From Corsica to the Fourth Rome

"I didn't bring back Jean Du Barry."

Count Falcone's voice was low and hoarse, like that of a severe leper.

The laughter in the study room suddenly stopped, and the joyful atmosphere that was filled just now disappeared without a trace.

Duke Richelieu's wrinkled eyelids jumped suddenly, then he sat back tremblingly in his chair, raised his head and asked:

"What happened? Du Barry is not in the mansion?"

The smile on Justice Mopp's face disappeared instantly, and he looked at Count Falcone quietly, waiting for his answer.

Because of the attack outside Versailles, Justice Maupp had already doubted whether Duke Richelieu was still worthy of cooperation.

If he fails to seize the opportunity to deal a fatal blow to that damn Bonaparte this time, then Justice Maupp will have to re-examine his alliance with Duke Richelieu.

Count Falcone stood there with his head lowered, organizing his words like a child who had done something wrong, and then recounted the entire incident to the two people in front of him.

"Damn. Damn, damn Bonaparte!"

Duke Richelieu held his head with his hands, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead, and seemed to be talking to himself:

"We were put together. I should have thought of this level. No, Du Barry is definitely in that mansion. He must be taken out."

After saying that, Duke Richelieu looked at Justice Maupe for help and said in a deep voice:

"Your Honor, I need help from the Palace of Justice. Is there any way we can have the authority to search that embassy?"

After listening to Count Falcone's statement, Justice Maupe's expression turned cold, as if it was another person who had just been chatting and laughing with Duke Richelieu.

"You should understand, Your Excellency the Duke, that any judicial action against a diplomatic mission must be approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

Justice Mopu shook his head decisively and said:

"I don't need to say who owns the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

"whispering sound"

Duke Richelieu clenched his fists and gritted his teeth and asked:

"What about special methods? For example, special authorization."

Justice Mopu still looked like it had nothing to do with him and said coldly:

"With all due respect, using the special authorization bill for this kind of thing will only allow me to authorize myself to be removed from the position of justice."

"Mopp, I need your help." Duke Richelieu stood up in person and walked to Justice Maupp, held his hand and said:

"This is for our mutual benefit."

"Common interests? I don't think so."

Justice Maupp simply threw away Duke Richelieu's hand and said without mercy:

"I did not get involved in that stupid attack. This is your private matter. And I have to remind you, Your Excellency, the one you should be paying more attention to right now is the man named Du Barry. A damn Corsican embassy.”

Duke Richelieu paused, then nodded bitterly.

Duke Richelieu was an outstanding diplomat and soldier when he was young, and he served as the French ambassador to Austria for more than ten years.

As a former ambassador, he knew only too well the seriousness of the attack on the embassy.

Not to mention that the destruction of the embassy by the Paris police force was carried out under the orders of Count Falcone. This kind of self-initiated command of local troops to violate the sovereignty of another country is bound to incur the wrath of the king.

Because other countries will not care which faction in France took the initiative to attack the Corsican Embassy. They only know that it was the French official forces that launched the invasion and destruction of the Embassy.

The invasion would therefore be seen as an official act, sanctioned by the king and the government.

In other words, Louis XV and the French government took the blame for Count Falcone.

Duke Richelieu knew without even thinking that His Majesty the King would not be willing to be blamed out of thin air.

Justice Maupe snorted coldly, stood up directly, and whispered in the ear of Duke Richelieu:

"Your Majesty the Duke, take this time to get closer to your grandson. You may not be able to see him soon."

After saying that, Justice Mopu left the study without looking back.

Duke Richelieu did not stop him, but looked at Count Falcone with dull eyes. There were tears in the corners of his eyes that were not easy to detect, and he said slowly:

"You are too impulsive, dear Falcone."

Count Falcone stared at his grandfather blankly, his whole body as cold as falling into an ice cave.

Noon the next day, Palace of Versailles, King's Suite.

"Oh, Your Majesty, you are so brave. You don't look like a sixty-five-year-old at all."

The flushed Madame Du Barry, half-naked, nestled in Louis XV's arms and said frivolously.

"Hahaha, dear Jeanne, only being with you can make me forget that I am sixty-five years old."

Louis XV touched Madame Du Barry's silky blond hair and said lovingly:

"It's not too early, it's time for us to get up from the big bed of joy."

After lingering for a while, the two got dressed, left the bedroom of the king's suite and went to the dining room to enjoy a sumptuous royal luncheon.

