Life of Being a Crown Prince in France

“The balance of power in the Germanic Region is likely to be broken.” Joseph said to Talleyrand, “Therefore, we must prevent Prussia from surrendering quickly, at least not according to Austria’s terms.”

Talleyrand asked cautiously, “Do you mean we should provide aid to Prussia?”

“We don’t have excess funds to waste on Prussia.” Joseph glanced at him and shook his head, “On the contrary, we must fully support Austria.”

“Ah?” The Minister of Foreign Affairs thought he misheard, “Did you say Austria?”

“Exactly.” Joseph replied, “When you buy things, you haggle with the merchants, right?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“If something is worth 10 francs and you bargain for 9 francs, the merchant will likely consider it seriously. But if you insist on buying it for 1 franc, they will definitely chase you away or even get angry.”

Talleyrand instinctively touched his nose; he often directly bargained down to one-tenth.

After Joseph explained his plan, Talleyrand first nodded and then expressed some concern, “Your Highness, if Prussia cannot withstand the pressure and really agrees…”

Joseph saw Eman serving his dinner, stepped back, and gestured, “William III will surely not accept such terms. Moreover, even if he does, the British will not agree.”

He knew that though William III might be indecisive, he was extremely resolute at crucial moments.

Talleyrand always trusted the Crown Prince’s judgment deeply, so he bowed and said, “I will depart for Vienna as soon as possible, Your Highness.”

Immediately, Eman placed another dinner in front of Talleyrand—having come early to the Military Academy to report to the Crown Prince, he had certainly not yet had dinner.

“Thank you very much.” Talleyrand nodded in gratitude to Eman.

Joseph continued, “We must also prevent Austria from concentrating forces to continue attacking Prussia’s heartland.”

After all, he was convinced of Archduke Karl’s combat capability. With the absolute advantage in forces, Archduke Karl might indeed directly occupy Berlin.

Talleyrand glanced at the food on the table—carrot stew, mashed potatoes, bread, and artichoke beet salad—and saw the Crown Prince eating heartily; he dared not complain and quickly scooped a spoonful of soup.

He continued the previous topic, “Your Highness, we have two schemes.

“First, we can support Hungarians and Romanians in Transylvania. Before, Carl Ludwig, due to the Silesian situation, did not thoroughly suppress the rebels there. As long as there are weapons, they can quickly trouble Vienna.

“Second, let the Ottoman People act. After losing in Wallachia last time, Salem III faced significant domestic criticism. If he can rebuild a new army, he should be willing to rise where he fell.”

Joseph, chewing on stewed carrots, pondered, “Instigating civil strife can be easily detected by Vienna, and those rebels are mostly a ragtag bunch, unreliable.

“You’d better send someone secretly to Constantinople.

“As for helping them train a new army… it’s too slow and might not make it in time. Instead, persuade their Imperial Guard to take the lead.”

Twilight had passed; Talleyrand and the Crown Prince discussed the Germanic Region’s situation as they returned to the Palace of Versailles together.

The streets of Paris, illuminated by gas lamps, were as bright as day; Joseph’s convoy sped past the shops still open for business, and they could even see the drinking silhouettes in taverns.

“It’s the ‘Gem VII’ model, a custom version.” A chubby young nobleman, holding a wine glass, gestured out the window from the tavern, “It’s beautiful, simply a piece of art!”

Joseph usually didn’t display the Royal Family crest on the carriage to avoid attracting greeting officials everywhere.

“1300 francs.” Opposite him sat a handsome blonde youth sipping his wine, “You could suggest Baron Rochechouart buy one.”

The chubby youth nodded, “My father might indeed agree. Anyway, there’s no need to buy me a position now, so that money is meaningless kept aside.”

Yes, starting this summer, France no longer allows buying positions. However, if one performs poorly in the Royal School of Administrative Management’s entrance exam, a significant tuition fee is still required, provided at least a C+ is achieved—

Smart commoners can rely on excellent grades to reduce tuition, which in turn considers certain nobles with good family backgrounds.

But right now, the two talking both scored a C- and D three months ago, therefore not qualifying for the benefits.

The small-eyed, button-nosed youth, back to the window, gestured with a wine glass to his blonde companion, “Danny, perhaps if you find another teacher for extra classes, next year you might meet the entrance standard.”

This year Danny scored a C-, two levels below the minimum admission line.

Danny Edmonde de Chommon emptied his glass of wine in one gulp, gestured, “No, I’ve decided, I’m joining the army.”

He raised the empty glass as though it were a sharp horse saber, “With the roar of cannons, facing dense bullets, breaking through the Austrians’ layered defenses, occupying their command center!

“Then, like General Massena, proudly return to Paris.

“Engrave the battle I commanded into the Triumphal Arch.

“That is the romance a man should have!”

The chubby youth scoffed, “Your horsemanship isn’t even as good as mine; you’ll probably only enter the Military Technical School.”

He was referring to a place that specifically trains soldiers with an 8-month program. To command battles, one would at least need to attend the Army Officer Academy.

Chommon loudly objected, “I’ve studied history, drafting, and know German; I heard this can get a priority recommendation!”

He patted the chubby youth, “Henry, why not join me at the military academy? Your marksmanship is excellent.”

Henry Francois de Rochechouart shook his big head, “I’ll honestly inherit the family business and do commerce. I heard you have to run 5 kilometers to graduate from the military academy; I’d rather be killed than suffer that.”

The small-eyed youth lazily said, “Business is also nice. Steel, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, furniture—these all make money now. Or go to the Mediterranean Sea for steamship transport, I hear Italian women love French men, making money while having romantic encounters.”

However, the chubby youth urged him, “Pierre, you are the smartest one among us, why not partner with me in business? I can lend you some startup capital.”

Pierre scored an A- in the Administration College’s entrance exam, but his family wasn’t wealthy and he had a long-term ill brother above him, so they couldn’t contribute even the annual 220 francs in tuition.

Plus, he had an interest-driven personality, thus he roamed around idly.