“This is absurd…”
The republican deputies looked completely bewildered.
For two hours, dozens of legislators had attacked the Crown Prince’s proposal from every possible angle.
Yet the fifteen-year-old prince had answered every objection.
They’re weaker than I expected.
When I argued this through with Agustín I, it took us nearly four hours.
Even if I had been drunk during that strange conversation before my transmigration, I had apparently managed to impress a supernatural being with my ability to argue.
I was reasonably confident in my speaking skills.
Besides, their opposition doesn’t have a strong foundation.
The entire confrontation resembled an ambush.
They had been dragged into debating a proposal they hadn’t prepared for, under enormous public pressure, while I had already spent hours examining the plan with Father.
The advantage was overwhelmingly mine.
When the discussion finally reached a dead end, Agustín I spoke.
“There appears to be nothing more to discuss.
I believe the proposal has been reviewed thoroughly enough.”
The conservative deputies, who had spent most of the debate quietly watching, immediately nodded.
“Indeed.
There’s no reason to waste more time.
Let us proceed to a vote.”
“Agreed.
We’ve heard enough baseless obstruction.”
Hmph.
They stayed quiet until victory was obvious, and now they’re pretending to be loyal supporters.
Agustín I clearly wasn’t impressed by their opportunism either.
Still, support was support.
He accepted it and turned his attention to Rafael Manhino, the presiding officer.
“Rafael Manhino.
Proceed with the vote immediately.
“If you continue inventing unnecessary objections while ignoring the will of the people, I will have no choice but to question your motives.
“A deputy who deliberately obstructs government policy for personal political advantage is not serving Mexico.”
Agustín I stared directly at Rafael.
Rafael’s voice trembled.
“…We will proceed with the vote.”
***
The measure passed.
With both the Emperor and the citizens applying enormous pressure, the republican deputies had little room to resist.
As soon as the vote concluded, Father and I left Congress and examined the preliminary list of properties our subordinates had investigated.
“You’re telling me this amounts to twenty percent of Mexico’s developed land?”
Agustín I stared at the report.
“Is this accurate?”
Colonel Fernando answered.
“Yes, Your Majesty.
“That figure excludes undeveloped land and much of the sparsely settled territory in the north.
“In fact, the percentage has already fallen considerably.
“Before the War of Independence, peninsulares controlled an even larger share of valuable land.
Once the independence struggle began and the political future became uncertain, many sold estates at reduced prices.
“The remaining properties identified for investigation amount to roughly twenty percent of developed holdings by our present estimate.”
“Hmm.
I understand.”
Agustín I nodded.
“I bought some estates cheaply during that period myself.”
I expected the number to be large, but this is astonishing.
A tiny fraction of the population controlled an enormous portion of Mexico’s productive land.
I looked further down the list.
“There are many large estates in Puebla.”
Colonel Fernando nodded.
“Yes, Your Highness.
Several major peninsular landowners in Puebla refused to sell their estates cheaply and were eventually expelled or fled.”
Father gave a dry laugh.
“Of course they refused.
Puebla contains some of the finest agricultural land in Mexico.
“That makes the region especially important.”
“Father, I’ll go to Puebla.”
He immediately turned toward me.
“You?”
“The wealth of Puebla is well known, and everyone knows that several enormous estates there belonged to peninsulares who are no longer present.
“Local political leaders and military commanders will be tempted to seize the assets before the central government can secure them.
“We need someone whose authority they can’t easily ignore.”
“No.
It’s too dangerous.
Fernando can go instead.”
“There are high-ranking officers among the provincial commanders.
Colonel Fernando’s authority alone may be challenged.
“I’ll take soldiers with me.
It shouldn’t be excessively dangerous.”
Father fell silent.
I continued before he could reject the idea.
“Puebla is one of the richest regions on the list.
“The estates there will have enormous warehouses filled with goods.
“If we fail to secure those assets, the government will suffer a serious loss.
“And you know better than anyone that many regional authorities in Mexico act independently of the central government.
“I should go.”
“…Very well.”
Agustín I finally relented.
“But if armed conflict breaks out, you will withdraw immediately and obey the field commander’s instructions.”
“Yes, Father.”
Agustín I dispatched loyal military officers across Mexico to secure confiscated properties.
***
This is exhausting.
Puebla looked close on a map, but the estates we were targeting lay more than a hundred kilometers away.
The operation was urgent, so after only a little sleep, we departed around six in the morning.
Riding for hours in uncomfortable period clothing simply to maintain the dignity expected of a Crown Prince made the journey even worse.
Our first destination was the estate of a man named Don Sebastián.
His property stood at the top of the list.
He possessed an estate of roughly fifty thousand hectares—about 123,000 acres—in Puebla.
The land primarily produced wheat, maize, and sugarcane.
There were also vineyards producing small quantities of high-quality wine.
