Chapter 244: Incorporation
Marquis de Luckner paused at his words. They had just threatened the Royal Family by "refusing to quell the rebellion."
Joseph, however, changed the subject:
"I heard you were planning to form an 'Alliance Front'?"
Marquis de Luckner immediately broke out in a cold sweat. He knew Marquis de Saint-Véran must have confessed everything, and he hastily waved his hands:
"No, no, that was just..."
Joseph raised a hand, cutting him off.
"His Majesty is deeply displeased with your dereliction of duty, allowing the Auvergne rebellion to escalate. Furthermore, your private collusion with other officers, intending to influence royal decisions, constitutes an extremely grave error."
Though startled, Marquis de Luckner quickly noticed the subtle difference in the Crown Prince's words. 'His Majesty merely defined my actions as "dereliction of duty" and "grave error." This means there's still room for negotiation!'
He secretly gritted his teeth, adopting an extremely sincere demeanor:
Joseph nodded. "First, you must personally go to Versailles and admit your error to His Majesty the King."
Seeing Marquis de Luckner's face turn pale, he added, "Rest assured, you will not be relieved of your post."
The Marquis was overjoyed; this was his absolute bottom line. He hastily nodded repeatedly:
"I will obey Your Highness's command, seek an audience with His Majesty as soon as possible, and sincerely repent!"
Joseph continued, "Secondly, the Auvergne Legion must adopt a new system for officer selection and promotion. To put it simply, this means giving commoners the opportunity to become officers. Additionally, promotions will no longer require payment."
Marquis de Luckner, however, grasped the unspoken implication and cautiously asked:
"Your Highness, are you saying I will still command the Auvergne Legion?"
"Yes, as long as you strictly implement the new officer system and accept the command of the General Staff Headquarters, you will remain the Legion Commander."
Joseph's plans for the military were very clear. He couldn't rely on these old armies for battle. He would simply poach talented individuals and incorporate them into the Guards Corps. The original structure could remain; after this dressing-down, he doubted they would dare to cause any more trouble.
As long as they accepted commoners as officers, it wouldn't be many years before capable commoners and minor nobles became the backbone of the military. Of course, the General Staff Headquarters would still need to strictly supervise and verify officer promotions.
At the same time, retaining the positions of these military nobles would minimize their resistance.
Once the Royal Family had complete control over the military, they could deal with them however they pleased.
The old Marquis was ecstatic, immediately declaring in a loud voice, "Rest assured, Your Highness, military discipline and regulations flow in my very blood!" Then, he cautiously inquired, "Your Highness, what is this 'General Staff Headquarters'?"
"Oh, this is a new department that will be established, responsible for assisting His Majesty the King in devising combat plans and deploying troops," Joseph continued. "Furthermore, your Legion must undergo a structural review, eliminating all ghost positions and downsizing according to actual numbers.
"From now on, military pay will be directly disbursed by the General Staff Headquarters, including your own salary. Weapons and equipment will also be uniformly procured and allocated by the General Staff Headquarters. This way, you won't have to worry about the Legion's expenditures. Naturally, you will also no longer need to retain funds from the Military Tax or other sources."
Marquis de Luckner secretly sighed. This was tantamount to having his financial authority confiscated. But thinking that he had at least retained his commander's position and could find other ways to make money later, he begrudgingly agreed.
"Yes, Your Highness, I understand."
What Joseph didn't tell him was that the Military Police department would also be restructured, with commoners or minor nobles directly appointed to positions, making it much harder for officers to embezzle funds in the future.
Seeing that the entire exchange had gone smoothly, Joseph wasted no more time. He declined Marquis de Luckner's invitation to a banquet and headed directly to the next legion's encampment.
Over the following period, he would use Marquis de Luckner as a template to address all major garrisons in the west and south.
Marquis de Luckner dismounted his carriage, bowing as he saw the Crown Prince off, when he suddenly heard the latter say:
"Oh, by the way, Marquis, I heard your granddaughter is engaged to the Duke of Chartres?"
The Duke of Chartres was the son of the Duke of Orleans.
Marquis de Luckner's thoughts raced. He immediately realized that the Duke of Orleans was the one orchestrating the threats against the Royal Family, and without hesitation, he declared:
"Your Highness, that is merely a misunderstanding, it's utterly baseless! In truth, my second granddaughter has already resolved to enter a convent."
Joseph inwardly praised the old man's decisiveness. 'He's willing to send his granddaughter to become a nun just to sever all ties with the Duke of Orleans.'
The Guards Corps continued its westward march with hardly any delay.
Joseph, however, didn't anticipate that three days after leaving Auvergne, he would encounter several generals "on his list" en route.
Comments