Victory in Sight (Request for Monthly Tickets!)
Joseph smiled calmly. "I'm afraid you have underestimated the cohesion of the Mediterranean Security Organization."
Fouche's eyes immediately took on a thoughtful look.
Joseph continued, "Especially now, when all the Italian States have need of our country, you have even less reason to worry about that."
In truth, if Joseph had not instructed the French Army in Ferrara to deliberately hold back, at least half of the Papal States would already have fallen under the Security Organization's control.
The reason they were not pressing forward in haste was to first gauge the attitude of the Italian States, then decide how to divide the benefits.
Moreover, Joseph knew very well that even without the incentive of carving up the Papal States, Napoleon's tens of thousands of troops were still holding Mantua in check.
With a mere meaningful glance from the French Government, the states of Northern Italy would not dare delay in opening their purses.
Besides, they were only being asked to exchange gold coins for Francs, not directly hand money over to France, so there would be far less resistance.
After completing the arrangements for the financial counterattack, Joseph recalled something else and said to Brienne:
"This time, Württemberg and the others have violated the loan agreement. That gives us quite a useful diplomatic lever, and we must make good use of it."
Under the original loan agreement, the Francs France provided to the South German States could only be used to purchase goods and for domestic investment. Yet Württemberg and the others had secretly used them for lending.
This matter could be made as large or as small as they wished. After all, it involved tens of millions of Francs; France would not be overreacting no matter how furious it became.
And