Life of Being a Crown Prince in France

Chapter 1143: Chapter 1049: North American Continent, France Is Back!

The Count of Florida Blanca frowned and said, “Your Royal Highness, regarding the issue of North America, our country will find ways to respond. But Louisiana is also an interest crucial to us.”

Joseph nodded, “Indeed, it is very important.

“You should know the Americans’ westward strategy. Once they break through the Mississippi River line of defense, they will rapidly expand westward, from Texas to Tamaulipas, and even to Mexico.”

The expressions of the Spanish dignitaries instantly became solemn.

The Crown Prince of France was right. West of Louisiana, there is no place to mount a defense if the Americans continue their westward advance, all the way to the Madre Mountains.

And that is the empire’s economic heart—Mexico’s gold and silver mines support over sixty percent of Spain’s fiscal revenue. If it falls, Spain would collapse instantly.

The Count of Florida Blanca and Campos exchanged looks full of hesitation.

Strengthening the defense in North America means having to abandon Portugal, which they are close to acquiring—currently, except for the western coastal areas, nearly 70% of the land has been occupied by the Franco-Spanish Alliance. Once Coimbra is captured, Lisbon will be within reach. And right now, the Franco-Spanish Alliance holds a decisive advantage there.

But the Americans will also not stop their westward expansion and will eventually threaten the empire’s financial lifeline.

They don’t want to give up either side, but the empire simply does not have the capability to hold both.

In fact, without France’s help, they couldn’t even hold one side.

Joseph glanced at Charles IV, and timely said, “I’m here this time actually to help you.

“With France taking over Louisiana, it can provide a strong shield for Mexico.

“At the same time, I can promise that France will never seek the colonies of Florida or Texas, and will retain all the interests of the Spaniards living in Louisiana.

“This will be a situation most beneficial to both of us.”

The Count of Florida Blanca and others exchanged glances again.

Campos suddenly smiled brightly, “Oh, by the way, the ball is about to start. Majesty, do you want to change into the new suit?”

Charles IV was taken aback for a moment and then nodded quickly, “Yes, let’s change clothes first. We’ll discuss the rest after the ball.”

Joseph knew that such a major matter could not be settled in just one afternoon, so he immediately smiled and said, “I am looking forward to the evening ball. Eman, prepare my dark blue suit.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Once Charles IV and the Crown Prince of France had left one after another, the Count of Florida Blanca immediately said, “Although this will increase France’s influence in North America, it is not completely unacceptable.”

To be honest, Spain had mismanaged Louisiana terribly, with immigration never exceeding 15,000 people, and the land yielding almost no returns.

Only the New Orleans Port could collect some tolls from American merchant ships, and they dared not openly allow American ships to enter and exit for fear that frequent trade would prosper the east bank of the Mississippi River, making Louisiana even harder to defend in the future.

Campos nodded, “In fact, given our current relationship with France, France’s presence in North America is advantageous to us.”

————————————————

The rest is not yet completed, please refresh after 40 minutes to view. The author expresses sincere apologies.

The Atlas Mountains system is shaped like an elongated ellipse, with a vast complex of plains and plateaus between mountain ranges. It includes different northern mountain ranges, the Tayler Atlas, and southern mountain ranges, the Sahara Atlas. The mountain range forms the edge of the vast plateau in eastern Morocco and northern Algeria. To the east, in Tunisia, they connect at the Tebessa Mountains and Majerda Mountains; to the west, in Morocco, they merge into the middle and high peaks of the Central Atlas and Great Atlas Mountains. The Little Atlas Mountains extend southwest from the Great Atlas Mountains reaching the Atlantic Ocean. Geologically, the Tayler Atlas Mountains are young and folded, associated with the European Alps System. The Southern Sahara Atlas, however, belongs to a different structural group, namely the vast and ancient plateau groups of the African Continent.

Living in the mountains are the Berbers, who retain their language, traditions, and beliefs, while at the same time accept a certain degree of Islam. The Berber society is concerned with preserving their distinct identity, which is evident in their choice of residence. Fortified villages generally perch on high mountain tops. Although these villages are small, they include homes, mosques, threshing floors, and a council assembly for elders, which manages each community’s affairs. Families live separately in rooms around the courtyards. The Shluh people of Morocco’s Great Atlas Mountains live in river valleys deeply nestled among the mountains. Their villages are often situated at elevations over 2,000 meters (6,500 feet), with each village housing hundreds of residents in contiguous, terraced houses clustered around a fortified communal threshing area or dominated by the threshing area-cum-residence of a powerful family. Nearby hillsides are assigned to pastures and farms. Some of the non-irrigated fields employ dry farming methods to cultivate cereals. Irrigated lands draw water from dry riverbeds, allowing for two harvests a year—grain in winter and vegetables in summer. The Shluh use cattle dung as fertilizer. The number of livestock is constantly increasing. The main product from the forests—cork, also provides considerable income. The Rif in Morocco and the Kabyle in Algeria are similar in many respects. Both Berber tribes live on similarly oak-covered wet mountain slopes and tend to lead isolated lives, both enamored with barren land. Unlike the Berbers of the central and greater Atlas Mountains for whom livestock rearing is less central to their rural life, they cultivate some sweet sorghum (used for fodder), and women plant vegetables in small gardens beside their dwellings. However, their primary income comes from fig trees and olive trees on the slopes where they reside. The Kabyle are also skilled artisans, processing wood, silver, and wool. In the past, they were also peddlers, selling carpets and jewelry to the people on the plains. The Aurès Mountains sit independently in northeastern Algeria, possibly the least developed mountainous area in the Maghreb. The residents, the Chaoui people, live a semi-nomadic life, part agricultural, part pastoral. They reside in terraced stone villages, with houses arranged in rows, one row higher than the next, all centered around a fortified granary. In winter, the highland valley dwellers lead their flocks down to the surrounding lowlands, where they either camp or reside in caves.