The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 244

Chapter 244: The Best Strategy

Joseph raised his hand and asked,
“‘Who are ‘you’ referring to?”

The Marquis of Saint-Véran hesitated briefly, but the fear of being exiled to Seychelles overwhelmed him.
“It’s, uh... Marquis Luckner, General Astu, General Morneau...”

Joseph turned to signal his secretary to take note.

He already knew that it was essentially the same group of over twenty people who had signed their names to coerce the royal family. However, it was still necessary for the rebels to personally confess each name.

The Marquis of Saint-Véran then elaborated on the military aristocracy’s plan to pressure the royal family. Of course, he rephrased it as their “hope that the royal family would pay greater attention to the military.”

“In addition, Duke of Mouchy, Duke of Sévérac, and Count of Sérurier were also involved,” he added. Having chosen to confess, he decided to drag more people down with him, hoping the sheer number would dilute the blame. “Their main strategy was to leverage the military’s refusal to suppress the rebellion to make demands on His Majesty. Simultaneously, they launched a campaign of public opinion at the Palace of Versailles, using their political influence to rally more nobles and apply pressure...”

Joseph nodded coldly. It seemed the notables at the Privy Council still harbored treasonous ambitions. However, this also worked in his favor—since they handed over the evidence themselves, it would make handling the matter far more straightforward.

As the Marquis of Saint-Véran rambled on about their schemes, he suddenly looked smug and eager to please.
“Your Highness, surely you’d like to know the whereabouts of the Duke of Orléans? Yes, he’s the mastermind. You must arrest him immediately!”

“Oh?” Joseph raised an eyebrow. “Where is he?”

“He left for Auvergne two days ago to meet Marquis Luckner,” the Marquis of Saint-Véran replied. “Marquis Luckner is attempting to form some kind of ‘alliance front,’ uniting as many nobles as possible to persuade the royal family to overlook this rebellion. They’re probably meeting to discuss this. Oh, and there’s even a marriage alliance involved...”

Joseph exhaled in relief. Fortunately, the Duke of Orléans wasn’t present. Otherwise, this testimony would have forced him to arrest the duke on the spot.

But if it came to that, the matter would need to follow due process—trial, pleas for leniency, backroom deals—ending at most in exile.

Given that the Duke of Orléans was one of the highest-ranking nobles under the royal family, with both wealth and influence, he could still stir up trouble even in exile.

Thus, Joseph had only one solution: eliminate him outright.

This would rid France of a significant threat, and the confiscation of his estate could provide a substantial boost to the treasury.

However, as previously noted, the duke’s influence was immense. The method of his elimination would need to be meticulously planned.

Once the Marquis of Saint-Véran had been escorted away by the royal guard, Joseph ordered Berthier to let the entire army rest in place for a day before advancing toward Auvergne.

He wasn’t heading there to confront the Duke of Orléans directly but rather to bring the army to Marquis Luckner’s doorstep. Negotiations would be much more effective that way.

Through this sudden move against the outspoken Marquis of Saint-Véran, Joseph had shifted the situation significantly in his favor. The next challenge, however, was how to pacify the military.

Yes, pacify.

Joseph harbored no illusions about commanding the Royal Guard Corps to sweep through France, crushing all disloyal military aristocrats and exiling them to barren provinces like the Marquis of Saint-Véran.

Such actions would plunge France into the chaos of civil war and squander enormous military expenditures. A single defeat could lead to utter disaster.

Even if the old military aristocracy were thoroughly purged, Joseph currently lacked sufficient forces to fill the resulting garrison vacancies across the provinces.

It was essential to understand that local law and order in France were maintained by the military. Unless all provinces completed police reforms like Paris, removing the military presence would immediately lead to rampant banditry and widespread suffering.

Therefore, the best strategy was to use the prestige from defeating Montcalm’s rebel forces to the fullest extent and absorb the existing military into the royalist cause.

At present, news of the royal family’s victory had surely left the military aristocracy trembling with fear. This was the perfect moment to set the rules.

Once the military issue was resolved, Joseph could begin implementing his grand plan!

Joseph glanced at the list of names from the Marquis of Saint-Véran’s testimony and smirked. These individuals had thrown half of France into chaos, and they wouldn’t be allowed to escape accountability.

Sometimes, chaos, when wielded correctly, could be a far more powerful weapon than order.

Of course, the key was being able to control it—creating chaos when necessary and reining it in the moment it was no longer needed.

...

The following morning, Joseph assigned the task of overseeing and reorganizing Montcalm’s defeated forces to the Moulin Corps, who were nearly exhausted from their high-intensity march. He then ordered the Royal Guard Corps to strike camp and march northwest.

The troops loaded wagons with large quantities of provisions, wine, and supplies seized from the Count of Sérurier’s warehouse. Assisted by the count’s estate servants, they sang the rousing “Glory and Victory” as they embarked on their journey.

Three days later, Joseph rode to a high vantage point where the dense urban structures of Auvergne came into view, even without the aid of a telescope.

Remaining vigilant, Joseph ordered Berthier to dispatch reconnaissance cavalry to advance over ten kilometers ahead, ensuring constant awareness of their surroundings. Though it was highly unlikely Marquis Luckner would act rashly, caution was paramount.

As they approached seven or eight kilometers from the city, Joseph noticed dozens of carriages parked along the roadside, surrounded by over a hundred servants.

The servants held wreaths, food, and wine. Upon seeing the Royal Guard Corps in the distance, they quickly formed neat lines.

Marquis Luckner himself came forward, beaming with a smile.

Aboard Joseph’s carriage, the old marquis heaped lavish praise on the Crown Prince’s success in quelling Montcalm’s rebellion. He then unleashed a torrent of curses at the Marquis of Saint-Véran, vowing that had he only known of the rebellion earlier, he would have personally led troops to suppress it.

In truth, Marquis Luckner was in a state of panic. Montcalm’s army had been specifically reinforced by the Queen for the North African expedition and was said to number 25,000. Their actual strength exceeded 17,000 troops. By contrast, Luckner had just over 7,000 soldiers, and their combat effectiveness paled in comparison.

Reports from Montpellier indicated that the Crown Prince’s police forces had utterly routed the Marquis of Saint-Véran. Even the Count of Sérurier’s estate had nearly been leveled by cannon fire.

Noticing Joseph’s smile but receiving no response, Marquis Luckner cautiously asked,
“Your Highness, what brings you to Auvergne this time?”

Joseph, surprised by the marquis’s swift change in attitude, found some of his prepared remarks unnecessary.

After a moment’s thought, he replied bluntly,
“I’ve come to quell the rebellion in Auvergne.”

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