Harry Potter Morning Light

"Do you know who killed Duke Ferdinando of Parma?" Gil Goebel said. "I heard you could predict the future."

"What do you know about this?" Georgiana asked absently.

She was looking at documents about Switzerland, which for three centuries had been divided into thirteen cantons with distinct characteristics and very different constitutions. The central states, or forest states, still maintain the old Teutonic custom of convening their own people's assemblies to decide matters, and each governor attends the assembly fully armed.

The rich plains were under the hereditary control of wealthy bourgeois families, and besides these sovereign cantons there were a number of confederate cantons of very uncertain status, among them Geneva, Basel, Bienne, St. Gallen, Alsace The ancient imperial cities of Mulhouse, Grizon, the Duchy of Neuchâtel and Valais on the Upper Rhone. Finally, there are the dependent regions: Aargau, Turgau, Ticino, Vaud, etc., all of which are governed to varying degrees by the cantonal rulers.

This is the ancient Swiss Confederation, which is more or less like a chaotic alliance of mountain clans, plain dwellers and urban citizens. Napoleon’s Malmaison Agreement did not weaken Switzerland, but Switzerland was inherently a country suitable for a federal system. He just obeyed the will of the people and gave each state the power to formulate its own constitution.

"We're making a bet," Gobert said. "I think a woman did it."

Georgiana laughed. "Because poisoning is a woman's method?"

"I think it's the Etruscan queen." Gobert said, "Do you think the head of state will hand over Parma to Louis I?"

Georgiana froze for a moment.

"You think I'm crazy too?" Gobert asked with a smile.

"How did she do it?" Georgiana asked back. "I remember that the Grand Duke was surrounded by French people."

"I thought it was something you women were good at," Gobert said. "Hortense gave birth to a baby boy, Napoleon-Louis-Charles, the night you were hanging out."

Georgiana was expressionless.

"There are rumors in the palace that the head of state is the real father of the child."

Georgiana slammed the documents onto the table with a bang.

Ten months ago, Napoleon was busy with the founding of Italy in Lyon. Was he free to socialize with his stepdaughter?

"What did Louis say?" Georgiana asked.

"He didn't want to admit the child at all," Gobert said. "I heard that Louis I had epilepsy. Marie Luisa had a son and a daughter. If Louis I won the rulership of the Duchy of Parma, his son would be Carlo. Ludovico will be the next Duke of Parma, because he is young, and the Spanish princess will be the de facto ruler of Etruria and Parma."

"She's not popular with the locals," said Georgiana indifferently.

"It's the same with you. Many people don't like you, but you made a lot of noise when you suddenly retreated last time." Gobert said.

Georgiana was dumbfounded again.

"Who said I was hiding?"

"I heard that from the priests at the palace. You went to a monastery, and there are many people who are willing to testify to you. You are not as mad as the newspapers say."

Retreat is a kind of spiritual practice in Catholicism. It is said that believers will take a period of time every year to leave secular life and learn to introspect.

She slammed the table angrily.

"What's wrong?" Gobert asked inexplicably.

"Do you think it's easy to repay favors?" Georgiana said angrily, "Especially there are Inquisitions in Spain and Portugal."

"I think you can stop thinking about it at the moment." Gobert said, "The Swiss issue is involved in the UK, and the agent named Moore is the supporter behind Reading."

"I know what's the use of these?"

"You know Sir Merry, I think you can explain a misunderstanding to him. The friendly relationship between France and Russia is not based on the Mediterranean and Turkey issues. He doesn't need to regard us as a threat." Gobert said, "The envoy itself is The title spy."

"You mean Merry sent information to London..."

"I didn't say that," Gobert interrupted Georgiana.

Georgiana looked down at the documents again.

Democracy is indispensable in the Swiss forest cantons, but the town aristocrats want to keep the old order.

In 1798, the Directory had imposed the French regime on Switzerland, and only three years later, Switzerland fell into war at a rate of one coup every four months.

