Oh No, I've Become a Rebel! (Bonus chapter for Helm Master Hansuan)
On a distant hillside, Joseph's speech continued:
"The riots continue, causing immense damage to the South provinces. Our valiant Marquis of Saint-Viran, commanding nearly 20,000 troops, has consistently refused to send troops to quell the rebellion, helplessly watching as the homes of the distinguished and educated are looted by the rioters."
He paused for a moment to allow the reporter to take notes, then spoke loudly:
"Some even suspect that the Marquis of Saint-Viran was the mastermind behind the riot. Of course, I don't believe that."
"Fortunately, His Majesty the King has never forgotten his people! His Majesty has ordered me to lead all available troops in Paris, including the Police, to Montpellier, a great distance away, to quell the riot..."
As he was speaking, he suddenly heard bursts of gunfire in the distance, and his heart skipped a beat.
Here we go!
Two cavalrymen galloped towards them, shouting from a distance:
"Your Highness, the Montcalm Legion has suddenly launched an attack on us. They are likely plotting Rebellion!"
The hundreds of reporters and Nobility around were stunned and stood frozen in place, not knowing what to do.
Joseph, with extremely exaggerated acting skills, widened his eyes and exclaimed:
"How is this possible?!"
A trembling voice from below said:
"Could it be that the Marquis of Saint-Viran has been condoning the riots all along, waiting for His Highness to quell them so he can launch a surprise attack?"
Joseph immediately followed up on his words:
"It seems he really has launched Rebellion..."
Eman handed him a pair of Telescope. Joseph took them, glanced down the hillside, and frowned.
"They are besieging General Berthier!"
Soldiers immediately brought over several boxes of Telescope and thoughtfully distributed them to the reporters.
As the reporters pulled up their Telescope, a scene in the distance instantly appeared before their eyes—a densely packed army was firing fiercely and continuously encircling the Berthier Legion's encampment behind the grove, with the Montcalm Legion's flag flying among them.
From Major Bruen's position, all he could see was the grove of trees in front of him, but from the high ground to the side, he could see the Military Camp behind the grove.
Upon hearing that "Montcalm Legion is attacking Berthier's army," the reporters immediately assumed that they were heading towards the area behind the woods.
Joseph mounted his warhorse with a very dashing posture, turned to the reporters, and solemnly said:
"I want to stay with my army! If anything happens to me, please tell the world what has happened here."
After saying that, he led his Guard and rode away in a cloud of dust.
The soldiers then took all the "military supplies" Telescope.
The distant battlefield immediately became shrouded in mist for the reporters.
Major Bruen lazily watched as the army methodically took control of the woods where the rioters were hiding, waiting for them to drag out the people or corpses inside, when suddenly he heard a thunderous explosion from his side and rear.
He frowned, his first thought being: Had he forgotten to bring cannons?
But when he looked up, his pupils suddenly contracted—several bloody gaps had appeared in his Infantry formation, and the soldiers, struck by the sudden attack, stood frozen in terror, seemingly not yet understanding what had happened.
"Those are enemy cannons!" Major Bruen exclaimed, startled. "No, these aren't rioters!"
He turned and roared at the Orderly Officer:
"Order the entire army to halt. Both flanks to converge towards the center! Cavalry, scout to the South!"
Before the latter could move, the cannons in the distance roared again.
This time, the soldiers of the Montcalm Legion finally realized what was happening and began to scatter in terror to avoid the artillery fire. Meanwhile, the officers of each unit drew their swords and shouted orders, trying to maintain formation.
On the hill to the north, a Police Intelligence Division officer was explaining to the reporters, "Listen, the rebels have even brought in artillery! What the hell are these damned guys up to?!"
"Oh God, please, Your Highness, nothing bad must have happened to you..."
After the third salvo from the cannons, Montcalm Legion was completely thrown into chaos.
That was a salvo from three 12-pound Cannon and six 6-pound Cannon, with the targets marked in advance, and almost every shot hit its mark.
What happened next was pretty much a foregone conclusion.
Major Bruen hesitated between requesting reinforcements or retreating immediately, when an Infantry regiment on each flank formed a straight line to encircle him, while a large number of cavalry quickly maneuvered around his rear.
Meanwhile, those damned cannons continued to roar.
At that moment, Major Bruen finally realized that he had been lured into an ambush...
He hesitated for only two seconds before turning his horse around, abandoning his troops, and fleeing back to the Earl of Serulier's Manor with only a few dozen guards.
On a distant hillside, the reporters waited anxiously until the cannon fire stopped. After waiting for more than an hour, the Guard sent by His Crown Prince to pick them up finally arrived.
The area around the grove where the fierce battle just took place has been largely cleared.
Joseph, his face filled with grief and indignation, led a group of reporters to view the bodies of the Berthier Legion soldiers who had been killed by the rebels.
One or two hundred Corpse Gang were neatly laid out on the ground.
The Crown Prince loudly denounced the Marquis of Saint-Viran's Rebellion act, briefly recounted how General Berthier had arduously repelled the rebels, and finally vowed to avenge his soldiers.
Of course, those on the ground were soldiers of the Montcalm Legion. However, their uniforms were the same color and style as those of the Royal Guard Legion, so the reporter couldn't tell which side they were from.
The reporters, still shaken, immediately got to work, quickly writing up their reports and having their assistants or Servant send them back to the Newspaper Office.
Not long after, the booming of cannons echoed again from the Earl of Serulier Manor on the east side.
The reporters all stood up and looked in that direction.
An officer hurriedly led his men to escort them to safety to the north, anxiously explaining the situation along the way, "Listen, the rebels have started attacking His Highness's legion again. This is sure to be an extremely difficult battle..."
The actual combat was not arduous at all.
The cannon fire was the Royal Guard Legion launching an attack on the Montcalm Legion.
Upon learning that Major Bruen had been ambushed, the Marquis of Saint-Viran hastily ordered his entire army to assemble and prepare for battle.
However, he had received no prior warning of the approaching Royal Guard Legion; the troops were leisurely resting in the Manor, without even setting up scouts on the perimeter. By the time Berthier had almost completely surrounded the Manor, nearly half of the Montcalm Legion's soldiers had not yet completed their formation.
Then came a barrage of artillery fire. After two mid-ranking officers of the Montcalm Legion surrendered, Davout's company was the first to rush into the Manor through the breach, advancing almost without delay to the center of the Manor, where they clashed with the Marquis of Marquis of Saint-Viran's Guard.
(End of this chapter)