From Corsica to the Fourth Rome.

"Lawrence, you should just wait for the Crown Prince to take the throne. Why do you have to do this?"

Carlo Bonaparte still refused to give up. In his view, as Crown Prince Louis' confidant, Lawrence would naturally ascend to the pinnacle of power in France as long as he waited patiently for the crown prince to succeed to the throne.

But once their conspiracy in Provence was exposed by the court of Versailles, Carlo Bonaparte could not imagine the abyss of no return that his entire family would fall into.

Lawrence sighed softly. He knew that his brother was not stupid. It was just that the situation in Paris and Versailles was beyond the understanding of an outsider like him. Therefore, he just sighed:

"That is true, Carlo, but if you were a dying king, would you allow another Duke of Choiseul to serve as your heir's close minister?"

"You mean!"

Carlo Bonaparte's eyes widened even more, and his expression was full of shock. He immediately understood the implication in Lawrence's words.

The reason why Louis XV was confident in placing Lawrence Bonaparte by the side of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, in addition to the ability and loyalty demonstrated by Lawrence in several incidents, the most important factor was that this young man was just the governor of an insignificant remote island.

Before this, Louis XV had no worries that Lawrence Bonaparte would pose any threat to the French monarchy. After all, it was already the pinnacle for a Corsican to become the close attendant of the future King of France.

But now, Carlo Bonaparte stared at Lawrence in a daze, and suddenly realized that his brother's status in the Kingdom of France was no longer what it used to be, and it might have reached a point where he could no longer match him.

He holds the military and political power of Sardinia and Corsica, directs the internal affairs of the Golden Iris Faction, controls the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is on good terms with the Regent, and is deeply trusted by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
Any one of these powers is enough to make a person an influential figure in the center of French political power.

And Lawrence Bonaparte actually held all this power in one person. His terrifying influence was probably only slightly inferior to that of the Duke of Choiseul, who once held great power in the court.

Not to mention that the Kingdom of Corsica is now in a favorable position in the Italian War. No one can determine how high the young Prime Minister Bonaparte will reach after the war.

And Lawrence is naturally very clear about his current situation.

Although Versailles had not yet responded to the Kingdom of Corsica's annexation of Sardinia, Lawrence could fully predict that the old king on his sickbed had most likely already begun his plan.

Moreover, as the Kingdom of Corsica continued to grow stronger in the Italian War, Louis XV's fear of him would most likely gradually deepen, and it would certainly be impossible for him to continue to serve as Crown Prince Louis' close confidant after he ascended the throne, as he had originally planned.

By then, when the smoke of war in Italy has cleared, no matter what the outcome of the war is, what awaits Lawrence in Paris will not be a triumphal feast, but a trap of conspiracy and intrigue.

By then, Lawrence had no idea how chaotic the political situation in France would become.

But no matter what the future situation will be, Lawrence, who came to power through a coup, knows very well that he must hold the gun tightly in his own hands.

In addition to increasing military investment in the Kingdom of Corsica, Lawrence knew that he must also maintain an armed force within France.

After all, if the worst happens, mobilizing troops within France and mobilizing Corsican troops into France have completely different political implications.

This is also why Lawrence deliberately asked his brother to establish a large standing army in the name of militia in the province of Provence.

"Are you saying that the king no longer trusts you? This, this is shocking to me."

Carlo Bonaparte's expression still hadn't regained its composure. Although he had understood Lawrence's hint, he was still somewhat reluctant to accept this reality.

"From a personal point of view, I think His Majesty still trusts me, but he is a king. Any king will become indifferent and ruthless when it comes to such a major event as the succession of the throne."

Lawrence shook his head. He did not doubt Louis XV's trust in him, but as a ruler himself, he knew very well what decision an old king like Louis XV would make.

Lawrence always put political interests above personal feelings, and he did not doubt or resent Louis XV for doing the same.

Carlo Bonaparte nodded heavily. Now that things had come to this, he had no reason to refuse.