Most importantly, the estate included a silver mine.
Fifty thousand hectares.
Even a man this wealthy could be swept aside by political upheaval and expelled.
Colonel Fernando and I approached the estate with five hundred soldiers.
Five hundred might not sound like many, but Mexico’s central army itself numbered only in the tens of thousands, and troops had to be dispatched throughout the country simultaneously.
The officers and I rode horses.
Most ordinary soldiers marched on foot.
It took us three days to reach the estate.
“Your Highness,” Colonel Fernando asked, “where would you like to go first—the mansion or the warehouses?”
The estate was so vast that traveling between major facilities could take hours.
“The warehouses first.
There should be more wagons there.”
After another two hours of travel, we finally approached the warehouse district.
Then the uneasy feeling I’d had about distant figures moving around the property was confirmed.
“…Soldiers.”
Uniformed men were moving busily in the distance.
“Damn it.
We need to hurry.”
“From this point onward, forced march!”
What kind of thieves are these?
They’re trying to steal the juiciest part before anyone else arrives.
They’ve got nerve.
As we approached, the other force noticed us and formed ranks.
Two armed groups now faced one another.
The opposing commander shouted first.
“Who is the officer bringing troops onto this estate?”
A general.
Wonderful.
Colonel Fernando rode forward.
“I am Colonel Fernando Mendoza, acting under orders from His Majesty the Emperor.
“I have come to confiscate the property of Don Sebastián, who rejected the authority of independent Mexico.”
The other man answered confidently.
“I am General Javier Paredes, commander responsible for the defense of Puebla.
“I will take charge of these properties and transport what is needed to Mexico City.
“Go secure another estate.”
He’s trying to take everything for himself.
Colonel Fernando’s voice hardened.
“I cannot do that.
“My orders from the Emperor are to secure the property of this estate.”
“I already told you that I’ll handle the Emperor’s order.
“Hand the documents to me and move to another location, Colonel.”
“I refuse.”
General Javier’s expression darkened.
“You refuse?
“This is an order from a superior officer.
“Do you intend to disobey me?”
Time for me to step in.
I rode forward.
“Disarm immediately and follow Colonel Fernando’s orders.”
General Javier frowned.
“And who are you?”
“I am Agustín Jerónimo de Iturbide, eldest son of the Emperor and his representative in this operation.”
I deliberately raised my voice so the soldiers behind him could hear.
Unease immediately spread through their ranks.
General Javier’s face changed.
Through clenched teeth, he said,
“Even the Crown Prince has no right to interfere with military authority!”
“This isn’t a dispute over military authority, General.
“You brought soldiers here without authorization from the imperial government and attempted to seize property now legally claimed by the state.
“That is a crime.
“Order your men to disarm immediately.”
“…Insolent brat.”
General Javier glared at me.
The atmosphere tightened.
Both sides were seconds away from violence.
“Prepare weapons.”
Colonel Fernando calmly ordered our soldiers into firing positions.
Clack!
The enemy had more men than we did—perhaps eight hundred.
But our equipment and discipline were clearly superior.
They look like recruits.
Probably raised illegally or in haste.
Half of them don’t even have proper firearms.
Judging by their formation, our troops have the advantage.
I was still evaluating the situation when General Javier suddenly shouted,
“Fire!”
“Damn it!”
This man is insane.
I hadn’t expected him to choose battle under these circumstances.
Fortunately, flintlock weapons were slow enough that I had time to react.
I threw myself from the horse and took cover behind a wagon.
I nearly died barely a week after taking over this body.
BANG!
“Return fire!”
“Your Highness, withdraw to the rear!”
Colonel Fernando shouted over the gunfire.
“Lieutenant Manuel!
Take His Highness to the rear!”
Our troops began firing back.
“My apologies, Your Highness!”
A lieutenant seized my arm and practically dragged me away from the fighting.
Gunfire cracked across the estate.
Enemy recruits armed with spears and other weapons surged forward while muskets thundered from both sides.
They may think numerical superiority is enough to win.
But even if they win, what exactly is their plan afterward?
Did Javier think at all before starting this?
At first glance, our situation wasn’t terrible.
But neither were we crushing them.
Our soldiers were better armed and trained, but this was the early nineteenth century.
We didn’t have automatic rifles or machine guns capable of mowing down an attacking formation in seconds.
If this continues, both sides are going to suffer terrible casualties.
What can I do?
I had promised Father I wouldn’t participate directly in combat.
But I couldn’t simply stand there while hundreds of men slaughtered one another.
Then I remembered.
The cannons.
We brought two cannons.
Agustín I had insisted we bring them as a precaution.
They were positioned in the rear.
I hurriedly searched until I spotted two wheeled bronze field pieces.
Powder and ammunition were stored in a wagon nearby.
But how do I fire one of these?