Just ten minutes into the luncheon, King Louis' schedule secretary hurried in. It seemed that he rushed over as soon as he learned that the king had gotten up.

The schedule secretary bowed respectfully and anxiously and said:

"I'm very sorry to interrupt your meal, Your Majesty, but your schedule today is somewhat special, and I need to seek your permission as soon as possible."

"It doesn't matter, just tell me."

Louis XV waved his hand generously and said:

"But I remember that I don't have any special arrangements today, right? In the afternoon I will accompany Madame Du Barry to pick oranges in the back garden. She has been looking forward to it for a long time."

Madame Du Barry smiled charmingly, came over and kissed King Louis on the cheek and said:

"I'm so glad you remember this, Your Majesty."

"Of course I will remember your wish, my little angel."

King Louis pinched Madame Du Barry's cheek and said with a smile.

The schedule secretary looked at the two flirting people awkwardly and reminded him cautiously:

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but you may not be able to pick oranges."

King Louis frowned at his schedule secretary and said displeasedly:

"Really, what happened?"

The schedule secretary bowed his head and reported:

"In the afternoon, there are envoys and commissioners from twelve countries asking to see you. They are the commissioner of the Republic of Mulhouse, the ambassador of Württemberg, the ambassador of Würzburg, and the envoy of the Principality of Parma."

"Etc., etc."

Louis XV interrupted the schedule secretary with great confusion and said:

"What's going on? These are all small countries, right? Why are they suddenly gathering to see me?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, some small principalities and counties."

The schedule secretary said cautiously:

"As for the reason, it is not my duty to inform you of the news, but it must be related to the nasty invasion that happened in Paris yesterday."

"Bad invasion?"

Louis XV frowned and asked. He had been in love with Madame Du Barry all morning and still didn't know what happened in Paris.

The schedule secretary suddenly remembered something and quickly replied:

"Your Majesty, Foreign Minister Caesar Gabriel has also asked to see you. Maybe he can explain it clearly to you. I think he is waiting for your reception in the North Hall."

Louis XV looked at the time on the clock and ordered with some dissatisfaction:

"Tell him to meet me in an hour. As for the envoys from small countries, I will decide whether to accept them or not after I finish meeting with Gabriel."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

An hour later, the serious-looking Foreign Minister Cesare Gabriel quickly walked into the dining room of the King's Suite, bowed to the King and Madame Du Barry, who had just finished their meal, and said:

"Good afternoon, Your Majesty, and Madame Du Barry."

"Well, I'm not feeling well at all, Gabriel."

King Louis burped, pointed to the sofa chair beside him displeasedly and motioned for Gabriel to sit down, and then said:

"What's wrong with your Ministry of Foreign Affairs? Why do I hear that there are more than a dozen foreign envoys who want to see me? Where do they come from?"

"I'm so sorry, Your Majesty. This was my dereliction of duty."

Gabriel was also well versed in how to deal with people. When he first came up, he sincerely apologized and then explained:

"These ambassadors are basically from small countries in North Germany and North Italy."

"It's really annoying. I don't have time to meet them in the afternoon." Louis XV looked at Madame Du Barry specifically and said:

"I have more important things to do."

Madame Du Barry responded to this favor with a smile.

Gabriel glanced at Madame Du Barry with slight disgust. As the cousin of the Duke of Choiseul, he naturally had no good impression of this woman who had no good skin.

As for the more important things Louis XV said, Gabriel knew without even thinking that they must be some sexual activities between men and women.

"Well, Your Majesty, I think it would be better for you to give me a symbolic reception."

Gabriel coughed twice, spread his hands and suggested:

"These envoys are very angry right now."

"Who cares about them, they are just some small border countries." Louis XV said unhappily. Compared to meeting the ambassador, the king obviously wanted to stroll in the back garden with Madame Du Barry.

"Oh, Your Majesty, please don't say that, especially don't let them hear it."

Gabriel quickly waved his hand and said:

"These small countries helped us fight against the Prussians and the British during the Seven Years' War, and also monitored the movements of the Prussian army for us during peacetime. Oh, and the Lorraine area that was returned to our hands only four years ago, that is also We want to come back from these small border countries. In addition, the Austrians are also happy to see us maintaining good relations with members of the Holy Roman Empire."

It also took Gabriel a lot of talking to make King Louis understand the importance of those small German countries and small countries in Northern Italy.

