The army outside Asco City was only the strongest among the National Self-Defense Forces; according to the Intelligence Bureau's report, there were at least four other Self-Defense Forces active around Corsica.
Although they numbered only a few hundred soldiers, with the weakest unit having fewer than a hundred, they were more adept at concealment, making it difficult to completely eradicate them.
Napoleon bowed his head in thought; if he could turn the Corsicans against the National Self-Defense Force in the battle at hand, the remaining small units wouldn't even require him to act personally—the Corsican populace would take care of them.
He redirected his gaze towards the map—this was a map drawn by the National Self-Defense Force itself, highly detailed, but now it was being used against them—quickly he formulated a new battle plan.
"Send orders for Captain Benito to lead three companies to bypass the enemy and establish a defensive line at Rao Mountain Pass."
He pointed at the slope north of Asco City, "Place the cannons here. Should the enemy approach, bombard them with full force.
"Other infantry to the east side of the enemy.
"Command the logistics officer to prepare ample supplies at Calvi Port, for we may be fighting here for quite some time."
In the following day, with Napoleon's infantry battalion from Marseille at its core, two thousand French troops swiftly advanced to the predetermined positions. If one were to observe from the sky at that time, it would be clear that the National Self-Defense Forces were surrounded from the north, east, and south, leaving only the direction of Asco City open.
Cesari waited for three days, and not seeing the opposite side launch an attack, he concluded that this French force was even weaker than the previous ones and decided to take the initiative.
At dawn, nearly 800 National Self-Defense Force soldiers charged towards the northern French troops—that sector had the fewest men and should be the weakest.
However, what awaited them was a thunderous barrage of cannon fire. The only truly elite unit Napoleon had brought to Corsica was an artillery battalion—he had commanded an artillery company while serving in the Guard Corps.
The horrific density of fire and shooting accuracy stunned Cesari's soldiers.
Then came the Cavalry Scouts of the French Army, who were already nearby, charging into the ranks of the disordered Self-Defense Force. Following them, the two artillery companies rushed up overnight, took positions against the Self-Defense Force's face, and fired two rounds of grapeshot.
In less than half an hour, Cesari's main force was scattered, wailing in retreat.
At the same time, the main French infantry force on the eastern side also began to press forward.
Due to Napoleon's great doubts about the combat effectiveness of this Corsican garrison, he only made a grand display but had no real intention of engaging in combat.
But Cesari, already terror-stricken by the artillery bombardment, had entirely lost the courage to fight and ordered his whole army to enter Asco City to prepare for a desperate defense.
After the National Self- Defense Force had entered the city, Napoleon immediately ordered a halt to the pursuit and then maneuvered his troops to block the two access routes into the city.
For the next half month, the French forces merely guarded their positions tightly, showing no intention of attacking.
However, Cesari found himself in a difficult situation—
Asco City had fewer than 10,000 residents, which was already considered a sizable town in Corsica; after all, the capital, Ajaccio, only had around sixty to seventy thousand people.
And his troops numbered more than 1,200, all of whom had exhausted their rations; they could only obtain food, wine, and other supplies from the town.
With so many soldiers, the food in town was quickly depleted.
Starving Self-Defense Force soldiers, armed with guns, were not content to go hungry; as a result, they used every method at their disposal to "extract" whatever scant supplies of food the citizens of Asco still had.
Despair spread throughout the town, as violence over food became commonplace. The citizens' attitude toward the Self-Defense Force rapidly shifted from sympathy to hatred.
Finally, a month after Napoleon had surrounded Asco, the members of the city's Chamber of Commerce organized the citizens and secretly set fire to the Self-Defense Force's ammunition warehouse.
The next day, upon receiving the news, Napoleon led his troops into the city, with the citizens actively aiding the French Army to eradicate the "grain-stealing scum;" the battle ended in less than half a day.
Nearly all of Cesari's men were annihilated, with at least a hundred of them killed by the tenacious hands of Corsican citizens.
Napoleon, who had brought a large supply of food to Asco, became a great hero to the citizens. The city commissioner even held a grand welcoming ceremony for him in the square.
The story of Asco citizens starving to death due to the Self-Defense Force's grain looting quickly spread throughout Corsica, turning the National Self-Defense Forces into public enemies.
In less than half a month, Napoleon had eradicated two more units of the National Self-Defense Force. For the first time in nearly a hundred years, the island's fragmented armed forces were nearly completely eliminated.
Tuileries Palace, second floor.
Robespierre looked at the Crown Prince with some surprise, "Are you saying, a nationwide public records check of the Tax Farmers' ledgers?"
"Yes," Joseph nodded, "and not just of the previous year, but of the last ten years of tax records."
If those Tax Farmers chose not to cooperate, then he would simply have to deal with them harshly.
He was sure their tax records wouldn't be clean, and once anything was found, he could punish them with hefty fines. This wouldn't be something they could settle by buying a few bonds.
As Robespierre was not very familiar with auditing, the side's Director of Taxation, Fulco, immediately widened his eyes in dismay, "Your Highness, even if we obtain the Tax Farmers' financial documents, with tens of millions of tax records just for one year, finding problems among them could be harder than finding a diamond at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean...
"Moreover, even the records from three years ago are already almost impossible to clarify for any issues, let alone from ten years ago..."
Joseph smiled, "You need to think differently.
"If there are problems with the tax records, who would know best?
"If they have been overcharged even a sou in taxes, even if it was ten years ago, they will surely remember clearly.
"So all we need to do is issue a notice, allowing the public to appeal for 'tax reconsideration' at their local tax offices. Then you can verify their claims against the corresponding records, and problems will quickly come to light.
"Oh, and I will have the major newspapers cooperate, listing out the tax regulations of previous years in detail, for the public's reference."
Fulco and Robespierre exchanged glances, admiring the Crown Prince's ingenious method; surely, a large number of discrepancies in the records could be uncovered.
But immediately, he looked troubled again, "Your Highness, even just for verification purposes, with the current staff at the tax office, it's likely to take half a year to finish checking..."
Joseph nodded, "I can arrange for Archbishop Brienne to lend you personnel from the finance department.
"Additionally, we could invite the Accountants' Guild and students from universities to help. I'm sure they wouldn't refuse if they were offered some salary."