xymnovel Chapter 102 We can't help but reflect
Chapter 102 We can't help but reflect
Chapter 103 We Can't Help But Reflect (Seeking First Subscription)
As the astonished Republican soldiers watched, Eugène picked up a brass megaphone and put it to his lips; he was about to begin his art of deception.
There was nothing he could do; he had all the witnesses and evidence in his hands. After Nathan's surrender, the French people hated the monarchy.
Why? Because they couldn't accept the fact that the French emperor had surrendered to the Prussians, nor could they accept that France was inferior to Prussia. They could only wonder if it was because of the imperial system that France was no match for Prussia.
Therefore, in order to regain popular support, Eugene needed to fulfill his promises to the peasants and win a decisive victory against Prussia to prove that the imperial system could defeat Prussia.
But that's a problem for after Paris is resolved. Right now, the best evidence to the people of Paris is Troche's letter of surrender.
You all think the imperial system is bad, so I think the current republic is also planning to surrender. It's not much better than the imperial system.
The newly formed republic was not yet at the point where Prussia would surrender before even reaching the city walls, but Troch, as president, secretly sent a letter that Eugène interpreted as the republic's message—who can clear that?
With a powerful weapon in hand and the plan already successful, Eugene, who had no intention of delaying any longer and sacrificing more people of working age, appeared on the battlefield.
"Citizens of France, I am Eugène Napoleon, Crown Prince of the French Empire."
After a brief introduction, Eugène calmly recounted the day's events, and the radicals, including Blanqui, did not attempt to kill him.
They were radicals; but they weren't fools. With so many people surrounding Eugène, and the cover of a raft, and no other cover to hide behind, who could possibly assassinate him?
Since assassination is impossible, let's calm down and listen to what this brat has to say.
Clearly, Blanqui and the others were unaware that Eugène possessed Troch's letter of goodwill; otherwise, they wouldn't have remained so calm.
"Tonight, a tragedy has occurred in Paris. We French people are killing each other, and blood is flowing like rivers. These corpses in front of the Tuileries Palace, this blood under the Saint-Denis Gate, are the blood of our fellow Frenchmen."
Problems must be faced head-on; there's nothing to be ashamed of or unable to say.
French citizens have a high level of political participation and enjoy politics. Furthermore, France has a high level of education, so Eugène's repeated lies and attempts to gloss over issues will not pass muster with the French public.
"I know that many of you joined this revolution because you were dissatisfied with the corruption of the Imperial government, wanted a better life, and wanted bread and peace."
Or perhaps you are dissatisfied with the war commanded by my father, and feel that the empire is disgracing France, so you want to change the system.
I understand everything. I completely understand your feelings and your demands. Because the government does indeed have many problems: official corruption, ineffective military command, and people's hardship... I know all of this, and I have been working hard to change these problems.
As for cutting off this part, well, as the only son of Napoleon III, Eugène could not possibly cut off everything of the Second Empire.
He inherited the good political legacy, such as those of Conrobel and Bourbaki who escaped from the front lines, but Eugène also had to face the bad things.
What Eugene wanted to do was to separate the individual from the empire, using his own age as an example to show how old he was when these problems of the empire appeared.
At times like these, it's not appropriate to play around. While it's true that "I am the empire" is a powerful statement, it's important to maintain a clear distinction. Once things stabilize and centralized power is established, perhaps Eugene might be able to say something like that to show off.
After clearly analyzing the current problems of the Empire—that there were no nobles on the front lines, only radicals and civilians in the Republican Self-Defense Forces—Eugène then changed the subject.
"But I think now is not the time for us to kill each other. Because our real enemy is not each other, but the Prussians. Hundreds of thousands of Prussian troops are approaching Paris."
They burned, killed, looted, and committed all sorts of atrocities. They occupied Alsace and Lorraine, slaughtered our compatriots, and now they want to occupy our capital, enslave our people, and divide our country.
The more they talked, the more serious it became. The Prussians didn't know they were so bad, but the French people believed them because that's how the Parisian newspapers were.
In Paris, where the newspaper industry is highly developed, there are a lot of tabloids. These newspapers will amplify certain events in order to increase sales. And in this day and age, what could be more sensational than fabricating a Prussia that is like a devil?
Eugène's rhetoric, of course, wouldn't say anything detrimental to himself; he consistently avoided the main issues.
For example, he was the one directing the infighting. If he really didn't want the infighting and had such saintly qualities, he would have gone to England like he did in history.
However, no one was debating with Eugène at the moment, nor did anyone immediately think of the loophole. Everyone was following the direction Eugène was leading them, thinking downwards.
"If we continue the civil war, it will only benefit the Prussians. They will march into Paris, hold a triumphant parade under the Arc de Triomphe, and declare themselves emperors in Versailles."
We, whether supporters of the empire or the republic, will all become slaves of a conquered nation, witnesses to Prussia's transformation into Germany.
Our wives and daughters will be insulted, our sons will be killed, and our homes will be burned down!
I can picture it now. Think of your family, think of the proud French people, and have to accept the Prussians' military parade in Paris.
Upon hearing the declaration of his imperial title, everyone present braced themselves.
Even Blanqui was no exception, because most of the radicals were willing to fight Prussia. The real surrender faction consisted of Troch, as well as the Orthodox and Orleans factions, both royalists.
Therefore, Eugène's words resonated with everyone present. Many Republicans even lost their fervor, replaced by shame and reflection.
Because Eugène expanded the Paris Legion early, with 2 million men in Paris, plus the Civil Protection Corps, Eugène drew over 100,000 men from Paris.
It's not to say that they drained all the young and middle-aged people in Paris, but if you trace the family back three generations, you'll find that almost every family has someone who joined the Paris Legion or the Civil Defense.
This prompted the self-defense forces, who were stunned by the attack, unable to win, and left only with the option of passively reflecting, to begin to reconsider their actions.
Yes, why are they killing each other here?
While their own sons, brothers, or elders were fighting bloody battles against the Prussians on the front lines, they were shooting at their own compatriots in Paris.
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