Life of Being a Crown Prince in France - Chapter 1230 - 1135: Backing the Right Patron Really Pays Off
Chapter 1230: Chapter 1135: Backing the Right Patron Really Pays Off
On the second floor of the Dabagia Palace, Surt gazed irritably at the room opposite his temporary office, wishing that someone among the ten or so people inside would suddenly jump out and tell him, “I know a shocking secret about the Sultan.”
But over the past ten days, these brothers and nephews of the Moroccan Sultan had offered nothing of value apart from pleas for mercy.
He had no choice but to start organizing the defense of Marrakesh City to counter Sultan Suleiman’s army’s counterattack.
However, he had only 3,500 Portuguese and Spanish soldiers and 4,000 Algerian soldiers, and with the lack of ammunition supplies, he was not confident of holding the city for long.
Just then, his staff officer suddenly rushed in, waving the letter in hand excitedly: “Commander, they agreed, they agreed!”
Surt quickly stood up, “The General Staff agreed to our withdrawal? No, the message couldn’t have reached Paris that quickly.”
“It’s the Moroccan Sultan,” the staff officer exclaimed, “He accepted most of the conditions, including acknowledging Spain’s rule over Tangier, Tetouan, and the northern part of Sela.
“He declared the Wozan Tribe and various Rif tribes as ’enemies of the Sultan,’ forbidding any Moroccan support to them…”
Surt’s eyes widened immediately, and he grabbed the letter to read it.
The letter, written by Saldano, stated, “Due to the tremendous success of the military plans in Marrakesh, Spanish diplomats are currently negotiating ceasefire details with Moroccan officials.”
“Why is this happening?” Surt frowned at the staff officer, cautiously saying, “This could be a ploy by Suleiman to confuse us. Tell the soldiers not to let their guard down.”
The Moroccan army never came. Four days later, a Spanish officer arrived in Marrakesh with vast supplies and horses, explaining to Surt why Suleiman had suddenly shown submission.
“I will support Hisham to become Sultan?” Surt was puzzled.
The Spanish supply officer nodded respectfully, “That’s what’s being said in Meknes. They also say that the troops in Marrakesh have all pledged support to Hisham and are ready to move north with you to attack Meknes.”
Surt inquired for half an hour before finally understanding the reason behind it.
The root of the problem was that Suleiman was infertile.
Thus, the next Sultan could only be chosen from among his brothers.
Among them, Suleiman’s second brother, Hisham, had served as the Governor of Marrakesh but was later placed under house arrest for not supporting Suleiman’s succession as Sultan.
Suleiman himself was inclined to have his fourth brother, Ibrahim, as his heir, but coincidentally, Ibrahim was sent to Meknes to stabilize the situation, leaving him to guard Marrakesh.
As a result, his biggest political rival and appointed heir were both captured by the “Spaniards” who raided Marrakesh.
Subsequently, regardless of which one Spain supported, it would be a massive disaster for Suleiman.
Especially Hisham, who was very influential in Marrakesh and had many sons, with many Moroccan nobles secretly allied with him—historically, it was indeed Hisham’s son, Abdul Rahman, who ascended to the Sultan’s throne years later.
Furthermore, Marrakesh was Morocco’s economic center. Now that the Spanish army controlled it, in less than six months, the northern capital of Morocco would face financial collapse.
Suleiman had no confidence in defeating the Spaniards within half a year—he wasn’t aware that Surt hadn’t brought logistical supplies.
Thus, after quickly weighing the options, he decided to abandon the two provinces in the north.
Since they were already occupied by the Spanish army and he knew he couldn’t reclaim them, it was better to use them in exchange for a ceasefire.
Moreover, if he could use the Spaniards to eliminate the tribes in the north that always had rebellious intentions, it would rid him of a major concern.
Thus, Spain and Morocco swiftly signed the Fez Treaty, and after a “one-month tour” in Marrakesh, Surt led his army back to Melilla along the northern foothills of the Atlas Mountains.
A month later.
The Chief Minister of Spain, Count Florida Blanca, accompanied by a group of Spanish political and military officials, arrived at the Palace of Versailles, presenting Joseph with a hand-written letter from Charles IV.
“Originally, His Majesty the King planned to visit you personally. However, as the war in Portugal has yet to conclude, it is impossible for him to leave Madrid.”
Joseph unfolded the letter, where the first half expressed gratitude to France for helping resolve the Moroccan incident, while the latter mentioned transferring the Ceuta fortress to France ahead of schedule.
According to the prior agreement between Joseph and Charles IV, once Spain recovered Gibraltar, France would control Ceuta.
But in this instance, Spain not only preserved its troops stuck in the Rif Mountains but also unexpectedly gained control over all of Morocco’s northern provinces—Cordova initially asked for an exorbitant price, not expecting Suleiman to actually agree to cede Tangier and Tetouan.
Although the two areas were not extensive, covering about 13,000 square kilometers, they were fertile plains adjacent to the Mediterranean, benefiting from maritime trade, making them excellent colonies.
More importantly, with these two territories, Spain’s holdings in the north of the Rif Mountain were contiguous, preventing Moroccan tribes from launching fragmented attacks.
Regarding the Wozan Tribe and other northern tribes, after losing their legitimate status, they no longer dared to entangle with the Spanish army, with most retreating into the Rif Mountain. Several tribes even chose to ally with Spain.
Thus, when the news reached Madrid, Charles IV was ecstatic, deciding immediately to transfer Ceuta to France ahead of time.
Historically, Spain had to wait until several decades later to acquire the coastal colonies of northern Morocco, involving an army of 70,000 soldiers—and they still relied on France to win the war later.
Of course, the decision to hand over Ceuta in advance was also suggested by several Spanish ministers. France, upon gaining this area, would surely be too embarrassed not to fully commit to the assault on Gibraltar.
Joseph placed the letter back in its envelope, a smile appearing on his face.
Although Charles IV was not particularly capable, he was proficient in getting things done properly.
His advance transfer of Ceuta made it inconvenient for Joseph to ask for Surt’s “rental fee” from him.
The French Navy indeed urgently needed a base near the Strait of Gibraltar.
Previously, sailing out of the Mediterranean from the nearest Mitija Port took at least eight days.
Departing from Ceuta Port, however, only took three hours.
This provided the French Navy with a significant strategic advantage in future maneuvers against the British Navy in the Atlantic.
Additionally, the frequent steam battleships of the French Fleet could replenish coal at Ceuta, greatly enhancing combat efficiency.
