Drawing back a new curtain

It wasn't because they were cowards, but because the French Navy was truly no match for the United Kingdom.

In support of United States independence, the French Fleet stubbornly fought the United Kingdom in the Caribbean Sea, only to be soundly defeated and lose control of a large portion of the Caribbean Sea. In the end, to preserve Saint-Domingue, the sugar-producing region that later became Haiti, the French had to exchange land in North America, more than ten times the size of the United Kingdom.

Joseph wouldn't make the same mistake again by supporting Mysore.

The effort in India was intended to wear down the United Kingdom, not to deplete our own resources.

France's most important task right now is to develop its industry. The initial capital for numerous industries, including steel, coal, Textile, and Steam Engine, has already been invested, and this is precisely the time when massive investment is needed for industrial expansion. It is crucial not to let war waste money and cause industrial stagnation.

Ultimately, it was France's Finance that were in such bad shape. If France were as wealthy as the United Kingdom, Joseph wouldn't mind going all in on a big bet in India.

Berthier suggested, "Your Highness, if only limited aid is to be provided, then what the Mysore need most is an excellent commander. Perhaps Major Lefebvre or Lieutenant Colonel Davout could be sent to India."

The Lieutenant Colonel Davout he mentioned was André Davout, the commander of the Moulins Legion.

Joseph pondered and shook his head. These two were indeed qualified commanders, more than capable of dealing with Cornwallis of the United Kingdom, but the Mysore War would involve almost half of India, and given its remote location, it was extremely dangerous.

He didn't want anything bad to happen to his trusted confidants in India.

But who else could be sent? There weren't many truly capable officers among the Old Nobles officers, and I didn't know them well enough.

He suddenly thought of a name and immediately looked at Berthier: "Do you think it would be appropriate to send the Marquis de Lafayette to Mysore?"

Lafayette, a France officer, smuggled himself to the United States in 1777 to participate in the War of Independence, becoming Major General in the Continental Army. Even George Washington treated him with great respect. In 1780, he played a crucial role in the Battle of Yorktown and helped the United States ultimately defeat the English Army.

Upon returning to France, he was awarded the rank of Brigadier General general, but because he was a Liberals, he was not favored by the France military Nobility and was never given a prominent position. It wasn't until the outbreak of the Great Revolution that he became the commander of the National Guard, which was considered the highest military commander in France at the time, making him incredibly powerful. However, in the end, due to his lust for power and his insistence on protecting the King, he broke with the Jacobin and fled abroad.

Quite coincidentally, Lafayette had fought against Cornwallis, the current Governor of India, in the United States, and the latter never gained the upper hand against him. This gave him a considerable psychological advantage when fighting against the United Kingdom.

Berthier and his advisors whispered among themselves for a while, then turned to the Crown Prince and said, "Your Highness, the Marquis de Lafayette's ability to command troops is certainly beyond doubt, but he may be unwilling to risk going to the Far East..."

He phrased it rather tactfully, saying that Lafayette had been reprimanded by the Royal House for her unauthorized trip to the United States years ago, and had also had some unpleasantness with the military, so it was highly unlikely that she would obey the orders of the General Staff Headquarters.

Joseph smiled slightly, "You can tell him that as long as he helps Mysore achieve victory, just like he did in United States, he can be promoted to Assistant Minister of War or Governor of a province upon his return. I believe he will accept the task."

Joseph knew that Lafayette was a power-hungry and ambitious man. After years of fighting in the United States, he returned to France with no real rewards other than the rank of Brigadier General general.

So if he's given a chance to advance, he definitely won't refuse.

Moreover, what Joseph gave him was essentially an empty promise—although the Kingdom of Mysore had considerable strength in India, United Kingdom was on its way to becoming a powerful empire on which the British Empire. It would be difficult enough for Tipu Sultan of Mysore to hold out against the United Kingdom for even a few more years; victory was almost impossible.

Of course, if Lafayette were to actually unleash his full potential and defeat the United Kingdom in the Far East, appointing him as Assistant to the Minister of War wouldn't be out of the question. After all, that would be tantamount to taking away one of the United Kingdom's biggest livelihoods!

Berthier quickly General the Crown Prince's order in his notebook and nodded, saying, "Yes, Your Highness. I will do my best to persuade the Marquis de Lafayette."

Afterwards, Joseph and his staff discussed the Ministry of War in Tunisia until it was getting dark, at which point the meeting ended.

Back in his Bedchamber, Joseph was so exhausted that he didn't even bother to take off his clothes and collapsed onto the bed to sleep. He had been on a bumpy journey for eight or nine days on his way back from Tunisia, and finally he could get some rest.

Seeing this Perna and Eman exchanged a glance, then Perna carefully touched the Crown Prince's forehead and wrists to make sure he wasn't sick. Only then did she and the maid gently place him on the bed, cover him with the blanket, and slowly retreat.

The candle went out. Joseph, fast asleep, had a dream: in his Central Europe continent had transformed into a boundless theater, and the enormous curtain stretching to the horizon was slowly drawn back under the watchful gaze of the gods...

Amsterdam, Netherlands.

The second floor of the Provisional Parliament building.

The Marquess Wellesley, the United Kingdom Minister of Foreign Affairs, surveyed the unassuming building and remarked to the Dutch Speaker Kan Peilun, "I still prefer the Count's Castle in the Hague; it exudes a sense of grandeur and solemnity at all times."

The "Count's Castle" he mentioned is the former Dutch Parliament Building. After the Patriot Party gained power in the Netherlands, they moved Parliament to Amsterdam. Due to the haste of the move, the new Parliament building was not yet completed, so this building was used as the temporary office of Parliament.

Kan Peilun frowned slightly; the United Kingdom were clearly implying that Amsterdam lacked "majesty and solemnity." However, he immediately put on a smile, "The Hague is a thing of the past, Your Excellency. And we will soon have a new Parliament building, just two streets away, no less impressive than the Count's Castle."

Marquess Wellesley smiled indifferently, followed Kan Peilun into the Reception Room, and sat down on the sofa. "Well, perhaps you and your Parliament don't need to rush to the Amsterdam Parliament building."

Kan Peilun immediately thought of William V, who had been stripped of his power. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, please don't misunderstand," the Marquess Wellesley waved his hand. "I mean, perhaps the Dutch Parliament will soon be renegotiation with the voters of the Southern Netherlands regarding the Parliament address. You see, Brussels is actually a very good place."

A strange light flashed in Kan Peilun's eyes. "My lord, I don't quite understand what you mean."

" With Brabant causing such a ruckus, doesn't the Dutch Parliament have any plans?"

(End of this chapter)