**Chapter 46**
**Harbors and Shipyards (2)**
Winter of 1832.
It's been a year since I got engaged to Cecilia, and after a long preparation, the wedding ceremony began.
"Congratulations."
"Congratulations, son."
My father and mother congratulated me.
They looked genuinely happy. My mother especially looked like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
"They seem genuinely happy."
This year marks exactly 10 years since I was reincarnated.
It's also been 10 years since Mexico became independent, and I, who was 15 years old, am now 25.
My father and mother, who were 39 and 36 at the time, are now 49 and 46, and their faces have aged noticeably.
I felt a pang of emotion.
"Hmm?"
"Oh, son!"
Maybe it's because it's my wedding day, but I felt emotional and hugged my father and mother.
They both looked like they didn't dislike it.
They aren't my real parents, but a bond I formed through reincarnation, but they've helped me a lot.
My father, Agustin I, was especially unexpected.
My ability to do things would have been very different depending on what kind of person he was, but he supported most of what I wanted to do.
From the conversations I had with him from time to time, I felt that he valued the "family" more than the "power" itself that he held.
Since I, his eldest son and heir, was successful in everything I did, there was no need to stop me.
"It's fortunate that he's not the type who thinks that power can't be shared even with his children. If that were the case, I might not have been able to do anything."
"Ahem... Brother, we're here too."
Since it was a major event, the Crown Prince's wedding, all my siblings, who had been too busy to even talk to me, were present.
The one who just spoke was my younger brother, Angel.
He's nine years younger than me, so he's 16.
In the original timeline, he would marry an American citizen and live with her.
"Ahem. Honestly, it's a little awkward."
I'm a little lost for words in front of eight siblings I'm not close to. Four younger brothers and four younger sisters.
"Thank you all for coming."
"Of course!"
"Congratulations, brother!"
They all congratulate me with bright smiles, probably because the family atmosphere is harmonious.
"You guys."
Seeing them looking at me with sparkling eyes, strange words suddenly popped out of my mouth.
"···Should I give you some allowance?"
"Huh?"
"Suddenly?"
I just gave them allowance out of the blue.
***
The actual ceremony began.
The location was Chapultepec Castle (Castillo de Chapultepec), located on top of a hill in Chapultepec Park in Mexico City.
The wedding ceremony, the first and last in my entire life, both past and present, was held in a wedding hall filled with large and extravagant floral arrangements, filled with Mexican native flowers like dahlias and marigolds.
"In the name of God, on this holy day, we gather to celebrate the union of two souls. Today, our Crown Prince and his beloved fiancée, through vows of love and loyalty, become one. Their union is not merely a meeting of two people, but symbolizes the hope and future of our nation and our people."
Francisco Pablo Vázquez, the Archbishop of Mexico, seems to be giving the sermon, but I can't hear him.
I could only see Cecilia, who would become my wife. Her beauty was breathtaking.
"She's beautiful."
"···Thank you. You're handsome too."
I met Cecilia when she was 18 years old, and a year has passed. It's now winter, when she's 19.
"···In the name of God, before all the people of this land, I bless their union and pray for the prosperity and happiness of our country. I pray that their marriage will be a symbol of eternal love and devotion."
The Archbishop's sermon continued, but I was mesmerized by Cecilia's beauty.
I snapped out of it and it was over.
"I don't know how it went by."
***
Many people attended the wedding.
"Your Majesty, congratulations on your marriage."
It was a long time dealing with domestic members of Congress, who came to show their faces and give ceremonial congratulations, and diplomats from various countries like Britain and France.
"Thank you for inviting me, Your Majesty."
"It goes without saying. I'm grateful that you came."
I also invited the CEOs who were running my companies.
"Your Majesty, you're getting married a bit late, aren't you?"
"Lorenzo, what kind of way to talk is that?"
"Ahem. It's okay. Eduardo."
I also invited my military academy classmates.
Lorenzo and Eduardo had already found their partners and gotten married a few years ago.
I also met many people I had connections with, including Major Manuel, who had been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, but not everyone was giving me friendly greetings.
"Your Majesty, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Lieutenant Colonel Antonio López de Santa Anna. Congratulations on your marriage."
"He's the one Father told me about. Thank you for coming."
General Santa Anna, who could be considered Mexico's number one target, was also present.
"Hmm, do I need to be so wary of him anymore?"
It's been about eight years since the Mexican Empire entered a period of stability.
If I don't let him achieve too much credit, he could be a useful tool.
After greeting General Santa Anna, I had a moment to breathe, but another man approached me.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty. My name is Anthony Butler from the United States. Thank you for inviting me to your wedding, Crown Prince. I hope this occasion will strengthen the friendship and cooperation between our two nations."
"He talks like a diplomat."
"Thank you, Ambassador. I believe it's important for our two countries to understand and cooperate with each other."
"So, don't do anything stupid."
