gnovel Chapter 47 The Republican Party Calms Down, and Eugène Is No Longer Willing to Accept It
Chapter 47 The Republican Party Calms Down, and Eugène Is No Longer Willing to Accept It
In the abandoned bakery in the Montmartre mountains, the atmosphere that had been lively due to the French defeat at the front lines was once again oppressive and suffocating.
The flame of the oil lamp flickered in the draft, casting long shadows on everyone present.
Gambit, who had previously witnessed Eugène's speech, sat at the table, holding a secret letter delivered by Trochet's trusted confidant.
It wasn't the hastily copied letter from the meeting room, but a completely new one. Trosch had used lemon juice very carefully to write the letter, which meant that the writing would need to be heated over a fire to become visible.
This letter details the expansion plan and resource allocation scheme for the Paris Legion.
Blanqui, struck dumb, stood by the window, clutching a stack of newly printed uprising leaflets. He was utterly devastated. Unable to accept reality, he threw all the leaflets on the ground.
He was indeed a radical, and he did want to rebel by force, but he was not stupid. On the contrary, his previous actions proved that Blanqui was very clever. He used radicalism more as a stepping stone for his advancement.
Given the current situation, the armed revolution that Blanqui strongly advocates seems unlikely to happen anytime soon.
"It's all over. 12 regular troops, 800 million kilograms of gunpowder, and 2500 cannons. Now, if we revolt, it's like sending our brothers to ram the cannons with kitchen knives and hunting rifles."
Those greenhorns might be no match for us, but the veterans of the 13th Army have fought in the Crimean War; we are no match for them.
With Trochet as an inside man, the Republicans had a clear understanding of the military strength in Paris, more so than many government cabinet officials.
After all, one cannot expect officials in departments like the Department of Agriculture to know much about the equipment situation within the military, while the Republicans know everything.
Senucci, sitting in the corner, also sighed. He picked up the leaflet that Blanqui had thrown on the ground and crumpled it into a ball.
"Blanki, calm down. This situation is definitely not suitable for our operation."
"So we're just going to give up like this? We've waited so long, finally seeing the French army defeated and the Bonaparte family's rule teetering on the brink of collapse, and now we're just going to abandon it all because of an order from Napoleon III?"
Faced with Senucci’s retreat, Blanqui, who wanted to maintain her public image, revealed her unwillingness in front of everyone.
This was to tell the radical party members present that it wasn't that he, Blanqui, didn't want to act, but that the situation wouldn't allow it, and that the other party members wouldn't allow it either.
Having communicated with Blanqui beforehand, they decided to help Blanqui stabilize the radical party members Senucci, Gambida, and others, which was also in line with Blanqui's actions during the exercise.
"It's not giving up, it's just temporarily lying low."
After Senucci finished cooperating, Ganbida was about to speak. He held the secret letter to the oil lamp and lit it, watching the paper turn to ashes.
While his words appeared to be addressed to everyone, Gan Bida was actually clarifying the logic for those troublesome radical Republican members.
"Eugène now holds a large amount of war supplies in Paris, as well as 12 well-trained troops. If we act now, he will wipe us out in one fell swoop, leaving us with no chance of turning the tide."
Gan Bida, who did not want to rely on armed uprisings or take advantage of others' misfortunes, could not directly tell his subordinates that the empire was at war and they should not revolt.
Gan Bida, employing a roundabout approach, walked to the map of France on the wall, pointed in the direction of Lorraine, and tried to persuade everyone by changing his words.
"The Prussian army won't stop. I think they'll reach the Meuse River in less than a month. At that point, Eugène will definitely move the main force of the Paris Legion to the front. When Paris is vulnerable, that will be the best time for us to make our move."
"Starting today, all street incitement activities are suspended, and the planned large-scale demonstrations and armed struggle operations are cancelled. Everyone should disperse and go into hiding, return to their respective posts, and await my orders."
"As for Troch, tell him to temporarily stop sending any messages. At this point, the secret police in Paris are probably already watching the Ministry of War. If he slips up even slightly, we're all doomed."
That's the logic, but everyone's thoughts are different. Gan Bida, who is actively fighting against Putin, doesn't want the Republican Party to drag the empire down too much.
Blanqui, who did not want to fight a losing battle and excessively deplete his political capital, delivered an Oscar-worthy performance.
Blanqui stood up with a resentful look on his face, slammed his right fist heavily on the wooden table, then turned and walked out of the attic, slamming the wooden door shut with a loud bang.
The effect of receiving Gan Bida's instructions was immediate. On August 12, the streets of Paris, which had been restless every day due to the instigation of the Republicans, suddenly calmed down.
Without the guidance of dedicated individuals, the people themselves are simply unable to organize a large-scale demonstration.
Aside from the absence of the wandering crowds on the streets, the anti-government slogans that were once ubiquitous have also disappeared, and the protesters gathered outside the Prime Minister's Office have dispersed.
Even the sound of stones banging on the windows that used to happen every night is no longer heard.
The Republicans were terrified that Victor would use them as training tools and easily eliminate them to increase the experience points of his own troops.
Trochet was restless in his office at the War Department. Eugène knew his identity and, of course, wouldn't let him ruin his plans.
Therefore, even without having Police Chief Pietri specifically conceal it, Trosch could sense that several pairs of eyes were now watching his every move. It would be much more difficult to leak information as easily as before.
Rather, his previous leaks contained an element of Eugène's tacit approval.
Troch had considered getting angry about being monitored, but Eugène hadn't hidden his identity, and a quick investigation revealed that Eugène had instructed Police Commissioner Pietre to arrange for secret police to monitor him.
He's angry? Where can he get angry now? In Paris today, even Montauban can't fight Eugène to the death. What can a mere army superintendent do? After all, he himself is not clean.
Having realized that Eugène might know something about him, Trochet could only pretend that he was unaware that he was being watched, forcing himself to save face.
The Republican Party quieted down, which was good for the Second Reich, easing the pressure on the government and Eugénie. But for Eugénie, who was committed to the Third Reich, it was not so good.
If the Republicans don't lead the other two royalists in a rebellion, what reason will they have to clear their name, cleanse the toxic political environment of Paris, and quickly unify France?
Therefore, sensing the Republican Party's retreat, Eugène decided to proactively give the Republican Party some hope.