The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 205

Chapter 205: Another Option

France

Southeast of Provence

A neatly aligned and well-equipped legion marched into the port of Toulon.

If one looked closely, it was evident that the soldiers' immaculate white uniforms were slightly different—some had the insignia of irises and dolphins embroidered on their collars, a mark reserved for the French Crown Prince, while others had the emblem of the Paris Police Academy.

Yes, this was indeed the "Crown Prince's Imperial Guard Legion," which had set out for Tunisia half a month earlier.

At the time, Joseph had even given up attending the grand ceremony where the Standards Committee announced the new metrics, just to see them off. Though a little regretful, it was clear that the North African strategy was the most pressing matter. He personally conducted the pre-departure mobilization for the legion and accompanied them for over 20 kilometers, greatly boosting the morale of the soldiers.

Outside the port of Toulon, a captain leading the group looked at the soldiers, who appeared somewhat fatigued under the sun, and waved his hand, calling out:

“Where’s the singer?”

“Yes, Sir! I’m here!” A young soldier, not tall and carrying an organ, quickly ran over and saluted the officer.

The captain patted him on the shoulder and gestured toward the front of the formation:

“Let’s sing a song.”

“Can we sing ‘Glory and Victory,’ Sir?”

“Good, let’s sing that one. It’s my favorite song.”

The singer ran to the front of the formation, played a few high notes on the organ to get the soldiers' attention, then made a signal to the drummer, before calling out loudly:

“Sing with me—

‘The horns sound on the battlefield before dawn,
The warriors' ranks stand in perfect order.
Determination and faith written on their faces,
Glory and victory are our creed.
Our loyalty unwavering,
We salute His Majesty with victory!
With blood and fire, we earn supreme honor...’”

The song was solemn and full of power, and as the soldiers joined in, their spirits were soon lifted.

However, the tune was unmistakably the famous "Marseillaise," a melody later familiar to nearly every French person. Joseph had introduced it to his legion early, and it was immensely popular with the soldiers. He had even decided to make it the official anthem of the legion.

Of course, the melody was refined with the help of Mrs. Garland, and the lyrics were rewritten by the great writer Beaumarchais, turning the song into a tribute to loyalty to the King and a pursuit of glory and honor on the battlefield.

The dock was already filled with numerous naval transport ships and escort warships, swaying gently with the waves.

The navy had secured 800,000 livres of funds from the Americans, but for this anti-pirate operation, they had only dispatched three warships. Most of the supplies were provided by the Dutch, meaning they spent very little. Perhaps the navy itself felt a little guilty for not doing more, and thus responded eagerly to the call for action in North Africa.

By 2:30 p.m., after more than 4,000 officers and soldiers, along with war horses, cannons, and other military supplies, had boarded the ships, ten transport ships set sail, heading straight for Tunisia.

...

Central Tunisia

The Chukri Valley, at the junction of Kairouan and Sfax

Under a sturdy olive tree, a Tunisian officer of the Imperial Guard, dressed in an orange robe, swatted a mosquito, no larger than a mung bean, which had been sucking blood on his face.

He wiped the blood off his palm, then sternly shouted at the soldier beside him who was fanning him:

“Fan harder, you lazy fool!”

“Yes, Sir.” The soldier hesitated but nodded, increasing the speed of his fanning.

The officer looked down at the valley, seeing nothing but green grass and trees, the scene tranquil and undisturbed.

He turned to another officer with small eyes and said:

“How much longer do we have to stay in this cursed place? I feel like I’m being drained dry by mosquitoes!”

The small-eyed officer, fiddling with his boots, did not look up and responded:

“Be patient, Gedik. This is an order directly from the Bey to Lord Koja.”

Gedik glanced around at the forest they were hiding in, frowning and muttering:

“People sitting in palaces like the Bey have no idea what the front lines are like.”

The small-eyed officer waved his hand dismissively:

“I heard from Lord Koja that it was Madame Hafsa's suggestion.”

“She?” Gedik snorted, “A woman meddling in military affairs. There’s no discipline left at all!”

“It’s said that she was the first to discover the rebellion. So, when she said that Younes would launch a surprise attack, the Bey listened to her advice and ordered Lord Koja to prepare in advance.”

