Chapter 1141: The Falcon of North America
"Elba?" Joseph looked at the girl before him, his brow furrowing slightly. "So your fiancé is..."
"It is Monsieur Bonaparte," Mademoiselle Clary said. "I have always loved him deeply, but now, that love may have to come to an end."
She gestured toward the school building beside them. "I donated my entire dowry to build these schools just for the chance to beg this of you."
"Please, have mercy. Let me see him one last time. Just for one hour—no, half an hour will do! I beg of you!"
Joseph finally remembered where he had heard the name Clary—Napoleon's first love was named Désirée Clary. In history, she had become the Queen of Sweden.
He watched the sobbing Désirée and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. She really was a devoted girl. However, in the original timeline, Napoleon had dumped her without a second thought after meeting Josephine...
'Well, in that sense, throwing him onto that island was actually helping you. He never had the chance to meet Josephine or any other noble socialites.'
As for Napoleon, that "ultimate weapon," Joseph naturally had no intention of letting him rot on Elba forever.
By his count, Napoleon had been growing grapes on the island for nearly three years. He wondered if the sharp edge of that proud falcon had been worn down yet.
Had the British Navy not cut off his retreat, half the Middle East might have fallen into his hands.
However, Joseph did not intend to let Napoleon return to Europe yet.
The command structure of the French army was already very well-established.
After the Second Military Reform, Masséna and Moreau could perfectly fill Napoleon's role. Even if the army were given to Soult, it was possible to achieve the same brilliant victories as the "Emperor Napoleon" of history.
Thus, once Napoleon had been "tempered" enough, Joseph's plan for him was actually Saint-Louisiane in North America.
The lower-quality indigenous troops there would allow him to utilize his talents to the fullest, integrating them into a viable fighting force.
The Americans held a significant numerical advantage. If any other general attempted a head-on confrontation, they might very well lose the Mississippi River defense line.
Napoleon, who excelled at taking risks and winning through unconventional tactics, was the most likely candidate to defeat the American forces there.
Finally, by sending Napoleon far from the political heart of France, even if he still harbored any ambitions, he wouldn't be able to stir up any trouble.
If he could establish a stable Saint-Louisiane colony, France would gain another "resource pool" that could last for at least a century.
In fact, if France ever had to go toe-to-toe with Britain in India, Napoleon would have the chance to command the Foreign Legion there as well.
Joseph motioned for Désirée to rise and nodded. "Your devotion has moved me. And, of course, your selfless contribution to French education cannot be ignored."
"You may travel to your fiancé's place of exile and stay there for three days. I will send someone to inform you of the specific departure time."
Désirée hadn't expected things to go so smoothly. She immediately wiped her tears and poured out her gratitude.
As the Crown Prince turned to leave, Désirée looked toward Le Roy, the President of the Academy of Sciences, and curtsied to him in appreciation.
Désirée was very good friends with his daughter. A few months ago, when Désirée had come to beg him to intercede with the Crown Prince so she could see her exiled fiancé, he had been in a difficult position.
In the eyes of others, he was the prestigious President of the Academy of Sciences, but before the Crown Prince, he was just a minor subordinate.
So, he had suggested that Désirée donate funds to the "new primary schools," which would likely earn her an audience with the Crown Prince.
Le Roy was a core figure in the universal education plan and knew exactly how much the Crown Prince valued the matter.
As it turned out, his method was quite effective.
Five days later, an Intelligence Bureau officer named Garrel escorted Désirée to the Port of Marseille. There, she boarded the frigate *La Confiance* and set sail for Elba.
...
April 15, 1797.
Egypt.
In Aboukir Bay, east of the Port of Alexandria, over a dozen large French transport ships sat on the calm sea. Countless small boats scurried between the fleet and the shore like industrious ants, ferrying soldiers and equipment onto the gentle sandy beach.
Masséna, however, was anxiously and repeatedly urging the soldiers to pick up the pace.
He knew very well that this place was 20 kilometers away from Alexandria. If the Mamluk forces received word, they could either barricade themselves in the port for a desperate defense or launch attacks along the route, both of which would cause him immense trouble.
He gazed at the waters to the west, muttering to himself. If they had landed at Marabout Beach, they could have reached Alexandria this afternoon, and the enemy wouldn't have had time to react.
However, the Crown Prince's orders had been to land at the distant Aboukir Bay.
Seeing the sun beginning to dip toward the west, Masséna finally saw the soldiers drag the last carriage off a barge. He immediately turned to his adjutant and commanded, "Tell the men to finish forming up within half an hour, then advance on Alexandria immediately!"
At that moment, a light frigate came racing toward them, signaling the French forces on shore with a series of flags.
Soon, a signalman reported to Masséna, "General, a transport ship just ran aground north of Marabout Bay. Two others are concerned about more hidden reefs nearby and need to wait for the tide to recede."
"They won't be able to arrive here today."
Masséna was instantly startled.
'Is Marabout Bay that dangerous?' It was no wonder the Crown Prince hadn't allowed him to land there.
'But France has never obtained hydrological intelligence around Egypt. How did His Highness make such a judgment?'
Naturally, Joseph knew that in history, Napoleon had been tempted by the shorter distance to Alexandria and risked landing at Marabout Beach. The result was a shore full of hidden reefs and heavy surf, which had caused the troops to suffer severe casualties during the landing.
It was later proven that the advice Napoleon's men had received from local Egyptian fishermen—to land at Aboukir Bay—was the correct choice.
While it was further from Alexandria, historical records showed that when Napoleon finally reached the port, he found the defenses incredibly lax, with no soldiers patrolling the perimeter.
The French had taken Egypt's largest port in just over two hours.
Ultimately, the French fleet had been unable to endure the harsh conditions of Marabout Bay and had navigated through the reefs to anchor at Aboukir anyway.
Masséna continuously sent out Hussars to scout along the branches of the Nile. The water network here was dense and the area was full of marshes, making it perfect for ambushes, so he had to be extremely cautious.
However, nothing unexpected happened.
By noon the next day, he could already see the towers outside the Port of Alexandria.
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