Joseph exhibited a contented smile. Now, even if Napoleon’s people were retained, as for his heart… Napoleon was only just 20 years old, there was plenty of time and opportunities ahead to cultivate affections.
He, along with Bertier and others, entered the Chief of Staff’s office, sat down in the chair at the head, and gestured to everyone, “Please, have a seat.”
“I have already reviewed the report sent over by General Staff beforehand, and the work of everyone here is truly outstanding, having gotten this place up and running in such a short time.”
Of course, most of the credit for this belonged to Bertier.
If his ability to command troops in the battle was to be rated 70 out of 100, then his skills as an auxiliary staff officer would definitely score 100. It’s not that he could only get 100, but rather that 100 was the highest score possible. In this regard, he was indeed France’s most outstanding genius!
Bertier and the officers immediately stood up, loudly proclaiming, “Serving His Majesty the King is our honor!”
Joseph gestured for them to sit down and continued, “Aside from the basic work of recruiting and training during this period, the General Staff also has many other matters to attend to.
“Firstly, we need to conduct an ‘army-wide combat effectiveness assessment.’
“All legions must participate, and as long as they meet the assessment standards, they can be granted the ‘Royal’ title. Officers who perform excellently in the assessment will be promoted.”
Bertier, somewhat surprised, said, “Your Highness, isn’t this reward rather excessive? I mean, this is just an assessment after all…”
Joseph laughed and shook his head, “No, if you knew the standards of the assessment, you would find the rewards very reasonable.”
“Then, what are the standards?”
“Based on the daily training standards of Guard Corps, with just a slight increase. Any legion that can achieve this will be considered to have passed the standard.”
Upon hearing this, Bertier immediately revealed a knowing smile—looking across the whole of France, besides the Royal Guards, even if you included the elite Swiss Guard, who could run 5 kilometers in 22 minutes? Not to mention doing it with a weight of 18 pounds…
There were also several other items such as shooting, formation, obstacle crossing, and tactical cooperation. Forget about whether those old-style military forces could meet the standards, some of them probably hadn’t even heard of these training events!
A staff officer who had been promoted from the Guard Corps hesitantly said, “Your Highness, it’s likely that no legion will pass the assessment, so what is the purpose of this assessment then?”
“Good question,” Joseph cast an appreciative glance at him, “That’s why, after the assessment, they will certainly claim, ‘No one could meet such standards.’ At that time, the Guard Corps will shatter their confidence and tell them what real elites are.”
Bertier and the others immediately revealed an odd expression, the Crown Prince was really ruthless. This was about setting other legions’ soldiers to live under the shadow of the Guard Corps.
Joseph then smiled again, “Remember, after the assessment is over, to distribute application forms to those legions.”
Bertier was slow to react, “Application forms?”
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“Yes, application forms to join the Guard Corps. Make sure that the approval process is strict. Only those with talent and courage are acceptable; we absolutely cannot let garbage enter the Guard Corps!”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Joseph did not think that merely with this demonstration could he make the noble officers submit, but at least it would leave a profound impression in their hearts.
In the end, to thoroughly convince them, the Guard Corps had to achieve remarkable results on the battlefield.
The previous battle in Tunisia was against the North African army, which was entirely inferior in terms of equipment, training, and command. And the fight against the Moncalm Legion involved meticulous planning. These were not enough to convince those proud French noble officers.
Only by facing a real European army and securing an overwhelming victory could the true combat strength of the Guard Corps be showcased.
Soldiers always revered the strong—as long as you were powerful enough, they would naturally follow you.
Just like Napoleon, whether he promoted the republic or proclaimed himself emperor, everyone from nobles to commoners followed him without looking back. Even when he was exiled, he could command countless soldiers to cheer and swarm around him upon his return with just one word.
After discussing some details regarding the assessment of the entire army’s combat capabilities with his staff, Joseph continued, “Next, we need to talk about the situation in the Far East.
“Are you aware of the news that the Kingdom of Mysore in India has had a dispute with the Dutch and the Travancore Princely State?”
Bertier and others exchanged glances, and an officer quickly left the conference room, returning shortly with a document in hand.
After the staff members had passed the document around, they all looked at the Crown Prince with some surprise.
It was intelligence that had just arrived from Puducherry in India two days ago, mentioning a potential conflict in the southwestern princely states, with the Dutch being a factor. As for the details, nothing was mentioned.
Yet the Crown Prince seemed to have an in-depth understanding of the matter on hand. Could it be that the Intelligence Bureau’s reach had extended to the Far East?!
Joseph certainly wouldn’t explain to them that it was not the case. The Intelligence Bureau had barely managed to handle North Africa, and their infiltration into the Americas had just begun. The Far East was not even to be considered.
At present, intelligence from the Far East was provided by merchants and diplomats, so the content was very vague.
Only he, who had ‘cheated’, knew the detailed situation.
Joseph also glanced at the military’s intelligence and decided to first inform his staff of the situation in Mysore: “The incident started when the Travancore Royal bought two fortresses on Mysore Territory…
“That’s roughly the situation. Sultan Tipu of Mysore has always been assertive. He would never allow a hostile princely state to drive a nail under his watchful eye. Therefore, I believe it is highly probable that he will declare war on Travancore.”
A staff officer pondered and said, “Travancore has our interests, perhaps we should support them.”
Joseph shook his head, “On the contrary, Major.
“Travancore is no match for Mysore, and they will inevitably seek help from the British.
“And the British have long disapproved of Mysore, the only kingdom in India that has not submitted to them, so they will definitely take this opportunity to declare war on Mysore.”
He looked around at everyone: “Our interests in Travancore are trivial, and even in the entire Far East, we barely have a presence, let alone significant interests.
“Therefore, our goal should be to have the British expend as much as possible in the Far East!
“That is to say, we will support Mysore.”
The staff again looked at each other and slowly nodded their heads.
However, Bertier hesitated, “Your Highness, if we send troops directly, it could very likely provoke England into waging a full-scale war against us.”
Joseph nodded, “Therefore, we must conceal ourselves as much as possible.
“Mainly by supporting Mysore with arms and equipment—try not to use French weapons, and send officers. As for the troops, we can send a small number of Tunisians. They share the same religious beliefs as the people of Mysore.”