Life of Being a Crown Prince in France

Catherine II was truly a commanding sovereign, her mind worked blazingly fast, and she forthwith continued:

“Furthermore, I will relocate 3,000 serfs to Donbass and sponsor France’s development plans with 50,000 rubles.

“In return, I hope to acquire one-third of the mining revenue from the Donbass region.”

Talleyrand instantly displayed the standard diplomatic smile:

“Your Majesty, you know that our nation will face great risks in developing Donbass. You are aware that those initial explorations are unreliable, and it’s quite possible that we might end up with just a small mine of a few hundred tons…”

To be honest, the 3,000 serfs would indeed be somewhat helpful to the development work, but Joseph had long been prepared with other labor forces, and even without these people, work could still start as usual.

As for 50,000 rubles, that’s about 200,000 francs, which, when invested in a place as vast as Donbass, wouldn’t even make a splash.

Actually, Joseph was ready to share some profits with Catherine, after all, it is easier to work with an interest-bound partnership when exploiting resources on someone else’s land, but he had authorized Talleyrand to offer Russia a 20% share of the profits.

However, Catherine’s appetite was a bit too big.

Talleyrand considered his words carefully:

“Your Majesty, this development is entirely a risky decision made by the Crown Prince, and it’s not fair to have you assume the risk as well, such as the manpower you would send, or the sponsorship.”

He didn’t wait for Catherine to object and immediately added:

“However, when I left Paris, His Highness instructed me to allocate 10% of the revenue to show his respect for you. Oh, and His Highness also mentioned that if a large mine is indeed discovered in Donbass, he will invest in the expansion and improvement of the Port of Kherson.”

Catherine II slightly narrowed her eyes at that moment.

The river connecting the Donbass region with the Crimean seaport is called the Dnieper River, and the Port of Kherson is precisely where the Dnieper flows into the Black Sea. Talleyrand was reminding her of the importance of developing the Donbass region for Russia’s control of Crimea. And Crimea is Russia’s only foothold for trading with the Mediterranean coast, which previous Tsars spared no effort and resources to secure. Catherine also put forth immense effort, engaging in repeated wars with the Ottoman Empire, losing tens of thousands of lives, before she finally managed to retain a tenuous hold over Crimea.

If she could rapidly develop the northern coast of Crimea, the Donbass area, it would provide strong support for her rule over Crimea. At the very least, if a war broke out in Crimea, conscripting logistical supplies from Donbass would cost much less and be much faster than transportation from Moscow.

She smiled at Talleyrand and said:

“Thank you for the Crown Prince’s consideration for our country. Then let France be responsible for all the investment, and I will take a 15% share of the mining revenue.”

She indeed felt that developing Donbass was risky, and if the French really found a major mine, they would certainly need a large labor force for mining, so it wouldn’t be too late to swap out serfs to increase her share then.

Talleyrand inwardly breathed a sigh of relief but still continued to haggle:

“Your Majesty, that percentage is too high, so I hope you can give us a tax preference for the mining factories…”

It was not until after the evening banquet that day that Talleyrand casually said to Catherine II:

“Your Majesty, Prussia and Austria are currently at war in Silesia. The Crown Prince earnestly requests that you understand Emperor Joseph II’s desire to reclaim the Silesian homeland. You know, His Highness holds great respect for his uncle.”

Catherine II immediately remembered that last month, England had also sent a special envoy to Saint Petersburg, expressing the hope that Russia would not interfere with the situation in Silesia. Today, the French Foreign Minister brought up the matter again.

The British stance was naturally as Joseph had requested in the “Non-Intervention Treaty.”

Catherine II indeed hoped that Prussia and Austria could cease the war and then join Russia to partition Poland, but she still had to consider the attitudes of England and France. Moreover, since the French had just mentioned developing Donbass for her, this made it harder for her to refuse.

Therefore, she nodded and said, “Archbishop Talleyrand, please convey to His Highness that I have no intention of meddling in the affairs of Silesia.”

…

Petit Trianon Palace.

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As soon as Queen Mary entered the room, she couldn’t wait to sit down, looking very weary, yet her face was brimming with a smile:

“Ah, what a grand celebration it was! Look, the whole of Europe was paying attention to Paris, everyone was endlessly expressing their admiration, everyone!”

She stretched out her delicate little foot, allowing her maid to help her change into comfortable shoes, and then she sighed:

Joseph always comes up with such marvelous ideas. God must favor his little brain…”

“Oh, thank goodness the exposition will be held in Lyon in three years. Hosting such an event is truly exhausting.”

She had just presided over the closing ceremony of the World’s Fair, before rushing back from Paris to the Palace of Versailles.

Countess Debreninac reminded her:

“Your Majesty, in two months there is Paris Fashion Week. You may have to preside over the opening since you are, after all, the symbol of French fashion.”

“Oh, Lord—” Queen Mary exaggeratedly touched her forehead, but her eyes caught sight of several plates of exquisite desserts on the small table in front of her.

“Is this Vienna Vanilla Cream Puff Pastry!” She was suddenly overjoyed, carefully lifting a small piece with her hand and putting it in her mouth.

The sweet taste, accompanied by the crisp texture, spread between her lips and teeth, and Queen Mary closed her eyes in pleasure, nodding her satisfaction:

“Mmm, mmm!”

After tasting a few other sweets, she suddenly looked at her maid:

“These definitely were not made by Mr. Cecilian and his team—the flavor is just too wonderful!”

Cecilian was her chief pastry chef, and although his skills were top-notch, he couldn’t produce this Viennese flavor.

“It’s Miss Delvaux’s masterpiece, Your Majesty,” said Countess Debreninac.

“Hmm? Yes, that’s right, only she could achieve such an authentic Viennese taste here,” Queen Mary turned to the maid beside her, “Where’s Camellia?”

A maid quickly said, “Your Majesty, Miss Delvaux is cleaning your piano room.”

Queen Mary laughed and shook her head, “She’s always so busy. Tell her to stop and come chat with me.”

Her initial request of Camellia was to behave like a normal noble lady, to learn poetry, dance a bit, and the like, but the latter insisted on fulfilling her duties as a maid, constantly bustling about. Moreover, she was very good at it, with even the veteran servants of many years’ experience not managing things as meticulously as she did.

Queen Mary cut a small piece of the cake with a fork, just about to put it in her mouth, when she heard the voice of the Court Ceremonial Officer:

“His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived.”

Joseph entered, bowing to his mother:

“Dear mother, I may have to make a trip to Austria soon. Hmm, this smells really good…”