The Fox of France

Chapter 198: Rebellion and Coup

Before long, the Duke of Brunswick received the latest intelligence: right across from them, there was a formidable defense, like an impregnable fortress, manned by the nightmare with the same name, Joseph Bonaparte. In the previous battle, this dread figure, Joseph Bonaparte, had been struck by a bullet, and his fate hung in the balance.

"Have we struck down another French commander?" the Duke of Brunswick couldn't help but find this news rather absurd. However, on the battlefield, absurdity was a common occurrence. After all, wasn't King Theodoric killed in the decisive Battle of Verona after claiming victory?

Furthermore, neither the British nor Prussian high-ranking officers were keen on returning home with a colossal failure. Achieving glory and returning victorious, even at the cost of many soldiers' lives, was more desirable than failing utterly, and the bones of thousands withering away.

However, blindly charging forward without verifying the information and then getting brutally beaten was something no one's pride could tolerate. So, everyone decided to pause and assess the situation while reinforcing their own defenses.

Simultaneously, in Paris, chaos reigned. Joseph understood that he had to keep this from Paris because the city acted like a sieve. Once any piece of information reached the people of Paris, it spread like wildfire. Businessmen and bankers knew military secrets faster and more accurately than the generals did.

Most businessmen had a foot in various camps. So, if Joseph were to inform the Parisian authorities that he was merely feigning injury, it wouldn't take an afternoon for every person with wealth and status in Paris to learn about his ruse. What would be the point then?

Concealing this information from the government created another problem: the government officials took it seriously. This highly confidential military secret soon became public knowledge in Paris, even appearing in some newspapers.

Of course, The Truth of Science, a prominent newspaper, immediately stepped up to debunk the rumors, stating, "In these trying times, everyone must remain calm and resist believing or spreading unfounded rumors!"

However, The Truth of Science did not provide any concrete evidence to dispel the circulating rumors. On the contrary, another news article in the same newspaper seemed to corroborate the rumor: General Moro had repelled the British attack on the Cateau, rapidly moving to support General Joseph Bonaparte in Verdun.

For most people, this military maneuver almost confirmed the veracity of the story that Joseph was injured. Obviously, if Joseph weren't wounded, why would Moro need to rush to Verdun urgently?

Other actions seemed to reinforce this belief. Recent reports indicated that Mr. Lavasie, who had just returned to Paris and resumed his teaching position at the University of Paris, had abruptly left for Toulon for work-related reasons. Several researchers from the Institute of Military Research, including many "for work-related reasons," were dispatched to Toulon. The Truth of Science made no attempt to refute these claims, merely stating that these were planned and regular transfers.

Moreover, it wasn't just this. The turmoil gave rise to opportunistic crimes within the government itself. One morning, when the Finance Ministry's employees arrived at work, they discovered that Secretary Garcia had not shown up. It was quickly revealed that Garcia had forged signatures to embezzle a significant amount of government funds and had fled with his young wife.

This wasn't an isolated incident, and similar cases were on the rise.

In this chaos, the Royalists rekindled their activities, especially in areas with a concentration of property owners. They once again formed alliances with some of the National Guard. In some places, the Royalists' white flags were boldly displayed.

This situation further escalated the chaos in Paris. On the other hand, the Public Safety Department, which had effectively suppressed Royalist activities, was exceptionally sluggish at this time. There were even rumors that the Minister of Public Safety, Fouch, was in contact with Royalist sympathizers. Paris seemed to be on the brink of upheaval.

Napoleon, of course, received the message sent by Joseph. Meanwhile, his army had already entered a forced march, rapidly advancing towards Paris.

On the night of March 16, 1798, Paris erupted in rebellion. By noon the following day, opportunists who had sided with the Royalists quickly took control of most of Paris and prepared to lay siege to the National Convention once more. But just then, news arrived that General Napoleon had entered Paris with his army.

