In this series of tasks, the first few were completed very smoothly.
For example, the Paris Police Academy had converted most of Joseph's estate into a training ground and purchased several acres of surrounding land, making it the largest military and police training facility in France. However, there was still a severe shortage of teaching staff.
The new Minister of War, Duke de Broglie—a seasoned noble who had fully committed to the royal cause after his promotion—managed to convince so of his old colleagues and subordinates to teach at the academy. Yet, for the current scale of the academy, it was rely a drop in the ocean.
According to Duke de Broglie, other military nobles still harbored the illusion that the royal forces were insufficient to handle all potential troubles, and that the Crown would eventually have to turn to them for help. Thus, they continued to sit on the fence.
Joseph rubbed the armrest of his chair, frowning slightly. These hereditary officers were indeed "stubborn." It seed that he needed to keep a closer eye on this matter. Although his long-term plan was to have his newly trained army carry the burden of France's military duties, leaving the old forces to retire peacefully, it didn't an he would abandon the valuable resources cultivated by France's traditional army over the decades.
In particular, mid-level officers and cavalry—those who required substantial resources and ti to train—needed to be integrated into the Royal Guard whenever possible.
Historically, because the French Revolution either executed or drove away many noble officers from the old army, Napoleon's cavalry was mostly composed of undertrained commoners. Cavalry is a unit best ford from those who have been riding since childhood, sothing that impoverished peasants simply couldn't do. This made Napoleon's cavalry notoriously unreliable, relying only on the revolutionary zeal and reckless courage of its mbers to maintain battlefield presence.
If Napoleon had had an elite cavalry composed of nobles, he might not have turned the tide completely but could have resisted the encirclent for a few more years.
Joseph wasn't too worried about recruiting talent from the old nobility. Soldiers, by nature, are passionate, and those lacking this trait were of no interest to him anyway. The key was to ignite that passion, earning their respect and loyalty to the Royal Guard, so they would be eager to join.
After sketching out a plan to recruit noble officers, Joseph finally reached the last part of the General Staff's report. It was a list of individuals who had distinguished themselves during the recent uprisings, complete with their backgrounds and the reasons for their comndations.
Most were from the Royal Guard, with so from the Moulins Corps and the Paris Corps. However, what intrigued Joseph most was the inclusion of a few nas from the old army.
One na, in particular, stood out: Captain Marc-Dimitri Barbier, who had bravely defended the town hall when rebels tried to burn it down in the Vendée. And then there was Lieutenant Napoleon Buonaparte, who led 50 n in the town of Amné and faced off against nearly 500 rioters, eventually dispersing them.
Joseph froze for a mont upon reading this. The na "Napoleon" was rare, and there shouldn't be many people with that na. However, this man's last na wasn't "Bonaparte." Quickly, Joseph pulled out the accompanying file, which read: Napoleon Buonaparte, born on August 15, 1769, in Ajaccio, Corsica. His father, Carlo Maria di Buonaparte, was a Corsican noble… He had four brothers… In 1784, he entered the Paris Military School, graduating early in 1785… Currently serving as the second lieutenant of the La Fère Artillery Regint stationed in Valence.
Joseph's breathing quickened. If it were just the na, it could be a coincidence, but the training period, family background, and even the father's na all matched perfectly. This had to be Napoleon, the future emperor!
Yet, Joseph was puzzled. Why was Napoleon's last na spelled "Buonaparte"? No wonder his search for "Napoleon Bonaparte" across France had yielded no results—the last na was different!
But regardless, finding Napoleon, especially when France needed to expand its overseas interests, was an incredibly positive developnt! With Napoleon by his side, Joseph's confidence in leading France to dominate Europe instantly soared.
As the convoy halted in Vitrolles, Joseph imdiately handed Napoleon's file to Eymond, instructing him to send soone to Valence to summon the young officer.
While Eymond was dispatching the ssenger, Joseph suddenly rembered that the General Staff had ordered the Montpellier troops to Tunisia. Valence fell under the Montpellier district, so it was possible that Napoleon had been deployed with them.
He quickly told Eymond to leave a few n at Toulon to search for Napoleon among the troops heading to Tunisia—they would certainly pass through Toulon to board ships.
To Joseph's surprise, the ssenger returned the next afternoon, reporting that he had encountered the troops south of Montpellier and that Lieutenant Buonaparte was indeed among them.
By 8 p.m. that evening, the door to Joseph's temporary residence was knocked. Eymond spoke softly from outside, "Your Highness, Lieutenant Buonaparte is here to see you."
Joseph imdiately felt a surge of excitent. "Quick, bring him in."
The door opened, and a young man in a white uniform, with a slightly lean face, a prominent nose, and blue eyes filled with nervousness, walked in quickly. He stood beside Eymond, looking a bit awkward and unsure of himself.
It wasn't until Eymond cleared his throat that the young officer hastily removed his hat and bowed. "It is a great honor to be summoned by you, Your Highness…"
Joseph stepped forward, returning the bow. "You are a hero for defending against the riots; there's no need to be so formal."
He observed the young Napoleon, noting that he wasn't as portly as commonly depicted in portraits, but the facial features were unmistakably similar.
Pausing, Joseph cautiously asked, "Do you have an older brother nad Joseph and younger brothers nad Lucien and Louis?"
Napoleon seed surprised that the prince knew so much about his family. He nodded quickly, adding, "And my youngest brother is Jérô, Your Highness."
"Then it's certain," Joseph thought. He pulled Napoleon to sit beside him on the sofa, casually inquiring, "How is your mother? The vineyard must be keeping her busy."
Napoleon nodded instinctively. "Yes, Your Highness. She's well, though the vineyard doesn't hire many workers to keep costs down…"
Joseph gestured to the teacups on the table and smiled at the artillery lieutenant. "I greatly admire your courage at Amné. In fact, I would like to invite you to join the Royal Guard. Given your recent achievents, you would be promoted to Captain and take command of an artillery company. What do you say?"
(End of Chapter)
Friends, if you want to read chapters in advance, subscribe to my patreon.
User Comments
0 comments from readers