Royal Palace of Madrid.
Count of Florida Blanca, Chief Minister of Spain, kept shaking his head:
"No, no, that would collapse trade in places like Baton Rouge and Shreveport, and…"
Talleyrand immediately raised his voice: "Have you calculated how much it would cost to send troops there? It might well exceed the trade revenue you're talking about.
"And if the Americans are not scared off, your expeditionary force will be locked in a prolonged standoff with them, and military expenses will burn away like paper.
"Following the Crown Prince's strategy, if things go smoothly, New Orleans Port could reopen in two months, at most no more than four."
Seeing Count of Florida Blanca still hesitate, he looked at several other senior Spanish ministers and continued seriously:
"The Portuguese front is where our greatest interests lie.
"Right now, it's like two bulls locking horns—whichever steps back first, immediately falls into passivity!
