Life of Being a Crown Prince in France

Chapter 149: Chapter 135: With the Army in Hand, the World is Mine! (Happy New Year)

The selection of regular soldiers was relatively easy, prioritizing those with good records while eliminating those with a history of violating military discipline or having committed crimes. A selection of over 1,700 soldiers, combining an infantry regiment and a cavalry camp, was completed in a matter of days.

Screening officers was a more troublesome matter.

Following the orders of the Crown Prince, Colonel Bertier eliminated all the senior officers, leaving only captains at the highest rank.

There was no need to worry about a lack of intermediate and senior officers because among the captains, many had the capability to serve in higher positions but were held back simply due to their humble origins or lack of money.

Promoting some of these outstanding individuals was far more effective than relying on the inherited officers for combat capabilities.

Among the remaining officers, those of high noble birth were also dismissed, and a further selection was made to remove those of low character, with the entire screening process lasting over ten days before completion.

Upon receiving the report that Bertier's troop organization had been completed, Joseph "miraculously" got out of his sickbed and removed the bandages from his arm—he had actually recovered from his wounds a while ago, leaving only a fine scar.

The next day, he came to Paris to attend the public trial of Theodore, the mastermind behind the shelling of the farmhouses, along with several of his subordinates.

The so-called trial was just a formality, carried out to quell public outrage; the verdict had in fact been decided several days earlier.

Theodore and Komu, who had given the order to fire on the scene, were sentenced to beheading, while the others received various punishments such as imprisonment or forced labor.

When the judge of the military court announced the verdict, a thunderous cheer erupted from the plaza in front of Paris City Hall.

Many people shouted, "Vengeance for the Axels," and a rain of stones was hurled at Theodore. Had it not been for the Gendarmes shielding with their shields, the culprits would have met their end right there without need for an execution ground.

Subsequently, Joseph ascended and proclaimed amid the cheers of the crowd:

"The injuries I sustained in the attack have healed. After inspecting, the 'pests' within the France Guard have been thoroughly purged, and the rest of the officers and soldiers are innocent. I hope everyone will refrain from disturbing them further."

Immediately, the people began to shout again:

"Thank God, the Crown Prince is unharmed."

"Praise the Crown Prince's mercy."

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"May God grant the Crown Prince good health."

"Long live the Crown Prince!"

At the same time, newspapers under Joseph's control also began to collaborate, placing all the blame on Besanval, Theodore, and others, promoting the idea that none of the other members of the France Guard were responsible.

However, it was tough on the few officers who were initially reported, as their crimes of corruption or assaulting soldiers were confirmed, and they became the sacrifices to appease the public rage.

Less than a week later, the investigation of the France Guard came to an end. The once buzzing public opinion quickly forgot about the matter.

The officers and soldiers of the France Guard, having narrowly escaped disaster, were overjoyed and wanted to celebrate, but they were suddenly reminded that the responsibility of guarding Paris had been handed over to two regiments dispatched from the Flander Regiment—now renamed the Paris Legion.

They, meanwhile, had been stripped of the title of France Guard and renamed the Merit Corps, relegated to a remote small town...

However, a portion of them soon saw a ray of hope—their new Lieutenant Colonel Bertier, along with Audric's cavalry camp, took them from their station in the Merit Corps and headed to the familiar Mars Field in the Southern Suburbs of Paris.

These more than 2,200 individuals were essentially the elite of the former France Guard.

And the newly appointed Commander of the Merit Corps, the Marquis of Merit, looked at the remaining 1500-plus officers and soldiers with great helplessness.

Given the current situation, which capable officer or one with connections would want to take over the mess that was the French Guard? The Marquis was the unfortunate scapegoat who had been sent to clean up the mess.

Before he had taken up his post, he had heard of the tremendous influence of Colonel Bertier, who had resolved the crisis facing the French Guard. As such, the Marquis dared not utter any word against the actions of Bertier and Audric, acting as if they were not his subordinates at all.

On the Mars Field, the more than two thousand officers and soldiers brought by Bertier stood in neat formation, watching the viewing platform with anxious hearts, uncertain of what instructions their new Commander would give.

However, the first to ascend the viewing platform was a young man dressed in blue and white military uniform, followed by their Commander and a few officers surrounding the youth.

Joseph watched the soldiers below, his heart full of excitement and relief.

Having been in this world for so long, he finally had an army that would obey his commands completely!

Although the numbers were not vast and even the officers were not complete, this was a starting point of special significance—the integration of royal and military power. From this point on, he truly possessed the capacity and means to alter the future of France!

No, perhaps all of Europe would be utterly changed from this moment!

Below the platform, a bugle call sounded, and an officer called out loudly, "Present arms!"

The signaler immediately waved his flags rapidly, executing a few gestures. Two thousand soldiers simultaneously lifted their rifles in salute.

Joseph tipped his hat in acknowledgement, nodding inwardly at the level of training of these soldiers, after all, the elite forces tasked with guarding Paris.

The officers below shouted again, "Attention!"

It was then that Joseph spoke out loud, "I believe everyone here recognizes me. Today, I represent the Royal Family to visit His Majesty's most loyal troops."

The signaler immediately waved his flags to pass on the command, and the soldiers on the field responded in unison, "Long live the King!"

Joseph continued, "From now on, you will serve as a model for all French soldiers, becoming a new type of military unlike any before!"

The officers and soldiers below were extremely surprised. They had thought that after the incident involving the attack on the Crown Prince, their military careers had no hope left. But unexpectedly, the Crown Prince had suddenly come to visit them and even said they should become a model for French soldiers?

However, once the Crown Prince had only mentioned the entirely new promotion and pay systems, everyone was unable to keep calm, momentarily forgetting their discipline, and began whispering to each other.

"One can be promoted to be a mid-level officer without being nobility?"

"The Prince said, 'capable of being promoted to any position,' which means including high-ranking officers."

"Advancement is based solely on ability and military merit! Thank God, we all have a chance to become officers now!"

"Promotions won't require any fees, that is the most crucial point!"

"Did you hear? The Prince said, from now on, the pay will not go through the officers but will be distributed directly into our hands by a paymaster."

"Heard it! The paymaster is appointed directly by the Minister of War, so we don't have to worry about our pay being withheld anymore!"

"The Prince also said he would increase the pay. Oh, thank God, thank the Crown Prince!"

Joseph did not make the officers maintain order, knowing that just these two reforms were enough to win him the absolute support of the more than two thousand officers and soldiers.