His position as the second-level governor was originally given to him by Lawrence. Carlo Bonaparte knew that it would be impossible for him to separate from Lawrence and the Kingdom of Corsica and continue to maintain his position in France. Their destinies were closely tied together.

After reaching a consensus, the two men only briefly discussed some details, and then Carlo Bonaparte said goodbye and left. After receiving the two commissions from Lawrence, he had no time to travel.

After Carlo Bonaparte left, three officers who had been waiting outside walked into Lawrence's room.

Chief of Staff Berthier, Andre Davout who made great contributions in the conquest of the Kingdom of Sardinia, and Sérurier who was transferred from Corsica only yesterday, the three stood in front of Lawrence's desk and saluted in unison.

"Please sit anywhere. This is a private occasion and we are colleagues in the Knights. Don't be restrained."

Lawrence casually invited the three to sit down and personally poured a cup of black tea for each of them.

Berthier and Sérurier, who had known Lawrence for a long time, took the teacups naturally. However, Andre Davoudon, the newcomer, felt flattered and quickly stood up to salute and express his gratitude, but Lawrence gently pushed him back into his seat.

After putting down the teapot, Lawrence also took the lead in looking at Andre Davout, the talented general who had only recently entered his field of vision:

"By the way, Andre, I have considered the proposal you told me last time."

During the campaign against the Kingdom of Sardinia, Andrea Davout, who was stationed in Vadoli Dore, deliberately recruited all the able-bodied men around the town and incorporated them into the army in order to confuse the enemy and cause Prince Vittorio to misjudge the number of enemy troops.

Although they were only temporarily conscripted peasants, Andre Davout gave them basic training according to the standards of a professional army during their garrison period. He then led the troops to Nice and resisted Prince Vittorio's attacks for several weeks.

After the battle, although Andre Davout paid the conscripts and allowed them to return home, a large number of soldiers still expressed their willingness to stay in the army.

After all, these conscripts were originally poor farmers from the villages, and the military uniforms worn by many of them were even the first complete set of clothes in their lives. Andre Davout offered them generous salaries when he conscripted them, and one month's salary was equivalent to half a year's hard work.

To this end, Andre Davout, after careful consideration, made a suggestion to Lawrence, requesting that the organization of this force be retained.

One of the biggest weaknesses of the Corsican army today is that it has too few troops.

Although these soldiers have not been in the army for long, they have undergone complete training and actual combat experience. Even if their combat qualities cannot be considered strong, they are at least qualified.

In addition, the Corsican army now has the logistical support of the Kingdom of France, and is abundant in armed equipment and supplies, and can fully support a force several times the current size.

Of course, André Davout was still somewhat unsure whether this proposal could be passed.

After all, what he requested was to retain the organization of his own troops, which meant retaining his position and title as commander. He was very worried that Mr. Bonaparte would misunderstand him as a villain who was greedy for power and status.

As Andre Davout was holding his teacup and feeling uneasy, Lawrence smiled and nodded.
"I have discussed this matter with Berthier, and I have decided to accept your proposal and let you continue to be the commander of this force."

As soon as he finished speaking, a hint of joy flashed across Andre Davout's face. He was so excited that he didn't know what to say, as he was not good at speaking.

When André Davout was previously granted the position of battalion commander by Mr. Bonaparte to lead more than 500 soldiers, he already felt great trust. Now he was directly authorized to lead an army of thousands of people, which made him feel even more unbelievable.

Lawrence did not say much. He believed that Andre Davout would repay his trust with his ability. Then he turned his head and looked at Major Serurier beside him:

"Have all the recruits arrived in Genoa?"

After deciding to accept André Davout's proposal to expand the army, Lawrence also issued a conscription order to Corsica and Sardinia, and dispatched Major Sérurier, who was in charge of the defense of the mainland, to Genoa along with the new recruits.

The conscription work also went extremely smoothly in the mainland, especially in Sardinia. Thanks to the national carnival brought about by the news of the defeat of the Kingdom of Sardinia, Prime Minister Bonaparte's prestige in Sardinia was also pushed to a climax. After learning that they would fight alongside Lawrence Bonaparte, the enthusiastic young men rushed to put on military uniforms.

