Chapter 1, My Brother Napoleon

Amen! Carlo, along with Letizia and the siblings of Joseph, all said this together

The first tactic is to employ unconventional methods to attack weaknesses. For instance, taking advantage of someone's unpreparedness by biting with one's teeth, or using the knee to strike a vital point on the opponent.

Among Joseph's seven siblings, Napoleon is the one who gives him the most headaches. This fellow, perhaps due to his constant short stature and being ridiculed, has developed quite an eccentric personality. Even among his brothers and sisters, there are not many who can get along well with him. Despite being small in stature, Napoleon is surprisingly a violent individual. Whenever he is mocked, or for any other reason finds himself in conflict with others, he always prefers to resolve disputes through direct violence

Joseph fainted for a full two days before waking up. Upon awakening, he not only failed to recognize his family, but he also could no longer speak. No, to be precise, he suddenly could not speak the Corsican dialect (a form of Italian); instead, he spoke in a strange language that was incomprehensible to others. It sounded somewhat like English, yet it was markedly different. His family suspected that he had been possessed, that a devil had taken hold of him. (According to Catholic documents, suddenly speaking an incomprehensible language is a typical sign of possession.) If it were not for Joseph's father, Carlo, being a nobleman—though merely a fallen noble—Joseph's fate would likely have been very tragic. Carlo summoned Bishop Miniai to perform an exorcism for Joseph.

In recent days, the city of Ajaccio has been shrouded in continuous rain, to the point where even the sea seems to have been drenched. The incessant downpour, thick and sticky, cascades down from the seemingly unending sky towards the bay. The sea resembles a gray, soft sponge, rising in the hazy bay.

Today, Napoleon has caused trouble again; he severely beat the neighbor's child, Paul. He was so brutal that he actually knocked the child unconscious. (One of Napoleon's self-summarized experiences in fighting is that once you start, you should not hold back; you must be bold in your actions)

Bishop Mini always liked to keep Joseph by his side, telling everyone about his story: "How marvelous is the will of God! You see, the devil once possessed this man's body. When I, in the name of God, cast the devil out of him, I only saw a wasteland scorched by great fire. But the light of God shone upon him, causing seedlings to sprout in that wasteland, and these seedlings grew rapidly. In the blink of an eye, they were about to transform from small saplings into real trees. Praise be to the Almighty and Benevolent God." In his view, Joseph's restoration was not only a manifestation of divine grace but, in a certain sense, also a reflection of his piety.

Indeed, my brother has undergone many changes that are quite unappealing, the most disliked of which is that when Joseph answers Napoleon's questions, he always tends to reach out and tousle his hair, often uttering the phrase: "My foolish brother, this question is like this..."

Thus, Napoleon's tactic of accusing others first no longer worked with Joseph. If Napoleon attempted to shift any wrongdoing onto Joseph, Letizia would certainly reach out her hand, twist his ear, and send him to the statue of the Virgin Mary to confess his sin of slandering his brother

After being assured that Joseph had fully recovered, Bishop Minier instructed Charles to take Joseph back home. Everyone noticed that the kind Joseph they were familiar with had returned. However, compared to before, he was much quieter and had developed a passion for reading. He even began to teach himself French.

However, now, the elder brother has completely changed. Often, as soon as a small thought of mine emerges, he can see right through it. Yet, although he sees through it, he does not expose it; he simply avoids stepping into the traps laid by the little Napoleon. In addition, the elder brother has become more knowledgeable; he has read many books and understands a great deal. There are many things that Napoleon does not comprehend, and he can ask his brother questions, to which his brother can mostly provide convincing answers, even to those peculiar and tricky inquiries.

Certainly, the change in Little Napoleon's attitude towards his elder brother Joseph is not solely due to the fact that Joseph has now gained their mother's unconditional trust. It is also because Joseph has changed significantly compared to the past. Previously, although Joseph had a generous personality, he was quite foolish. Indeed, he was very foolish. Foolish like a daft goose.

Clearly, Carlo's decision was quite wise. Joseph recovered relatively quickly in the church, and under the bishop's guidance, in less than three months, he relearned how to speak and write Italian, and even learned to use Latin

Paul's father, Mr. Giovanni, is Carlo's friend, and he has only this one son. Therefore, as soon as Napoleon saw Paul faint, he immediately realized that his father might give him a severe beating because of this, so he quickly ran away while everyone was still in shock.

Amen. Those who heard it did likewise, while simultaneously extending their hands to make a cross on their chests

Amidst this mist, the eldest of the Bonaparte family, Joseph Bonaparte, slender and tall like a bamboo pole, was holding an umbrella and walking along the sandy beach towards the cliff that jutted into the sea. The cliff, now stained by the endless rain, had taken on a bluish-gray hue similar to that of the ocean, extending into the bay like an arm. During the dry summers of the Mediterranean, Joseph and his younger siblings often came here to fish among the rocks beneath the cliff or to search for various shells and oysters. At this time, their little second brother would take a book by himself and run into a natural cave in the middle of the cliff to read.