“My God, how could they trust a woman’s word?”

Before Gedik could finish his sentence, two scouts came rushing in, waving their hands urgently:

“Enemy forces! Our outpost has been attacked, and there are at least a thousand enemy soldiers!”

Gedik exchanged a look with his colleague and jumped to his feet, his eyes wide in disbelief:

“How did that woman know?!”

Of course, Hafsa hadn’t guessed it. Joseph had sent word to her early on, warning that Younes might attempt a desperate assault on the Chukri Valley.

He had told Hafsa to inform Hamud Ali in advance, giving him enough time to prepare the troops for the impending rebellion.

At the same time, Joseph was fully aware that Younes had only a small number of weapons and that his military funds were rapidly depleting. This was because Joseph had only authorized 2,000 flintlock rifles to be sent to Younes, while the so-called 2 million livres of military funding had not included a single coin. Younes had managed to rally his forces using his own meager savings, but there was no provision for ongoing salaries or supplies.

In such a dire situation, Younes had no choice but to risk everything. He planned to launch a surprise attack on the Kairouan fortress’s outer defenses before they were fully prepared, aiming to bypass the fortress and seize the wealthy city of Susa for resupply.

Of course, if Younes hesitated to take such action, the French military advisors Joseph had placed by his side would be sure to suggest a similar offensive.

From the outset, Joseph’s strategy in Tunisia was one of “setting wolves against tigers,” pitting Younes against Hamid Ali in a bid to deplete the fighting capacity of Tunisia's Imperial Guard. The true goal lay in the ace Joseph held in reserve.

Initially, Joseph had planned to infiltrate spies into the Kasbah Palace to pose as military experts offering advice to Ali.

However, during the Intelligence Bureau's operation, an unexpected opportunity arose when they encountered a French merchant supplying luxury clothing to the palace. Through this merchant, they were introduced to another pivotal figure—Hajji, the son of Tunisia's former Bey, Muhammad ibn Hussein, and the nephew of Hamid Ali.

After Joseph’s Intelligence Bureau operatives established contact with Hajji, the two sides quickly reached a cooperative agreement. Hajji, in turn, recommended an even more influential figure to sway Hamid Ali—his favorite concubine, Hafsa.

Subsequently, Hafsa pretended to deduce that a rebellion might erupt in the south. After Ali dispatched his troops, she "predicted" that the rebels would likely launch a surprise attack on Koja’s forces.

Joseph’s true intention was not for Ali to quickly quell the rebellion but for Younes to suffer a severe blow, creating the appearance that his cause was on the verge of collapse.

This would pave the way for the next phase of Joseph’s plan.

As for Younes, Joseph had no fear that he would be entirely defeated. The French warships anchored off the coast of Sfax carried additional weapons and silver coins. As soon as these supplies reached Younes, he would immediately be able to regroup and engage Ali's Imperial Guard in another round of fierce battles.

...

On the slopes of the Chukri Valley, Gedik, the Tunisian Imperial Guard officer, urgently ordered his messengers to relay commands and prepare the troops for battle.

Tunisia’s terrain was mostly flat, consisting almost entirely of plains. What passed for a valley was merely a depression around 300 to 400 meters high, yet it was a crucial pass leading to Kairouan.

Rume, one of Younes' officers, maintained a relaxed demeanor, signaling his subordinates to speed up. Earlier, they had routed Koja’s outpost forces with little effort, leaving Rume feeling smug. He recalled the valor of his troops when they had besieged the former Bey, Hussein, with Younes Pasha two decades earlier. By comparison, the current Imperial Guard seemed to have grown complacent in the comforts of Tunis, overweight and unable to run. This battle appeared to be an easy victory.

After traversing the valley, Rume gazed out at the vast plain before him and immediately ordered a message sent to Younes Pasha.

Younes soon led the main force through the valley. However, at that moment, Nizamuddin, whom he had sent to position cannons on the eastern heights, suddenly encountered fierce resistance from enemy forces.

The situation left Gedik shocked. He had been preparing to ambush Younes' main force when he noticed a small enemy artillery unit climbing the hillside. Left with no choice, he launched his attack prematurely.

