Joseph was admiring the undulating Alps in the distance—admiring the scenery was almost his greatest pleasure during the march—when he suddenly noticed a cannon stuck in the front, and immediately spurred his horse to rush over.
The soldiers struggling to drag the cannon noticed a slightly shorter figure approaching, turned their heads to look, and immediately became excited: "It's the Crown Prince!"
"The Crown Prince is here to help us with the cannon!"
"Be careful on that side, don't let the Prince get hurt..."
"Everyone put in more effort, let the Prince see our strength!"
The number of soldiers dragging the cannon did not increase, but the previously immovable cannon suddenly lurched forward, breaking free from the melting ice pit almost in an instant—it weighed nearly one and a half tons, a 12-pounder.
"Thank you, Your Highness!" the soldiers cheered again, all smiles as they lifted their hats to salute the Crown Prince.
Joseph nodded in response, and then dusted off the mud from his hands before remounting his horse.
In truth, how much strength could his small frame, not even 15 years old, contribute? Yet every soldier would remember the moment the Crown Prince helped them with the cannon, which would in turn be converted into high morale on the battlefield.
However, Joseph's participation in this military campaign wasn't merely about providing a "morale buff." If it wasn't for his personal presence, the officers really might not have dared to fully commit to the task he was meant to perform.
Continuing on for a while, the sky gradually darkened, and the Guard Corps began to set up camp for dinner.
Perna, leading the newly created Nurses' Corps, drove several horse-drawn carts past the camp.
The nurses shouted in clear voices as they passed by: "You must drink hot water!"
"Anyone who drinks carelessly won't be allowed to listen to Lorena sing later."
"This way, who hasn't received water yet?"
Meanwhile, they skillfully scooped hot water from barrels on the carts and distributed it to the soldiers, who were joking and whistling.
Joseph also took a cup of water from Perna's hand, hmm, today it was hot tea. The army nurse had already taken over the job of the Crown Prince's personal physician and now was taking over Eman's job as well.
Just as Joseph was about to enjoy the tea, he saw a messenger riding fast from the north.
Eman took the letter from the messenger and handed it to Joseph: "Your Highness, it's from the Palace of Versailles."
Seeing Archbishop Brienne's private seal on the envelope, Joseph took a sip of tea and said, "Read it out loud."
"Yes, Your Highness." Eman opened the envelope and quickly scanned the letter, "Your Highness, Archbishop Brienne says he continues to hold meetings daily as per your request, discussing 'how to reconcile with the military' as soon as possible."
Joseph nodded with a smile.
He was well aware that the Palace of Versailles had many eyes and ears of the Military Nobility; this was to make them think that the Royal Family did not dare offend the entire military and was currently studying how to step down gracefully.
What worried him the most was if the military suddenly capitulated and collectively came to Versailles to admit their faults, it would then be difficult to take decisive action.
Eman continued: "Additionally, Archbishop Brienne mentioned that the Duke of Broglie has already set out for Versailles and has written to express his eternal loyalty to the King. General Rossignol has also sent someone to Paris, saying he will follow soon."
This came somewhat as a surprise to Joseph.
He had previously singled out several influential military nobles who had not directly participated in this conspiracy and written to them in the name of the Royal Family, stating that if they obeyed the King's orders, they would continue to have His Majesty's trust and hinted at the possibility of important positions.
He expected that if the military faced suppression, these individuals would likely choose to switch sides again.
After all, he had only twenty thousand troops at his command, and there was a severe shortage of officers; he needed to draw from France's old army at least some people who could be incorporated into his forces.
But he had thought that it would take his most important move to make before anyone would "defect." He had not expected these generals to be so keen in their senses to make the "best choice" directly.
Particularly, the Duke of Broglie, although quite aged and in command of not many troops, was a marshal from the time of Louis XV and had immense seniority and influence in the military.
After this affair was concluded, it would be very appropriate for him to take charge of reorganizing the old army.
Joseph pondered for a moment, then returned to his tent and wrote a letter to Brian, instructing him not to disclose the Duke of Broglie's shift of allegiance to the Royal Family just yet, as well as the promise of offering the old man the position of Minister of War.
According to Joseph's military reform plans, a general staff would soon be established, responsible for the specific mobilization and command of the troops. The role of the Minister of War would become increasingly insignificant, proving perfect to serve as a bargaining chip.
The next morning, as martial music played, the Guard Corps set off once again.
Joseph looked south and asked General Bertier, who was beside him, "General, how far are we from Montpellier?"
The latter immediately responded, "96 kilometers, Your Highness."
He added, "We will encounter the Moncalm Legion in three days."
Joseph nodded, took a deep breath, and thought to himself that in three days, the Royal Family's last weakness would be mended. By then, nothing would stop him from leading France to soar!
In the west of France, Moncontour.
General Xer, commander of the Paris Legion, looked indifferently at the bloodstained streets, as soldiers continuously escorted the leading instigators of the rebellion past him.
A legion staff officer rode up quickly and announced loudly, "General, the rioters on Long Stone Street have also been dispersed, and there are no more insurgents in the city. A total of 122 people have been arrested so far."
General Xer nodded indifferently. Brittany, this backwater haven, always produced such troublemakers. Even after the Church began distributing food, the rioters continued to cause trouble, even robbing the Church.
His legion had been tempered on the Flanders border and dealing with these mobs was a breeze.
He looked at the staff officer and asked, "Where is the next site of trouble?"
"Angers, on the western side of Anjou, General."
"That's quite a distance. Issue the orders, we'll rest for half a day, and set out early tomorrow morning."
The task of the Paris Legion was to clear out scattered stubborn insurgents, with the furthest point being Bayonne in the south. He needed to make haste.
While the Paris Legion was cleaning up the battlefield, a small-scale battle was also taking place near Valence, to the northeast of Montpellier.
In the town of Amiens to the north of the city, insurgents had not dispersed, and hundreds surrounded the manor of a noble, trying to break in.
Next to the clock tower on their flank, a sergeant handed the telescope back to the officer beside him and frowned, saying, "Lieutenant Bonaparte, we only have fifty men, but they have three to four hundred."
However, that lieutenant's eyes sparkled with excitement. Pointing at the insurgents, he said to the surrounding soldiers, "What do you see?"
Lieutenant Bonaparte raised his voice: "That's our chance to achieve valor!"
"The enemy is weak and vulnerable, while you are well-trained warriors.
"Just follow me closely, and we can break them in an instant!
He drew his sword and strode towards the insurgents, seemingly without the slightest concern of whether the soldiers would follow him or not.