Chapter 141: Target: Venice

"120 million Austrian florins?" Hearing this figure, Francis II couldn't help but grimace. While it wasn't an exorbitant sum, Francis II felt the pinch. Throughout the generations, the Habsburgs had consistently increased the royal treasury. Now, in his generation, he was contemplating spending it, which put immense pressure on him.

"Well then, to defeat those Frenchmen and secure the final victory, I will bear the burden of this military expenditure! But I have only one demand—that is to win the war! Can you do it?" Francis II said sternly. This time, he was determined. Even though he was using the royal treasury, the 120 million Austrian florins couldn't be borne by Francis II alone. He was setting an example; the real burden would fall on the Habsburg nobles and Austrian ministers.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Prime Minister Joseph Jelačić nodded.

With Austria's vast population, mobilizing one hundred thousand troops was easy. The only problem was the lack of equipment for these troops. In the Italian War, Austrian troops had been defeated by the French, who had captured a large amount of equipment. However, this problem could also be resolved. Was there anything in this world that couldn't be solved with money?

With money, he could directly purchase weapons from the British, Russians, and even the Prussians. Although time was tight, as long as he ensured that the troops were generally equipped with rifles, that would be enough.

"First, send some troops to Venice and let the local armed forces defend Venice. After we are prepared, we will counterattack against those Frenchmen. Next year, we must thoroughly defeat them," Francis II said firmly.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Prime Minister Joseph Jelačić sighed with relief. Fortunately, Francis II had given him enough time this time. He would arrange everything carefully and strive for victory as much as possible. As Prime Minister of Austria, being defeated by the French was also a shame for him.

"What about the British opinion?" asked the Austrian Foreign Minister, Izzvoll.

"We must withstand British pressure. Even if they are unwilling to assist us, we can continue the war ourselves. We must persevere. If we simply obey the British, how are we any different from being their pawns?" said Emperor Franz II, his determination clear after the recent events had exhausted his trust in the British. He now understood that they saw him not as an ally but merely a pawn.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" nodded Foreign Minister Izzvoll.

"My lords, the Austrian Empire is now facing its most critical moment. Regardless of the circumstances, we must win this war, even at great cost. We must show the world that the Austrian Empire remains a powerful entity, not to be underestimated by anyone," declared Emperor Franz II.

As the Emperor of the Austrian Empire, Franz II knew that the Holy Roman Empire was in decline. In recent years, the Austrians suffered a disastrous defeat against the French in the Battle of Turin and struggled against the Ottoman Turks in the East.

These defeats had laid bare the decline of the Holy Roman Empire before the world. Since then, the great powers of the world had begun to look down on Austria, a reality that Franz II found unacceptable. If Austria were to suffer another defeat in this war, they would lose all dignity.

Therefore, no matter the cost, Franz II hoped for victory. Only through victory could he restore the greatness of the Holy Roman Empire in the eyes of the world. Like a dying tiger that still commanded respect, Austria, despite its weakness and decay, needed a victory to demonstrate its strength.

"Yes, Your Majesty! Long live the Holy Roman Empire! Long live Emperor Franz!" The Austrian ministers were inspired by Franz II's call. As the highest officials of Austria, they too were unwilling to taste the bitterness of failure.

Turin: Inside the French military headquarters.

Although the French currently held the upper hand on the battlefield, the failure of the peace talks undoubtedly affected their actions. They were unsure of what to do next. Should they negotiate with the Austrians or continue fighting? Without a clear direction, all French generals were perplexed.

Napoleon, the commander of the French forces, keenly noticed this and called for a meeting of all senior French commanders in the headquarters. This was the first time since the beginning of the war that the senior French commanders had gathered together.

"Hey, Moro, long time no see," exclaimed Desaix, shaking Moro's hand excitedly.

"Yeah, it's been a while. Look at you, lounging in the city these days, living the good life. You've even put on weight," Moro remarked, patting Desaix's belly.

"No choice, I didn't ask for it! But now that the Austrian army has been almost wiped out, there's nothing for me to do. I'd like to lead troops into battle, but who do I fight?" Desaix shrugged helplessly.

Then, with envy, Desaix turned to Moro and said, "You're the lucky one. Napoleon handed you the task of clearing out the remnants of the Austrian army. Now you can earn more merits."

"It's just a few thousand Austrian remnants, easy to eliminate. What's the big deal about merits?" Moro waved his hand dismissively, not caring much about the Austrians.

"I'd say the one enjoying the most is Davout. He's besieging Philip in Rome all day long. Quite a leisurely life," Moro remarked, shifting his gaze to Davout.

"You guys stop taking advantage and pretending to be innocent. I actually want to go to the battlefield and kill enemies. But I'm not given the chance," Davout said, looking frustrated.

"Hahaha! Desaix, look at Davout here, sulking like an abandoned girl," Moro laughed mercilessly at Davout's expression.

"Quite lively in here. What's all the commotion about?" Suddenly, a voice rang out, and upon hearing it, all the senior French commanders present immediately quieted down. They lowered their heads and dared not speak, for the speaker was none other than the First Consul of France, Napoleon.

"First Consul!" Upon seeing Napoleon emerge, all the French commanders respectfully exclaimed.

"Long time no see, everyone. It's the first time we've all gathered like this," Napoleon said, scanning the room with a pleased expression.

"It's all thanks to your brilliant command, Consul. You've led us to defeat the Austrian army repeatedly, continuously occupying cities and expanding our territory. The more territories we need to garrison, the less we see of each other," a sycophantic officer in the crowd spoke up first.

Napoleon clearly enjoyed the flattery, as his pleased expression indicated.

"Haha! You're right. The Austrian army is no match at all. Since I entered Italy, it's been victory after victory. Up until now, I've essentially reclaimed all of Italy," Napoleon proudly declared.

"That's right, the Austrians are no match for us at all. I really can't understand why they haven't surrendered yet. Do they still have the confidence to continue fighting us?" Desaix spoke up.

Upon hearing Desaix's words, Napoleon's expression changed.

"What's wrong? Did I say something wrong, Consul?" Seeing Napoleon's sudden change in demeanor, Desaix thought he might have misspoken.

"No, Desaix, you're right. Today I gathered everyone here to discuss this matter," Napoleon replied.

"Everyone, you must have heard some rumors. The Austrians want to negotiate with us."