Chapter 281: The Young Emperor
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 some of his old colleagues and subordinates to teach at the academy. Yet, for the current scale of the academy, it was merely 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 seemed 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 mean 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 time 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 formed from those who have been riding since childhood, something 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 members 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 encirclement 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 commendations.
Most were from the Royal Guard, with some from the Moulins Corps and the Paris Corps. However, what intrigued Joseph most was the inclusion of a few names from the old army.
One name, 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 men in the town of Amné and faced off against nearly 500 rioters, eventually dispersing them.
Joseph froze for a moment upon reading this. The name "Napoleon" was rare, and there shouldn't be many people with that name. However, this man's last name 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 Regiment stationed in Valence.
Joseph's breathing quickened. If it were just the name, it could be a coincidence, but the training period, family background, and even the father's name all matched perfectly. This had to be Napoleon, the future emperor!
Yet, Joseph was puzzled. Why was Napoleon's last name spelled "Buonaparte"? No wonder his search for "Napoleon Bonaparte" across France had yielded no results—the last name was different!
But regardless, finding Napoleon, especially when France needed to expand its overseas interests, was an incredibly positive development! With Napoleon by his side, Joseph's confidence in leading France to dominate Europe instantly soared.
As the convoy halted in Vitrolles, Joseph immediately handed Napoleon's file to Eymond, instructing him to send someone to Valence to summon the young officer.
While Eymond was dispatching the messenger, Joseph suddenly remembered 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 men 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 messenger 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 immediately felt a surge of excitement. "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 named Joseph and younger brothers named Lucien and Louis?"
Napoleon seemed surprised that the prince knew so much about his family. He nodded quickly, adding, "And my youngest brother is Jérôme, 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 achievements, you would be promoted to Captain and take command of an artillery company. What do you say?"
(End of Chapter)
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