The withdrawal of French troops also followed the opinions of the Swiss Republicans, who felt that they could solve their own problems. Now the Federalist Party, where the old aristocracy belonged, has become the majority, and the Unification Party has become a minority and retreated in Lausanne.

"What did the head of state tell you?"

Georgiana remembered the possibility of an Anglo-French marriage he had dreamed about.

If Napoleon also supported the Federalist Party like the British, it would be easy to explain.

The republic has only one constitution, unlike a federal system that can have many. The constitution of the republic should be based on public interests, not for the interests of a single state. This is the dilemma caused by Dusan Louverture's new constitution. If Napoleon succeeds in making him a constitution, then the regime of the French Republic will change, regardless of whether Louverture recognizes Santo Domingo in the constitution. French colony.

If he recognized the French Constitution, then he would not be able to be the first governor of Santo Domingo, let alone for life, but Santo Domingo could have local autonomy and be independent in terms of finance and taxation, and even military command. The church left her with the governor's judicial power, but he only determined the death penalty. If Santo Domingo abolished the death penalty, then the governor would not even have this power, it was just a decoration.

As long as Toussaint submits, even if he is still the first ruler of Santo Domingo, he will lose all power, only retain the title, no right to rule, and give him millions of francs a year, which is the envy of everyone in France affluent life.

Constitutionalism means independence, and he seems to have plans to become king, but he killed his nephew. Hereditary is to find someone who is related to him by blood. Does Dusan have other relatives?

Even if Santo Domingo succeeds in independence, France will cut off trade, and Britain will turn its target to Cuba to seize the cane sugar market that Santo Domingo gave up, plus an American Louisiana. They have found a sugar that can be grown in the subtropics Sugarcane varieties too.

Spain and Portugal's own economies are like this, unless you look for Russia, Prussia and Austria.

Although Prussia is now occupying Hannover, it was also coerced by Napoleon. Prussia's foreign ministers obeyed Napoleon's words, and it may be that Prussia still thought that it was still the same Prussia as Frederick the Great.

As for Austria, there are only two coastal ports. If they were not forced to do nothing, who would have come up with the idea of ​​extracting sugar from beets, and how easy it is to press sugar cane.

According to the current relationship between Britain and France, the "Amiens Peace Treaty" may be torn up at any time. Even if France, which has no command over the sea, takes back Santo Domingo, the products on that island cannot be shipped to France.

That's why Napoleon asked her what was going on with the sugar factory.

"You have to find a way to save Dusan's life, and don't let him die." Georgiana said weakly.

"The former Minister of War, Louis Auguste Le Tonne de Bretheil, has returned home. He currently has very close ties with the royalist party." Gobert said indifferently, "But he is loyal to Louis. Sixteen, neither of Louis XVI's living brothers liked him."

"Then what's the use of him doing this?" Georgiana asked puzzled.

"Do you still want a pure soul?" Gobert said blankly, "If you want to know, I can tell you."

"No, I don't want to hear it." She shook her head.

"I need money," Gobert said.

"How much do you want?" Georgiana asked feebly.

"600,000," Gobert said.

Georgiana signed the check without asking.

"You shouldn't trust me," Gobert said, looking at the check on the table.

"Do you think I should ask you why you want so much money?" Georgiana smiled. "Or should I suspect that you are pocketing yourself?"

Gobert didn't answer.

"Problems that can be solved with money are not problems." She said coldly, "I read an article in which the author believed that soldiers should avenge their comrades at the scene of the incident, otherwise the souls of the soldiers would never be at peace, and you I also heard that most of the generals who died this time were comrades-in-arms of Moreau, do you understand what friendship is?"

"I've heard a lot of stories about being betrayed by comrades in arms." Gobert said with a sneer, "Don't treat people too noblely."

"What kind of person a person becomes does not depend on his ability, but on his choice. You look at Leon, tell me, besides women and power, what is he particularly obsessed with?"

Gobert didn't speak.

"You'll be safe if you're greedy for money," Georgiana whispered. "After all, you're not a woman, Gobert."

This chapter is made up. How Duke Ferdinando died without a problem in history is one of the many secrets. There is no clue at all. Maybe he really died of illness.