I Became The Crown Prince Of The Mexican Empire - Chapter 168



Only Noblemtl

I have been directing operations, listening to reports from dawn until now, wearing my military uniform.

The results of the punitive operation that had been ongoing since dawn began to be reported in encrypted form via the electric telegraph.

“Reporting that all missions in the Durango area have been successfully completed.”

One of the staffers removed the red flags of the Durango area from a giant map on the table and replaced them with green flags, turning another state green.

“We also have reports that all missions in the Sonora region have been successfully completed.”

“Sinaloa···”

8 o’clock in the morning.

It was the time when the arrests of major landowners, clergy, officers, etc. from eight states and other regions that had been identified in advance were completed.

Knock knock- Bam-

“hmm?”

A temporary operations headquarters set up in the palace.

Many people gathered there looked at the door. They were surprised that the door to the room where I, the emperor, was in was suddenly opened.

As several generals, staff officers, and enlisted men watched, the messenger urgently announced the matter.

“Your Majesty! There is a rebellion! There is a rebellion in Veracruz!”

“Veracruz?”

“Veracruz!”

Voices of confusion echoed throughout the operations headquarters.

I said calmly.

“Calm down and tell me more.”

“Major General Santa Anna has taken Veracruz! He will establish Leandro de Iturbide!”

“···What the hell is that?”

The back of my head felt cold.

Antonio López de Santa Anna.

In the history of the original, he was a man with a strong desire for power who betrayed his father and became president of Mexico nine times. However, in this world, he is one of the representative imperialist generals who was so close to his father that he even exchanged personal letters with him.

‘I didn’t think I was really close with my father, but I thought he was a person who knew how to tell right from wrong.’

But he was not completely at ease. Knowing his lust for power, he prevented him from making military achievements under the pretext of having to defend Veracruz.

My father thought well of him, but I insisted that those who had taken part in the war should be promoted first. This was natural, and it was also to delay Santa Anna’s promotion as much as possible.

In my plan, he was never to return to the central army, but was to retire after defending Veracruz.

“···I’m sorry. It was my fault. I will gladly accept any punishment.”

My silence grew longer, and Director Ricardo asked me to apologize.

It was impossible for the Intelligence Service to monitor everyone in the Empire. How could they possibly anticipate the sudden betrayal of an Imperialist general who had boasted of his father’s personal friendship?

“That’ll be later. For now, we have to take care of the situation. Even if Santa Anna is like that, you’re going to support Leandro? Does that mean that Leandro is going to be the emperor?”

Leandro de Iturbide was the son of my uncle, my father’s brother, Mariano de Iturbide.

He was younger than me, but he was still in his mid to late 30s. How could someone of his age, not someone in his 20s, do such an outrageous thing?

“···”

“Leandro went to Veracruz last week to travel abroad with his family.”

There was no one to answer for Leandro’s outrageous behavior. Only Director Ricardo reported on Leandro and his family’s movements.

“Let’s send troops to Morelia first. To temporarily ‘protect’ the royal family until this situation is over. Not only the Iturbide family, but also the Huarte family.”

“Yes! I will obey your orders!”

The room became a little busy at my command. To protect them. In fact, it was a command to confine them. Not in a prison, but in the huge mansion where they lived.

It’s unlikely that the entire royal family would have joined in on this madness, especially the maternal side. They have absolutely no rights to the imperial power.

However, variables must be blocked. If they do something useless, the situation can get worse.

“Veracruz and Morelia. The two places I felt safest after the capital, where something like this happened.”

His paternal family, the Iturbide family, and his maternal family, the Huarte family, were based in Morelia and owned vast tracts of land. It was an area that could truly be called the royal domain.

My father did not give them power, but instead he gave them great wealth. He built the first subway and a comprehensive university.

It was also one axis of the Las Truchas-Morelia-Mexico City-Veracruz line, which could be called the core industrial region of the Mexican Empire. These four regions were the most important in the entire Mexican Empire.

He was the first to build dams and irrigation facilities, so he must have enjoyed the benefits of being the imperial family. In particular, his maternal family provided financial support to his son-in-law, but his paternal family did not.

I felt my head getting hot.

It was the first time I felt this angry after being in a coma.

“···”

The soldiers in the room continued their operations and worked to carry out my new orders, but I could feel them watching me.

Until just a moment ago, they had been actively communicating information and exchanging opinions in loud voices, but now they were whispering. Even the generals were like that.

They will have never seen me this angry, to the point of blushing.

‘I’ve never been this angry in a war that was much bigger than this…’

Santa Anna and Leandro Iturbide. I was angry with myself for letting my guard down against these two guys.

In particular, didn’t your father warn you to be careful with your family right before the coronation? Afterwards, he ordered the intelligence agency to monitor the royal family’s movements, but it was too reckless.

I tried to collect my emotions. It had already happened. I had no power to turn back time, so I had to deal with it.

I calmed my emotions and asked in a calm voice.

“So, what on earth are you justifying by supporting that guy, Leandro, who is so far behind in the line of succession?”

“He wrote something.”

The messenger knelt before me and politely handed me the document.

