The friendship between France and Austria was unbreakable

Leopold II immediately ordered his Servant to fetch a map of the Southern Netherlands, intending to discuss the details of reinforcements with the France, when Talleyrand said, "Your Majesty, in fact, after careful analysis of this war, the General Staff Headquarters believes that we should not send any more troops to the Southern Netherlands."

"No reinforcements?" Leopold II's face immediately darkened. "Are you asking me to abandon Southern Netherlands?"

"No, no, you misunderstand." Talleyrand's expression turned serious. "The General Staff Headquarters's recommendation is that making the Southern Netherlands the main battlefield would be extremely disadvantageous for Austria."

Just then, the Servant brought the map, and he pointed to the location of the Southern Netherlands: "You see, it's very close to both Prussia and the Netherlands, and there are rebels everywhere."

"Austria is 800 kilometers away, putting them at a significant disadvantage in terms of both troop reinforcements and logistics."

"Furthermore, even if you commit a large force and ultimately eliminate the rebels, Southern Netherlands will be severely damaged by the war. In that case, even if the Prussia withdraw from Southern Netherlands, they will have essentially won."

Leopold II frowned at him. "Please state your suggestion."

Talleyrand stepped forward, meeting his gaze, and said in a deep voice, "Since Prussia and Austria have already gone to war in effect, then you should no longer have any concerns."

The best strategy is to choose the battlefield that is advantageous to oneself and where one can gain the greatest benefit.

"And the most advantageous battlefield for Austria is undoubtedly Silesia!"

"The area is partially surrounded by Austria, and the people are more accepting of His Majesty the Emperor's rule, after all, it was Austria territory thirty years ago."

"At the same time, the Netherlands and the Southern Netherlands were unable to provide any support for the war in Silesia, and Prussia would face the powerful Austrian Army alone!"

"Once the war in Silesia begins, Prussia will inevitably withdraw its troops from the Southern Netherlands and deploy them to Silesia. And the Southern Netherlands Rebels, deprived of Prussia support, can be wiped out at any time."

Talleyrand's radical suggestion stirred Leopold II's interest; the recapture of Silesia was undoubtedly a huge temptation. However, he quickly regained his composure and shook his head, saying, "Austria is currently undergoing reforms, and it is probably not advisable to wage such a large-scale war."

"Do you think the war can be controlled if it is fought only in the Southern Netherlands?" Talleyrand said. "Once His Majesty the Emperor sends reinforcements, the Prussia will immediately follow suit."

"In the end, both sides will still exert all their national strength to determine the victor."

"But if the war were to take place in Silesia, even in the worst-case scenario where Austria fails to win, the war would still destroy the area, leaving the Prussia with scorched earth."

"No matter how you look at it, this is strategically advantageous!"

Leopold II sensed something was amiss, but couldn't quite put his finger on it. After a long pause, he hesitated before saying, "If we attack Silesia, Saxony will certainly side with Prussia. Furthermore, Poland has already allied with Prussia. If they then attack Austria from the east, the situation will quickly spiral out of control."

Saxony had a conflict with Austria over the Bavaria question, and Silesia was adjacent to Saxony, serving as a gateway to each other's territory. If Austria were to reclaim Silesia, it would pose a serious threat to Saxony, so the latter would inevitably join the war.

Talleyrand immediately replied, "Yes, the Prussia have the help of Saxony, but don't forget that Austria also has France as a friend."

"As for Poland, I can assure you that France is confident it can persuade them not to get involved in the war between Prussia and Austria."

In fact, there's no need for France to persuade them. Poland is currently experiencing a national awakening, and its entire focus is on implementing its Constitution and resisting Russia aggression. It has no intention of interfering in the affairs of other countries.

Leopold II astutely grasped the implication in his words: "You mean, France will send troops to help us reclaim Silesia?"

Talleyrand smiled and nodded, "His Majesty the King does indeed have this intention."

Leopold II nodded, then asked, "So, what kind of reward does Your King desire?"

Having served as the Grand Duke of Tuscany for over 20 years, he naturally understood that there are no free gifts between nations.

Talleyrand's smile became even more sincere, "You just said that you would stand with France in the trade negotiations, and this is the best reward."

"Of course, if His Majesty the Emperor could recognize France's ownership of Piedmont, it would further demonstrate the deep friendship between the two countries."

Piedmont is a region bordering the Southeast France and currently belongs to the Kingdom of Sardinia. Historically, France has had its own claims to this region, and it also holds significant strategic value as it is the gateway to Italy. Sardinia has only two major neighbors— France and Austria —making Austria's stance particularly important.

In reality, Joseph had no designs on Piedmont, at least not at the moment. But asking Austria for nothing would only make the latter suspicious of France's motives.

In fact, as long as the fight between Pu and Ao starts and goes on a big scale, Joseph would be very satisfied.

Leopold II nodded. "Very well, I will report this to His Majesty the Emperor. I firmly believe that the friendship between France and Austria is unbreakable!"

While he and Talleyrand were discussing a joint military operation, Talleyrand's assistants were also making moves throughout Vienna.

In a simply-built Villa, Austria Field Marshal Franz von Lacy looked intently at the France before him and asked in a clear voice, "Are you telling the truth?"

France diplomat Conrad Höttinger nodded even more earnestly, saying, "You've probably heard that our Crown Prince said two years ago, 'There will inevitably be World War I between France and Prussia.' Yes, it will happen in Silesia, and His Highness's words will come true."

How many troops will you deploy?

"I'm not entirely sure, maybe fifty thousand or seventy thousand. You know, I'm not a career soldier."

Marshal Lacy's eyes gleamed with excitement. As a soldier who had participated in the Silesian Wars, he dreamed constantly of reclaiming that rich land.

If France were to send 70,000 troops, Austria would undoubtedly have a much better chance of winning.

Of course, as a diplomat, Höttinger's informal statements about troop numbers were not accurate at all, but they could be used to persuade others.

After some rousing, Marshal Lacy was filled with fervor and personally escorted the France out of the Villa before immediately heading to the Schönbrunn Palace.

Similarly, at the home of Field Marshal Ernst Deane von Marshal Loudon, France diplomatic envoy Bellamy also gave a passionate speech, recounting the history of Prussia's plunder of Silesia, which enraged the Marshal.

"Those sons of Prussia!" the aged Marshal roared, slamming his fist on the table. "They'll have to learn their lesson!"