Chapter 225: France's New Province
Tunis City.
A contingent of Berber soldiers, dressed in white short robes over dark gray studded vests and white turbans, slowly marched through the yellow, square residential buildings lining the streets. They carried scimitars and escorted several hundred captured Algiers Janissaries.
A large crowd of Tunisians followed them, shouting curses at the Algiers invaders and constantly pelting the prisoners with all sorts of refuse.
The ambush at Annaba had been a resounding success. Caught in a pincer movement by the French army, the Algiers Janissaries surrendered after less than an hour of resistance.
Joseph had specifically selected some prisoners to be handed over to the local Tunisians for "exhibition" in major cities like Tunis City and Sousse.
The official propaganda stated, "Tunisia's closest French friends, with the help of the rebel army, dealt a heavy blow to the Algiers invaders."
Indeed, Gemile had led the rebel army in transporting supplies for the Guards Corps and Moulins Legion and had also contributed to escorting the prisoners, so it could certainly be considered assistance.
Ever since Hussein became the Bey of Tunisia, Algiers had frequently sent troops to interfere in Tunisia's internal affairs, and killings and plunder along the way were unavoidable. In addition, Tunisia had to pay large annual tributes to Algiers, increasing the burden on the common people. Consequently, Tunisians harbored deep hatred for Algiers.
When Algiers announced it would dispatch troops to suppress the Tunisian rebel army and help their Ottoman brethren restore rule, the Tunisian populace was furious.
When the news spread, all of Tunisia was shaken!
Having just overthrown the oppression of the Janissaries and now having defeated a foreign invasion, a wave of pride and self-respect surged through the people. Every household celebrated the victory.
And both of these victories were inseparable from the help of their dear "French brothers."
Joseph seized this opportunity, enlisting the help of Elder Alay to spread propaganda. Now, in the mouths of the Tunisian people, the French army had become Tunisia's closest relatives and protectors.
After a week of "exhibition," more than 200 Algiers Janissary prisoners were finally brought to the plaza in front of the Grand Mosque in the city center.
The Chief Justice of Tunis City, who had only taken office a month prior, and several judicial officials casually sat behind a wooden table. They gestured for the prisoners to kneel neatly, then opened their "Work Guide" and began to learn on the spot how to handle the current situation.
Yes, Tunisia's administrative and judicial systems had been established according to the French model after two nationwide "Civil Servant" examinations—from management structure to the habit of using tables and chairs, virtually everything was copied entirely.
Joanne had brought over a hundred French administrative officials to personally guide these Tunisian natives, who had no experience in governance, on how to manage the country.
Fortunately, Tunisia's rural tribes had their own traditional management models and didn't require much intervention. Only the commercially developed large cities truly needed officials. So, after this month, administrative management in at least central and northern Tunisia had tentatively begun.
Joanne had ordered "policy manuals" to be drafted for officials in all positions, which was the document the Chief Justice had just been perusing.
The judge took a full 20 minutes to clarify what needed to be done first. Nearly a thousand Tunisian citizens around him patiently waited for him for 20 minutes under the scorching sun.
Finally, the judge awkwardly began the trial proceedings.
About an hour later, no one had quite understood what he had done, but they all heard his verdict: "All invaders are sentenced to be hanged!"
In this era, there was no concept of human rights, especially not in North Africa. Faced with the people's fury, any thought of defense or appeal was out of the question.
Immediately, the plaza erupted in thunderous cheers. People frantically shouted the judge's name, praised their French brothers, celebrated the great victory, and then flocked around the prisoners to escort them to the execution ground.
Early the next morning, Haj Bey was eating breakfast when he heard shouts emanating from outside Kaseer Palace.
He turned his head in confusion to look at his new wife:
"Are more Algiers prisoners being tried today?"
Hafsa shook her head:
"Doesn't sound like it. And they shouldn't be marching prisoners past Kaseer Palace..."
As they spoke, a footman hurried in, jogging to the door and bowing to Haj:
"Great Bey, thousands are petitioning outside the palace."
"Petitioning?" Haj asked nervously, "For what?"
"That, this humble servant is not clear," the footman replied, head bowed. "However, the leader appears to be Municipal Commissioner Hilada Pasha."
