Upon hearing this, the Marquis of Lucenay's demeanor faltered instantly. They had just recently blackmailed the Royal Family with the threat of "refusing to quell the unrest".
However, Joseph took a sharp turn in his approach:
"I've heard you intend to create an 'Alliance Front'?"
The Marquis of Lucenay immediately broke into a cold sweat, realizing Marquis de Saint-Veran must have confessed everything. He quickly waved his hands and denied:
"No, no, that was just…"
Joseph raised his hand to interrupt him:
"His Majesty is very displeased with your neglect of duty and allowing the rebellion in Auvergne to go unchecked. Moreover, your private collusion with other officers to influence the Royal Family's decisions is a very serious mistake."
Although the Marquis of Lucenay was startled, he soon keenly noticed the difference in the Crown Prince's words—His Majesty had only characterized his actions as "neglect of duty" and "serious mistake." That meant there was still room for negotiation!
He clenched his teeth inwardly and displayed an extremely sincere attitude:
"I am willing to accept any punishment for the mistakes I have committed."
Joseph nodded: "First, you must personally go to the Palace of Versailles and admit your wrongdoing to His Majesty the King."
Seeing the Marquis of Lucenay's face turn pale, he added: "Rest assured, you will not be stripped of your position."
The latter was overjoyed, as this was already his bottom line. Thus, he nodded repeatedly in a hurry:
"I will comply with Your Highness's command, and I will seek an audience with His Majesty as soon as possible to offer my sincere repentance!"
Joseph continued: "Secondly, the Auvergne Corps must accept a new system of officer selection and promotion—simply put, it will offer commoners the opportunity to become officers. Also, promotions will no longer require payment."
The Marquis of Lucenay, however, discerned the underlying implications, and cautiously asked:
"Your Highness, does this mean I will still command the Auvergne Corps?"
"Yes, as long as you strictly implement the new officer system and accept direction from the General Staff, you will remain the commander of the corps."
Joseph's plan for the military was very clear; he could not rely on the old forces in battle. He would simply transfer some talents to the Guard Corps. The original units could be left intact. After this chastisement, he reckoned they would not dare to cause significant trouble anymore.
As long as they accepted commoners as officers, in a few years, capable commoners and minor nobility would become the backbone of the military. Of course, the promotion of officers would still require strict supervision and verification by the General Staff.
Also, by retaining the positions of the Military Nobility, the resistance to their opposition could be minimized.
Once the Royal Family had full control of the military, they could handle them with ease.
The old Marquis was overjoyed and immediately exclaimed loudly: "Rest assured, Your Highness. Military discipline and system always run in my blood!" He then carefully asked, "Your Highness, what is this 'General Staff'?"
"Oh, it's a new department that will be established to assist His Majesty the King in formulating battle plans and coordinating troops," Joseph continued. "Furthermore, your corps must undergo an organizational audit to eliminate all ghost positions and be downsized according to the actual number of soldiers.
"From now on, pay will be issued directly by the General Staff, including your own pay. Weapons and equipment will also be procured and distributed by the General Staff. This way, you need not worry about the expenditures of your troops. Of course, you will also have no need to intercept Military Service Taxes or other funds."
The Marquis of Lucenay inwardly sighed, realizing this was tantamount to the confiscation of his financial authority. But considering he at least retained his commander's position and could seek other ways to make money in the future, he acquiesced with a pinch of the nose:
"Yes, Your Highness, I understand."
What Joseph did not tell him was that the Gendarmerie would also be re-established, with positions directly being filled by commoners or minor nobility, making it much harder for officers to embezzle in the future.
Since the whole exchange had gone smoothly, Joseph did not linger any longer and, after declining the Marquis of Lucenay's invitation to a banquet, he immediately headed to the next corps' garrison.
In the following period of time, he planned to deal with all the main forces stationed in the west and south just as he had with the Marquis of Lucenay.
As the Marquis of Lucenay disembarked from the carriage, bowing to send off the Crown Prince, he suddenly heard the latter say:
"Oh, by the way, Marquis, I have heard that your granddaughter is engaged to the Duke of Chartres?"
The Duke of Chartres was the son of the Duke of Orleans.
The Marquis of Lucenay's mind raced, immediately realizing that it was the Duke of Orleans who was the "initiator" of the blackmail against the Royal Family, and without hesitation, he said:
"Your Highness, that is merely a rumor, nothing of the sort! In fact, my second granddaughter has decided to join a Monastery."
Joseph inwardly gave the old man credit for his decisive action—preferring his granddaughter become a "nun" rather than have any ties with the Duke of Orleans.
The Guard Corps scarcely paused before continuing their march westward.
What Joseph did not anticipate, however, was that he would encounter several "listed" Generals on his way, just three days after leaving Auvergne.