BXBX NOVEL Chapter 215 The Side Quests
At the Palace of Versailles.
In his office, Napoleon reviewed the reports detailing the recent events in the Baltic Sea. He absorbed the aftermath of the Battle of Copenhagen: the British Baltic Fleet\'s victory and the subsequent bombardment of the Danish port city.
The heavy bombardment had severely damaged the Danish naval fleet, prompting the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway to officially declare war on the United Kingdom. Similarly, the Kingdom of Sweden had taken a stand against the United Kingdom as a response to the British Baltic Fleet\'s assault on their port city of Helsingborg.
As Napoleon read through the information, a brief chuckle escaped his lips. It appeared that the British government had inadvertently set its course for isolation from their neighboring nations. Their aggression had managed to rally previously neutral states into a collective front.
Even in this world, Napoleon mused, the United Kingdom is acting like a bull in a china shop. Their moves are both aggressive and reckless, and now they find themselves surrounded by enemies of their own making.
Setting the reports aside, Napoleon leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers beneath his chin. Even if this was the case, he still couldn\'t get excited. Sure, the Danes and the Swedes can declare war on them, but it\'s not like they can offer much help to the country that would fight the British head-on.
But there are other ways that those two nations could contribute to the war effort, which is ceasing trade with the British. The Danes, Swedes, and the United Kingdom are major trading partners, and the United Kingdom just severed it.
Well, he understands the logic behind the British government\'s decision. They wanted to frustrate the league through force but this is not the original world. France has conquered Northern Africa and the Middle East and Tsar Paul I has been spared from the assassins. This turn of events made it clear to the Swedes and Danes that the French are militarily stronger than the British and aligning themselves with the Republic of France would be best in their interest because they knew that if they align themselves with the British, France, and Russia a strong army would simply invade them.
For now, he is keeping tabs on the ongoing development of the invasion of the United Kingdom. The French Navy is already dispatched and in the process of deceiving the British Fleet that is blockading the Atlantic, and the French Army concentrating on the city of Boulogne.
As he was engrossed in his thoughts, Beaumont entered Napoleon\'s office.
"Your Excellency, the Minister of Foreign Affairs has arrived."
"Let him in," Napoleon nodded, his attention shifting from his contemplations to the matter at hand. He straightened up in his chair as the door opened, and Charles Talleyrand entered the room.
"Your Excellency," Talleyrand greeted with a respectful nod.
Napoleon gestured to the empty seat across from him. "Please, Talleyrand, have a seat."
Talleyrand settled into the chair and opened his leather briefcase. He pulled out a document and handed it to Napoleon.
"What is this?" Napoleon asked, his gaze shifting from Talleyrand to the document in his hands.
"Your Excellency, it is the Treaty of Florence."
"Oh, I almost forgot about the existence of the Kingdom of Naples…" Napoleon chuckled as he read through the terms of the treaty.
King Ferdinand would be restored to the Neapolitan throne.
Naples would cede the State of Presidi and its portion of the island of Elba, Porto, Longone, and the vassal Principality of Piombino to France. Neapolitan troops would withdraw from the Papal States. Neapolitan ports would be closed to British ships. Trading privileges would be granted to France. Naples would allow the stationing of French troops, with Neapolitan financial support, on Neapolitan territory for a year the city of Pescara and the province of Terra d\'Otranto, including the cities of Brindisi and Otranto…
The list goes on but it shows in the treaty that the French have yet won another victory in the Italian Peninsula.
Talleyrand pulled out another document from his briefcase and handed it to Napoleon.
Napoleon grabbed the document and flipped the pages, scanning its contents. "And what is this?"
"That, Your Excellency, is the Treaty of Aranjuez."
Napoleon\'s brows lifted as he studied the text before him. "The Treaty of Aranjuez? That pertains to Spain, correct?"
Talleyrand nodded. "Yes, Your Excellency. The treaty solidifies our relations with Spain and reaffirms their alliance with us. Not only that, but Spain had given us the Louisiana Territory in exchange for six ships of the line, and territories in Italy. That treaty, Your Excellency, achieved one of your…hmm…how do I say this…dream?"
"Yes, you can that this is a dream come true, Talleyrand," Napoleon grinned. "Louisiana is a large territory with lots of natural resources that are waiting to be extracted by us. Anyways, how did the United States react to this?"
"None so far, Your Excellency, the news has not yet reached the ears of Congress," Talleyrand answered. "Anyways, Your Excellency. With the Kingdom of Naples gone, we can now shift our attention to the last ally of the United Kingdom."
"The Kingdom of Portugal," Napoleon said.
"Yes, Portugal remains the last stronghold of British influence on the continent. Defeat Portugal and the British influence over mainland Europe will be completely shattered," Talleyrand replied with conviction. "We can ally with the Kingdom of Spain and together, invade Portugal. It will be easy as the Portuguese military is weak and pitiful."
"Talleyrand, you are as realistic as ever," Napoleon interrupted with a wry smile. "You don\'t have to tell me what to do as I will do it anyway. So what is the plan?"
"We will send an ultimatum to the Kingdom of Portugal, that she break her alliance with the United Kingdom. If she declines the ultimatum, then a land invasion will be the only option left," Talleyrand replied matter-of-factly.
"And I believe you have reached out to the Kingdom of Spain about this?"
"That\'s correct, Your Excellency. I have an amicable exchange of letters with the Spanish prime minister Manuel de Godoy," Talleyrand said. "He agreed on the plan, partly because the Kingdom of Spain had territorial ambitions over Portugal."
"I see," Napoleon said. "So, anything else?"
"There is sir, I have also selected a man for the job," Talleyrand revealed. "The one that will lead our forces in Portugal. He\'s outside, waiting for my signal. Should I let him in?"
"Okay,"
Talleyrand rose from his seat and walked towards the door. He opened it and exchanged a few words with someone outside before stepping aside to allow the visitor to enter.
A tall, stern-looking man walked into the room.
Napoleon rose to his feet and asked. "Do you have a name?"
The man replied. "Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr"