The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 814 Neither Holy nor Roman
"Father, are you looking for me?"

In Windsor Castle, in a room filled with the strong smell of medicine, Mo Gongze gently knocked on the door and entered George III's bedroom without waiting for a response, as if he were returning to his own home.

No wonder several emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, from Joseph II to Franz II, disliked Mo Zirong and his son Mo Gongze.

Because both father and son are born with succubus physiques, especially Mo Gongze. Within the Mo family, among the second generation of royalty, the only one with a slightly greater personal charisma than him is probably the Crown Prince, Da Laosen.

This terrifying affinity and attraction is truly frightening.

Mok Kung Ze had been married to Princess Mary for less than a year, but he was already able to call King George III "father," and George III referred to Mok Kung Ze as "my son" or "my child."

Moreover, to date, only Moggalljee has been able to easily enter George III's bedroom; apart from him, not only the Prince of Wales, but even Queen Charlotte has not been allowed to do so.

Because Windsor Castle, this separate residence with bedrooms, was George III's last stronghold after he gradually lost control of Parliament.

George III was not a semi-puppet monarch like Queen Victoria, nor a pure puppet like Queen Elizabeth.

He was a true monarch with real power, and perhaps the most powerful of all the English kings of the Hanoverian dynasty.

This special treatment, which came about after Prime Minister William Pitt Jr. stepped down in January and King George III recovered in March, gave Mo Gongze a position in the Kingdom of England that was only attainable by the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial during the late Ming Dynasty.

He was able to participate deeply in the politics of the Kingdom of England, becoming an extension of George III's power.

Now, even in England, there are rumors that if George III hadn't had so many sons, Moggallje would certainly have become the next King of England.

“Yes, Ferdinand, my child, I have something to discuss with you.” The already quite emaciated George III on his sickbed beckoned to Mo Gongze, then took out a stack of documents from under his pillow.

“My child, I have just received reliable information that Tsar Paul I is withdrawing from the anti-French coalition and wants to make peace with Napoleon Bonaparte.”

Mo Gongze was slightly taken aback. Damn it, this second anti-French coalition was spearheaded by Tsar Paul I, and he even had the audacity to become the Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller. How come he suddenly turned against us now?

However, after a little thought, Mo Gongze roughly guessed what Paul I was thinking.

After all, Mogongze was going to the Balkans to establish a mixed-race Roman Empire. His biggest enemies, besides the Ottoman Turks, were the Tsarist Rus' Empire. So Mogongze naturally had to study Paul I carefully.

"My uncle, Emperor Seres, once said that an unhappy childhood often requires a lifetime to heal."

Paul I, a son who was never loved by his mother Catherine II, spent much of his childhood in her shadow.

Even before his ascension to the throne, he was nearly usurped by his own son, which caused Paul I immense psychological trauma.

"An unhappy childhood takes a lifetime to heal," George III muttered, then nodded.

"This is a statement that all parents should think about: an unhappy childhood can indeed severely damage a person's life."

“Paul I’s childhood can no longer be described as merely unfortunate; it was a disaster and hell,” Mo Gongze continued. “This catastrophic childhood made Paul I feel inferior and vulnerable, and at the same time, he equated weakness with death.”

Thus we can see that after Paul I came to power, he was extremely tough, and his control over the Rus' court and nobility was even tougher than that of his mother, Catherine II, as he was afraid of showing any weakness in front of outsiders.

But this was merely a protective facade; Paul I remained fragile and sensitive.

So when he discovered that France seemed to be an invincible adversary, and that the consul Napoleon Bonaparte possessed a strong political aura similar to his mother's, the fragile Paul I became afraid.

"Alas!" George III sighed. "A weak Tsar will bring even greater disaster to Europe. We cannot allow Tsarist Rus' to ally with France, or Europe will be doomed."

My child, tell me, what can we do right now?

Mo Gongze thought for a moment, "There are only three things we can do now."

First, we must immediately reinforce Austria and prevent the Holy Roman Empire's coalition, led by Austria, from suffering a crushing defeat.

Because once the Holy Roman Empire fell, a terrified Paul I would likely submit to Napoleon, and the Tsarist Rus' Empire would likely ally with France.

Secondly, we must quickly dispatch the navy to drive away the Ross fleet in the Mediterranean and prevent them from participating in the operation to rescue the French Expeditionary Force in Egypt.

Third, immediately send a note to the Ottoman Empire, informing them of the movements of the Tsarist Rus' Empire and requesting that the Ottomans blockade the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits to prevent the Tsarist Rus' fleet from leaving the Black Sea.

After saying that, Mo Gongze sighed. Everything else was fine, but it seemed impossible to send reinforcements to Shinra.

Because his cousin, Franz II, was a typical stingy and ungrateful monarch, sending reinforcements to him would be like throwing good money after bad, and the dog might even bite you after eating the food.

George III's face showed satisfaction. "It's very good that you can see that Paul I will not only withdraw from the anti-French coalition, but also foresee that he is very likely to submit to France."

However, these three suggestions of yours are not the way we English solve problems!

"The way the English solve problems?" Mo Gongze looked at George III with some doubt.

King George III beckoned for his most trusted court servant to help him up from the bed.

“We have people around Tsar Paul I, and Paul I also has many opponents in Tsarist Russia.”

Even Paul I's son, Tsarevich Alexander Pavlovich, received our funding; our investment in the Tsarevich began ten years ago.

Mo Gongze was shocked. Judging from George III's tone, he was preparing to kill him at the appropriate time, or rather, when Tsar Paul I decided to unite with France!

"Solve the biggest problems with the least cost." George III stretched out his right hand, raising his middle and index fingers to make a two. "Never trust any alliances, and always be on the worst-case scenario for all powerful empires."

"This is the principle and the way of solving problems in the Kingdom of England."

"Furthermore, we no longer need to pay attention to the situation in Egypt, because fifteen days ago, a fanatical Egyptian student assassinated General Jean-Baptiste Clerber, commander of the French Expeditionary Force in Egypt."

"This is shocking! The French expeditionary force is doomed! No, Gibraltar is in danger! A naval battle is about to break out!" Mo Gongze exclaimed. He had just said that the French army in Egypt was doomed, but he immediately realized what he meant.

This is because General Jean-Baptiste Clerber was the only person with prestige who could stabilize the situation after Napoleon abandoned the expeditionary force and fled. His assassination essentially sealed the fate of the French expeditionary force in Egypt.

Faced with this situation, if Napoleon had any sense of shame, he would certainly have taken action to rescue the French army in Egypt.

"Yes, my child, we can declare that the French in Egypt are on the guillotine and are doomed."

But this can only be said after Gibraltar has been defended and the French and Spanish navies have been severely damaged again.

Because Napoleon Bonaparte would certainly try to erase this stain on his life.

With General Jean-Baptiste Clerber in command, the French army in Egypt could hold out, so Napoleon wasn't worried. But now that General Clerber is gone, Napoleon Bonaparte will definitely be anxious.

This Frenchman was unusual; his military talent seemed far greater than we had anticipated, and he also possessed a strong personal charisma. He reminded me of Cromwell, the Protector of the Nation.

I think if this consul Napoleon Bonaparte wanted to follow Cromwell's path, he certainly wouldn't want to bear the stain of abandoning his army and fleeing from Egypt.

This stain will become an obstacle to his further rise to become the tyrannical dictator of France.

After saying this, George III looked at Mo Gongze, hesitated for a long time, and then said, "My child, I know Mary is about to give birth to the baby, and you must be very worried, but I have to let you leave."

I need you to take at least three thousand elite Belgian troops to Gibraltar to defend this key location controlling the Mediterranean and prevent the French and Spanish fleets from passing through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean.

I will appoint you as Governor of the Five Ports and Governor of Gibraltar, as well as Vice Minister of the Navy, and the fleet in the Mediterranean will respect your opinion.

You must ensure they can execute the strategy of blockading the Mediterranean. If Gibraltar falls, we will be in danger.

The Governor of the Five Ports was an honorary title, originally an important official position for the King of England to manage five ports around London.

Today, it is roughly equivalent to the honors bestowed upon the Chinese emperors, such as Pillar of State, Acting General of the Right, Grand Master of the Palace, not having to hasten to court, not having to mention one's name when being praised, and wearing a sword and shoes in the palace.

At this point, after the Battle of Abu Kil Gulf, France had virtually no fleet left in the Mediterranean. To reinforce Egypt, they would have to either force their way through the Strait of Gibraltar or capture the British-controlled Gibraltar fortress complex.

Well, I still have to do my part for others, Mo Gongze thought to himself.

But there was nothing that could be done about it. King Mo Zhouzhe of Han had already returned with the Zhenwu fleet, and his father, Mo Zirong, had also gone with the fleet.

Mo Gongze only had 20,000 to 30,000 men under his command, which was not enough to withstand much attrition in Europe where people were killing each other.

To begin his own conquest, he would have to wait until the Holy Roman Empire was greatly weakened and Francis II begged him to return and help stabilize Hungary.

Only with the support from England, plus the support from his elder brother, the Crown Prince, from the Caucasus region, will he be able to begin managing the Balkan Peninsula.

However, George III was much more generous than Francis II, directly granting him the honorary title of Governor-General of Five Ports and the substantive positions of Governor-General of Gibraltar and Vice-Minister of the Navy, and also putting him in charge of the English fleet in the Mediterranean.

This is basically the treatment reserved for a favored son. This is the kind of treatment you'd expect when the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York go on a campaign.

. . . .

Upon leaving Windsor Castle, Mok Kung Ze immediately went to see Prime Minister Henry Addington.

Although he was a political ally of the powerful former Prime Minister William Pitt Jr., Henry Addington began to pursue his own political path after Pitt Jr. was forced to resign.

This guy is a typical English politician; he doesn't want to lift the ban on Catholicism, he's unwilling to treat the Irish well, and he doesn't attempt to expand England's territory on the European continent.

He wholeheartedly represented the five or six hundred thousand nobles and capitalists on the island; he was a pure and unwavering capitalist fighter.

"Henry, I'm going to Gibraltar soon," Mo Gongze said to Henry Addington with a smile.
Henry Addington's face immediately lit up with barely suppressed joy; a statement made by William Pitt Jr. years ago had indeed come true.

That is, with Mo Gongze, who holds great military power, by the king's side, the king's power can be extended indefinitely.

As a vehicle for extending his power, Mok Kung-ze has wielded even more power in England in recent months than he has as Prime Minister.

But once Moggallana leaves, the monarchy loses its extension, Moggallana loses his support, the separation of powers between the King of England and Parliament can be maintained, and his power as Prime Minister can be restored.

"I'll provide you with the best weaponry, ammunition, and clothing, all at the highest standards." Henry Addington immediately began showering him with benefits, hoping that Mo Gongze wouldn't return after leaving.

“I also need £100,000 to reward the soldiers who defend Gibraltar, especially the officers and soldiers of the Mediterranean Squadron.” Mo Gongze held up one finger.

This trip to Gibraltar was his best opportunity to establish prestige in the English Navy, which would greatly benefit his future career.

After all, Constantinople is located on the Mediterranean coast, which requires a powerful fleet.

Furthermore, there will certainly be a contest with the Tsarist Rus' Empire in the Black Sea in the future.

So why not take this opportunity to establish prestige within the English Navy, making it easier to recruit people to serve him in the future, especially since it's all funded by the English government?

“Fine, I’ll give you that. I’ll give you another 50,000 pounds. You can get His Majesty to fire the Under-Secretary of State for Home Affairs.” Henry Addington gritted his teeth. Although he was currently facing financial difficulties, he could still scrape together 150,000 pounds.

At this time, the Under Secretary of the Home Office was a man of former Prime Minister William Pitt Jr., who resented Henry Addington's change of allegiance and constantly opposed him.

"I want two hundred thousand pounds!" Mo Gongze seized the opportunity to raise his price.

“Okay, two hundred thousand it is, no take-backs!” Henry Addington agreed.

Satisfied, Mo Gongze left 10 Downing Street, where his trusted bodyguard also arrived.

He patted his trusted bodyguard on the shoulder and said in a low voice, "Get ready. I'll have someone send you directly to Syria. Then you'll find a way to cross Iraq and Persia and deliver this letter to the four provinces of Anxi."

I will write a letter to the Ottoman Caliph in the name of the English First Lord of the Navy, asking the Ottoman Empire to make things convenient for you en route.

Let's go, let's go now!

Mo Gongze was in such a hurry because once France and Tsarist Russia formed an alliance, Tsarist Russia's next target would definitely be the four provinces of Anxi in Dayu.

Currently, because the Tsarist Rus' Empire has been involved in the anti-French coalition, it has been on the defensive from the Ural River to the northern shore of the Caspian Sea, and has even lost many of the territories it had occupied in the Caucasus region.

Therefore, once France and Russia reconcile, the Tsarist Rus' Empire will definitely turn its attention to competing with the Great Yu for the northern shore of the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus region.

More importantly, withdrawing from the anti-French coalition and allying with France would likely be opposed by most of the Rus' nobles.

However, most Rus' nobles would agree to drive the Seres Empire's influence eastward out of the Ural River basin and the Caucasus, as this has a popular support.

. . . .

Just as Moggallès was preparing to travel to Gibraltar to assume his post, the decisive battle between France and the Holy Roman Empire, which greatly worried George III and Moggallès, began.

Upon learning that his younger brother, Archduke Karl, was unable to lead the army due to illness, Mo Gongze simply ignored his invitation.

For reasons unknown, perhaps out of despair, Emperor Franz II of the Holy Roman Empire appointed his ninth brother, Archduke John, who was only eighteen years old, as commander of the main Holy Roman army in the Rhineland.

This is far more outrageous than King Xiaocheng of Zhao appointing the young Zhao Kuo as the commander of the Zhao army at Changping.

At least Zhao Kuo had a wealth of theoretical knowledge, and he could have become a talent after a few battlefield experiences.

Zhao Kuo's fate was to die because of King Xiaocheng of Zhao's forced growth and desperate gamble.

But Duke John, in his eighteen years of life, only pretended to be a soldier for a few years. He was not only a theorist, but this little fool didn't even have the ability to be a good squad leader.

When Archduke Charles, who was in Bohemia, heard this, he was so frightened that his brainwaves went haywire and he suffered an epileptic seizure, almost dying in his bedroom.

After struggling to wake up, Archduke Karl personally visited the renowned Austrian general Franz von Raul, asking him to assist the young and inexperienced Archduke Johan.

At the same time, he personally wrote to his brother, Emperor Franz II, urging him to appoint General Raul as Archduke John's adjutant to effectively control the army.

Finally, still worried, Archduke Charles wrote another personal letter to his brother, Archduke John, telling him that he must heed General Raul's advice to avoid defeat, as the Holy Roman Empire could not afford another such failure.

Upon receiving a letter from his younger brother, Archduke Karl, and knowing that Karl had not forgotten the country even during an epileptic seizure, Franz II was quite grateful and agreed to appoint General Raul.

But just a few days later, the sycophants around Franz II began to sow discord.

They told Franz II that Archduke Charles was already highly respected, and the people of the empire all believed that Your Majesty was not as good as your brother. If the French were to be defeated again this time only by the people recommended by Archduke Charles, then this perception would become even more entrenched.

A strong sense of jealousy began to fester in Franz II's mind; this guy's brain was just not like a normal person's.

You're the emperor, and Archduke Charles is your own brother. This isn't the East. According to European rules, no matter how capable Archduke Charles is, he can't possibly usurp the throne.

Moreover, Archduke Karl suffers from epilepsy. Even if he could usurp the throne, no one would support him. Who would dare entrust their fate to someone who might faint at any moment due to excitement?

What is there to fear or be jealous of in a brother like that? But Franz II was different; he both feared and was jealous of him.

So, this man had a sudden inspiration and came up with a good idea: he appointed his confidant Franz von Verlott as the Chief of Staff of the Army.

The chief of staff is naturally the brain of the army. In this way, if a victory is won, people will say that the emperor sent his strategist to carry out the emperor's will and that's how the war was won.

With the plan finalized, Franz II specifically instructed his trusted general, Virot, not to seize command on the battlefield, but only to claim credit, as Franz II was somewhat aware of his confidant's abilities.

This is truly a brilliant (and idiotic) idea.

With Paul Clay already on the Austrian front (who had been dismissed but had not yet left), Franz II added his younger brother, Archduke Johan, as commander-in-chief.

Then, following Archduke Karl's advice, he appointed General Raul as Archduke John's deputy to control the army.

Now he has appointed his trusted confidant, General Verott, as the crucial Chief of Staff of the General Staff.

Good heavens, there are still about 70,000 men left. The Austrian army, which was already demoralized after four consecutive defeats, suddenly has four people giving orders. It would be outrageous if they didn't lose.

As for the fact that Franz II instructed General Velot not to try to seize command and to just wait to reap the rewards, do you think Velot, a sycophant who rose to power through flattery, would be so honest?

In November, the three Austrian commanders arrived at the front, along with the original commander Paul Kree. With all four of them present, the chaos in command and the proliferation of contradictions were simply unbelievable.

Archduke John, Raul, and Villelot believed they should march quickly to block the French from continuing their eastward advance.

But Paul Cree believed it was not advisable because the morale and quality of the Austrian army were not up to the task of such a long march.

But the three ignored the order and instead directed the Austrian army to move westward to intercept the French forces.

As if things weren't going to go wrong, after the Austrian army set off, they encountered unusually cold winter rains in November, making the Black Forest region wet and cold.

A gust of wind blew by, and the Austrian soldiers, wearing thin cotton clothes soaked by the rain, shivered like leaves.

Pfft!
Someone fell to the ground and was immediately covered in mud. The mud and water made their body heat drop even faster.

But he dared not delay, so he quickly got up and continued to push the field gun carriage with all his might, because if he slowed down even a little, the officer's reprimand or even the whip would fall.

Although the Austrian army had more than 70,000 men, only more than 20,000 were elite main force members. The rest were temporarily recruited and had not been trained for more than a few months, making them almost like militia.

An army of this caliber simply could not possibly complete such a march.

Therefore, every night, large-scale desertion would occur, and officers were constantly busy trying to stop the deserters.

In early December, the main Austrian army arrived at the front lines, facing off against the French army, with great difficulty.

French commander Jean-Victor Moreau discovered a weakness in the Austrian army and decided to retreat slightly to further extend the Austrian front.

General Moreau deliberately placed the understrength French left wing, led by Paul Gronier, at the forefront to lure the Austrian army into attacking.

As expected, the Austrian army fell for the trap, and the two sides engaged in a medium-sized skirmish in the Ampufen area. Relying on its numerical advantage and the high morale of its newly arrived Guardsmen, the Austrians achieved a Pyrrhic victory.

In this battle, the French army lost approximately 1,700 men, while the Austrian army lost 3,000 men. However, the Austrian army successfully repelled the French army and gained control of the key passage into the Hornlinden Plain region.

At this point, General Raul, recommended by Archduke Karl, realized something was amiss.