While I stared at the cannon, someone approached.
“I was looking for the artillery, but it seems Your Highness found it first.”
I turned.
It was Lieutenant Manuel—the officer who had dragged me away from the front before disappearing.
“I’m relieved I wasn’t the only person who thought of the cannons.
I would’ve been disappointed if it took much longer.
“Do you know how to fire this?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Good.
Manuel immediately gathered several soldiers and began preparing the cannon.
I helped them move it.
This body had been well fed and raised in comfort, so it was surprisingly strong.
We dragged the cannon toward elevated ground to obtain a better firing angle.
From there, I could see the battlefield.
Dozens of men had already fallen on both sides.
Lieutenant Manuel worked quickly.
“Load!”
“Loading!”
“Wait.”
I stopped him.
“Lieutenant Manuel, what is the effective range of this cannon?
“Can we hit the enemy command position in the rear?”
The enemy officers stood exposed behind their lines, boldly directing the battle.
“Yes, Your Highness.
The fighting began at relatively short range.
They’re well within reach.”
“Then don’t fire into the soldiers.
“Aim for the commanders.”
Manuel hesitated.
“…We might miss.”
“The distance is short, according to you.
Accuracy shouldn’t deteriorate too badly.
“Take your time and fire one careful shot.
“If it misses, then we can immediately redirect the cannon against the enemy formation.
We lose very little by trying once.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Following my suggestion, Manuel cleared unnecessary men away from the piece.
Sweat ran down his face as he personally adjusted the aim.
“Ready!”
The crew completed its preparations.
“Ready!”
“Fire!”
“Fire!”
BOOM!
The cannon roared.
The projectile tore across the battlefield toward the enemy command position.
The opposing officers, occupied with directing their troops, seemed to notice the cannon only at the last moment.
They visibly froze.
Oh.
The angle looks good.
“Huh?”
“Aaaagh!
General!”
“Damn it!”
The shot struck General Javier directly in the chest.
The commander disappeared in a horrific burst of blood and flesh.
The effect was immediate.
The officers surrounding him surrendered.
Although we had brought only two cannons, their appearance completely changed the balance of a battle that had previously been fairly even.
The enemy officers had no desire to continue fighting a hopeless battle and die the same way as their commander.
We captured the officers.
The surviving enemy soldiers received treatment and were later put to work helping secure the confiscated property.
Our side suffered thirty dead and seventy wounded.
The opposing force lost roughly ninety men, with another hundred and forty wounded.
I decided that once we returned, I would discuss compensation for the families of our dead with Father.
Still, even with more than a thousand men available now, we don’t have enough people.
I badly underestimated the scale of this estate.
We also lacked wagons and horses.
Soldiers could build crude carts on site, but without enough draft animals, men themselves would have to pull some of them.
Transport will be painfully slow.
We can’t take everything back at once.
The warehouse complex of a landowner controlling fifty thousand hectares was enormous.
Eight major warehouses, each covering thousands of square meters, stood near the center of the estate.
Dozens of smaller storage buildings were scattered across the surrounding land.
People starve in this era, yet grain is rotting here because there’s too much to store properly.
It was a brutal illustration of Mexico’s inequality.
A small number of great landowners and powerful institutions controlled vast amounts of productive land.
At this point, Mexico is barely different from a feudal state.
“Leave the agricultural tools and seed grain here,” I ordered.
“The farms will continue operating under government administration.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Don Sebastián’s warehouses contained enormous quantities of grain.
There was also silver from the estate’s mine and a considerable stock of wine.
Those assets alone made the expedition worthwhile.
But the mansion was even more astonishing.
“It looks like he left in a hurry.”
“Yes, Your Highness.
It certainly seems that way.”
We found little gold or jewelry, suggesting the owner had taken the easiest valuables with him.
Even so, the mansion contained an extraordinary amount of wealth.
Silverware.
Coins.
Property deeds.
Contracts.
Expensive furniture.
Books.
Wine.
Weapons.
Works of art.
Carriages.
Wagons.
The list seemed endless.
I turned to Colonel Fernando.
“Please keep the soldiers under strict control.
“I’ll make sure they receive rewards, but tell them not to take anything for themselves.”
“Don’t worry, Your Highness.
“When we return to the capital, I’ll have the enlisted men inspected thoroughly before they leave formation.
“The officers may be more troublesome, but I’ll personally keep an eye on them.”
“…Understood.”
I looked around at the mountain of property still waiting to be catalogued.
“Let’s spend three more days organizing everything.
“After that, we’ll return to Mexico City and bring back more personnel.”
Unlike General Javier, who charged ahead without thinking and got himself killed, I’m starting to understand why Agustín I values Colonel Fernando so highly.
For the next three days, I worked almost without rest, supervising the recovery and organization of the confiscated goods.
At last, it was time to return to the capital with the first shipment.
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