Chapter 462: The Plan to Ruin a Reputation
Thousands of Viennese citizens had gathered to pay their respects at the Emperor's funeral, filling the nearby streets in a dense crowd.
Joseph, dressed in a black overcoat, sat in a wheelchair, following closely behind Leopold II, while his mind was occupied with plans on how to gradually withdraw French troops from Silesia.
Although his legs were perfectly fine, the official story was that the Prince had sustained a leg wound from a bullet on the battlefield, which had become infected on the journey to Vienna, affecting his ability to walk.
The war in Silesia had come to a halt. Laessig had moved the cannons used in the standoff at Liegnitz to Breslau, where a new defensive line had been constructed.
Just the other day, Leopold II officially announced the suspension of Joseph II's reforms, causing an uproar throughout Austria.
Joseph recalled that, historically, Leopold II had repealed the reforms several months later. However, due to the significant strain the war in Silesia had placed on the empire, Leopold had been forced to act sooner to gain the support of the nobility, particularly the Hungarian nobles.
For Joseph, this was good news. With the influx of Hungarian troops into Silesia, the withdrawal of the French army would go largely unnoticed.
Behind him, another man in a wheelchair was glaring at him with hatred—Baron Walter.
Walter's wounds had healed significantly, but walking still caused him considerable pain.
He no longer feared the French Prince. Previously, the French army had been Emperor Joseph II's hope for reclaiming Silesia. Whenever the Frenchman showed even the slightest displeasure, Walter's brother-in-law would harshly reprimand him. He even feared that the Prince would send another assassin after him.
But the situation had completely changed!
The reforms were over, and the nobility was celebrating, pledging their loyalty to the new Emperor. The Hungarian nobles had raised an army of nearly 40,000 men, ready to march into Silesia.
In Austria, Bohemia, Croatia, and even the Southern Netherlands, many nobles who had refused to fight because of the reforms were now joining the army, reportedly bringing the total to over 30,000.
This meant that Austria no longer needed the French army.
Looking down at his mutilated hand, Walter silently vowed to make the arrogant and despicable Frenchman pay.
In reality, he was already working behind the scenes with anti-French ministers in Austria to facilitate the withdrawal of the French troops. Although he had little political skill, his status alone made him a political symbol, and his efforts were beginning to bear fruit.
Austria, a patchwork empire assembled without bloodshed and situated in central Europe, bordered many great powers. This led to a wide variety of factions within the country—pro-French, pro-British, pro-Russian, and even pro-Prussian, as well as those opposed to all of these foreign influences.
If Joseph knew what Baron Walter was up to, he would likely award him a medal. Walter thought France was desperate to ally with Austria, but in reality, Joseph was eager to make a quiet exit from the troubled Silesian region.
After the funeral of Emperor Joseph II, who had died without fulfilling his ambitions, Joseph used his supposed injury as an excuse to return to Paris, taking the First Guard Regiment with him as his escort.
Carmelia, Joseph's companion, hadn't found any time to visit her teacher before leaving Vienna. The Prince's injury required her constant attention.
With everyone focused on the Emperor's funeral, the news of Baron Walter's assassination attempt had not spread. Carmelia left a letter for her teacher and then accompanied the Prince back to Paris.
…
Paris.
Despite Joseph's repeated requests to downplay France's military victories in Silesia, nearly a thousand people still gathered along the roadsides to welcome the returning heroes when he arrived in Paris.
Joseph had already discarded the wheelchair—after all, who's to say the Prince couldn't make a miraculous recovery within a week? After giving a brief speech to the cheering crowds, he left the task of mingling with the people to Berthier and headed straight to Versailles.
After assuring Queen Marie and King Louis XVI of his safety and sharing a meal with them, Joseph finally had some time to relax.
Being a Prince wasn't easy—he had to work almost around the clock and often had to travel.
He was looking forward to finally sleeping in his own bed. During the months spent in Silesia, he had often slept on a makeshift cot, which left him waking up with a sore back. But tonight, he could enjoy the comfort of his velvet bed.
However, as he turned the corner in the hallway, he saw Fouché, Mirabeau, Bailly, and a few others standing at the door, eagerly awaiting him.
Joseph sighed deeply and trudged over to them.
The officials greeted him respectfully, showering him with praise for his victories in Silesia before exchanging glances. Fouché was the first to follow Joseph into the drawing room.
"Your Highness, regarding the matter of Oscar Paoli that you instructed us to look into," the intelligence chief said, placing a dossier in front of the Prince, "we have thoroughly investigated his background and have placed agents around him. We are ready to act at any time."
Joseph immediately perked up. This Corsican separatist leader was a major threat, having caused considerable trouble on Corsica and badly influencing Napoleon. However, Paoli had been hiding in Britain, making it difficult to deal with him. Now, the time had come to act.
Joseph looked at Fouché and asked, "What's the plan?"
"As you instructed, we've decided to use a mistress to achieve our goal."
The British government wouldn't allow an assassination, and Joseph couldn't afford to kill him either—if Paoli died now, he'd become a martyr, likely galvanizing the Corsican separatists to continue their cause. The plan was to ruin his reputation instead.
Joseph frowned slightly and asked for more details.
"Certainly, Your Highness," Fouché explained. "Paoli is married, so we plan to use a woman of low birth from Bulgaria to seduce him—of course, he'll believe she's a Frenchwoman.
"Once she has him, we'll arrange for his wife to catch them in the act and reveal the mistress's true identity..."
Joseph sighed. He couldn't blame the intelligence bureau for their unimaginative thinking—they were, after all, men of the 18th century, and their tactics reflected that. Given the time, it was already impressive they had come up with this plan.
Sensing the Prince's dissatisfaction, Fouché quickly added, "If that's not enough, we could involve a Caucasian woman as well, to make the situation even more scandalous."
Joseph rubbed his forehead in frustration. After a moment's thought, he suggested a simple tactic from the future as a guide for the intelligence chief:
"If you're going to use a woman, have her be a noblewoman who appears around him, subtly flirting but acting distant in public. Then, arrange for something to happen between them in private, but keep it secret.
"Once he's let his guard down, have some people—preferably police officers—overhear them in their room.
"Then, have the woman, who's been prepared for this, emerge with torn clothing and some fake bruises, crying 'rape!' And that's when you call in his wife."
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