The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 242

Chapter 242: Oh No, I've Become a Rebel!

On a distant hillside, Joseph's speech continued:

"The riots have caused significant devastation across the southern provinces. Yet our brave Marquis of Saint-Véran, commanding nearly twenty thousand troops, has persistently refused to send forces to quell the unrest, standing by as families of status and refinement are plundered by the rioters."

He paused to allow the reporters to record his words before raising his voice:

"Some even suspect that the Marquis of Saint-Véran is the mastermind behind the riots. Of course, I do not believe such allegations.

"Thankfully, His Majesty the King has never forgotten his people! His Majesty entrusted me with leading all available forces in Paris, including the police, to travel the great distance to Montpellier and suppress the riots..."

As he spoke, gunfire suddenly echoed from afar. Joseph's heart leapt.

It had begun!

Two cavalrymen galloped toward him, shouting from a distance:

"Your Highness! The Montcalm Corps has launched a sudden attack on us. It seems they may be rebelling!"

The dozens of reporters and nobles nearby froze in shock, unsure of how to react.

Joseph widened his eyes in exaggerated astonishment and exclaimed:

"How is this possible?!"

A "plant" in the crowd stammered:

"Could it be that the Marquis of Saint-Véran has been allowing the riots to persist just to ambush Your Highness under the guise of suppressing them?"

Joseph seized the opportunity and continued dramatically:

"It seems he truly intends to rebel..."

Eymond handed him a telescope. Taking it, Joseph peered down the hill and frowned:

"They are attacking General Berthier's position!"

Soldiers immediately brought several crates of telescopes, distributing them considerately to the reporters.

As the reporters adjusted their telescopes, the scene below came into sharp focus—dense ranks of troops were firing fiercely and advancing toward the encampment of Berthier's Corps, concealed behind a small grove. The flags of the Montcalm Corps fluttered boldly amidst the chaos.

From Major Bren's vantage point, only the grove was visible, but from the hillside, one could see the camp behind it.

Hearing the claim that the Montcalm Corps was attacking Berthier's troops, the reporters immediately concluded the attack was targeting the camp behind the grove.

Joseph, with an air of gallant resolve, mounted his horse and solemnly addressed the reporters:

"I must join my troops! Should I meet misfortune, I entrust you to share all that has happened here with the world."

With that, he rode off with his guards in a cloud of dust.

The soldiers swiftly collected all the "military supply" telescopes, leaving the battlefield in a haze of uncertainty for the reporters.

Major Bren, lazily observing his troops systematically clearing the grove of rioters, suddenly heard a thunderous explosion from his rear flank.

He frowned. His first thought was: I didn’t bring any artillery.

When he looked up, his pupils contracted sharply—a few bloody gaps had appeared in his infantry lines. The soldiers, stunned and terrified, remained rooted in place, struggling to grasp what had happened.

"This is enemy artillery!" Bren immediately snapped to attention. "No, these aren’t rioters!"

He turned and shouted to his adjutant:

"Order the troops to halt! Concentrate both flanks toward the center! Send the cavalry to scout southeast!"

Before the adjutant could move, another volley of cannon fire roared in the distance.

This time, the soldiers of the Montcalm Corps understood what was happening. They screamed in panic and scattered to avoid the bombardment, while the officers drew their swords and shouted in vain to maintain order.

On a northern hillock, a Police Corps officer explained to the reporters:

"Listen to that—those rebels have even brought artillery! What are these damned scoundrels trying to do?!

"Oh, may the Lord protect His Highness from harm..."

After the third round of cannon fire, the Montcalm Corps was in complete disarray.

The barrage, consisting of three 12-pounder cannons and six 6-pounders, had been pre-aimed with remarkable precision, leaving no shot wasted.

What followed was inevitable.

Major Bren, torn between requesting reinforcements or retreating, saw two infantry regiments advancing in tight formations on both his flanks, while a massive cavalry force began to maneuver around his rear.

All the while, the cursed cannons kept firing.

At that moment, Major Bren realized he had walked straight into an ambush.

After hesitating for only two seconds, he turned his horse and fled with a handful of guards, abandoning his troops to retreat to the Count of Sérurier's estate.

On the distant hillside, the reporters, trembling with fear, waited for the cannon fire to cease. Over an hour later, they were finally greeted by guards sent by the Crown Prince to escort them.

The battlefield near the grove, where heavy fighting had occurred, was now mostly cleared.

Joseph, wearing an expression of righteous indignation, led the reporters to view the bodies of Berthier’s soldiers, allegedly killed by the rebels.

About two hundred neatly arranged corpses lay on the ground.

The Crown Prince condemned the Marquis of Saint-Véran's treasonous actions, briefly recounted how General Berthier had valiantly repelled the rebels, and vowed to avenge the fallen soldiers.

Of course, the corpses were actually Montcalm soldiers. However, their uniforms closely resembled those of the Guards Corps, making it impossible for the reporters to distinguish one from the other.

Once the reporters recovered from their initial shock, they worked feverishly to turn their observations into news articles, which their assistants or servants promptly sent back to their respective newspapers.

Before long, cannon fire erupted again, this time from the Count of Sérurier's estate to the east.

The reporters stood up and looked in that direction.

An officer quickly led a team to escort them north to safety, explaining worriedly along the way:

"Listen to that—the rebels are attacking His Highness’s forces again. This will undoubtedly be a grueling battle..."

In reality, the fight was anything but grueling.

The cannon fire was the Guards Corps launching an attack on the Montcalm Corps.

Upon learning of Major Bren’s ambush, the Marquis of Saint-Véran hastily ordered his forces to assemble for battle.

However, he had received no prior intelligence about the approach of the Guards Corps. His soldiers were lounging in the estate, with no perimeter sentries posted. By the time Berthier had nearly encircled the estate, more than half of the Montcalm troops had yet to form ranks.

What followed was a barrage of cannon fire. After two mid-level Montcalm officers surrendered with their troops, Davout’s battalion was the first to charge through the breach, quickly storming the estate's center and engaging the Marquis of Saint-Véran’s personal guards.

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