Life of Being a Crown Prince in France

What Charles II did not know was that, in order to maintain the abundant stamina and morale of the Guard Corps, Joseph had already implemented a rotation system. In the two important towns south of Brussels, two battalions of troops were stationed in each, with 1,000 men left on alert in the central area, plus reconnaissance Hussars scattered around. In total, only half of the forces were ready for combat, while the other half were conducting routine training north of Namur.

They switched places every month and a half.

In addition, he conscripted 5,000 locals in the Walloon Region to form the "Walloon Guard" to assist with the battle in Brussels. In the French-speaking region of Southern Netherlands, there were plenty of people willing to serve the Crown Prince of France for a bit of military pay.

Which is to say, under the current stalemate, 7,000 soldiers of the Guard Corps, along with 5,000 temporarily recruited mixed troops, were able to handle the 40,000 demoralized men on the opposite side.

Harboring the humiliation of his initial captivity, Charles II angrily ordered the officers in front of him to reorganize their troops and to launch another attack on the French Army in three days.

After the Hanover generals left as silent as cicadas in winter, Charles II also gradually calmed down. He had experienced firsthand the formidable fighting capability of the French troops south of Brussels. Even without much direct confrontation, he had been defeated.

And the past month’s battles also proved that it would be difficult to win this campaign with just his own insufficient forces, plus the "peasants" from the Southern Netherlands who couldn’t even maintain proper formations.

He sighed deeply and sat down behind his desk, picking up his pen to write a letter of aid to his brother-in-law, who was also the King of England, George III.

Originally, he had sent troops to intervene in the affairs of the Southern Netherlands at George III’s request, but now it had become his own war.

After sealing the letter, he worried it wasn’t secure enough, so he picked up the pen again and wrote another letter to the Prime Minister of England, William Pitt Junior. The core content of both letters was essentially the same—requesting England to send reinforcements to Brussels.

While Charles II was anxious about the war situation, Joseph was reviewing the recruitment test results just reported by the "Military Supplies Preparatory Committee of Southern Netherlands."

Indeed, Joseph II of Holy Rome had barely hesitated in agreeing to France’s request to gather logistics supplies in the southern part of the Southern Netherlands and ordered Austrian officials there to cooperate fully with France.

Moreover, he replied, highly commending the French Army for its decisive role in suppressing the Southern Netherlands rebellion and combating invading forces such as Prussia and Hanover. At the end of the letter, the Emperor of Sanctum mentioned that Luxembourg would be used as compensation for France’s deployment of troops.

Subsequently, Joseph ordered the establishment of this "Military Supplies Preparatory Committee," which essentially took over the taxes, finances, and commercial trade of the Walloon Region. After monopolizing financial power, the administration of the Walloon Region was pretty much determined by the committee—any local official who did not comply could forget about next month’s salary.

The top officials of the committee were dispatched from France, while the middle and lower-ranking clerks were all locals from the Walloon Region.

Joseph, using his previous experience with the "civil service recruitment exam" in Tunisia, also organized a recruitment process in the Walloon Region under the pretense of "selecting capable individuals to quickly gather urgently needed supplies for the frontlines," but in reality, it was to win over the elite class of the Walloon Region.

And just as he expected, the nobility and capitalist class of the Walloon Region came in droves for the assessment. They completed the examination with exceedingly high efficiency within less than three weeks.

Joseph looked at the list of 103 selected candidates and their recommended positions by the chairman of the committee, Foullier, who was also the former assistant commissioner of municipal administration in Lettelicity, and he shook his head slightly.

Seeing this, Foullier’s heart tightened, and he quickly stepped forward, bowing:

"Your Highness, is there something unsuitable about these positions?"

Joseph lifted the document in his hand:

"Can 103 people ensure the supply of materials to the frontlines? If there is a problem with logistics, we could lose the war at any moment!"

Foullier was taken aback, "What do you mean, Your Grace?"

"At least three hundred positions responsible for gathering supplies are needed to be somewhat safe," he said.

Though President Foullier looked confused, he had no objections since the Crown Prince was willing to pay the salaries,

"Ah, yes, Your Highness, I will get to the adjustments immediately," he said.

Joseph did not have extra salaries without a place to allocate them; rather, those who passed the exam and were hired were essentially the foundational bureaucrats for his management of the Walloon Region in the future. Three hundred people were still far from enough.

He then turned to Viscount Flotte beside him, the precise "Eminence in Law" who had previously come to deliver intelligence and oats to the Guard Corps,

"Additionally, there are thirty other positions. Please discuss with the other ’coordinators’ and recommend some talented individuals to me," he said.

Viscount Flotte was currently the committee’s coordinator in Mons, essentially acting as Deputy Mayor. As a representative of the noble forces in the Walloon Region, those he recommended were sure to be influential in the region.

This was tantamount to forming a community of shared interests between France and the local people of the Walloon Region. Should Austria later be reluctant to release control over the Walloon Region, these individuals would be the first to object.

"Ah! I am grateful for Your Trust," Viscount Flotte hastily touched his chest in salute, excitedly saying, "I will do my utmost to select the best talent for you!"

"Then I shall leave it in your capable hands," Joseph said with a smile, nodding, then added, "Oh, and about establishing the ’Coal Industry Joint Company of the Walloon Region,’ please cooperate closely with President Foullier as well."

"Yes, Your Highness," he replied. Find your next read on

The so-called Coal Industry Joint Company was a company funded by the Bank of France Reserve to acquire or hold shares in coal mines in the Walloon Region. Due to the war, the price of coal mines had plummeted in recent months, making it an opportune time to invest.

However, unlike the small Luxembourg, the Bank of France Reserve did not have the resources to buy all the coal mines, so Joseph pulled in investors from France and the Walloon Region to jointly hold shares in this company.

Of course, decision-making power had to remain in the hands of the Bank of France Reserve. As the largest investor, and with the support of the Military Supplies Preparatory Committee, the Bank of France Reserve effortlessly became the "sole veto director."

Soon, the vast coal reserves of the Walloon Region, capable of rivalling Germany’s Ruhr Region, would become a powerful support for France’s industrial revolution.

Once the Coal Industry Joint Company started receiving endless orders from France, the investors, traders, and workers of the Walloon Region who profited would also become increasingly dependent on France.

…

The British Foreign Minister, Marquess of Wellesley, had not dashed straight to Paris as the Prime Minister had requested, to deal with France over interests in India, but was preparing to travel to Brussels via the Port of Amsterdam, braving the war.

He was well aware that the bargaining chips he held were far from adequate to negotiate with the French over India, so he hoped to find some leverage on the Southern Netherlands front.

However, no sooner had he disembarked than he received the news that Charles II was seeking assistance from England.

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