Chapter 306: The Choice of Talent
Napoleon couldn't help but feel a bit sentimental.
He had always thought that his elder brother shouldn't have abandoned his law studies to go into business—his brother's business acumen had indeed proven to be lacking, as years of effort had barely broken even.
Now that his brother had taken a position in the negotiation office and was already traveling abroad with the Minister of Commerce, it seemed he had finally found a path that allowed him to fully utilize his strengths.
The latter half of Joseph Buonaparte's letter conveyed a message from their mother, Maria Letizia.
She wrote that the government had finally disbursed the compensation for their vineyard last month, cutting their debt in half and significantly reducing the interest burden.
Additionally, the French Association of Winemaking Technology had decided to invest in building a large winery in Ajaccio, and construction was already underway. To ensure a steady supply of raw materials, the winery had signed contracts with vineyards around Ajaccio. As long as there were no natural disasters, the Buonaparte family could expect a stable annual income of nearly 2,000 livres.
In short, their financial situation had greatly improved, and they could even afford to hire workers for the vineyard.
Their mother concluded by advising Napoleon that he no longer needed to take leave to come home and help; he should focus on his military career and aim for a promotion as soon as possible.
In truth, Napoleon's so-called "helping at home" was just a pretext to participate in the activities of the Corsican independence movement. But as he read the letter, he felt a strange sense of relief and muttered to himself, "It seems it won't be easy to return to Corsica until I come up with a new excuse that can fool Mother."
In other words, he could now go to Verdun without any concerns to see that new type of mobile artillery!
What Napoleon didn't know was that the vineyard situation had all been arranged by His Royal Highness the Prince, who had instructed others to handle it, ensuring that Napoleon could stay focused on his military duties.
Of course, Joseph's decision to build a winery in Corsica was also aimed at improving the local people's living standards. Once they saw a way to make money, everyone would be busy growing grapes—who would still want to "overthrow French rule"?
After all, the winery itself was built by the French, so if they drove the French out, who would they sell their grapes to?
While Napoleon was reading his letter, not far away in the cavalry camp, a soldier around his age, with curly hair, a slightly chubby face, and a somewhat melancholic expression, was lying on a hay cart, quickly writing a letter home, hoping to hand it to the postman before he left.
He bit his pencil, then continued writing: Dear Father, I've made my final decision—I won't be returning to Fortinayel to learn the fashion trade because today I found my true life's goal: joining the Guard Corps and becoming an outstanding cavalry officer!
Yes, in the Guard Corps, anyone can become an officer, no matter their background. As long as you're brave and train hard, you can achieve it.
Do you know what an incredible army it is? Their soldiers are all incredibly strong. They can run 5 kilometers in 20 minutes while carrying rifles and blankets—oh, that's 1.25 French leagues. They change formation so quickly, it's like a giant is pulling them with strings... And their shooting skills are amazing... Oh, and those sharp uniforms...
In short, I'm certain that's where I'll achieve my dreams! Please forgive me, but I really can't come back; otherwise, Fortinayel will lose a future great general...
He finished the letter, read it over, and signed it: Joachim Murat, before sealing it in an envelope.
Then, he pulled out the "Guard Corps Application Form" that he had kept close to him and began filling it out with great focus.
As the cavalry company commander passed by, he glanced at the mostly completed application form but walked away without saying anything—he had already filled out the same form earlier and handed it to the postman.
In fact, by this time, nearly everyone in the Champagne Corps was busy filling out those forms.
...
Bavaria.
Northwest of Munich.
A black carriage bumped along the uneven road. Inside the carriage, Joseph Buonaparte was meticulously reviewing the documents in his hands, occasionally checking figures with his assistant, fully focused on the task.
The stack of documents was the result of his recent business research in Württemberg, including numerous survey questionnaires and field-collected data.
This information would be crucial in the upcoming trade negotiations.
After arriving in Munich, he first reported his work to the Assistant Minister of Commerce, who was his direct superior, and then shut himself in his hotel room, memorizing the data until the negotiations officially began in early June.
Outside the Munich Palace, the roads were lined with bands and honor guards. Protocol officers bustled back and forth to the sound of music, welcoming the trade representatives from various countries.
Grand Duke Karl Theodor of Bavaria presided over a brief opening ceremony for the negotiations in the palace courtyard before handing everything over to his State Minister, Montgelas, and leaving in a gloomy mood.
It was no wonder he was in low spirits. Not long ago, he had been planning how to distribute the territories in the Southern Netherlands that he would receive in a land swap to his illegitimate children. But then he received news of Austria's defeat, shattering all his dreams.
Montgelas invited the representatives into the conference hall and gave a speech, then turned to Austrian Foreign Minister Baron Thugut.
Thugut smiled and nodded, then stood up and walked to the front of the hall. Clearing his throat, he began in a loud voice, "I believe everyone here is well aware of the chaotic state of trade in the German states.
"Constantly changing tariffs, unexpected fees, and various entry restrictions have greatly hindered our trade…"
"So, at the joint initiative of His Majesty the Holy Roman Emperor," he said, gesturing toward Talleyrand and Bailly, "and His Majesty the King of France, we are here to discuss and sign an unprecedentedly grand agreement!"
However, despite Thugut's enthusiasm, the representatives from smaller states like Bavaria, Salzburg, Württemberg, and Baden seemed less than eager.
These small states found it difficult to compete in industry and trade with major powers like France and Austria, so they had reservations about the so-called "free trade" agreements.
But since they didn't want to offend Emperor Joseph II, they had no choice but to go through the motions, with little expectation of actually reaching any meaningful trade agreements.
After the formalities, Baron Thugut instructed his aides to distribute the trade proposal documents that had been prepared in advance: "This is Austria's preliminary draft of the agreement. Please take a look. Of course, this is just a draft; the specific terms will need to be discussed in detail."
(End of chapter)
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