Austria's Interests

"Oh, you should let her keep busy. Tuscany is so far away, it's not easy for her to come back and forth." Joseph quickly smiled and politely declined. He came to Austria on important business and didn't want to be bothered by the little girl all day.

Vitoluca paused for a moment, then smiled again. The Crown Prince of France was worried that Clementine would suffer from the arduous journey back. It turned out that his son-in-law was not only handsome but also very considerate.

I'm getting more and more satisfied!

Led by Leopold II and his wife, Joseph drove through the streets of Vienna toward the Schönbrunn Palace.

Vienna was very different from what he had imagined. There was no tranquility or artistic atmosphere, and everything was dilapidated. Although he encountered a few street musicians, most of the music they produced was quite harsh.

The amount of excrement on the streets is comparable to that of Paris before the public toilet renovations, and there are also "landscapes" like mountains of garbage, with many street corners blocked halfway by trash.

What bothered Joseph the most was the faint hostility in the eyes of passersby when they looked at the carriage of the Crown Prince of France. But this was not surprising, as France-Austria had fought back and forth for hundreds of years for the struggle for the European Continent hegemony, and their people had been hostile to each other for centuries.

Upon arriving at the Schönbrunn Palace, the Nobility who greeted them in front of the palace displayed basic enthusiasm and courtesy.

Despite his illness, Joseph II, supported by his Servant, personally came to the gates of the Schönbrunn Palace to greet his nephew.

Joseph hurried forward to bow to his uncle, then pushed aside the Servant, personally took his arm, and said warmly, "Your His Majesty the Emperor, my father always says that if he weren't so busy with state affairs, he would have come to see you long ago. Oh, my mother also misses you very much and asked me to bring you many gifts, which are on the Carriage behind."

Vitoluca, hearing this from behind, twitched at the corner of his eye. Huh? Wasn't that a gift for me in that car?

Joseph, unaware of her thoughts, continued to Joseph II, "My mother has heard of the Rebellion in the Southern Netherlands and is worried that you are overworked. She has asked me to help you share your burden."

Joseph II nodded with satisfaction, wanting to say something, but this triggered a violent cough. He simply raised his hand to gesture towards the banquet Hall.

Following closely behind them, Count Kaunitz, the Austria State Minister, vaguely heard Joseph's words and quickly turned to the France Minister of Foreign Affairs beside him, whispering in fluent French, "Archbishop Talleyrand, does His Crown Prince mean that Congress send troops to the Southern Netherlands to support Austria?"

He was arguably the most pro-French among the Austria high command, spending several months each year on vacation in France, and even sending his most expensive clothes to Paris for laundering to showcase his authentic Paris style. Therefore, he was also the one who most hoped for France involvement in the suppression of the Southern Netherlands rebellion.

Talleyrand immediately put on a very sincere smile, "Her Majesty the Queen does indeed intend to send troops. However, as you know, France is currently in a terrible Finance situation and cannot even afford a few million for troop deployment."

"Vienna can provide funding..."

Kaunitz had barely finished speaking when Talleyrand interrupted him with a smile, "So the Duke of Broglie proposed that France could provide logistical support to the Austrian Army."

"The journey from Vienna to Brabant involves nearly a thousand kilometers, or more than Auli or so, and the transportation costs will be enormous."

"But we can resupply from Verdun, which will be much easier."

Kaunitz's eyes lit up. If war broke out in the Southern Netherlands, Prussia's biggest advantage over Austria would be its closer supply lines.

However, if Austria received logistical support from France, Prussia's advantage would turn into a disadvantage— France and the Southern Netherlands share a direct border!

Even if France doesn't directly send troops, its support for the Austrian Army is still very significant.

He immediately bowed slightly to Talleyrand: "Thank you, Your Her Majesty the Queen, she has made the decision that is most beneficial to France-Austria!"

Talleyrand, however, looked troubled. "You see, France's Finance are in such a terrible state. I'm just worried that with the war in the Southern Netherlands at a stalemate, there will be problems with the funds to purchase military supplies... Those unscrupulous merchants won't even lend a single penny to the Royal House."

Kaunitz quickly replied, "How can we let Her Majesty the Queen pay for everything? Vienna will cover the cost of all supplies according to the purchase price."

In this way, France gained a huge favor from Austria without firing a single shot. As for the "purchase price," France could decide that at will, and it was always much cheaper than shipping it from Austria.

Upon entering the banquet Hall, Kaunitz pulled Talleyrand to sit beside him and began discussing logistical arrangements for the Southern Netherlands.

As he spoke, he sighed deeply, "Even with France assistance, this expedition will likely strain the Empire's Finance for a while longer..."

Talleyrand nodded in agreement. "In fact, the overseas trade revenue of the Southern Netherlands is decreasing and has almost no value to His Majesty the Emperor."

"Oh, by the way, if Archduke Ottodor of Bavaria is interested in the Southern Netherlands, perhaps we could take advantage of this Rebellion to make some territorial exchanges with him?"

Kaunitz looked at him with some surprise. This was indeed a strategic goal Austria Austria really wanted to achieve—compared to the distant Southern Netherlands enclave, Bavaria, which bordered Austria and was very wealthy, was the territory that Bavaria desired most.

"But," he frowned and shook his head, "I'm afraid Archduke Ottodor won't agree, will he?"

"On this matter, I can help you persuade Archduke Ottodor," Talleyrand said immediately.

Joseph had told him on the way there that Archduke Ottodor had always dreamed of recreating the Burgundian Dynasty —not the Burgundy District of present-day France, but the powerful Burgundy of the Middle Ages, which possessed a vast territory stretching from the Southern Netherlands to Mannheim.

Therefore, Ottodor always wanted to obtain the Southern Netherlands, so that he could get rid of the restrictions of the Holy Rome Prince-Electors' territories and give the Southern Netherlands, which did not belong to the Prince-Electors, to his Illegitimate Son.

Yes, he had no children born in wedlock, only a large number of Illegitimate Son. This meant that his Bavaria could only be passed down to his relatives in Saxony. For him, the Southern Netherlands was more valuable than the wealthy Bavaria.

Kaunitz excitedly grabbed Talleyrand: "Are you really sure?"

"Yes, I am quite confident in my eloquence," Talleyrand nodded with a smile. "Moreover, if Austria can reach an exchange agreement with Bavaria, then the Rebellion in the Southern Netherlands will be a matter for Bavaria itself. Archduke Ottodor will certainly commit more troops to quell the Rebellion."

"After that, Austria and Bavaria, with shared interests, could do even more."

He pointed north. "For example, dealing with Saxony, or even marching into Silesia!"