April 6, 1814. Six months since Napoleon had signed the Treaty of Frankfurt where the coalitions had ceased all hostilities against the French Empire.
The French had been reduced to its natural frontiers. Though it had been a great loss from Napoleon as he had conquered a huge swathes of lands, for Alfred, or rather, Napoleon II, this was still a win for him.
After all he remembered the worst outcome of the war, where Napoleon would be exiled. In this timeline, it didn't happen, he had changed the course of history and from here on out, he's on his own. He doesn't know what future awaits this timeline but this is going to be a timeline where he'll succeed to have the best second chance in life.
Currently, he is in the Map Hall of the Tuileris Palace. It's a hall where a huge map of Europe was drawn on canvas often used in sails or tents. It was laid flat on the floor where he stood before it, gazing at the new map of Europe.
He then turned towards the door where it was being opened by Napoleon. He closed the door behind him, and there were only two of them here.
"No one is going to hear what we are going to discuss here my son," Napoleon said as he walked over to him. He glanced at the map and there was a wistful expression in his eyes.
"This discussion of ours is important and I don't want any servants panicking from a fluently speaking third year old child," Napoleon II responded with a chuckle, though he noticed the wistful gaze in his eyes.
"Are you sad that you lost much of your territory?"
"Any conqueror would be my son…" Napoleon simply stated.
"Why do you call me son? You are aware that I am a different person reborn as a child."
Napoleon did not answer at once.
He kept his eyes on the canvas map, its painted rivers and borders illuminated by the afternoon sun filtering through the tall windows. His hands were clasped behind his back, an old habit, one Alfred had come to recognize as Napoleon's way of steadying himself before speaking truth.
At last, he said quietly:
"Because you carry his face. His name. His blood. And because, different soul or not, you are still my heir."
Napoleon II blinked. "Even if I am not… truly him?"
"My son by fate or by the whims of heaven—what does it matter? You stand where he stood. You speak with a mind far older than your years, and that mind is now pledged to the future of France." He turned slightly, giving Alfred a rare, genuine smile. "For that alone, you are my son."
Napoleon II looked down at the map again.
"Very well…father."
"So, what do you want to discuss?"
"Well father, I must say I am delighted to hear that you have enacted some of the reforms that I suggested to you," Napoleon II said.
The reforms that he was talking about were military reforms where since France is not at war with the coalition, or a state of war doesn't exist now, there was no reason for France to still hold such an oversized wartime force.
"It was a difficult order to give," the Emperor admitted. "Discharging veterans, reducing regiments, merging depleted battalions… The army is the spine of France. To shrink it feels like cutting muscle."
"I understand your feelings, but keeping a huge size would be just as throwing the money away where we could use it to somewhere else. Besides, you have done well with coordinating it with the Veterans Affairs where they'll be given land, pensions, and other benefits. Also our economy is caput due to a decade long war."
"Yes. The treasury reports are… sobering," he admitted. "Berthier and Gaudin informed me that our reserves are at their lowest since the Consulate. Tax revenues collapsed after Russia. Trade is only now beginning to recover. France breathes, but shallowly."
Napoleon II nodded.
"Speaking of the economic reforms, how is it going?"
Napoleon took a few steps around the canvas map, boots brushing over the painted Rhine. His hands slipped behind his back again.
"We have begun trimming expenditures," he said. "Suspended several naval constructions, paused roadworks that lead nowhere strategic, reduced court spending. Gaudin proposes a modest increase in indirect taxes."
Napoleon II made a face.
"That will only anger the public."
Napoleon stopped walking.
"You disagree?"
"I do," Napoleon II said plainly. "Raising taxes is the response of a government with no creativity. We must stabilize confidence first, not bleed the people more. A nation fears taxation more than war."
Napoleon arched a brow. "Then speak, my son. What would you propose instead?"
Napoleon II walked across the canvas, stopping on the painted outline of Paris.
"First: restore credit. France cannot recover if merchants fear lending. In the other timeline, the collapse of trust destroyed entire industries. We must force confidence back into the system."
Napoleon folded his arms. "And how do we do that?"
"By guaranteeing certain loans. Not all—just those for rebuilding workshops, farms, and mills. If the state backs them, even partially, banks will start lending again. Industry will revive."
Napoleon mulled that over. "A guarantee fund… expensive."
"But cheaper," Napoleon II countered, "than letting factories close."
He continued before Napoleon could interrupt.
"Second: simplify tariffs. Our customs system is a maze. Merchants waste days and bribe inspectors because nothing is uniform. If we streamline tariffs into a clear schedule—per weight, per good type—trade will speed up, and the treasury will earn more even without raising rates."
Napoleon blinked. "You speak as though you've run a ministry."
"I speak as someone who has lived in a world built on rational systems," Alfred replied. "The simpler the rules, the fewer the thieves."
Napoleon huffed a short laugh.
"Go on."
"Third: a national bond program."
Napoleon's eyebrows rose. "Bonds?"
"Yes—small denominations, available to citizens. You must let the people invest in the empire. If they feel personally tied to France's recovery, they will support it. Besides, a successful bond program restores faith in the government faster than speeches."
Napoleon tilted his head. "The Bank of France will approve; they prefer internal financing over foreign loans. But what do we offer the citizens in return?"
"Interest," Napoleon II replied simply. "Modest but reliable. Paid annually. The public will flock to it."
Napoleon nodded slowly. "This has merit."
Napoleon II held up a fourth finger.
"Fourth: subsidize food prices temporarily. Not heavily—just enough to keep bread affordable this year. After years of war, the people are exhausted. Give them stability in their stomachs, and they will give you stability in the streets."
Napoleon's eyes softened. "I knew hunger could topple kingdoms, but hearing it from a child still surprises me."
"I'm not a child," Napoleon II said dryly. "I only look like one."
Napoleon continued listening.
"Fifth: infrastructure priorities. Only focus on what produces returns. Canals. Roads connecting industrial regions. Bridges that shorten travel time. Every livre should circulate through the economy, not stagnate in decoration."
Napoleon muttered, "So no new palaces."
"Not until the treasury has teeth again. And speaking of industry, it's time that we dived into that."