Major Ségurier nodded and replied:

"Seven thousand three hundred and twenty-one people, not one less. All of them have received military training to varying degrees. For new recruits, their quality is very good."

Despite the tight time schedule, Major Sérurier arrived in Genoa with more than 7,000 outstanding recruits.

The Corsicans had developed the custom of universal military service during the war with Genoa, so the quality of their troops was naturally excellent. A considerable number of the new recruits from Sardinia had participated in the Battle of Cagliari, and they had also received systematic training under Lieutenant General Ethel.

Lawrence thought for a moment and then ordered:
"Three thousand of the new recruits will be assigned to Davout's army, and the remaining four thousand will be assigned to the main force. In addition, Major Sérurier, I want you to be chief of staff of Davout's army."

Although Lawrence did not doubt Andre Davout's ability, he was too young after all. This was why Lawrence specially transferred the experienced Serurier from his homeland to Genoa.

Moreover, after the surrender of the Kingdom of Sardinia, the risk of Corsica being attacked was greatly reduced, and Lawrence did not need to keep this outstanding officer in the mainland.

"Yes!"

There was a hint of excitement in Major Sérurier's tone.

Although he had no complaints about Prime Minister Bonaparte's order to stay in the country, Major Sérurier still felt a little regretful after hearing the news that the Corsican army had defeated the Kingdom of Sardinia a month ago. He wished he had been in that victorious army at that time.

After receiving the order, André Davout and Sérurier stood up in tacit understanding, saluted each other, and then clasped their hands tightly.

It was the first time for the two men to meet, and they were more than ten years apart in age, but they still respected each other. Major Serurier did not think it was a shame to serve as a staff adjutant to such a young man. He knew that the Corsican army's strategy of dividing its troops and attacking Turin directly was proposed by this young man, and the other side's performance of playing tricks on the main force of the Sardinian army in Vadolidore and Nice also amazed Major Serurier.

What's more, every civilian who can enter the Paris Military Academy is the best in his or her own place. Andre Davout can stand out among these elites, and Major Sérurier will not underestimate his abilities at all.

André Davout had also heard the name of Sérurier many times from Lawrence and Berthier, and knew that he was the commander-in-chief of the Corsican garrison during the siege of Ajaccio. When he thought about how the other party had defended Ajaccio under such a great disadvantage, André Davout was full of admiration for Sérurier.

As a result, the Corsican army stationed in Genoa also reached a size of 16,000 people. Andre and Sérurier led Davout's army of more than 6,000 people, while Lawrence and Berthier led the main force of the Corsican army of more than 10,000 people.

After deciding on the troop allocation, Chief of Staff Berthier also proposed the Corsican Army's next action plan:

"Then, our only enemies in northern Italy are the Duchy of Milan and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany controlled by Austria."

The Duchy of Milan, located at the foot of the Alps, has been controlled by Spain since the 1721th century. It was not until the end of the War of the Spanish Succession in that Austria seized this wealthy Italian state from the Spanish.

The Grand Duchy of Tuscany, centered in Florence, had been ruled by the legendary Medici family for centuries. However, as the main line of the Medici family died out, the Austrian Habsburgs, famous for their marriage diplomacy, took advantage of the opportunity to acquire this birthplace of the Renaissance.

The current ruler of Tuscany and Milan is Leopold I, the third son of Queen Maria Theresa, the first in line to the Austrian Habsburg throne, and the elder brother of Crown Princess Marie of France.

This ruler, who was only 1765 years old, was truly a man of great energy and determination. Since accepting the title of Grand Duke of Tuscany in , he had carried out a series of internal reforms in the country.

He reformed the representative system, balanced taxation, weakened the church, and even made Tuscany the first country in history to abolish the death penalty and torture.

In order to cut national expenditure to the greatest extent possible and use fiscal revenue for people's livelihood, he even cut the country's entire army and navy, placing national defense security entirely under the protection of Austria.

