The Military Nobility were well aware that if they failed to suppress the Royal Family through the uprising, they would inevitably face backlash.
Previously, they had hoped to negotiate with the Royal Family, leveraging the fact that the Royal Family was heavily reliant on them, given their lack of soldiers.
However, this time the Crown Prince had led the troops with the force of thunder to crush Marquis de Saint-Veran, who barely held out for a little over an hour–well, by the time the news reached them, it had “shrunk” to a little over an hour.
Having an elite force so powerful meant that their value in the eyes of the Royal Family had plummeted.
They had been extremely anxious for days, until they learned from Marquis of Lucenay that the punishments from the Royal Family were not too severe, and only then did they breathe a sigh of relief.
In that case, there was no point in waiting for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to bring tens of thousands of troops to their doorsteps for a “knock on each one.” It was better to take the initiative and admit their mistakes to the Crown Prince, which would at least show their sincere attitude.
Joseph was happy to have them come forward. Although this meant missing the chance to showcase the might of the Guard Corps in the southern provinces, it saved him a lot of time for his subsequent plans.
After dealing with these few, Joseph then decided to station himself in Reyon.
In the following days, all the officers involved in the palace coercion incident rushed to “report” one after another, as if they feared the Royal Family would change their minds if they arrived too late.
And they all received the same treatment as the Marquis of Lucenay had hoped for.
With this, Joseph had essentially completed his control over the main armies of more than ten provinces in the west and south–according to the organization, there should be a total of 110,000 soldiers, but in reality, there were just over 80,000.
Although it was certain that these armies couldn’t be directed with absolute precision, at least there would not be any non-compliance with orders.
With the earliest clear-sighted “defectors” like Duke of Broglie and other northern officers, the deep-seated issue of the Military Nobility monopolizing the army was finally addressed.
The most significant import of this was that it had won time and a lenient environment for Joseph’s military reforms.
When the reforms were complete, France would possess a strong, modernized army, while the old feudal forces could be tossed into the trash heap.
Joseph left the Guard Corps in Reyon to deter the newly subdued troops. Until the official delegation of the Military Nobility arrived at the Palace of Versailles to submit to the King, it was still necessary to guard against them harboring other schemes.
Meanwhile, Joseph traveled north by carriage overnight, returning to the Palace of Versailles. Soon, that would become his main battlefield.
Before he set off, a series of secret orders were already sent to the Police Affairs Department and people like Mirabeau.
A few days later, in the southern provinces, the long-prepared special agents of the Police Affairs Department received their instructions and immediately sprang into action.
And simultaneously, many of the rising nobility assigned by people like Mirabeau also took to the streets in coordination with them.
A massive storm, personally instigated by Joseph, was about to sweep across France.
…
Your journey continues with empire
The Palace of Versailles.
The northern hall, Hague Hall.
After Marquis of Lucenay bowed and retreated from the hall, Joseph whispered a few words with Louis XVI and Queen Mary and then, yawning, left the hall through a side door.
Having sat in a carriage for four days straight, on top of the previous rushing about with troops, he was truly too exhausted to carry on. He might as well avoid these ceremonial occasions when he could.
Outside the hall, the dense crowd of nobility watching his departure had a newfound hint of fear in their eyes.
People whispered among themselves, “Have you heard? The Moncalm Legion staged a rebellion, but was crushed by the Crown Prince with the Paris Police!”
“Oh, I’m afraid your information might not be very accurate. The main force was Bertier’s Corps, the police were just assistants…”
“Ha, but the police were the first to break through the rebels’ defense lines!”
“Well, either way, the Crown Prince defeated the rebels in just half an hour and captured the Marquis de Saint-Veran.”
“Speaking of which, why did the Marquis de Saint-Veran suddenly rebel?”
“It’s not entirely clear, but it seems to be related to the uprising in the south. It’s said that he was supporting the uprising.”
“Good Lord!” The person made the sign of the cross on their chest, “It’s simply terrible! A nobleman of his stature involved with the uprising…”
Indeed, in the minds of most people in Paris and the northern provinces, the southern uprising was not over. But the Crown Prince had already cut off the hidden hand behind the uprising, namely the Marquis de Saint-Veran.
“Thump—”
The Ceremonial Officer banged the end of his staff heavily on the ground and proclaimed loudly, “General Morneau is granted an audience.”
After that came a deep-sounding horn call.
General Morneau straightened his collar and followed court officials through a double line of guards and then passed through two large doors to enter the Hague Hall.
He strode to the middle of the grand hall to discover that only the King and Queen Mary were sitting across from him; the Crown Prince was not there, which somewhat relieved the pressure he felt.
He knelt on one knee and exclaimed loudly, “Your Majesty, I offer my deepest apologies for my recklessness and haste, and I beseech you, with your supreme benevolence, to forgive my mistakes. I swear before God that I will forever remain loyal to you, serving as Your most humble servant…”
After he rattled on for a while, Queen Mary raised her hand to signal him to rise: “You still hold the trust of His Majesty the King and mine, General.”
“Thank you for your leniency…”
General Morneau gave another heartfelt statement, then bowed his head and exited the hall.
Subsequently, the Ceremonial Officer called the next military officer for an audience. At that moment, seventy to eighty mid-to-high-ranking officers were still waiting outside the hall, all ready to confess their mistakes and pledge loyalty to the King.
Queen Mary, peering through the door panels at the officers outside the hall, whispered to her husband, “It’s hard to believe that Joseph, with just a band of police officers, could make these proud generals so submissive.”
“He is a child of divine favor,” Louis XVI made the sign of the cross over his chest, his expression proud, “I’ve always known he will be one of the greatest kings!”
Queen Mary’s brow furrowed slightly, “Speaking of which, he’s been following the troops into battle lately… Isn’t that too dangerous?”
Louis XVI smiled, “No, the battlefield is the best stage for a boy.”
He suddenly leaned into the Queen’s ear, speaking in a bragging whisper, “Do you know, the gun Joseph used to defeat the rebels was one we made together…”
The officers’ audience ceremony lasted an entire day.
Those military high-rankers apologized to the King one by one in front of numerous nobles of the Palace of Versailles. This process greatly enhanced the image of the Royal Family, and further strengthened the authority of the monarchy.
At the evening banquet, nearly everyone’s discussions revolved around the rebellion and the uprising in the south.
Mirabeau leaned towards several young nobles sitting beside him and said in a grave whisper, “We must deeply reflect on this rebellion. Who is it, or which unreasonable system, that drives people into the desperation of starvation?”