‘Plan de Veracruz (Veracruz Plan)’

It was a name I had seen a lot.

In the original history, Santa Anna signed the ‘Plan de Casa Mata’, a plan to overthrow Agustín I, and later the ‘Plan de Veracruz’, a plan to remove the president.

Both could ultimately be said to be for their own power, and the same thing happened in this world.

The content was obvious.

————————————

Veracruz Plan (Veracruz Declaration)

We express our grave concern about the radical and reckless secularization policies of the current Emperor Jerónimo Iturbide.

The Emperor’s policies not only constitute a direct challenge to the Catholic Church and traditional values ​​that are the foundations of our society, but also pose a serious threat to Mexico’s international standing and interests.

We must remember that the Church has long played a central role in Mexican society. It has not only been a moral pillar, but has also made significant contributions to social welfare, including education, health, and charity. However, the Emperor’s policies have ignored these contributions and have sought to forcibly confiscate Church property and neutralize its influence.

Moreover, the Emperor’s secularization policy is causing strong opposition from the Vatican and the Catholic world, especially the Austrian Empire. Even the British Empire, a Protestant nation, is expressing concerns about the confiscation of church property and religious persecution. This is a serious crisis that could lead to diplomatic isolation and economic sanctions for Mexico.

.

.

.

Therefore, we are declaring His Majesty Leandro de Iturbide as the new Emperor in order to restore the legitimacy and honor of Mexico. His Majesty’s courage and sense of justice in standing up to the tyranny of the Emperor, even though he is a member of the royal family, are the true image of a leader who will lead a nation in crisis.

Brothers and sisters of Mexico, now is the time to defend our faith and traditions. We must act according to the will of God and the wisdom of our ancestors. It is our sacred duty to leave to future generations a great Mexico based on Catholic spirit and traditions. Join us in our just cause. God and our country will be with us!

Signed by: Antonio López de Santa Anna

————————————

“I was wondering if you had come up with some kind of ingenious excuse.”

It was more like an excuse to justify his rebellion.

In the original history, when Augustine was brought down, he claimed to be the defender of republicanism, but here he claims to be the defender of faith and tradition. To him, all of this is just a pretext.

“I bet no one but you would have thought that you would be caught without even attempting a rebellion.”

It would have been a pretty annoying rebellion if it had just happened, but since all but Veracruz had failed, his fate was sealed.

***

The start of the rebellion was curious.

Santa Anna’s army was only the size of a division, but it could be considered elite.

The long-trained army moved like his hands and feet, and although it was a provincial army, it received ample support because it was classified as an imperial faction.

While the emperor’s troops, who had been operating throughout the country, returned to Mexico City, Santa Anna’s forces quickly took over the state of Veracruz.

Although some pro-imperial landowners and loyalists resisted, their resistance was largely meaningless in the face of a full-scale army.

The conquest was also aided by General Santa Anna’s considerable influence in the region, due to his long stay in Veracruz.

The problem came next.

“General! What on earth are you talking about? This is no different from what I said before.”

“···”

“Didn’t you say at least eight states would join? And they all failed? That’s why you didn’t say anything? Say something!”

Leandro Iturbide pressed General Santa Anna, relying only on his royal bloodline. General Santa Anna, who was already very irritated, was on the verge of exploding under his urging.

‘This idiot still doesn’t get the point. That’s why I chose him.’

As I resisted the urge to raise my hand and slap him in the ear, Leandro Iturbide, who felt like he was talking to a wall, left the room.

Boom!

Santa Anna swept the things off the desk and kicked the chair over.

“You bastards! You incompetent little shits! How can you not have a single success!”

I thought there was a good chance of success.

That is why the church also refused to touch the emperor and to compromise appropriately.

No matter how you package it, isn’t it a rebellion? You start a rebellion and then you just neutralize the secularization bill and that’s it?

To Santa Anna, this was no different from saying that he wanted to die in retaliation later. The landowner Antonio also agreed with this opinion.

If they were going to rebel, they had to do it properly. That way, even the landlords who weren’t participating right away would join in if the situation looked good. The sooner they got involved, the more they could scrape together.

He thought he would have had a chance if he had only won four of the originally planned eight states.

Once the central army’s attack was withstood, conservatives and Catholic fanatics from all over the country would flock to the port of Veracruz, where supplies, weapons and ammunition would be delivered to the British and Austrian Empires.

That was it, but all eight of the promised states failed, and he ended up rebelling alone. On top of that, Leandro, who was brought in as a puppet, was talking nonsense without knowing the subject, and Santa Anna thought he was going crazy.

“No, no. I waited for you for so long, but it can’t just collapse like this.”

Santa Anna muttered to himself.

The emperor must have been keeping him in check since his days as crown prince, because he had him thrown into the local army and never gave him a chance to participate in the war.

From the beginning of independence until now, he has endured humiliating times in which his juniors, who participated in the war for this very moment, have surpassed him and advanced in rank.

If you hadn’t even tried, the die is cast. You can’t give up now.

Santa Anna took a deep breath.

He straightened his clothes, left the room, and spoke to his subordinates.

“Tell the British Empire that we will never surrender, so give us supplies.”