Chapter 282: The Troublesome Corsican Separatists
Napoleon clearly hadn't expected the Crown Prince to seek him out for this matter. He froze for a moment, then hastily stood up, bowed with a hand to his chest, and declared, "It's a great honor, Your Highness. I mean, of course, I'd be willing to join the Royal Guard Legion!"
Joseph found it rather amusing to see the future Emperor Napoleon, who would later shake Europe to its foundations, appearing so nervous and constrained before him.
He had anticipated that the young Emperor Napoleon wouldn't refuse his offer, especially since his family's vineyard in Corsica was burdened with a hefty debt, and he urgently needed to earn money to support his household.
Joseph was about to offer a few more words of encouragement to Napoleon, aiming to foster a closer relationship, when he saw Emperor Napoleon's face flush. As if summoning all his courage, he blurted out, "Your Highness, but I have a request that I hope you can grant."
"Oh? Please, speak."
"Well, I need four to five months of leave each year to return to Corsica..." Napoleon clearly knew that the discipline within the Royal Guard Legion would be extremely strict, making it difficult to take casual leave as he had in Valence. So, he had no choice but to state it directly.
"You see, my health isn't very good, and I require regular treatment. Besides, the family vineyard also needs my help to manage..."
Joseph narrowed his eyes, thinking, 'Besides hemorrhoids, I haven't heard of Emperor Napoleon having any serious illnesses. What exactly does he do in Corsica every year?'
He suddenly remembered that at this time, Emperor Napoleon was still a staunch Corsican separatist. Under the call of Pasquale Paoli, the leader of the Corsican independence movement, he frequently participated in secret political activities.
Joseph sighed inwardly. 'It's no good having Emperor Napoleon's heart elsewhere. I need to make him abandon the idea of Corsican independence as soon as possible.'
However, this couldn't be rushed, or it might backfire, as young men in their twenties often harbored rebellious tendencies. If Emperor Napoleon became dead set on Corsican restoration and turned against France, that would be a huge problem.
So, the priority was to stabilize Emperor Napoleon, build a good relationship, and address other matters later.
Thus, Joseph nodded magnanimously and said, "Your health is paramount, so taking leave is certainly permissible. As for your family's vineyard, I have some friends in Bordeaux who might be able to help manage it."
Napoleon had originally thought it would be difficult to even get one or two months of leave from the Crown Prince each year, never expecting his request to be granted directly.
Listening to the Crown Prince's caring words, a warmth spread through his heart. He hurriedly bowed again, saluting. "Thank you for your benevolence and consideration. My brothers and I can manage the vineyard ourselves.
"Oh, I will definitely give my utmost in battle for the Royal Guard Legion and repay your appreciation with military achievements!"
Joseph was delighted to have Emperor Napoleon "in his pocket" for the time being. He invited him to dinner, and then had Clauzel dispatch two guardsmen to escort him back to Paris to report directly to the General Staff Headquarters.
As for the Raphael Legion, he simply wrote a note and had it sent to Valence. The old French army was quite compliant these days; as long as the officer himself had no objections, Joseph could essentially transfer personnel at will.
After Emperor Napoleon departed, Joseph went out into the villa's courtyard. He gazed at the distant starlight, feeling the cool spring evening breeze, but his mind was occupied with how to suppress Corsica's separatist tendencies.
Aside from dispelling Emperor Napoleon's dreams of Corsican restoration, this island, hanging off the French mainland, needed to be put in order sooner or later, or it would inevitably cause trouble.
First, he had to find a way to deal with Pasquale Paoli. Without that man inciting them from behind, the petty Corsican nobles would quickly forget about their foolish ideas of restoration.
However, this fellow was currently in Britain, stirring up trouble among the Corsican nobility through books and remote commands, rarely showing his face.
Perhaps the Intelligence Bureau could find a way to handle this.
Second, the Corsican Assembly had to be dissolved.
When Louis XV purchased Corsica, he never intended to govern it properly. He didn't establish the same civilian bureaucracy as in mainland France, allowing the Corsican Assembly to persist.
This led to Corsica having a great deal of autonomy. The members of the Assembly, fearing the loss of their power, eagerly threw their full support behind Corsican independence.
In addition to these measures, France's national strength needed to be enhanced, which would in turn improve Corsica's economic situation. If the Corsican people lived stable lives, who would be willing to follow you in some independence movement?
Only a powerful France could foster a sense of belonging in Napoleon. Over time, he would naturally integrate into France, becoming a true Frenchman. By then, anyone who dared to speak of splitting French territory would face his vehement opposition first.
It was somewhat ironic that historically, it was Emperor Napoleon himself, after his ascension, who personally ordered significant restrictions on the Corsican Assembly's power and unified Corsica's administrative system, thereby ending the island's independence movement.
Nine days later, after a bumpy journey, Joseph's carriage finally entered the streets of Paris.
Inside the carriage, he opened the latest newspaper delivered by Eman and saw that the front page of the Paris Business Journal announced: "Finals of the Star of France Imminent, Fifty Contestants to Proceed to Versailles."
He chuckled and shook his head. In reality, two far more important events were occurring today, their impact far exceeding that of any Star of France competition.
The first was the Duke of Chartres' inheritance case, which had finally concluded after a lengthy trial. The Duke of Chartres inherited all of the Duke of Orleans' estate, incurring a total penalty of 26 million livres, officially declaring him bankrupt. A large number of assets, including the Palais-Royal, and the Duke of Chartres' annuity had been repossessed by the Bank of France to settle his debts.
However, Her Majesty the Queen, soft-hearted and unable to resist the Duchess of Orleans' tears, agreed to leave the Duke of Chartres with an estate and a few hundred thousand livres in assets to maintain at least a semblance of aristocratic dignity.
But given the Duke of Chartres' current condition, afflicted with syphilis, he likely didn't have many years left...
Concurrently, the Duke of Orleans' assets, exceeding 60 million livres, officially passed into the hands of the French treasury. The vast majority of this was currently being used to repay the National Debt. Of course, as France's largest holder of National Debt, most of this money went directly into the Bank of France's accounts.
The second important event was the formal sentencing of the hundreds of rioters arrested earlier. Most of them received the death penalty—Joseph naturally showed no mercy to these gang members.
Nevertheless, under the immense influence of the Star of France, all of France was anxiously watching the fifty qualifying contestants, discussing their achievements and talents, and wagering a few sous on who would ultimately be crowned champion.
The happy and forgetful French populace had long forgotten the pitiful Duke of Orleans and the rioters facing the death penalty.
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