The chaos that broke out fiercely in the Parliament soon spread to the entire city of Paris. People everywhere were chanting slogans to overthrow the king, disrupting order while inciting other citizens to join in and overthrow the unpopular dynasty.
This was not a temporary riot, but a carefully planned showdown. The crumbling restoration dynasty seemed to be facing another trial in this cold winter.
In this chaotic and tense atmosphere, Prime Minister Prince Polignac, escorted by several of his entourages, rushed to the palace.
At this time, he could clearly feel that even the neighborhoods not far away from the Tuileries Palace seemed to be no longer peaceful. You could even see the light of fire, and the guards of the palace were also facing a formidable enemy.
, looking around nervously.
When the mob rushes over, will they fight desperately for us? Before passing through the guard post and entering the palace, this question suddenly flashed in the Prime Minister's mind.
And he wasn't sure of the answer.
When he hurried to the palace, he was immediately summoned by the king. At this time, the king, who usually pretended to be majestic, had a miserable expression on his face. There was unconcealable anxiety and tension in his eyes. Even the wise men around him
He and the courtiers were all gloomy and gloomy.
The policy to be announced today is a "heavy punch" that they have been planning in the secret room for a long time. However, they were so complacent that they did not expect that such a fierce resistance would be aroused just on the day when the heavy punch was launched.
This gamble seemed to have the worst possible outcome.
But even so, no one is willing to admit defeat until the end of the road.
The king managed to calm down and then asked his prime minister.
"You just came from the parliament, what happened?"
The Prime Minister hurriedly recounted his experience.
"Refuse to carry out the dissolution order?!" The king's face suddenly filled with anger, and his hands were shaking with anger. "This is rebellion!"
"No, this is revolution." Someone whispered the classic answer.
No one knew who actually said this sentence, but after hearing it, the people present looked at each other with fear in each other's eyes.
Everyone present was a witness to the bloody storm back then. Some people could even be said to have narrowly escaped death. But if it happened "again" now, would I still be lucky and be able to escape again?
The king was also so angry at this answer that he stood up impatiently and walked back and forth between the seats. Every time he passed a person, that person would automatically lower his head and did not dare to look at him, so as not to
Become the unlucky guy who lets the king vent his anger.
And precisely because of the silence of others, the anger in the king's heart grew more and more.
I treat these people well, and I can say that I feed them with high-ranking officials and generous salaries. As a result, at this moment, not only can I not contribute to myself, but I also think about protecting myself wisely. How useless and shameless!
At this moment, there was a faint sound of gunshots coming from the window. The king opened his eyes wide, and then subconsciously looked out the window.
He saw faint fireworks in the distance, but they seemed to be relatively far away.
Even though his talent was mediocre, he knew that he should think of something at this time, otherwise his brother's fate might happen to him again.
After the turmoil begins, it is meaningless to consider other things. There are only two ways to go, suppress or appease, or both.
But no matter what strategy you adopt, you must first understand your opponent's information.
"What do they want?" After pacing for a long time, the king finally stopped and asked the prime minister.
"They oppose dissolution and hope to vote a vote of no confidence in this government." The Prime Minister replied with a dejected face, "If their demands are just these, I personally will never be attached to power and can leave at any time for the sake of national unity.
.But……"
At this point, he changed his subject, "I very much doubt that their demands are more than that. Before I left the parliament, many people were already shouting slogans against the king and the dynasty, especially those in Pingsu and Orleans.
Members who are very close to the Duke are particularly resolute in their attitude."
"This beast!" Upon hearing the name Duke of Orleans, the king's eyes widened with anger, then he picked up his scepter and knocked the carpet hard. "Our brothers were so kind to him, but in the end he got this
In return! His father is a traitor, and his son is no exception! He should have been allowed to die abroad and never come back!"
It’s no wonder that the king was so angry. When the Duke of Orleans returned to the country in 1815, King Louis XVIII forgave the father and son for their crimes of speculative revolution. Not only did he restore his clan status, but he also gradually distributed the property of the Orleans family.
