I'm the Dauphin in France

Chapter 1112 The Neurotic Tsar
João paused for a moment, then erupted in fury: "That's tantamount to handing Lisbon over to the Spanish! What's the difference between that and surrender?!"

Marquis Lorish bowed and said, “Your Highness, the Spanish will only get a city that has nothing and is full of hostility.”

"We want to move everything from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro, and the Royal Navy will help us."

"Then, you will issue an edict in Her Majesty the Queen, granting military ranks to all those who resist the Franco-Spanish coalition, and even granting titles to those who achieve significant victories."

"Afterwards, supplies from Rio de Janeiro were continuously sent to Iberia, providing supplies and funds to the rebels there. The occupying forces would soon find themselves in a situation where they were attacked everywhere."

"In a few years, the Spanish will be unable to sustain the losses and will have to retreat."

"Even if the Spanish are spending a lot of money to hold on, you have already assembled a powerful army in South America during this time. Choose an opportunity to suddenly attack Lisbon and crush the enemy in one fell swoop!"

João fell silent for a moment. The chief minister's strategy didn't seem unacceptable; if implemented successfully, he could become a great monarch who led the Portuguese to defeat a powerful enemy and be remembered forever.

The main point is that this is better than surrendering or being captured by the Franco-Spanish forces.

Duke Tecera and Marquis Lorish, who were standing nearby, exchanged a quiet glance and said loudly, "Your Highness, this is actually a good opportunity to integrate Brazil."

“In recent years, the Kaboklo people have been launching increasingly frequent uprisings. If you could go there and rule in person, the people there would no longer be swayed by separatists.”

"Brazil has vast land and mineral resources, and it won't be long before these resources become an important pillar of the country."

The "Caboclos" are descendants of mixed Portuguese whites and South American indigenous peoples. They are numerous but ruled by a small Portuguese elite, have no political status, and therefore frequently incite indigenous peoples and even blacks to revolt.

Duke Terceira's words immediately drew the agreement of several ministers.

They are all nobles who own large tracts of land in Brazil. If the royal family could go to Brazil, it would certainly bring tremendous development opportunities to the country—the Marquis of Lorríç was just saying that he would take all of Lisbon's wealth to South America.

Finally, João made up his mind and nodded, saying, "Then let's discuss the details of moving the capital."

He then looked at the Foreign Secretary: "Duke of Alcos, please request assistance from the British Navy immediately."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Under pressure from the tense situation, just four hours later, João officially issued a decree to move the capital of Portugal to Rio de Janeiro.

Because of Joseph's intervention, the Portuguese royal family fled to South America nine years earlier than is historically expected.

……

St. Petersburg.

The gardens of the Winter Palace looked lifeless under the ravages of the east wind, with only a few rows of pine trees stubbornly maintaining a touch of green, so that the gardeners would have something to do.

Suvorov shook the snow off his collar, only to find a large chunk of snow inside the hood of his knight's uniform. He immediately gestured to his squire with annoyance, "Strakhov, get this damn stuff out of here!"

General Alexei Orlov, who was standing nearby, quickly reached out and turned the hood up for him: "These 'costumes' are both cumbersome and ugly. If you ask me, His Majesty has really been bewildered by those Maltese swindlers..."

Suvorov quickly stopped him with a look, preventing him from finishing his sentence. The Winter Palace was no longer filled with music as it usually was; it was as quiet as a tomb, and there was no guarantee that Orlov's words wouldn't be overheard by the secret police hundreds of paces away. Indeed, the current Tsar Paul I disliked the Winter Palace, his mother's residence, and had therefore made Gatchina Palace, where he had lived as crown prince, his political center.

Orlov waved his hand dismissively: "Marshal, I'm not afraid of those guys."

"I have fought the Ottomans more than a dozen times and never lost. What have those Maltese done? Did they instigate His Majesty to wear these ridiculous 'costumes' and 'dog collars'? Or did they use the title of 'protector of the Knights' to swindle His Majesty out of 50 rubles a year?"

The “costumes” and “dog collars” he referred to were the classical knightly attire that Paul I forced nobles to wear after he came to power, as well as the white cross emblem of the Sovereign Order of Malta.

Suvorov slapped him hard: "His Majesty just likes those chivalrous legends. You'd better say less of those things in the future."

“Okay, okay, I’ll listen to you.” Orlov shrugged. “Where were we?”

"Oh, right, how do we get that unlucky guy Leonid Koslovsky off the hook?"

"God, what's wrong with this world? He just slept with that widow for a few nights, and this little thing is going to get him on trial. And with those Maltese clowns acting as judges... what were they called again?"

His attendant whispered a reminder: "It's the 'Court of Knights of Glory,' sir."

"Yes, that's exactly what it is. It's like going back to the time of Don Quixote."

"You be the judge, even back in Don Quixote's time, there was no rule against having mistresses, was there?"

"Who told him to go around shouting about it?" Suvorov shook his head. "His Majesty just announced a ban on adultery, and he walked right into the line of fire."

Orlov sighed: "He could potentially serve two years in prison and spend four hours a day in repentance."

"Oh, I heard that General Ushakov's brother has some connections with that barber. Giving him some money might work."

The "barber" he referred to was Count Kutaisov—formerly Paul I's barber, who had now been promoted to steward of the court.

Suvorov frowned and said, "His Majesty most likely won't listen to him on this matter."

Orlov's eyes widened in surprise: "Are we going to bribe those Maltese?"

"If they're willing to take the money, then it's not impossible."

The "Maltic people" they referred to were the Knights Hospitaller, also known as the Order of Malta. During the Crusades, this order was renowned and prestigious, and later, due to their immense contributions, the Papacy granted the island of Malta as a camp.

However, after hundreds of years of comfortable life, the Knights had completely transformed into a money lending group, while also providing supplies for merchant ships in the Mediterranean—Malta is located in the very middle of the Mediterranean, southeast of Italy.

However, their good days came to an end in recent years.

Their assets were previously mostly held in French investment banks and tax-inclusive accounts. Under the double blow of Joseph's financial and tax reforms, they were heavily fined and had their assets confiscated, shrinking by more than 80%.

(End of this chapter)