#863 - prey
Lastly, this military operation in central Italy is essentially the debut of the Security Organization.
On one hand, it allows the armies of member states to familiarize themselves with each other and increase cooperation.
On the other hand, winning will enhance the prestige and cohesion of the Security Organization.
Just then, clear barking sounds came from ahead.
Joseph looked up and saw hundreds of servants, aided by hunting dogs, driving seven or eight deer towards them.
He pointed to the deer herd and smiled at the representatives of the various countries beside him:
"Look, our prey has arrived, let's take action quickly."
Two days later.
At the grand court ball in the Palace of Versailles, French King Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette publicly announced the successful conclusion of the Iberian-Apennine Summit.
Queen Marie was quietly chatting with her sister-in-law, Louis XVI's younger sister Elisabeth, about the Crown Prince's marriage.
They occasionally glanced at Joseph, who was surrounded by people, covering their mouths with fans, revealing an aunt-like smile.
As a piece of music ended, Louis XVI walked over and extended his right hand to Queen Marie.
She placed her hand in his palm, smiled at Elisabeth, and then followed her husband to the open space in the Hall of Mirrors, preparing to lead the next dance.
Elisabeth looked at the loving couple and sighed with some loneliness.
Just as the orchestra was preparing to start the dance music, a man in his thirties, tall, with a thick golden beard, wearing a scarlet double-breasted coat, walked over and bowed to her:
"Your elegance and beauty make this night shine, allowing me to see you at a glance in the crowd. Princess, I wonder if I have the honor of dancing with you to celebrate this important moment?"
Elisabeth quickly searched her mind for information about the person in front of her.
Fortunately, there were not many people qualified to greet her, and she quickly identified the person, hurriedly curtsying in return: "Oh, I am very willing, Prince Pascual."
Yes, this tall man was Carlos IV's brother, Spanish Prince Antonio Pascual.
Carlos IV was worried that his Crown Prince was too young, so he had his brother come along as a substitute for the royal family representative.
Pascual took Elisabeth's hand and came to the edge of the dance floor, where the music happened to begin.
The dance steps of these two older, unmarried middle-aged people were very coordinated. After a dance, Pascual talked and laughed with Elisabeth, as if they had known each other for a long time.
Well, after experiencing this summit, the Spanish Prince realized that France would become Spain's reliance in the future.
If he could establish a closer relationship with the French royal family, his position in Spain would also rise.
Then he noticed this old French princess who had never married.
He secretly decided that as long as Elisabeth nodded, he would rather not have any dowry and marry her back to Madrid.
On the other side of the ball, Princess Thérèse, who was equally unmarried and even younger and more beautiful, was even more the center of attention.
She had been invited by princes from various countries from the beginning of the ball and had hardly stopped dancing...
That night, the streets of Paris were also celebrating all night long. The firelight of the gas street lamps illuminated the streets, illuminating the singing and dancing people, as well as the vendors selling snacks and wine on the roadside.
In fact, most people do not understand the significance of this summit, but they just feel that they must celebrate well, at least, the front line is still reporting successive victories, isn't it?
The next day.
After a night of singing and dancing, representatives from various countries embarked on their return journeys one after another.
They looked at the prosperous and fashionable Parisian city from their carriages, wanting to stay and play for a few more days, but they had to rush back to their country immediately.
Indeed, the content of this summit was too important to affect the future of their country, and they had to go back to discuss with their own king or parliament as soon as possible on how to meet this opportunity.
...
The day before the opening of the Iberian-Apennine Summit, Duke of Brunswick finally returned to Potsdam.
Sanssouci Palace.
There was no welcoming ceremony, or rather, no one knew he was back except for a few nobles who had a good personal relationship with him.
On the way to the palace gate, Duke of Brunswick frowned and looked at the middle-aged man beside him: "Are you saying that His Majesty drinks two or three pounds of beer per meal?"
"I'm afraid so," the middle-aged nobleman said, "Since the French captured Koblenz, His Majesty has been drinking more and more..."
William II originally liked alcohol, and after the unfavorable war situation, he began to use drinking to vent his emotions.
More than twenty minutes later, Duke of Brunswick finally met William II in the King's bedroom.
The latter was much fatter than when he left Potsdam, with heavy dark circles under his eyes, and his whole body exuded the smell of alcohol, looking listless, obviously just waking up from a hangover.
William II signaled his mistress Wilhelmine to bring a chair for the old marshal, then drooped his head and said: "I have read the front-line battle reports, so you don't need to say that.
"By the way, just tell me directly when you plan to launch a counterattack. Oh, I'm afraid you'll have to take care of the army recruitment, those guys are simply unreliable...
"The Austrians have been completely driven out of the Southern Netherlands, and they are also utterly defeated in Italy. Currently, tens of thousands of soldiers are besieged in Mantua...
"And the French army almost controls the entire Rhineland. Only the Cologne crossing north of the Rhine has not yet been occupied by them, but the garrison there will not last long...
"As for our country... there are no more troops to continue fighting..."
"No, no, I still have troops," William II shouted, "I still have 30,000 guards... There are also more than 10,000 troops stationed in East Prussia. Give them all to you, we must not lose!"
Duke of Brunswick shook his head secretly.
He knew very well that the so-called Guards were just local troops recently transferred from various places, and they had no combat effectiveness at all.
East Prussia is far from the mainland, and the garrison cannot be moved at all.
He persuaded him a few more times, and seeing that William II was not fully awake from his alcohol, he had to retreat first.
Behind him, Wilhelmine chased after him, walking side by side with him, and whispered: "Marshal, is the war really impossible to continue?"
"Yes, Madam. Now is probably our last chance to negotiate with the French."
