Life of Being a Crown Prince in France-Chapter 607 - 518: Go Big, Trace Back the Accounts of Ten Years for Me

Chapter 607 -518: Go Big, Trace Back the Accounts of Ten Years for Me

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.

ng 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?”

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“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.

ulations 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.”