Napoleon was clearly not expecting the Crown Prince to seek him out for this matter. He was stunned for a moment before hurriedly rising to his feet and placing his hand over his chest, “I am most honored, Your Highness. I mean, of course I would like to join the Royal Guards!”
Joseph observed the man before him who would once cause a storm across Europe and couldn’t help but find the nervous and restrained demeanor of Napoleon in his presence rather amusing.
He had anticipated that the young Napoleon would not refuse his offer at this time, given that his family vineyard in Corsica was deeply in debt and desperately needed him to earn money to support the household.
Joseph was about to encourage Napoleon further in order to foster a closer relationship when he saw Napoleon blush as if mustering courage and say, “Your Highness, however, I have a request, and I hope you can grant it.”
“Oh? Please speak.”
“Well, I need to take a leave of absence for four to five months each year to return to Corsica…” Napoleon apparently knew that the military discipline of the Royal Guards was certainly very strict, and it would be difficult for him to take leave as freely as he had in Valence, so he brought it up directly.
“As you know, my health isn’t very good, and I must receive regular treatment. Besides, the family vineyard also needs me to go back and help take care of it…”
Joseph’s eyes narrowed slightly, thinking to himself that apart from hemorrhoids, Napoleon was not known to have any serious illness. So what was he doing going back to Corsica every year?
Suddenly, he remembered that at this time Napoleon was still a staunch believer in Corsican independence and was often secretly involved in political activities under the call of the Corsican independence movement leader, Pascal Paoli.
Historically, Napoleon had served in the military for four years before the great destiny, of which nearly three years were spent on leave, participating in these activities in Corsica. Thanks to the chaotic management of the French old army at that time, no one noticed this…
Joseph sighed to himself, realizing that it wasn’t ideal for Napoleon to have his body in one place and his heart in another, and that it was important to dispel his thoughts of Corsican independence as soon as possible.
However, this matter couldn’t be rushed, as it could very well backfire. Young people in their twenties could be rebellious, and if Napoleon were to be pushed too hard, he might become even more committed to Corsican independence and turn against France, which would be a real mess.
Therefore, it was necessary to secure Napoleon’s loyalty and build a good relationship first; the rest could be dealt with later.
So, Joseph nodded very graciously, “Your health is of utmost importance, and taking leave, of course, can be arranged. As for your vineyard back home, I have some friends in Bordeaux who might be able to lend a hand in managing it.”
Napoleon had originally thought it would be quite generous of the Crown Prince to grant him one or two months of leave per year and was taken aback when his request was readily agreed upon.
Listening to the Crown Prince’s caring words warmed his heart, and he quickly bowed again, “Thank you for your kindness and understanding. My brothers and I can manage the vineyard.
“Oh, I will definitely fight with all my might for the Royal Guards and honor you with my military achievements!”
With Napoleon “in his pocket,” Joseph was also very pleased, and after having dinner together, he had Kesode send two guard soldiers to escort him back to Paris to report directly to the General Staff.
As for the Raphael Legion, he simply wrote a note and sent it off to Valence. The old French military forces were very compliant, and as long as the officer himself had no objections, Joseph had virtually free rein to make transfers.
After Napoleon’s departure, Joseph stepped out into the villa courtyard, feeling the cool breeze of late spring and gazing at the distant stars. His thoughts, however, were occupied with how to eliminate the inclination for independence in Corsica.
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It wasn’t just about dispelling Napoleon’s dreams of Corsican independence; the island, hanging off the coast of mainland France, would have to be reorganized sooner or later, otherwise, trouble was bound to arise.
First and foremost, a way had to be found to deal with Pascal Paoli. Without this instigator behind the scenes, the Corsican nobles would soon forget about their foolish aspirations for autonomy.
However, the man had now fled to England, and from there he rarely showed himself, only publishing books and remotely commanding the Corsican nobility to cause trouble.
Perhaps the intelligence agency could think of a way to deal with this.
The next step was to dissolve the Corsican Parliament.
After Louis XV purchased Corsica, he didn’t plan to govern it properly, so he didn’t implement the French civil administrative system there; instead, he allowed the Corsican Parliament to continue its existence.
This led to Corsica having a great deal of autonomy, and the parliamentarians, out of fear of losing their power, were all the more vigorous in supporting Corsican independence.
Beyond these measures, it was necessary to strengthen France’s national power and consequently improve the economic level of Corsica. If the Corsican commoners led a stable life, who would still be willing to pursue independence?
Only a powerful France could incite a sense of identity in Napoleon; over time, he would naturally become integrated into France and emerge as a true Frenchman. By then, anyone who dared to speak of splitting French territory would face his strong opposition first and foremost.
Ironically, it was after Napoleon’s ascension to the throne that he personally ordered a substantial limitation of the Corsican Parliament’s powers and unified Corsica’s administrative system, thereby ending the island’s independence movement.
Nine days later, after a bumpy journey, Joseph’s convoy finally entered Paris City.
In the carriage, he opened the latest newspaper sent by Eman and saw that the front page of the Paris Commercial News was “The Star of France finals imminent, fifty contestants to head to the Palace of Versailles.”
He shook his head with a smile, as in fact, there were two much more important events today that would have a far greater impact than any contest for the Star of France.
The first was the conclusion of the long legal trial for the inheritance of the Duke of Chartres: The Duke was formally declared bankrupt, owing fines totaling 26 million livres, as he inherited the entire estate of the Duke of Orleans. A large number of properties, including the Royal Palace and the Duke’s annuities, had been seized by the Bank of France Reserve to offset the debts.
However, Her Majesty the Queen was too soft-hearted and couldn’t resist the Duke of Orleans’s widow’s tearful pleas, agreeing to leave the Duke of Chartres with a manor and several hundred thousand livres in property to maintain a minimum of noble decorum.
But considering the Duke of Chartres’s current syphilitic condition, he probably didn’t have many years left…
At the same time, the Duke of Orleans’s estate, worth more than 60 million livres, had officially entered the French treasury, most of which was being used to repay national debt. Of course, as the biggest holder of French national debt, most of this money ended up in the accounts of the Bank of France Reserve.
The second important event was the official sentencing of the several hundred rioters who had been arrested, with the majority receiving the death penalty—for these ruffians from gangs, Joseph naturally wouldn’t show mercy.
However, under the immense influence of the Star of France, the entire nation of France was keenly watching the fifty advancing contestants, discussing their deeds and talents, and even betting a few sous on who would ultimately take the championship.
The happy and forgetful French people had already put the unfortunate Duke of Orleans and the rioters condemned to death out of their minds.