration to say that the New World is virtually in French hands. I hear French financiers are already causing a stir in the New World.”

Metternich, who had been discussing France’s dominance in the New World with a very nonchalant attitude, narrowed his eyes.

“If it extends to Europe, that would be problematic. Certainly.”

Neither Metternich nor King Maximilian had ever been outside Europe.

They knew the vastness of the New World through maps, but neither had ever actually been there.

Therefore, they had little interest in the enormous events occurring in the New World.

But Europe was different.

It was the land where they were born, where their interests were concentrated, and where they would die.

Everything that happened there was life itself for them.

They had no intention of yielding their glory to some low-born nobleman from an island.

Suddenly, Maximilian asked.

“I hear that in France, the [citizens] are nominally sovereign. Is that correct?”

“If you’re asking me about the French constitution, you’ve come to the wrong advisor, but yes, that’s correct. However, it’s unlikely that this scandal will have a negative impact on the French citizens.”

“Why? The monarch is infatuated with a woman and ruining foreign policy?”

Metternich shook his head.

“Originally, in France, it’s considered [manly] for a monarch to enjoy women. Furthermore, it’s questionable whether the establishment of the Duchy of Warsaw goes against French national interests.”

It was Paris that ridiculed Louis XVI for being faithful only to Marie Antoinette.

Even if Napoleon created the Duchy of Warsaw because he was infatuated with a woman, it’s unlikely that the French would criticize him.

Moreover, there’s no direct harm to France.

Maximilian looked disappointed.

“So, this situation will have no repercussions at all?”

“Of course, there will be repercussions. Or perhaps, as Your Majesty anticipates, it could shake the entire Napoleonic regime.”

“Shh, your voice is too loud.”

King Maximilian, cautioning Metternich, his eyes gleamed.

“How?”

Originally, in the original history, King Maximilian would become a loyal ally of Napoleon.

However, that was only possible because Eugene and Maximilian’s daughter, Amalia, were married.

Although Napoleon had granted him a royal title, Maximilian still harbored anti-French sentiments.

Naturally, this was an element that Metternich, a subject of the Habsburgs, could exploit.

“I’ve been having coffee frequently with Caroline Bonaparte, the Duchess of Naples, lately.”

“I thought so. I sometimes see you leaving in the morning.”

“We’re having very good discussions. And, according to the Duchess of Naples, the Emperor often mentions Russia.”

Instantly, Maximilian’s eyes widened.

“Russia? What does that mean? Why suddenly?”

Metternich smiled mysteriously and replied.

“Perhaps the Emperor might dispatch troops to Russia. To that vast, cold, and distant land of the East.”

The fact that Russia was planning to invade India was not yet public knowledge.

However, Metternich saw through the secret he had uncovered, and even beyond the truth.

That Emperor Napoleon wanted to intervene in Russia.

In fact, he knew it even better because the Austrian Empire was also attempting to do so through Poland.

King Maximilian nodded and said in a low voice.

“Certainly, a situation that could shake French dominance.”

However, the two opponents had not yet realized what the Emperor truly intended.

***

The Emperor’s cabinet, which was supposed to be protecting Paris, had been summoned to Fontainebleau without knowing why.

“Minister Talleyrand, do you have any idea why His Majesty the Emperor has summoned us?”

Arch-Chancellor Cambacérès asked Talleyrand.

The fact that a person holding the position of Arch-Chancellor would ask such a question to a mere Foreign Minister shows the hierarchy within the cabinet.

However, even Talleyrand, who was influential within the cabinet, had one weakness.

He had almost no connections in the military.

Of course, it was because Talleyrand didn’t do things that exceeded his limitations.

However, the fact that he knew almost nothing about what was happening in the military was a problem.

Even now, Talleyrand was making idle talk, completely unaware.

“I wonder. Surely he wouldn’t say he’s going to appoint the King of Spain as the Crown Prince.”

“No, His Highness Prince Charles Napoleon is growing up well. There’s no way he would say such a thing.”

“It’s not necessarily an absurd idea. The King of Spain proved that his lineage could continue by having a child.”

Talleyrand looked around at the ministers with a strange smile.

“Of course, our French Empire is strictly a citizen-based empire.”

The ministers looked at each other and hurried their pace.

In fact, it was natural for the ministers to think that the Emperor had summoned them because of the succession issue.

The most talked-about issue in Paris right now was, of course, the Duchy of Warsaw and the issue of illegitimate children.

Wouldn’t the public’s sentiment stabilize firmly if he were to declare a Crown Prince?

At that moment, the ministers saw black-uniformed guards passing by.

-Thud, thud, thud!

Not the Imperial Guard, but the King of Spain’s guard.

The ministers stopped briefly and paid their respects.

It was because they saw Eugene coming out.

Eugene, who greeted the Arch-Chancellor and the ministers, stood in the palace hall, and Fouché whispered to Talleyrand.

“The King of Spain has arrived.”

“Doesn’t he look like he’s seeing him for the first time, Fouché? I’ve never seen Preysch pale like that.”

