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Chapter 495: Shattered into Pieces

Cesari looked at Paoli and said gravely:

"Uncle, I believe you should return to Corsica as soon as possible to stabilize the situation. Otherwise, at the next organization meeting, the voting will be even more unfavorable to you."

He almost directly said that after the next vote, Paoli would no longer be the leader of the Restoration Organization.

Paoli anxiously paced back and forth in the room, shaking his head and muttering to himself:

"No, I can't go back! The French are definitely waiting for me at the docks. If I go back, I'm finished..."

Cesari could only stress:

"Uncle, from what I know, most of those who abstained also believed the slanders against you. They only worried that the organization couldn't suddenly lose its leader, which is why they didn't support Bartolio and his faction."

Paoli suddenly stopped upon hearing this, turning to look at him. "What did you say?"

"I said, some high-ranking members of the organization are worried about a sudden major event, fearing there would be no one to lead, so they reluctantly supported you. Once they elect a new..."

Paoli raised a hand to interrupt him, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes. "You're right. As long as a major event occurs, they'll have to rely on me. At that point, all this talk of voting will disappear!"

"A major event? You mean?"

Paoli thought for a moment, head bowed, then whispered to his nephew:

"When you return, send people to secretly burn down Nonza village. Then leave some French traces and declare to the outside world that the French are retaliating, and that this retaliation will spread to more villages..."

Cesari's eyes widened in shock, and he exclaimed in a hushed voice, "But... but many Corsicans will die!"

Nonza was a mountain village, almost entirely populated by staunch anti-French individuals. Their presence was always felt in past conflicts between Corsica and the French government.

So, if something happened there and was attributed to the French, no one would doubt it.

Such a significant bloodbath would surely incite the entire Corsican population to shared hatred of the enemy, and they would need someone to lead them in their struggle against the French.

As it stood, that person could only be Paoli—other members of the Restoration Organization currently lacked the necessary prestige.

Paoli clapped his nephew firmly on the shoulder and said with sincere and earnest words:

"For the future of Corsica, for the freedom of its people, sacrifice is unavoidable."

Cesari took a few incredulous steps back, staring blankly at Paoli, as if he had never truly known his uncle.

After a long pause, Paoli repeated his command in an authoritative tone, and Cesari suddenly snapped back to reality. Decades of ingrained obedience to his uncle took over, and he mumbled, head bowed:

"Yes, I understand... I'll go back now."

After Cesari left, Paoli remained in a terrible mood for two consecutive days.

The Corsican Restoration Organization had been founded by his father, and those fools actually wanted to kick him out.

He secretly swore to himself that once this matter was over, he would teach Bartolio and Cesare a good lesson. Yes, he would expel them from Corsica!

The butler's voice came from outside the door: "Sir, it's time for you to go to the club."

Hearing the word "club," Paoli immediately recalled Isabella's youthful, radiant face and slender, graceful waist. A certain stir within him subtly responded, and his earlier foul mood instantly dissipated.

Going to the "club" was his weekly thrice-a-week rendezvous with Isabella.

"I know."

He called out to the butler, instructed a maid to fetch his newly purchased French attire, and found himself humming a tune.

...

Second floor of the Tuileries Palace.

Joseph was flipping through the latest report on the Corsican situation, and he spoke to Fouché, who was seated across from him on the sofa:

"You handled this matter very well. So, what's the situation with the Restoration faction now?"

Fouché leaned forward slightly as he reported: "Your Highness, they are currently divided into three factions.

"One faction is the anti-Paoli group, led by Bartolio, which firmly demands Paoli's expulsion from the organization. They currently have 17 high-ranking members of the Restoration Organization, and with our funding, they have the strongest momentum.

"Another faction is the pro-Paoli group, led by Giuseppe and Cesari-Colonna Paoli. They deny all accusations against Paoli and number 14 people.

"The third faction is the moderate group, led by Elioc, which advocates for investigating Paoli first while simultaneously re-electing the organization's leader. They comprise 12 people.

"Additionally, several individuals have withdrawn from the Restoration Organization."

Joseph was somewhat surprised; he had thought it would be a success just to split the Corsican Restoration Organization into "pro-Paoli" and "anti-Paoli" factions. He hadn't expected it to shatter into so many pieces, with some even becoming disheartened and withdrawing completely.

He took a sip from the teacup before him and mused, "If that's the case, we might be able to achieve something in the Corsican Assembly."

Corsica's current political model was one of high autonomy; neither the Governor nor the royal family had as much sway as the Assembly.

If they could control a majority of seats in the Corsican Assembly, they could use this to push for legislation, making it easier to reverse Corsica's independence leanings—for example, legislating that the Corsican Governor had veto power over Assembly resolutions, or that Corsican taxes would no longer be controlled by the Assembly.

He looked at Fouché. "You, through that patron, what was his name again..."

"Chalmers, Your Highness."

"Oh, right. Have Mr. Chalmers use his influence over the 'anti-Paoli' faction to urge them to break away from Paoli's organization and form a new Restoration Organization of their own. In its initial stages, we should infiltrate it with some of our own people, and the organization's program should also downplay any mention of independence as much as possible."

Fouché's eyes lit up immediately, and he nodded briskly. "Yes, Your Highness."

It was clear that the very impetus for the formation of this new Restoration Organization would be its opposition to Paoli. In the future, they could simply sit back and watch the Restoration faction fight amongst themselves.

Joseph continued, "Furthermore, I will personally instruct Count Buttafuoco to put aside his own ambitions and diligently consolidate all the pro-government factions in Corsica, striving to secure more seats in the Assembly."

Count Buttafuoco was a representative of Corsica's pro-French forces and wielded considerable influence on the island. However, he was a very ambitious man who had always wanted to become Corsica's great lord, opposing various new policies from the French government. But compared to the Restoration faction, he was quite obedient and absolutely loyal to the royal family.