Gave it back to him.
However, this magnanimity not only failed to influence the Duke of Orleans and his family, but gave them the confidence to reassert their ambitions. As a result, they have been secretly winning over people and expanding their power for more than ten years. The royal family has too many things to deal with, so it has been
There was no time to put pressure on them, and the result was that the Orleans family had quietly gained momentum.
Although the king now intends to suppress and deliberately wants to use the opportunity of dissolving Parliament to weaken the power of the Orleans faction, it seems that it is too late. They actually took advantage of this opportunity to directly show their cards to the dynasty together with other people who were dissatisfied with the kingdom.
From the moment they disobeyed the king's order, they were no different from traitors.
However, getting angry won't solve the problem. When coups and rebellions are imminent, we can only rely on firm determination to fight against them.
At this moment, a palace attendant came in and looked at His Majesty the King nervously.
Logically speaking, when His Majesty the King is discussing with his confidants, no one would be stupid enough to disturb them. But now that someone dares to violate the rules, something big must have happened.
So the king was not angry, but waved his hand to signal the attendant to report back quickly.
"According to the news just received, after His Excellency the Prime Minister left the Parliament, the Parliament has passed a resolution calling for the re-establishment of the National Guard in Paris, and the Marquis de Lafayette has been appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard."
This news was like a thunder, which stunned everyone present.
"This is an illegal resolution! The dissolved parliament has no right to pass any resolution!" someone then shouted.
But these words only caused an awkward silence - after all, everyone has openly flagged rebellion, wouldn't it be ridiculous to talk about laws?
During the Revolution, the National Guard was a militia organization of ordinary citizens of Paris. It was mainly composed of the bottom sans-culottes. They gathered after the attack on the Bastille and took over the defense of the city of Paris. They also gained deep control of the capital.
Involved in the political turmoil in France.
In those turbulent years, each faction used the National Guard as the focus of their competition, and then used force to purge their opponents. It was precisely because Robespierre lost control of the National Guard that he was eventually sent to prison.
On the guillotine.
After the Great Revolution, after learning from the previous lessons, the subsequent governments reorganized the National Guard, turning it into a militia organization dominated by upper-class citizens, and turning it into a militia composed of nobles, businessmen and craftsmen.
paramilitary organization.
As the dynastic rule became increasingly unpopular, the conflicts and contradictions between the National Guard and the royal family began to intensify. In 1827, when King Charles X reviewed the National Guard, someone actually openly shouted slogans against the royal family.
Out of anger, the dynastic government forcibly disbanded the National Guard that year.
Today, Parliament has resurrected it, and the meaning is self-evident - Parliament wants to use force to fight against the dynasty.
And the surname Lafayette also reminded people present of too many things.
You know, at that time, the prestigious Marquis de Lafayette was the leader of the National Guard...
After 40 years, everything seems to be back again.
For a time, the fear of "doing it again" made those who witnessed it feel more nervous and frightened.
Everyone knows that by this time, the king and the parliament, the two centers of power, have had an inevitable collision, and there will be no retreat for each other.
And in this fierce collision, God knows that unpredictable things will happen, and it is not surprising that the guillotine was re-erected on the Place Louis XV.
Because of fear, some people have quietly backed down, no longer wanting to tie their lives and fortunes to the precarious dynasty.
They know that at this time, it is obvious that the less they say, the better, and the smaller the responsibility, the smaller the probability of being liquidated. If they talk nonsense at this time, let alone themselves, they may not be able to save their families.
.
The awkward silence made the already quiet room become even more deadly.
At this moment, the king felt that there was nothing he could do, and he became more and more discouraged and disappointed with the group of courtiers on whom he originally relied.
You are all the most famous nobles and wise men in our country. You have won the trust of my brother and me. You have always been entrusted with important tasks by me. Do you dare not stand up to defend your benefactor at this time?
The king's gaze swept across the people present. Some people did not dare to speak because they had no idea, while others chose to remain silent in order to avoid taking responsibility. For a while, no one responded.
At this moment, a voice finally broke the dead silence.
