Chapter 1454: The Most Baffling Days for the Crown Prince
Joseph hurriedly opened the battle report sent by the General Staff, and his heart couldn't help but tighten.
The main force of the Polish army was entirely concentrated near Smolensk, which meant the nearest Polish city, Minsk, was a full 330 kilometers away.
Once the Polish offensive was halted, Kutuzov would strike from multiple directions, desperately hounding them as they tried to retreat to their homeland.
And the bitter cold would multiply the Polish casualties tenfold.
Years ago, when the future Emperor Napoleon retreated from Moscow to Vilnius, he lost over eighty percent of his soldiers.
Joseph did not believe that Kościuszko’s organizational and covering abilities surpassed those of Napoleon.
If the Polish army suffered excessive losses, the strategic situation in Eastern Europe would quickly become unmanageable.
As for the possibility of Kościuszko performing beyond all expectations and crushing Kutuzov?
Joseph admitted that while the probability was minuscule, it was technically possible.
Russia could also use this Patriotic War to mask internal contradictions and increase cohesion across all social strata.
After repelling the Polish invaders, Alexander I's prestige would be at its zenith. He would likely follow his historical path, desperately expanding his military strength and marching toward the role of the Gendarme of Europe.
Joseph shook his head. For Poland, the best strategy now was to retreat west of the Dnieper and Western Dvina rivers as quickly as possible to form a stalemate with the Russian army.
He quickly wrote a few lines, signed them, and handed the paper to the major who had delivered the message. "Send this back to the General Staff immediately. Also, I need more detailed reports on the current state of both the Polish and Russian armies."
His order to the General Staff was to have them immediately assist Poland in drafting a retreat plan and to inform Kościuszko of the immense risks the Polish army currently faced.
"Yes, Your Highness."
The next day, just as Joseph entered the city of Arles, he received another urgent report from the Palace of Versailles.
This time, the sender was Alexandra.
Joseph initially thought his wife simply missed him, so he opened the Chappe Semaphore Tower documents with a relaxed expression. But after reading just a few lines, his face turned pale.
The Crown Princess told him that His Majesty the King had unexpectedly contracted a serious illness called typhus, and the Palace of Versailles was in a state of chaos. The Imperial Physician said the King had to go to Brittany for treatment, while the Queen requested that the news of the King's illness not be made public for the time being, emphasizing that the Crown Prince should not be told yet.
Alexandra feared that the Imperial Physician's diagnosis or treatment might be flawed and delay the King's recovery, so she had quietly sent him this letter.
Furthermore, at the end of the letter, she vaguely mentioned the need to be wary of the possibility of the Count of Artois, the Duke of Broglie, and others taking the opportunity to stage a coup d'état. In truth, this was the primary reason she was so anxious to notify her husband.
Joseph, of course, didn't take any talk of a coup seriously. With his current prestige, anyone who dared to even utter the word 'coup' would be torn to pieces by the Parisian military, police, and citizens within half an hour.
But his father's health left him burning with anxiety.
The main issue was his father's eating habits, which were high in fat and sugar, combined with the fact that he often spent all day working in the Royal Workshop. It wouldn't be surprising if his body gave out.
Joseph gripped Alexandra's letter tightly, thinking to himself, 'I've been taking him to exercise for the past few months. His resistance shouldn't be that poor; he should be able to pull through.'
Suddenly remembering something, he immediately wrote a letter and handed it to Eman. "Send this to the Paris Pharmaceutical Factory Laboratory at once."
In the letter, he instructed Lamarck to take penicillin to the Palace of Versailles and give his father two injections.
He didn't know if penicillin was effective against typhus, but it was the most powerful medicine he had, and he had to try.
Penicillin was a French national secret and could only be used with Joseph's personal authorization.
However, that afternoon, a report from the Intelligence Bureau reached Joseph's hands.
Randale provided a detailed report on the course of the King's illness, the diagnosis, and the reactions of the more influential figures in the Palace of Versailles.
In the latter half of the report, Joseph was surprised to see that the famous doctors of the Medical Bureau unanimously agreed that the King's condition was not life-threatening. If he went to the Palace of Fontainebleau immediately for treatment, the likelihood of recovery would be very high.
Joseph was somewhat baffled, wondering whether the Imperial Physician or the Medical Bureau were the incompetent ones.
Two hours later, however, a letter from Lamarck sent via the Chappe Semaphore Tower resolved his confusion.
According to this top French surgeon, who had been influenced by Joseph's modern medical concepts, he swore on his honor that the King's illness was likely not typhus and was not serious. Nevertheless, he had followed the Crown Prince's instructions and injected the King with the Type I Antibiotic.
This only made Joseph more anxious. A confirmed diagnosis was one thing; not knowing what the illness was was far worse.
He decided to abandon his carriage and ride with his personal guard to make up for lost time.
Around seven in the evening, as it became too dark to continue traveling, Joseph was forced to stop for the night in Aramon.
Just as he entered the town, the mayor led a dozen officials to meet him, bowing low. "We welcome Your Highness the Crown Prince and Lord Prince Regent with the deepest respect."
The mayor then solemnly presented a copy of an edict recently issued by the King and registered by the High Court two hours ago.
'Prince Regent?'
Utterly confused, Joseph looked at the Chappe Semaphore Tower document by the light of a torch, his eyes widening in shock.
The words were clearly printed there: Regency Charter. Below that was a string of signatures including the King’s (signed by the Queen on his behalf), the Senate's countersign, and the High Court's registration mark.
Then, he read the content of the edict.
It summarized into a single sentence: The King is seriously ill and hereby authorizes the Crown Prince to act as Prince Regent.
Joseph turned to Eman. "Have the Intelligence Bureau and Baron Breteuil submit detailed reports to me immediately. I want to know exactly what is happening at Versailles."
...
Pushing himself to the limit, Joseph took only six days to reach the south of Nemours, where he boarded a train.
At five that afternoon, he finally saw his father at the Fontainebleau Sanatorium.
The Imperial Physician, Petit, held a thermometer and said with great solemnity, "39.7 degrees Celsius, Your Highness."
Joseph ignored him and pressed his own forehead against his father's to check.
It wasn't hot at all!
He even noticed his father seemingly steal a glance at him.
He signaled for all the doctors and servants to leave. After personally closing the door, he turned to his mother. "So, is Father actually sick or not?"
Queen Marie nervously avoided his gaze and nodded. "Well... cough, it should be typhus..."
Louis XVI squinted at his surroundings, and after confirming there were no outsiders, he suddenly sat up from the hospital bed, scratching his neck vigorously. "What kind of pigment is this? It's making me itch all over!"
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