A seasoned commander, Younes quickly realized something was amiss. He ordered his main force to retreat from the valley and instructed his daughter, Rabia, to lead a team to search the surrounding hillsides.

Before Younes could finish redeploying his troops, Gedik had already descended into the valley with nearly 6,000 Imperial Guardsmen.

The two forces immediately clashed. Caught off guard, Younes’ troops were thrown into disarray, and the first few hundred soldiers to enter the valley were slaughtered within half an hour.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the valley, Rume’s previously confident unit came under attack by Koja himself, leading the main Imperial Guard force. With only 1,500 men at his disposal and a narrow valley behind him, Rume was outmatched. The battle lasted barely forty minutes before a stray bullet pierced his chest. His troops promptly surrendered.

After assessing the enemy’s numbers, Koja realized they did not represent Younes' main force. He immediately ordered his men to pass through the valley in pursuit of the enemy.

Through his telescope, Younes watched as his soldiers fled the valley, scattering like mice chased by a cat. Gritting his teeth, he ordered the rest of his troops to retreat while positioning his 3,000 elite soldiers to hold the valley’s exit.

These elite troops, half of whom had served with Younes in the Imperial Guard years earlier, were seasoned warriors despite their age. Moreover, they were now equipped with superior French firearms.

Gedik, in high spirits from chasing the fleeing soldiers, suddenly spotted an organized enemy formation ahead. Without hesitation, he ordered a frontal assault, sending his cavalry to chase down the scattered remnants.

As the deep sound of horns echoed, Gedik's two musketry regiments advanced in formation toward Younes’ troops, while a half-saber regiment swiftly moved in from the flanks.

But as they closed within 100 paces, Younes’ men unleashed a concentrated volley of musket fire.

Gedik was about to mock their impatience—firing muskets at this range was ineffective—when he was stunned to hear screams from within his own ranks. Soldiers fell into pools of blood, writhing in agony, and some panic-stricken men began to retreat.

Momentarily paralyzed, Gedik scrambled to order his men to return fire, but at this range, their shots caused minimal damage. The poorly trained Imperial Guards' scattered firing was met by another coordinated volley from Younes’ troops, who had reloaded and advanced several steps closer.

The deafening gunfire felled another thirty to forty of Gedik’s men. Despite officers shouting commands to hold the line, many soldiers began to waver.

The once orderly musketry units began to fragment, with some holding their ground while others retreated. The line was in complete disarray.

Desperate, Gedik ordered his saber regiment to accelerate their attack and had the musketeers withdraw to reform their lines.

Younes, however, gave him no respite. He commanded his musketeers to press forward while Rabia led several hundred saber-wielding warriors to meet Gedik’s flanking troops.

Close combat rarely mirrored the dramatic duels portrayed in films. Victory often hinged on momentum. Once one side faltered, it was quickly overwhelmed.

Within moments, Gedik's saber regiment broke ranks under Rabia’s terrifying charge, fleeing in panic.

Large-scale battles were nearly impossible to salvage once a rout began.

Rabia led her troops in a relentless pursuit, while Younes’ French-trained musketeers closed the gap with devastating volleys.

Before Gedik could deploy his reserves, his main force was shattered by an enemy half its size. Soldiers screamed and fled in all directions.

Although Younes routed his enemy, he knew better than to linger. He ordered his men to cover the retreat of the scattered troops and quickly withdrew south of Sfax.

Hours later, when Koja’s main Imperial Guard force arrived at the valley, they found only a defeated Gedik and his men collecting corpses. Younes’ forces were nowhere to be seen.

Koja, unwilling to risk further pursuit, ordered the troops to set up camp and fortify their defenses, while dispatching a report back to Tunis.

Meanwhile, Younes stopped his retreat only at dusk. At dawn the next day, he tallied his losses: nearly 2,000 dead or missing, including Nizamuddin and Rume, with several hundred wounded.

His remaining combat-ready forces now numbered fewer than 5,000.

In the military tent, Younes’ officers wore grim expressions. Some had already suggested retreating further south into the barren Ghadames region.

At that moment, the accompanying French advisor broke into an untimely smile:
“Gentlemen, do not despair. Trust me—the Crown Prince’s aid should arrive very soon!”

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