Judging from the current diplomatic situation in France, the Kingdom of Spain in the Iberian Peninsula in the southwest is a staunch ally of the French. After all, since the end of the Spanish Succession War in 1714, the blood of the Spanish royal family has been the blood of the Bourbon royal family.

In terms of blood relationship, the current Spanish King Carlos III has to call Louis XV a cousin. They have a common grandfather.

As for the Italian region in the southeast, it is now a mess. The Kingdom of Naples in southern Italy is a vassal state of Spain, and northern Italy is full of states, jointly dominated by France and Austria.

Within the Holy Roman Empire, Austria's leadership and authority within the empire were being challenged by the rising Prussians in the north.

On the one hand, the Prussians competed for the leadership of the German region, and on the other hand, they tried to seize the rich industrial areas in central Germany to expand their national power, just like they did with Silesia.

Such a core conflict naturally made Prussia and Austria mortal enemies of each other. Except for a period of time during the Great Revolution when the two countries fought side by side to suppress revolutionary France, they were always in such a hostile state throughout the rest of history.

Under such a situation, the French must of course keep their eyes on the Holy Roman Empire region in the east, and it is particularly important to win the support of the states in the German region.

The French provide high financial sponsorship to these states every year. Although the amount of sponsorship has been greatly reduced during the more than ten years that the Duke of Choiseul has been in power, the French still scatter a huge amount of money every year. .

"Okay, okay, ugh."

Louis XV listened to Gabriel talking about it for a full five minutes, and he roughly understood the importance of these small border countries, and said helplessly:

"But then again, what happened to them this time? What hurt the fragile hearts of those diplomats?"

"His Majesty."

Gabriel raised his eyebrows, sighed, shook his head and said:

"You can't blame those envoys for being too fragile. This incident is really too appalling."

"Stop being so pretentious, Gabriel." Louis XV said with a frown.

"Sorry, Your Majesty, according to my information, it was just yesterday afternoon."

Gabriel put on an indignant look, sighed and said:

"On the Champs Elysées in the heart of Paris, the embassy of the Republic of Corsica was subjected to a violent invasion. The executor of this invasion turned out to be the Paris police force. It is said that the door of the embassy has been smashed to pieces. It seems that there were gunshots at the scene. There was probably an exchange of fire between the two sides, but the number of casualties is not yet clear."

As the cousin of the Duke of Choiseul, Gabriel certainly wanted to add some fuel and jealousy to portray the invasion as a violent armed conflict.

"What did you say?!"

Louis XV almost dropped his jaw and said:

"On the Champs Elysées? Parisian police forces invaded the Corsican embassy?! They had a firefight?!"

"Oh, Your Majesty, that is indeed the case."

Gabriel pretended to blame himself and said:

"That's why the ambassadors are all furious. They are afraid that what happened to the Corsican embassy will also happen to their embassy. After all, the attack was launched by the Paris police force, so they will suspect that the attack was carried out by Your instructions"

Although Louis XV, who had no intention of governing the country, was not very clear about the diplomatic and political impact of this incident, he also knew that his personal reputation alone would be slandered as never before.

People will spread the rumor that he is a cruel and angry king, and he will violate the sovereignty of the closely related embassy of the Republic of Corsica.

"It's simply unreasonable. People would think that I would launch such a vicious insult to a loyal subject like Lawrence! Wouldn't this chill the hearts of my subjects!"

Louis XV blushed and shouted angrily:

"Come here! Which lieutenant general is in charge of the police force? Let him come to see me immediately!"

Although Louis XV was a generous and kind man, as a king, his roar was as terrifying as the howl of a lion.

"Please calm down Your Majesty." Gabriel said quickly:

"It's not without good news. The Paris police force issued a statement yesterday, saying that the invasion was a misunderstanding and that the police were instructed by others. Laurence Bonaparte also issued a statement expressing his understanding of the Paris police force. , and admitted that this was a misunderstanding.”

"Oh, it's Lawrence again. I have treated him so badly. I have to find a way to compensate this loyal minister one day."

Hearing Lawrence take the initiative to issue a statement of understanding, Louis XV also breathed a sigh of relief and said slightly guiltily.

However, Louis XV suddenly realized something in the middle of his words and immediately asked in a deep voice:

"Wait, you just said those police officers were ordered by others? Who? Who commanded the police force?! Who gave him the power and courage?!"

Gabriel tried his best to hold back his proud smile and said calmly:

"As far as I know, he is Count Falcone, grandson of the Duke of Richelieu."