Chapter 1126: 1032: The Restless United States

Chapter 1126: Chapter 1032: The Restless United States

Lavallette was still a bit unaccustomed to the Crown Prince’s whimsical ideas and hesitated for a moment before saying with difficulty: “Your Highness, but right now the British investment fund has already been completely approved. The next round won’t be for another six months.”

“Isn’t there still parliamentary approval?” Joseph replied, “Get some of the parliamentarians to reject a few, leaving 800,000 in funds.”

“This… but their parliamentary approval is just a formality. Once the management committee passes it, the parliament mostly signs off.”

“With a bit of money, they’ll find a way.”

Lavallette appeared even more troubled: “Your Highness, this issue involves more than a dozen people, and they’re all official figures on the surface, so even if given money, they probably wouldn’t dare to accept it.”

Such a large amount, coupled with the number of people involved, makes accepting bribes a risk that is easily exposed. Unless you can simultaneously establish connections with these dozen people, but that’s clearly impossible.

Joseph chuckled. Bureaucrats of this era indeed had large appetites and weren’t shy about grabbing with black hands, but in terms of ‘technique,’ they indeed couldn’t compare to their successors.

He immediately gave Lavallette some instructions, leaving the latter stunned with a single thought in mind—can it really be done like this?

Joseph glanced at him and said half-jokingly, “You must never try this method personally; I told Mr. Mara about it years ago.”

Lavallette was startled and stood up straight, saying, “I will certainly adhere to integrity and remain loyal to Your Highness!”

Joseph smiled, patting him on the shoulder: “Relax, why so humorless?”

As he was speaking, he saw Bertier and Talleyrand walking briskly towards him.

When they came close, both bowed ceremoniously, and then Talleyrand spoke first: “Your Highness, there have been some troubles from the Madrid side.”

The Chief of Staff immediately continued: “Count Aranda requests to delay the troop reinforcement plan by at least three months.”

Joseph’s brows furrowed: “What happened?”

According to the Franco-Spanish Alliance’s combat plan, troops were supposed to be gradually reinforced after spring planting this year, until the Coimbra front reached 75,000 Spanish troops and 8,000 French troops.

This was a countermeasure as the British continued to send expeditionary forces to Portugal.

Currently, the Anglo-Portuguese Army in Coimbra has already reached 45,000 men and will eventually exceed 60,000.

If Wellesley is allowed to build a bastion around Coimbra—as he had done in Porto—once secured, they would seize the opportunity to launch surprise attacks.

Thus, it is necessary to ensure that before that happens, the Franco-Spanish Alliance maintains sufficient troop superiority; otherwise, with the Spaniards’ combat capability, a local collapse could easily occur.

Talleyrand hastily added: “Your Highness, about 2000 American militia are currently gathering at the lower Mississippi River threatening an attack on New Orleans.

“Count Aranda wants to transfer the originally reinforced troops bound for Coimbra to North America.”

Joseph’s expression grew cold. The Americans remain as restless as ever. Moreover, the timing couldn’t be more precise—calling it anything but deliberate would be hard to believe even for a ghost.

However, it is indeed 1795 now, the time when the United States accelerates its westward expansion plans.

Talleyrand then started briefing on recent North American affairs, and only then did Joseph learn that just three months ago, 2000 American troops under Anthony Wayne’s command had annihilated the Indian Alliance Army led by Little Turtle in northwest Ohio along the Momei River [Note 1].

Afterward, the American Government pursued the retreating Indian tribes along the Mississippi River, reaching the Spanish outpost downstream.

The Spaniards, following secret agreements with the Indians, sheltered these Indians. Previously, the Indian Alliance led by Little Turtle was also established with Spain’s financial support.

The United States unsuccessfully demanded Spain hand over the Indians and thus decided on directly resolving the issue of Mississippi’s navigational rights—

The Mississippi River is a north-south flowing great river, with its mouth at Florida’s westernmost point, New Orleans Port.

Due to the United States’ very poor infrastructure, this river is the lifeline for foreign trade in the entire western provinces of America and serves as a roadblock to America’s westward path.

A few years prior, the American Government started encroaching on Indian tribes along the Mississippi River while also plotting to occupy Louisiana’s western bank.

At present, it is a Spanish colony.

But Spain was already facing the twilight of its empire with fewer than 14,000 people in all of Louisiana—not soldiers, but all settlers including men, women, and children.

In addition, there are 20,000 black slaves and three to four thousand mixed-race population.

Meanwhile, the Spanish stationed troops in Louisiana have been consistently under 1,000 soldiers, forced to huddle within strongholds against the aggressive Americans.

To prevent American meddling in Louisiana, the Spaniards tightly controlled the Mississippi River’s navigational rights, restricting American merchant ships from exiting via New Orleans Port—

This could slow the development speed of American towns along the Mississippi but leaves the Americans highly dissatisfied.

Thus, borrowing the reasoning of fighting with Indians, the Americans launched an attack on New Orleans.

Joseph vaguely remembered that historically, it seemed by the end of this year, Spain capitulated to America, signing the San Lorenzo Treaty, granting the northern Florida colony to America, and promising free navigation rights on the Mississippi River along with warehousing rights in New Orleans Port.

After that, America’s growth along the Mississippi River accelerated. A few years later, neither Spain nor Napoleon could stop America from taking Louisiana.

“We must halt America’s expansion along the Mississippi,” Joseph said solemnly.

He knew full well that if America wasn’t pressing held it in its infancy, it would become a monstrous entity in the future.

Moreover, the Americans often sneakily flirt with the British, supporting Britain’s strategy in Europe. Just like this time, they successfully distracted the Franco-Spanish Alliance’s deployment in Coimbra.

The North American youngsters seem to have forgotten who their true founding fathers are; it’s time to remind them once more.

Upon hearing this, Talleyrand appeared quite excited: “Your Highness, do you mean we should intervene in North America?

“It is indeed a great opportunity to reclaim Louisiana.”

Yes, Louisiana was initially a French colony but was given to Spain as an incentive during the Seven Years’ War.

“Not reclaim,” Joseph corrected, “wait for Madrid to request handing it over to us.”

He then turned to Bertier: “Please inform Count Aranda, that reinforcements should be dispatched to Coimbra on schedule. I’ll handle North America for him.”

[Note 1] Little Turtle was the leader of the Shawnee Indians, skilled in combat, having defeated the American troops commanded by Wayne in Saint Clair in 1791.