I am the Crown Prince of France

Chapter 135: With an Army in Hand, I Hold the World!

Choosing regular soldiers was relatively easy. Priority was given to those with good records, and anyone with a history of misconduct or criminal activity was dismissed. It took just a few days to select over 1,700 soldiers, including both infantry and a cavalry regiment.

The challenge lay in screening the officers.

Following the Prince's orders, Berthier dismissed all field officers, keeping only captains at the highest rank. There was no need to worry about a lack of middle- or high-level commanders because many of the captains had the skills of higher-ranking officers but had been stuck in their current ranks due to their backgrounds or lack of money.

Promoting capable individuals from among these captains would result in a leadership far more effective than the hereditary officers they replaced.

Among the remaining officers, Berthier also excluded those from noble families, as well as those with poor character. The entire screening process took over ten days.

Once Joseph received the report that Berthier had completed organizing the troops, he "miraculously" got out of bed and removed the bandages from his arm—his wound had healed long ago, leaving only a faint scar.

The next day, Joseph visited Paris to witness the public trial of Théodore, the mastermind behind the farmhouse bombing, and several of his subordinates.

The trial was mostly a formality; the verdict had been decided days before to appease public anger. Théodore and Comte, the officer who gave the order to fire the cannon, were sentenced to execution, while the others received various punishments, including imprisonment and hard labor.

When the military tribunal's judge announced the verdict, the crowd in front of the Paris City Hall erupted in cheers. People shouted, "Justice for the Axel family!" and hurled stones at Théodore. If not for the gendarmes with their shields, the criminals would have been killed on the spot, saving the need for a formal execution.

Amid the crowd's cheers, Joseph then announced:

"The wounds I sustained during the attack have healed. After thorough investigation, the 'parasites' within the French Guards have been removed; the remaining officers and soldiers are innocent. I ask everyone not to disturb them any further."

The crowd erupted once more, shouting:

"Thank God the Prince is safe."

"Praise the Prince's mercy."

"May God grant the Prince good health."

"Long live the Prince!"

At the same time, the newspapers under Joseph's control began to shift the blame entirely onto Bézons and Théodore, portraying the rest of the French Guards as blameless. Unfortunately for the officers who had been initially reported, their crimes of embezzlement and abusing soldiers were proven true, and they became the scapegoats to appease public anger.

Within a week, the investigation of the French Guards was concluded, and the public quickly moved on from the once scandalous story. The surviving officers and soldiers of the French Guards were overjoyed, thinking of celebrating, but then they remembered that the responsibility for defending Paris had been handed over to the two regiments of the Flanders Brigade—now renamed the "Paris Legion."

The French Guards had been stripped of their title and renamed the "Marat Regiment," relegated to a remote village.

However, a portion of them soon saw a glimmer of hope. Their new commander, Colonel Berthier, led them, along with Odolric's cavalry regiment, out of the Marat Regiment's base and back to the familiar training grounds in southern Paris at the Champ de Mars.

This group of 2,200 soldiers represented the elite core of the former French Guards.

Meanwhile, the new commander of the Marat Regiment, the Marquis de Marat, found himself with just over 1,500 officers and soldiers and was quite at a loss.

Who, with any ability or connections, would want to take over the mess that was the French Guards? Marat was sent to clean up the mess, a hapless patsy.

Before his appointment, Marat had heard that Colonel Berthier was the man responsible for resolving the crisis in the French Guards. So Marat didn't dare say a word about Berthier and Odolric's actions, treating them as if they weren't under his command.

At the Champ de Mars, the 2,000 soldiers brought by Berthier stood in neat ranks, nervously awaiting orders from their new commander.

However, it wasn't their commander who stepped onto the podium first but a young man in a blue-and-white uniform, flanked by Berthier and a few other officers.

As Joseph looked at the sea of soldiers below, he felt a surge of excitement and satisfaction.

After spending so much time in this world, he finally had a military force completely under his command!

Though small in number and not yet fully staffed, this was a significant starting point—the integration of royal power with military power. From this moment, he truly had the means to change the future of France!

No, perhaps all of Europe would be transformed from this moment on!

Down below, a bugle sounded, and an officer shouted, "Present arms!"

The signalman waved his flags, and the 2,000 soldiers simultaneously raised their rifles in salute.

Joseph tipped his hat in acknowledgment, silently approving of their training—these were indeed the elite forces responsible for defending Paris.

"Attention!" shouted the officer below.

Joseph then addressed the soldiers in a loud voice:

"I believe you all know who I am. Today, I represent the royal family to visit the most loyal unit in His Majesty the King's army."

The signalman waved his flags again, and the soldiers on the field shouted in unison, "Long live His Majesty the King!"

Joseph continued:

"From now on, you will set an example for all French soldiers, becoming a new type of army, unlike any that has come before!"

The soldiers were taken aback. Just a few days ago, they had thought their military careers were over, caught up in the Prince's assassination attempt. Now, not only was the Prince personally inspecting them, but he was also saying they would become the standard for all French soldiers?

But when the Prince began outlining a new promotion system and pay structure, they couldn't remain calm. Discipline was momentarily forgotten as they murmured excitedly among themselves.

"You can be promoted to higher ranks without being a noble?"

"The Prince said 'any position,' which means even senior officers."

"Promotions based on merit and skill! Thank God, we all have a chance to become officers!"

"No more paying for promotions—that's the key!"

"Did you hear? The Prince said that pay will be distributed directly by the paymaster, not through the officers."

"Yes! And the paymaster is appointed directly by the War Minister. No more worrying about deductions!"

"The Prince also said pay will be increased. Oh, thank God! Thank the Prince!"

Joseph didn't ask the officers to maintain order. He knew that with just these two reforms, he had already won the absolute loyalty of these 2,000 soldiers.

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