Many historical commentators believe that after the death of Carlo Emmanuel III, Leopold I was the most enlightened ruler in all of Italy.

However, although Leopold I did his best in domestic affairs and people's livelihood, he still did not win the support of the local Italian people.

The lower-class people did not gain much from the political reforms, so naturally they had no special affection for the German Archduke.

As for the local nobles and dignitaries in Tuscany, since Leopold I had a very tough attitude towards suppressing the local Italian dignitaries, and the Medici family still had considerable influence in Tuscany, the local nobles would not stand on the same front with the prince of the Holy Roman Empire.

The title of Duke of Milan was originally held by Maria Theresa until the eve of the Italian War, when Maria Theresa granted the Duchy of Milan to Leopold I in order to demonstrate her support for the war. The young grand duke had not yet established formal rule in Milan.

After briefly introducing the Austrian forces, Berthier distributed his plan to several people and quickly explained:

"Current intelligence shows that the military forces of Tuscany and Milan under Leopold's rule are weak and will hardly organize any effective resistance to our offensive. I propose that Davout and Sérurier attack Milan and Mantua to the north, while our main force goes south to Florence. If all goes well, we can pacify northern Italy before the cold winter arrives."

Major Sérurier read the plan carefully and asked seriously:

"Didn't Austria provide military assistance to Tuscany and Milan?"

Even Great Britain, which had signed a treaty not to interfere in the Italian war, secretly provided naval assistance to the Kingdom of Savoy, and Sérurier did not believe that Queen Maria Theresa would have the integrity to provide no assistance to her son.

What's more, due to Leopold's disarmament, the Grand Duchy of Tuscany had almost no standing army.

"It can be confirmed that Austria secretly sent an army into Tuscany," Berthier explained:

"But that army had already marched south with the Milanese army several weeks ago. They planned to cross the Papal States and directly attack the northern part of the Kingdom of Naples. Therefore, Tuscany and Milan were almost undefended."

André Davout also added pointedly:

"They probably didn't expect the Corsican army's war in Piedmont to go so smoothly, so they left their homeland completely empty."

The Austrian generals did not believe that the Corsican army could achieve any results under Carlo Emmanuel III. The most likely possibility was that these stupid Corsicans would be wiped out on the battlefield in Piedmont.

Even if there was a one percent chance that the Corsican army would gain an advantage over the Sardinian army, their war in the Kingdom of Sardinia would definitely not be over in a year or two.

After reaching this conclusion, the Austrian generals and Leopold I did not regard the Corsican army in the west as a threat at all, and directly concentrated their main military forces on operations in the Kingdom of Naples, trying to capture Naples and directly end the Italian War.

Perhaps the person who was most panicked after learning the news of the Corsican army's great victory in Turin was Prince Leopold who lived in the Pitti Palace in Florence.

"What about the possibility that the Austrian and Milanese armies abandon Naples and return to defend their homeland?" Major Sérurier discussed cautiously.

"The probability is very low." Berthier obviously took all these situations into consideration:
"The Austrians' biggest goal is to capture Naples and end the Italian War. The fall of Milan and Tuscany is not important to them. Moreover, the enemy army has more than 10,000 people. Even if they really abandon Naples and return to defend their homeland, our army can try to engage in battle with them."

For an independent country like the Kingdom of Sardinia, the loss of its capital Turin meant the defeat of the country, but for Austrian vassal states like Milan and Tuscany, even if their homeland fell, it would only allow the Corsicans to gain more advantages in the post-war treaty.

What the Austrians were more concerned about was whether they could take advantage of this war to extend their sphere of influence to southern Italy.

After asking for other details of the plan, Andre Davout and Major Sérurier saluted and took their leave, immediately preparing to lead the army to attack Milan.

Lawrence and Chief of Staff Berthier were the only ones left in the huge room.

Lawrence looked at the map with a serious expression. During the discussion just now, he remained silent and seemed to be worried.

Berthier also quickly noticed something was wrong with Lawrence:
"What's wrong Ciel, there shouldn't be any obstacles to the war in Tuscany."