"I completely agree with you, Crown Prince. In fact, in the spirit of this cooperation, I would like to propose a discussion about the Texas region. We believe that this region is of great importance to both our countries, and we would like to explore ways to work together for the benefit of both our countries."
"What kind of nonsense is this?"
I just warned him not to do anything stupid, and here he is, talking nonsense with a brazen face, the American ambassador.
"···Texas?"
In this world, as in the original timeline, President John Adams of the United States in 1827 and President Andrew Jackson in 1829 proposed the purchase of Texas.
The difference was the price. President John Adams, who originally offered $1 million, offered $3 million, and President Andrew Jackson, who offered $5 million, offered $7.5 million.
"Are you going to sell it?"
It's practically a proposal to sell the country.
"I would like to buy the entire Texas for $10 million. What do you say?"
"···Why are you telling me this?"
"The Mexican Empire's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is too tough. But isn't the Empire the Imperial family's? If you accept this proposal, I'll give you $5 million personally, Crown Prince."
It was a typical American move, trying to buy Texas by bribing Santa Anna, who had seized power in this timeline as well.
He might think it's a radical proposal, but he doesn't seem to have done any research, or maybe he just doesn't care, about how rich I am.
"I'll think about it if you give me $100 million personally."
"You mean $100 million?"
"That's my way of saying no. Don't make that proposal again."
"···I'm sorry."
Seeing the American bastards' audacity in coming to someone else's wedding and openly showing their territorial greed, I made up my mind again.
"Let's kill America. America is my enemy."
A clash with America is an inevitable fate.
***
March 1833.
The wedding was over, and I finally had a chance to relax.
Time flies by like a dream, reminding me of my memories of going on leave from the army in my previous life.
I brought my father, the Minister of Finance, and the Imperial Party members to Morelia to show them the completed dam and irrigation facilities.
"I was wondering what it was... It's truly a magnificent sight."
"Yes, Father. It will be excellent for flood prevention and agricultural water supply."
I said, walking along the top of the Coinzío Dam. The dam has various functions besides flood prevention and agricultural water supply, such as drinking water supply, water quality improvement, leisure activities, and ecosystem protection and restoration, but they are ambiguous functions to appeal to people of this era.
"Let's go see the irrigation system now. The pump is installed here at the dam."
It wasn't the actual planting season yet, but we could still demonstrate.
I operated the steam-driven pump that had been prepared beforehand.
Hiss!
A sound like a giant breathing began with the operation of the steam pump.
The sound of water being sucked into the huge pipeline connected to the steam pump was clearly audible.
The water soon began to flow through the pipeline and fill the vast farm owned by the Imperial family, which stretched far away.
"You can see over there."
The farms around here are all owned by the Imperial family, so you can see them from afar.
"Wow! The water really flows all the way over there."
"It's easy to supply water unless there's a really severe drought."
The Minister of Finance and the members of Congress were impressed.
In the absence of modern irrigation facilities, farms had to rely on rain for water.
Some places used canals or waterwheels, but they weren't common methods before modern methods were developed because they were heavily dependent on environmental factors.
This irrigation system could completely solve these problems.
"By being able to supply water to the farms stably, we can significantly improve agricultural productivity. It will also help us grow various crops that were difficult to grow before."
I explained the effectiveness of the irrigation system to the Minister of Finance and the members of Congress.
The Minister of Finance is the one who will place orders for the national farms, and the members of Congress will have to place orders for their own large farms.
"Your Majesty, can we make a decision after seeing how much production increases?"
"Hmm, so they want to make a decision after seeing the results. That's fine. The results will be good."
It's not something that can be rushed. I'm already overloaded with work, so there's no need to rush to get orders.
We took the train back to Mexico City. Just as I was about to relax, my father called me.
"Father, did you call me?"
"It seems like you want to introduce the dam and irrigation system quickly. I'll let you do that, but there's something you need to do."
My father now gets straight to the point.
"What is it?"
"Ahem. Didn't you bring shipbuilders from Spain?"
It's been a little over four years now.
"Yes, Father."
"They say we can't build warships without a proper shipyard, so we're building one with a budget, but they say it's not progressing well. You seem to be skilled in construction, so I'd appreciate it if you could help."
I thought the shipbuilding would be fine since I got the technicians and the money, so I wasn't paying attention.
"Sigh. Can't things just work out on their own?"
The Mexican Empire has absolutely no know-how in shipbuilding.
Spain wasn't stupid either, so they didn't let their colonies build up naval power.
It's impossible to suddenly develop know-how that didn't exist just because you become independent. That's why I brought shipbuilders from Spain, but I thought they would be able to build a shipyard on their own. I guess that was my wishful thinking.
This damn Mexican Empire requires me to do everything myself. I need to take care of the Comanche tribe, and I need to take care of the Maya.
"There's no choice."
Strengthening the navy is just as important.
"Yes, Father."
I'm a little sad that I have to do something I thought would work out on its own, but it's time to lay the foundation for strengthening the navy.
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