Hilada was the scholar who had previously "authored" "Analysis of Tunisian Origins." In this "Civil Servant" examination, he had successfully secured the position of Municipal Commissioner for Tunis City.
Currently, major national affairs like taxation, finance, and personnel in Tunisia were still under "military control," and officials at that level had not yet been selected. Thus, the mayor of the capital was essentially the highest-ranking official in Tunisia.
Haj nervously approached the gate of Kaseer Palace, only feeling slightly more at ease once he saw the Police Intelligence Bureau agents serving as his "guards." It was the French brothers who had stopped the rebel army from killing him last time, preserving his position as Bey.
When the French guards opened the palace gate, Haj immediately heard the deafening shouts of the people:
"Glorious Tunisian province..."
"To become a French province..."
"Return to the embrace of our Roman kin..."
"We want to be with our kin..."
Seeing the Bey appear, Hilada quickly signaled the crowd to quiet down, then approached Haj, bowed respectfully, and presented him with a large parchment scroll.
"What, what is this?" Haj didn't dare reach out—the scene of the rebel army storming Kaseer Palace to kill him last time had left a huge psychological shadow.
"It is a petition, honorable Bey."
Hilada helped him unroll the parchment. At the very top, written in Arabic, were the words: "Tunisia petitions to join the Kingdom of France."
Below were countless petitioners' handprints, seemingly thousands of them.
"Join France?" Haj asked timidly, "How?"
An official next to Hilada, a scholar who had also discussed "Analysis of Tunisian Origins" with him earlier, stepped forward and declared loudly:
"Tunisia was formerly an Ottoman province. Now that we have separated from the Ottomans, we can rightfully become a province of great France!"
Another man leaned in: "Yes! Forever with our Roman brothers!"
"Only powerful France can bring prosperity and strength to Tunisia!"
The petitioning crowd immediately joined in the shouts:
"Tunisian province!"
"Join France!"
Haj recoiled a few steps in fear. Hafsa, behind him, spoke loudly:
"If Tunisia becomes a province, what about the Bey?"
Hilada immediately responded: "Regarding this, I have already had Consul Joanne consult His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of France.
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said he would request the title of 'Duke of Tunisia' for you. You would retain Kaseer Palace and receive a generous annual stipend, just like the esteemed Dukes of France."
The scholar beside him added excitedly: "Compared to being a Pasha of the declining Ottoman Empire, becoming a Duke of great France will be far more honorable!"
These Tunisian intellectuals were already staunchly pro-French. In this "Civil Servant" examination, they had secured many positions thanks to their cultural literacy.
Therefore, whether out of pro-French sentiment or for the stability of their own positions, they were extremely eager for Tunisia to become a French province.
After the Tunisian rebel army entered Tunis City, Joanne merely gave Hilada a subtle signal, and the latter immediately led the intellectual class in fully promoting the idea of "becoming a French province."
The common people of Tunisia were also very pleased with this outcome.
During their overthrow of Janissary rule, they had confiscated vast amounts of wealth from Janissary households. Now, Algiers was sending 20,000 troops to Tunisia to "suppress the rebellion" and restore Janissary rule, which they absolutely could not accept—how could they spit out the rich meat they had already savored?
Thus, they desperately needed powerful France to protect the wealth they had acquired. As for whose province it became, it made little difference to them. Their dear "Roman brothers" seemed much kinder than the Ottomans.
As for the Tunisian military, they needed someone to endorse their previous actions of eliminating the Janissaries. Moreover, the supreme leader of the rebel army was Ishaq of the Police Intelligence Bureau, and he naturally strongly supported joining France.
Regarding religion, due to the Ottoman Empire's long-standing policy of religious integration, Christianity and Islam had always coexisted peacefully within its sphere of influence. Even Haj's grandfather, Hussein, had been a Catholic before becoming Bey.
Influenced by this ideology for over a century, Tunisians naturally had no objections to joining a Catholic nation.
Haj carefully accepted the petition, then turned to look at Hafsa behind him.
She glanced at the dense crowd of petitioners and whispered:
"If you accept the Crown Prince's terms, there will be no disadvantage to you. Furthermore, with the title of Duke of France, you will no longer have to worry about mobs daring to harm you."