"Your Majesty the King, now the country has reached an extremely dangerous moment, and I think we must use the strongest courage to face the situation."
His volume was not loud, but his voice was calm and dignified. Even at this time, he did not lose his composure and grace.
Everyone's eyes were focused on the speaker for an instant.
Astonishingly, it was Duke Philippe de Treville, who was usually not very public.
And this voice seemed to have finally given the helpless King some spiritual support.
"Duke Treville, what do you think?" the king asked quickly.
"Obviously, you are facing a well-planned rebellion, planned by the Duke of Orleans and his associates! What they want is not your compromise, but your throne!" Treville
The Duke replied in a deep voice, "Therefore, it is meaningless for you to make any compromises to them. The more you give in, the more they press on you step by step until they drive you away. In this case, what's the point of your concession?"
What’s the point? It’s better to fight them to the end.”
Courage has always been something that the former Count of Artois lacked, but at this moment, how could the person on the throne want to give up the throne easily? So he asked the Duke again.
"How to fight?"
"Hurry up and strengthen the defense of the palace. Be sure to let everyone know that the legitimate king of France is still guarding the center of the dynasty. He has neither abandoned the crown nor abandoned the people!" Duke Treville said what he had been planning for a long time,
"Then, while the rebels have not yet completely taken control of the city of Paris, quickly send trustworthy people to the surrounding areas to recruit troops and quell the rebellion."
The word "army" suddenly made the king and others smell a strong smell.
If we get to this point, it will be a showdown.
To be fair, no one wants to do this, because if a bloody disaster occurs, the consequences will be unimaginable.
"Is the army reliable?" the king asked tremblingly.
No one can answer this question, because in the army, ideas against the current dynasty have been circulating, and no one can be sure how the army will react if the parliament rebels and even takes control of the capital.
If the king dispatches the army and the army does not obey the order, it means that he has given away his last trump card, and then he will no longer be able to frighten anyone.
"We must try. Can we hand over this place without any resistance?" Duke Treville replied firmly, "Your Majesty, think of Saint Louis, think of the Sun King, and think of your brother! Their spirits are in heaven.
They are all watching you. Can you abandon the royal power so easily? I don’t know what will happen next, but no matter what, you can always see me around you. I will use my life to defend the royal family and my
Son and grandson! Even if fate abandons you, I will firmly follow you in exile."
The king was immediately moved by the Duke's words.
When everyone else was protecting themselves and pretending to be silent, there was finally a courtier who was willing to openly sacrifice everything for himself.
The Duke of Treville has always appeared in the court as a man of action. He is usually taciturn and only speaks when necessary. Therefore, he does not participate much in court communication and rarely flatters the royal family.
Therefore, although the king has been appointing the duke, it is only because of his bloodline and ability. He does not have much closeness to him in his heart and does not regard him as a confidant.
However, at this precarious moment, those courtiers who had been surrounding him every day and fawning over him either dispersed and hid in their homes and watched from the wall; or they remained silent for fear of taking responsibility.
But only this duke, who was usually not taken seriously, stood up and stood firmly on his side, even risking his own family and life to defend the royal family, even if he went into exile.
How loyal this is!
He only discovered today that this beloved minister was so pleasing to the eye, which almost made him burst into tears.
"You are right. There is a rebellion, how can we remain indifferent?"
He nodded, and then patted the Duke on the shoulder.
"From today on, you will be responsible for the defense of the palace. You must stick to your post."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" the Duke responded immediately.
This volume is finished. Starting from the next chapter, the main perspective shifts to Zha Ai's side.
I want to apologize to the readers for this... Because I wanted to write too much, I changed my perspective to other supporting characters many times, and also wrote many more events and chapters that had nothing to do with the main plot. Many readers may feel anxious.
Or maybe I'm bored. I'm deeply sorry for this. It's because I didn't control my own rhythm well.
Fortunately, the necessary foreshadowing is almost complete. Next, we can advance the entire story with Zha Ai as the axis. Thank you to the readers who have been with you all the way. I will continue to work hard!