He believed that the French army defeated this time was a weak force, and was likely a bait thrown out by the enemy. The Austrian army was extremely exhausted at this time and should abandon the Ampufen area and retreat to the rear to rest and regroup.

But Archduke John, who knew nothing, and General Verlot, who was eager to claim credit, disagreed. They believed that the Austrian army had just won a battle and was in high spirits, so they should take advantage of the momentum to defeat the French army.

On December 3, the Austrian army launched a preemptive strike, only to run into an impenetrable French wall as soon as they emerged from the forest.

The French first blocked the Austrian army at the main exit of the forest, preventing their main force from deploying from the front, and then divided their forces to enter the forest from both flanks for a fierce attack.

The Austrian army had a significant advantage over the French army in artillery and cavalry, but these were completely ineffective in the forest and were thoroughly outmaneuvered by the agile French infantry.

French infantrymen moved in and out of the forest, striking the Austrian army with unpredictable movements. The Austrian army suffered repeated defeats, with piles of corpses forming, a truly horrific scene.

So much so that the battle between 60,000 Austrian troops and 50,000 French troops, totaling over 100,000 men, was decided in just half a day.

At the cost of 2,500 casualties, the French army killed or captured more than 10,000 Austrian soldiers.

In a panic, Archduke John and General Verlot led the remaining Austrian army in a hasty retreat, abandoning the numerous fortifications and fortresses built by the Holy Roman Empire along the Rhine, as well as a massive amount of supplies.

Although the French army did not pursue them very quickly, they kept the Austrian army close at hand. The Austrian army fled in great strides for eleven days, finally putting up a decent resistance in Salzburg, Austria.

But just a few days later, the Austrian army, whose morale had plummeted to its lowest point, collapsed under the harassment of the French army while defending the fortified city, and began a new round of escape.

It wasn't until December 17th, when Archduke Karl, despite being seriously ill, personally came to the scene, that the situation was barely stabilized.

But after fourteen days of fleeing, the Austrian army had become extremely fearful, and more than 20,000 of them were killed or captured by the French along the way.

This meant that even if Grand Duke Karl himself came, he could only stabilize them and prevent them from continuing to collapse; fighting was definitely out of the question.

On December 20, Archduke Karl led the remnants of the Austrian army to a place only about 80 kilometers away from Vienna, and reported to Emperor Franz II that if the fighting continued, the capital would fall.

In a panic, Franz II personally sent a messenger to French General Moreau to request a ceasefire, offering Austria any price to pay.

General Moreau quickly agreed to Franz II's peace offer, because the results of the battle far exceeded his expectations, and General Moreau was completely unprepared to enter Vienna.

Moreover, after half a month of forced march and pursuit, the French army was extremely exhausted, and the soldiers' desire to attack had clearly decreased.

At the same time, he was also afraid that if the fighting continued, the French supply lines would be too long and they would be bogged down in the Austrian sea of ​​supply lines.

Most importantly, General Moreau was very ambitious, and he had heard that Napoleon Bonaparte had become First Consul through military achievements.

In General Moreau's view, if Napoleon Bonaparte could gain so many benefits by relying on the sham conquest of Egypt, then after he almost destroyed the main force of Austria, he should at least be on par with Napoleon when he returned to Paris.

Therefore, General Moreau, eager to gain military merit, chose to agree to Franz II's request for peace. He couldn't wait to return to Paris and reap the benefits that were rightfully his.

Ultimately, the Holy Roman Empire escaped a calamity, but in this series of humiliating defeats, the Austrian army of 70,000 men eventually returned to the vicinity of Vienna with fewer than 30,000 remaining, and the empire nearly collapsed.

As the Holy Roman Empire, the continental power with the largest army in the Second Coalition against France and the closest to France, sued for peace, the Second Coalition completely collapsed.

Having lost the Holy Roman Empire and the Salar de France, England, with only tens of thousands of regular troops, was no longer capable of fighting France on land.

(End of this chapter)