“Perhaps he’s going to announce the Crown Prince decision? It’s good to divert attention with another event when scandals are rampant like now.”

Talleyrand stroked his well-groomed chin and smiled.

“Hmm, a young Crown Prince. Not bad.”

In the end, Napoleon had the intention of passing on the succession to his own child.

Of course, no one knew if Talleyrand, who was 55 years old, would live longer than Napoleon, who was now 40 years old.

However, the possibility of Napoleon, a monarch who directly went to war, dying on the battlefield was quite high.

In fact, that was why the discussion of succession for Napoleon, who was still young, was being brought up.

Suddenly, Emperor Napoleon walked out alone, and everyone split into two and paid their respects politely.

“Oh, all of my loyal ministers have gathered.”

“What is the matter, Your Majesty? It seems like only yesterday that you gave us the strict order to protect Paris.”

“A serious problem has arisen, so I have summoned you. My Chancellor, Cambacérès.”

Napoleon smiled and told ‘Arch-Chancellor’ or ‘Arch-Dictator’ Cambacérès.

“You know well that my true friend, Pavel, has requested my help. It is the matter of conquering India.”

It was a very familiar yet absurd remark.

In fact, there was a reason why none of the cabinet ministers came to Fontainebleau in the first place.

From the beginning, Napoleon had gathered the princes of the Rhine Confederation in Fontainebleau to show off his power to Pavel and the British behind him, and to Eugene, the King of Spain, who was a vassal state.

In other words, Napoleon was trying to put on a [political] show to demonstrate his power, because Britain was using Pavel.

But suddenly, the Emperor was caught up in a scandal.

He guessed that the reason why all the ministers, who should have been protecting Paris in place of the Emperor, were gathered in Fontainebleau was because of the scandal.

But why was he bringing up the conquest of India again here?

Talleyrand, who was accustomed to Napoleon’s eccentric way of speaking, frowned and stepped forward.

“Your Majesty, that is a matter between Britain and Russia. We have nothing to do with it.”

“Talleyrand, I know that you are trying to maintain good relations with Britain. And thanks to you, many merchants have benefited. But we cannot maintain a state of neither war nor peace forever.”

“Are you perhaps, planning to wage war?”

Surely Napoleon would not take the insane measure of invading India.

Then, of course, the support plan for Russia would be to invade the British mainland, which was nearby.

If so, all the secret diplomacy he had made with Britain, even giving up Hanover, would be ruined.

But Napoleon gave another absurd answer.

“Not at all. I am merely thinking of supporting Russia. However, in a way that Pavel can accept, for sure!”

Thinking that he knew why Eugene had turned pale, Talleyrand asked.

“What method are you referring to?”

However, the moment he heard the answer, Talleyrand realized.

This was beyond Talleyrand’s imagination.

***

Finally, after a long commotion, Fontainebleau awakened from its slumber after a month.

-Bbam, bbam-bbam, bbam-bbam-bbam!

In the meantime, the Emperor had gathered the princes of the Rhine and the King of Spain, and did nothing.

In fact, the Empress had suddenly rushed in, and there was a commotion, but everyone pretended not to notice.

Now, the Emperor was finally about to summon the princes and notify them of something.

The princes, led by the King of Bavaria, the Grand Duke of Warsaw, and the Elector of Mainz, lined up and were surprised.

“Oh, the Empress is coming out.”

“They say she’s called the goddess of victory in France, right?”

“Hmph, I heard she was everyone’s lover in society. Even the King of Spain is her ex-husband’s son, isn’t he?”

Empress Josephine was walking out with the Emperor.

Could they have reconciled in the meantime?

However, it was evident that the Empress’s face was stiff.

Above all, the Emperor and Empress’s son, the King of Spain, who followed behind, also did not look good.

The princes were about to look at the highest-ranking officials of the French Empire with a strange feeling when the Emperor turned around.

-Thud!

Although he could not be said to be very tall, his eyes alone overwhelmed everyone.

The [God of War] of the French Empire, who had never been defeated on the battlefield, was in front of them.

As the princes of the Rhine held their breath, Napoleon smiled.

“I have some news to tell my loyal friends of the Rhine.”

The man who was most loyal to Emperor Napoleon, Duke of Saxony and Grand Duke of Warsaw, Frederick Augustus, asked.

“What is it, Your Majesty?”

“Grand Duke of Warsaw, this is news that you will like. It is to help the Tsar of the Russian Empire.”

“Yes?”

Augustus was startled, but Napoleon did not care and looked around at all the princes and declared.

“The Tsar will cross Persia and the Himalayas and advance into India. I intend to help the Tsar. Together with you.”

The key here was [together].

The princes of the Rhine suddenly began to feel a sense of kinship with the Empress and the King of Spain.

How could he ask them to join him in invading India?

The princes were about to return to their countries and discuss countermeasures when.

“In addition, this will be my [personal campaign]! Of course, my friends of the Rhine must also join!”

In short, the Emperor and the Rhine princes, everyone’s [personal campaign] was declared.

March 1809.

The Warsaw scandal was no longer a problem for Europe.