NOVPUBChapter 603 -514: Let Napoleon Do What He Needs To Do
Count Butafuoco wasted no time in striking while the iron was hot, having Girolamo push forward a bill in the Parliament to revoke the qualifications of the Paoli Faction’s members.
Naturally, Bartolomeo lent his full support—once the Paoli Faction’s members were gone, the parliamentary seats would largely fall into the hands of his own faction.
oration organization, was deemed illegal by the French Government, but the Corsican Parliament recognized it, which was an important reason it continued to enjoy Corsican support.
Giuseppe and Eloc exchanged a glance, both shaking their heads resolutely: “This is absolutely unacceptable!”
“You’re exploiting our vulnerabilities, we can’t use the Self-Defense Force as a bargaining chip, even if we have to deal with Bartolomeo.”
Count Butafuoco chuckled: “Once you lose your positions as members, the Self-Defense Force will belong to Bartolomeo. What’s the point of defending it then?”
...
Both the Paoli Faction and the neutrals fell silent.
How many of the Restoration Faction truly wanted to establish a Corsican Republic? There were no notably prestigious states in Corsican history, and with nationalism yet to rise, weren’t their separatist movements just a way for them to become ‘founding heroes’ and retain high positions?
Now, they were about to be overthrown, and once Bartolomeo took control of the Self-Defense Force, they would have no chance of turning the tables.
Finally, Giuseppe took a deep breath, nodded, and said, “Alright, I accept your suggestion.”
Eloc, leader of the neutrals, after some thought, suddenly said, “My Lord Earl, even if we support you, our combined factions still don’t make up two-thirds of the seats in Congress.”
Bartolomeo’s faction held 35% of the seats in Congress, and legislation required a 66% majority to pass.
Count Butafuoco nodded calmly: “Don’t worry, as long as your people vote in favor of abolishing the Self-Defense Force when the time comes, the agreement will be fulfilled.”
What a joke, Chalmers, the major financier, could just lift a finger, allocate a little funding, and swinging a few members of the Bartolomeo faction wasn’t a hard task.
Moreover, there was Girolamo the Speaker, who also had his own power within the Bartolomeo faction and could serve as a reserve.
…
Tuileries Palace, second floor.
Joseph, seeing the report just delivered by the Governor of Corsica, couldn’t help but smile.
According to the letter, although the Corsican Parliament had not yet begun voting, the current political landscape indicated that the bill to abolish the National Self-Defense Force was certain to pass.
All that remained was to send troops to wipe out this illegal armed force. Without the guise of legitimacy, this band of irregulars would struggle to garner support from the Corsican people—this was a decision by the Corsican Parliament, an entity which carried great local influence—hence becoming easier to deal with.
With the armed force gone, and the Restoration organization’s severe internal divisions, it would no longer pose a threat.
Whether through continuous political assimilation or by finding a pretext for direct prohibition, the problem of Corsican separatism could be thoroughly resolved.
Joseph slipped the report into an envelope, pondering who he should send to eliminate the illegal force.
He found it somewhat amusing; wasn’t this exactly what Napoleon had done historically? This time, he might as well go himself; familiar with the task, certainly no mishaps would occur. 𝓃𝓸𝓋𝓅𝓊𝒷.𝓬𝓸𝓂
Plus, once Napoleon personally took care of the Self-Defense Force and saw the ignoble actions of his idol Paoli and the disunity of the Restoration organization, he would likely lose interest in the idea of Corsican restoration.
With this thought, Joseph immediately drafted an order for the General Staff, entrusting Major Napoleon Bonaparte to lead a battalion, along with the Corsican-stationed French Army, in charge of eradicating the Corsican National Self-Defense Force.
Upon completion of the mission, Bonaparte would be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and assume the position of acting Commander of the Corsican forces.
He knew Napoleon was ambitious, and while disillusioned with the restoration group, a high-ranking position like the commander of Corsican forces might very well tip the scales, making him lean towards becoming a true Frenchman.
Once Corsica was fully incorporated into the French Government’s administration, any chance of a restoration movement would be gone.
In time, this brave soldier would truly be recruited to his own ranks.
Joseph nodded and inquired, “Where is he?”
“At Madame Bertrand’s house.”
Half an hour later, Joseph met “the Lender” at Madame Bertrand’s house—none other than the Bank of England’s banker Godemid.
Already there waiting, Godemid bowed respectfully upon the Crown Prince’s arrival: “It is an honor to meet you, Your Royal Highness. I apologize for the impromptu nature of this meeting, but I have good news to share with you.”
