Chapter 246: The Storm Approaches
These military nobles were well aware that since they hadn't been able to use the unrest to pressure the royal family, they would inevitably face backlash. Previously, they had hoped to leverage the fact that the royal family had few troops and thus heavily relied on them to negotiate favorable terms.
But now, the Prince had led an army and crushed Marquis Saint-Véran with lightning speed—the latter lasting barely more than an hour. By the time this news reached the others, it had already been exaggerated to "just over an hour." The fact that the royal family now possessed a highly capable elite force meant that their value in the eyes of the royal family had plummeted.
For days, they had been on edge until they heard from Marquis Luckner that the royal family's punishment wouldn't be too severe. Only then did they begin to relax. Since that was the case, there was no point in waiting for the Prince to arrive with his army to "visit" each one of them. By proactively seeking out the Prince and admitting their mistakes, they hoped to appear more sincere.
Joseph was pleased with their initiative. Although it meant fewer opportunities to showcase the might of the Imperial Guard in the southern provinces, it saved him a considerable amount of time for future plans.
After dealing with these individuals, Joseph decided to stay in Lyon for the time being. Over the next few days, all the officers involved in the recent attempted coup arrived one by one, eager to report in, as if afraid the royal family might change its mind if they were late.
They all received the same treatment as Marquis Luckner. With this, Joseph effectively gained control over the ten major armies in the western and southern provinces—nominally totaling 110,000 troops, though in reality, there were just over 80,000. While these forces might not follow orders with perfect discipline, at least they would no longer act independently.
Including the northern officers like Marshal Broglie, who had been the first to see the writing on the wall and "pledged allegiance," the long-standing problem of military nobles monopolizing the army was finally addressed.
The most important outcome of this was that it bought Joseph time and a stable environment to carry out his military reforms. Once these reforms were complete, France would have a powerful new army, and the outdated feudal forces could be discarded entirely.
Joseph left the Imperial Guard in Lyon to keep the newly subdued armies in check. Until the military noble group formally arrived at Versailles to bow before the king, they still needed to be watched closely.
Joseph, meanwhile, took a carriage northward to return to Versailles. Soon, that would become his primary battleground. Before leaving, he issued a series of secret orders to the intelligence agency and Mirabeau.
A few days later, intelligence agents in the southern provinces, who had been preparing for a long time, received their instructions and immediately sprang into action. At the same time, the many rising nobles sent by Mirabeau and others began taking to the streets. A storm, personally orchestrated by Joseph, was about to sweep across France.
Versailles Palace
In the northern wing, inside the Hercules Hall, after Marquis Luckner bowed and left the hall, Joseph whispered a few words to Louis XVI and the Queen, then left through a side door, stifling a yawn. He had spent four days traveling by carriage, not to mention the previous days spent marching with the army, and he was utterly exhausted. He preferred to avoid ceremonial occasions like this whenever possible.
Outside the hall, the gathered nobles now looked at him with a mix of awe and fear. They whispered among themselves:
"Did you hear? The Prince crushed the Montcalm regiment's rebellion with just the Paris police!"
"Oh, your information might be a bit off. The Prince's main force was the Berthier regiment; the police were just helping out..."
"Ha, the police were the first to break through the rebel lines!"
"Well, anyway, the Prince defeated the rebels in just half an hour and captured Marquis Saint-Véran."
"But why did Marquis Saint-Véran suddenly rebel?"
"No one knows for sure, but it seems to be related to the southern unrest. I heard he was supporting the riots."
"My God!" Someone made the sign of the cross. "That's terrifying! A noble of his stature, involved with such rebellion..."
Yes, in the minds of most people in Paris and the northern provinces, the southern unrest hadn't ended yet. But the Prince had already cut off the hand behind the rebellion—Marquis Saint-Véran.
"Boom!" The ceremonial officer struck the ground heavily with the end of his staff and announced, "General Morneau is granted an audience."
A deep horn sounded, and General Morneau straightened his collar, following the palace officer past two rows of guards, through two tall doors, and into the Hercules Hall. He walked briskly to the center of the hall, noting that only the King and Queen were present, with the Prince absent. This slightly eased the pressure he felt.
He knelt on one knee and said loudly, "Your Majesty, I deeply apologize for my rash and reckless actions. I beg for your supreme mercy to forgive my mistakes. I swear before God that I will forever remain loyal to you and serve as your humble servant..."
He continued speaking for a while before Queen Marie raised her hand to signal him to rise. "You still have the trust of His Majesty and me, General."
"Thank you for your mercy..." General Morneau expressed his gratitude, then bowed his head and exited the hall.
The ceremonial officer then called for the next officer to be granted an audience. At that moment, seven or eight more officers were still waiting outside, all eager to apologize and pledge loyalty to the King.
Queen Marie watched the officers outside through the doors and whispered to her husband, "It's hard to believe that Joseph managed to make these proud generals submit with just a group of police."
"He is indeed the child blessed by God," Louis XVI said proudly, making the sign of the cross. "I've always known he would be a great king!"
The Queen frowned slightly, "But he's been spending so much time fighting with the troops lately... Is it too dangerous?"
Louis XVI smiled, "No, the battlefield is the best stage for a young man."
He suddenly leaned closer to the Queen's ear, whispering proudly, "Did you know? The gun Joseph used to defeat the rebels was something we made together..."
The ceremony with the officers lasted the entire day. These military leaders bowed and confessed one by one before the King, in full view of the Versailles nobles. This process greatly enhanced the royal family's image and reinforced the authority of the monarchy.
At the evening banquet, almost everyone was talking about the rebellion and the unrest in the south.
Mirabeau, speaking solemnly in a low voice to several young nobles nearby, said, "We must deeply reflect on this unrest. What kind of people, or what unjust systems, have driven the populace to the despair of hunger?"
(End of Chapter)
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