An interesting scene unfolded. While Napoleon's troops hadn't yet arrived, the National Guard units surrounding the National Convention suddenly began to disperse en masse. When General Oudinot's cavalry appeared on the square outside the Convention, the square and its surroundings were as empty as a setting for the movie "I Am Legend."

In short, at the most critical moment, our General Napoleon Bonaparte once again saved the Republic and the Revolution. What was even more remarkable was that during this suppression of the rebellion, General Napoleon and his troops showed astonishing restraint. Not a single rebel was killed, and the rebellion was resolved peacefully, showcasing the might and civility of the Italian Legion.

After successfully quelling yet another Royalist rebellion and retrieving every available parliamentarian (some had fled even before the outbreak of chaos, and their whereabouts were unknown), General Napoleon Bonaparte personally addressed the National Convention for the sake of the nation's future.

On his way to deliver the speech, Lucien said to Napoleon, "Napoleon, are you prepared for this speech? I must tell you, in public speaking, you need to"

"Enough, Lucien," Napoleon waved him off, swatting him away like an annoying fly, although he did not intend to strangle Lucien with his intestines, "I've delivered countless speeches in the army. What's public speaking to me? Do you think I need your lessons? Just watch!"

With that, Napoleon entered the parliament hall with his head held high and delivered his speech to the assembly of legislators.

In his speech, Napoleon expressed his disapproval of the current state of the French government. He criticized it as weak, corrupt, and inefficient, plagued by fraudsters, incompetents, and traitors. This, he argued, was a gross mismanagement of the efforts of revolutionary soldiers, and if the situation persisted, the French Revolution would inevitably falter. To salvage the revolution and France itself, he proposed an immediate government overhaul, establishing a powerful, clean, and efficient new administration to vanquish all enemies of the revolution.

Napoleon had anticipated that the legislators would cheer him on, much like his soldiers. However, the legislators instead questioned him:

"General Bonaparte, are you proposing a military government?"

"General Bonaparte, do you intend to become a tyrant?"

"We overthrew one despot, and now you want to become the second tyrant?"

In the end, the cries of "Down with the military despot! Long live democracy!" rang out.

The legislators' response took Napoleon entirely by surprise, and he hadn't prepared for such a contingency. He turned pale, unsure of what to do.

Perhaps inspired by Napoleon's actions, the legislators boldly left their seats and began to converge on him. Napoleon had already begun scouting escape routes.

"Damn it, I walked in without a weapon!" Napoleon thought.

In this dire moment, a squad of soldiers and police, led by Lucien and Fouch, stormed in.

Bang! Lucien fired two shots into the air.

The legislators, brimming with zeal, promptly returned to their seats, resembling schoolchildren who had just seen their principal.

Lucien signaled to Napoleon to leave, and Napoleon quickly exited. Then, Lucien took the lectern and cast a malevolent glance around the room before saying, "I know that among you, some have betrayed the revolution, betrayed France, and become the Bourbons' lapdogs! Now you want to plot against the heroes of the revolution, the saviors of the Republic? Don't be fooled by these individuals; be vigilant!"

There was some murmuring among the legislators, but the presence of heavily armed soldiers kept most of them silent.

"Now I propose we revoke the immunity of those parliamentarians conspiring with the Royalists. All in favor, raise your hand," Lucien said, raising his own hand first.

The legislators followed suit, one by one, raising their hands.

"Very well, motion passed!" Lucien declared.

Then Lucien yielded his place to Fouch. Fouch produced a small notebook and began reciting names. For each name he mentioned, a person was escorted out by the police. Fouch only named five individuals, but they were the ones who had openly challenged Napoleon earlier.

After these individuals had been taken away, Lucien declared, "Now, can we invite Mr. Napoleon Bonaparte to continue his speech?"

So, Napoleon was brought back, and his speech became very concise: "You've all heard my proposal earlier. Now, we vote by raising our hands. Who's in favor, and who's against?"

All 500 legislators present voted unanimously in favor, guided by their sense of responsibility to the revolution, France, and history.