The devil has been cast out from him, said Bishop Miniai, but just as a house is set ablaze by a great fire, although we have extinguished the flames, what remains is likely to be nothing more than a ruin. When the devil occupies a person's body, it causes damage akin to a great fire, or even more severe. Now that the devil has been expelled, rebuilding the house is a very difficult task, and whether this damage can ultimately be restored depends solely on the will of God.

However, it is raining now? This troublesome fellow, has he gone back to that cave again?" Joseph murmured to himself as he walked towards the cliff.

As a mother, Letizia felt a sense of joy in her heart regarding her son's transformation. She believed that her son could be safe and become such a good person entirely due to God's grace. To express her gratitude to God, she donated for a mass. For this reason, if anyone were to speak ill of Joseph today, she would not listen at all. After all, her son has already received God's grace; how could he possibly do anything wrong? For this reason, if anyone were to speak ill of Joseph today, she would not listen at all. After all, her son has already received God's grace; how could he possibly do anything wrong?

As a result, the brothers were not particularly fond of Napoleon, yet they all harbored a certain fear of him and were unwilling to go against his wishes. There was only one exception: a person who not only was unafraid of Napoleon's tactics but could often command him. This person was Napoleon's elder brother, Joseph. This was due to an incident when Napoleon and Joseph had a conflict. Following previous practices, Napoleon struck first, taking advantage of Joseph's unpreparedness, and delivered a fierce kick to Joseph's abdomen. At that moment, the unsuspecting Joseph was knocked backward, falling to the ground, with the back of his head striking a sharp stone, causing blood to flow profusely, rendering him unconscious. Little Napoleon was completely startled and panicked. ... He quickly called for their mother ...

Honestly, Napoleon's physique was not particularly suited for such an approach. Theoretically speaking, fighting relies on strength, which is inextricably linked to body size. Otherwise, why would boxing matches be divided into weight classes? Since relying solely on body size and strength is insufficient, and Napoleon was keen on using violence to resolve issues, this short man developed two sets of strategies to compensate for his lack of physical strength. Since relying solely on body size and strength is insufficient, and Napoleon was keen on using violence to resolve issues, this short man developed two sets of strategies to compensate for his lack of physical strength

However, in the continuous rain, the water's surface appears to be still; only a subtle, broad swell can be perceived from afar, raising a hazy mist over the sea, drifting towards the port encircled by the damp free port. The city itself also rises with a mist, sweeping over the drenched city walls to meet the vapor above the sea. No matter which direction one faces, it seems that the air one breathes is water, as if the atmosphere has finally become drinkable. The city itself also rises with a mist, sweeping over the drenched city walls to meet the vapor above the sea. No matter which direction one faces, it seems that the air one breathes is water, as if the atmosphere has finally become drinkable

That troublesome fellow, his second brother, is none other than Napoleon Bonaparte, who is destined to leave a significant mark in history. However, at this moment, the future emperor who will shake Europe is merely a bothersome child.

Carlo then donated thirty francs to the parish, which was no small sum in that era, and requested Bishop Miniai to take Joseph to the church for a period of restoration. After all, in the sacred church, the damage caused by the devil should be able to be restored more quickly

The second tactic is "the wicked person complains first." This tactic is generally used to deal with one's own brothers. For those with many brothers, it is common to have fights during childhood. Every time a fight broke out, when their mother, Letizia, hurriedly came to intervene, it was always Napoleon who jumped out first to complain, and he was the best at putting on a face that expressed "I have suffered great injustice." Because Napoleon had already rehearsed in his mind many times how to feign pity and deceive his mother before taking action, he would always be the one to strike first against his brothers, yet in the end, it was still the other brothers who were scolded by their mother. Every time a fight broke out, when their mother, Letizia, hurriedly came to intervene, it was always Napoleon who jumped out first to complain, and he was the best at putting on a face that expressed "I have suffered great injustice." Because Napoleon had already rehearsed in his mind many times how to feign pity and deceive his mother before taking action, he would always be the one to strike first against his brothers, yet in the end, it was still the other brothers who were scolded by their mother.

The clever little Napoleon quickly realized this, and thus he had no choice but to make a compromise and show respect to his elder brother Joseph

The effects of this ritual are evident. After the completion of the ritual, although Joseph has not fully recovered—he still cannot speak the Corsican dialect, and his memory has not returned—at least he no longer speaks that strange, terrifying language, which may have originated from hell.