"Indeed, we will most likely be able to take Florence and most of Tuscany within three months."

Lawrence said solemnly as he ran his fingertips across the map:
"If we can take advantage of this opportunity to bring the Duchy of Milan and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany into the Corsican sphere of influence, it will only be a matter of time before we can seize the entire northern Italy."

Currently, the only countries that can have influence in the whole of northern Italy are the Kingdom of Savoy occupying Piedmont in the west, Milan and Tuscany controlled by Austria in the center, and the Republic of Venice in the northeast.

As for others such as the Republic of Genoa, the Duchy of Modena, the Republic of Lucca and the Duchy of Parma, they are just small countries that change with the wind.

Now the Kingdom of Savoy has been defeated by the Kingdom of Corsica, and the financial monopoly of Sardinia and the country has been handed over to others. In addition, the wise Carlo Emanuele III is about to die, and Prince Vittorio's ability and prestige are far inferior to his father. The decline of the entire kingdom is inevitable.

The decline of the Republic of Venice had been irreversible since the last century. The successive suppressions by the Ottoman Empire and Austria had caused the Republic to lose large tracts of territory. Even by the end of the 18th century, the once-mighty Venetian Navy was reduced to only four line ships and seven galleys, and even the merchant fleet was reduced to only more than 300 small ships.

If Milan and Tuscany were really included in the sphere of influence, then even without the influence of France, the Kingdom of Corsica would surely become an important presence in northern Italy.

"This! But!"

However, Berthier was horrified when he heard this. He certainly knew how rich Tuscany and Milan were, but he still tried to dissuade them:
"Charles, Corsica has already gained Sardinia in this war. No matter what the outcome of the war is, it is almost impossible for us to make territorial claims to the Apennine Peninsula."

If the Sicilian rebels had succeeded in winning independence from the Kingdom of Naples, then the Kingdom of Corsica, as a defeated country, would naturally no longer be able to make any demands on Tuscany and Milan.

Even if the Kingdom of Naples successfully suppressed the Sicilian rebels, the Corsicans, who had already won a lot from the Kingdom of Savoy, would not be able to win more in the peace treaty. After all, the island of Sardinia alone more than doubled the population and size of the Kingdom of Corsica.

"It is not necessary to directly annex the two countries." Lawrence shook his head.

"You mean to set up a puppet regime first?"

Berthier immediately understood what Lawrence meant, but his expression was still very ugly:
"But Austria will never tolerate our illegal seizure of Tuscany and Milan. In the worst case, we will have to go to war with an empire."

"What if France provides protection to that puppet regime?"

"If this is the case"

Berthier bit his lip tightly, thought for a moment, and then nodded reluctantly:
"The Austrians may not act rashly, but"

Before the current King of Spain, Carlos III, ascended the throne, he took advantage of Austria's involvement in the War of Succession to directly send troops to seize the Kingdom of Naples. Due to the strength of Spain, Austria had to swallow this humiliation.

If France really recognized the puppet regime established by the Kingdom of Corsica and provided it with asylum, Austria would naturally not go to war directly, but there is no doubt that the relationship between the two countries would be greatly damaged and would even lay hidden dangers for the next war.

This was definitely something that the sick Louis XV did not want to see, and the British might even accuse France of breaking its promise not to interfere in the Italian War.

"The only question is, will France really offer asylum?"

Berthier also realized this problem instantly:
"I know that the Foreign Minister, Count Vergennes, is your friend, Charles. Charles can also persuade his father to favor you, but this is not enough for the Kingdom of France to issue that crucial statement. After all, Count Vergennes does not have complete control over foreign affairs."

Although Lawrence did help Count Vergennes ascend to the position of Foreign Minister, it had been less than half a year since Count Vergennes took over the position. It was impossible for him to eliminate the influence of the Duke of Choiseul and take control of such a huge department in such a short period of time.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will offer their full support, after all."

Faced with this questioning, Lawrence remained calm and just said softly:
"I think my old friend will be happy to help me with this." (End of this chapter)