Haj nodded, then turned to Hilada and said:
"Please draft a request on my behalf, asking His Majesty, the great King of France, to accept Tunisia as a French province."
...
While Kaseer Palace was surrounded by the petitioning crowd, thousands of Guards Corps soldiers were lined up at their military base in Bizerte, participating in a medal ceremony for the officers and soldiers who had distinguished themselves in the Battle of Annaba.
To the solemn and rousing strains of "Glory and Victory," Joseph, dressed in a white military uniform with a saber at his hip, strode to the wooden platform at the front of the formation. He surveyed the dozen neatly arranged squares before him and declared in a loud voice:
"Today, we gather to honor the warriors who, with unparalleled courage, wisdom, and conviction, have written admirable legends and achieved supreme glory! They shall receive medals befitting their honor! Let us salute them!"
With a unified movement, the soldiers crisply raised their rifles in salute to the ten or so individuals awaiting their medals on the platform.
Joseph then received the medals from the corps staff, first presenting them to the representatives of the fallen soldiers.
Afterward, he approached Lefebvre, who had earned the Silver Iris Medal, and pinned the exquisitely crafted silver iris to his chest, then formally saluted him with his hat.
The soldiers present immediately erupted in a wave of cheers.
One had to remember that Lefebvre came from a commoner background. In other French legions, someone like him could, at most, rise to the rank of Second Lieutenant, and even that would require a substantial sum of money for bribes.
Yet now, he had not only received the Silver Iris Medal but had also been rapidly promoted to the rank of Major, capable of commanding a battalion of soldiers.
All of this came from the military merits he earned through fearless combat.
'One's origin no longer mattered!'
'Almost every soldier's heart was filled with hope, for they knew that if they fought bravely on the battlefield, they could also earn similar honors, and perhaps even become a general one day!'
And that mere spark of hope alone was enough to make their morale crush that of all other armies in Europe at the time.
Joseph then approached Davout, pinning the Bronze Iris to his chest and saluting him with his hat.
He watched Marshal Davout salute in return, then glanced at Berthier and Lefebvre nearby, sighing inwardly, 'Napoleon, I've found three of your marshals, but where on earth have you run off to?'
In fact, several months prior, Joseph had begun asking the Minister of War to search for a soldier named Napoleon Bonaparte.
'According to my memory, Napoleon should have already graduated from the artillery academy and be serving in some unit,' he thought.
However, Marquis de Saint-Priest had informed him that there was no active soldier by that name.
Joseph hadn't initially found this strange. After all, information was extremely scarce in this era, and armies were often the private property of nobles. It was perfectly normal for them to withhold information, much like trying to check someone else's bank statements.
So, he tasked Fouché with the matter, but even now, Napoleon's whereabouts remained unknown.
He shook his head slightly, telling himself not to worry. 'After all, Napoleon is only 19 years old right now. If I keep looking, I'm sure I'll dig him out eventually!'
...
Versailles.
Queen Mary took the report on the situation in Tunisia, scanned it, and immediately wept with joy, giving the chamberlain who delivered the message a hug: "That's wonderful! Joseph is safe and sound!"
She took two steps back and repeatedly crossed herself: "Thank Almighty God, thank you for protecting Joseph!"
She read the report again carefully, excitedly pacing back and forth in the room, finally stopping as she passed a maid and saying to her: "Please arrange a welcome ceremony for me, my Joseph will be back soon!
"Oh, has His Majesty the King heard this good news yet?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, the same document has been sent to His Majesty the King."
"Good, good! Then, fetch two strawberry cakes, smothered in cocoa sauce. I want to celebrate properly!"
Meanwhile, Marquis de Saint-Véran, who had just marched to Toulon, also received the news from Tunisia, but he appeared somewhat listless.
'Unbelievable, those 6,000 soldiers actually dealt with the Algiers army. Now the Crown Prince is safe, and I've lost my chance to secure more funds,' he thought.
He suddenly regretted delaying for a few days over some funding. 'If he hadn't, the credit for defeating the Algerians and protecting the Crown Prince might have been his,' he mused.
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