French Empire: But Napoleon IV

Chapter 17, "An Actor Prepares," concludes the assassination attempt.

"How could I not come? I was worried that you would think that an assassination attempt would make me distance myself from you and abandon you. So, even though my injuries haven't healed yet, I had to come because I wanted to tell you in person..."

Without continuing, Eugène Napoleon stopped speaking. Under the gaze of the crowd, he looked around and noticed the housewife holding the baby, whom he remembered.

Then Eugène took two steps forward and spoke to the housewife, whose sobs he had just overheard.

"Madam, thank you so much for your concern. It's just a minor injury, nothing serious."

After responding to the woman, Eugène Napoleon looked around at the crowd again, making sure that everyone was making eye contact with him, before raising his voice to shout with satisfaction.

"Six days ago, someone tried to hurt or kill me here, but that was just the evil act of one or two people, and has nothing to do with you or the people of the entire Rui district."

As he spoke louder and louder, Eugene paused, coughed several times, and frowned because of the "pain".

Pierre rushed forward to help Eugène, but Eugène pushed him away. Under the worried gazes of the crowd, the crown prince took a few breaths and continued speaking.

"I know that some people may have doubted me, suspected that my distribution of bread was just a show, or that my concern for you was for ulterior motives. I don't blame you, after all, the royal family in the past did make you suffer too much."

Exorbitant taxes, insufficient wages to cover expenses, rising prices... Anyone in this situation would be wary. But I want to say that I never intended to take my anger out on everyone present because of the malice of one or two people, nor did I ever think of abandoning you. What's your name? How's work at the factory lately?

This speech was basically Eugene's last effective speech in front of the public as Crown Prince.

As public opinion in Paris began to boil over, any further speeches he gave would have seemed too obviously staged and would never have been as effective as this one.

Therefore, Eugène, who had been preparing his speech for several days in his bedroom, turned his attention to the young man in work clothes and firmly grasped the rhythm of the speech.

The young worker who was asked the question blushed instantly. He hadn't expected to be suddenly questioned by Eugène Napoleon, and he quickly admitted his mistake.

"Your Highness, we are sorry. We were wrong before. We shouldn't have made malicious assumptions about you. You were clearly acting out of genuine concern for us, and you even risked your life to come here for us..."

My name is Jena. I used to work in a textile factory, but the factory has been closed for the past few days. I've been waiting here for Your Highness because I wanted to apologize.

"It's alright, Jena. The shutdown must be tough. Do you have family members to support?"

Upon hearing Eugène Napoleon's question, Jena's eyes reddened, and she admitted it.

The textile industry has always been a pillar industry in France. Comparing the national strength of Prussia and France, it can be found that Prussia's steel production has far exceeded that of France, while France's cotton production has also far exceeded that of Prussia.

The textile industry has been impacted by the war, which has indeed had a negative effect on the lives of many people.

"Yes, my mother and sister. The whole family depends on my work to support them."

"Make a note of Jena's name. Have someone contact the textile factory to give him priority in resuming operations. Also, send a bag of flour and some money to Jena's family so they can get through this difficult time."

........

Eugène then picked out a few familiar faces from the crowd, such as the boy with his mother and the old woman. After talking to them one by one, the growing crowd around him was no longer in a hurry, but rather looked at Eugène Napoleon with eager eyes.

Where have I ever seen such a scene before? A crown prince speaking warmly to every member of the public.

That's Gan Bida. His main targets were bankers and the middle class. The cases he represented were mostly those of editors and the like. Gan Bida was only willing to take on cases involving people who could criticize the French Empire.

People like those bullied by local nobles were not unimportant to Gan Bida, but they were certainly not a high priority.

Therefore, even among the progressive Parisians, the number of prominent political figures they actually met was extremely limited, and there were none like Eugène Napoleon.

After speaking with everyone, Eugène Napoleon took a deep breath and feigned pain, as if his injury was unbearable. After a long pause, he finally delivered his concluding remarks in front of the crowd.

"Rest assured, everyone, the bread will continue to be distributed, and I will always be with you. I will not abandon you for any reason, nor will I hold any good French people accountable for the misdeeds of one or two individuals."

The eerie silence was broken. As soon as Eugène finished speaking, the already excited crowd erupted in thunderous applause.

The crowd took off their hats and cheered, the cheers echoing throughout the Ruiz district. On both sides of the building, groups of people leaned out, waving their handkerchiefs, to cheer for Eugène Napoleon.

"Long live Your Highness!"

"Long live Napoleon IV!"

"We will always support Your Highness!"

The applause rose in waves, and the cheers continued unabated.

Eugène Napoleon stood calmly in the center of the crowd. Pierre, who was about to become the commander of the gendarmerie, stood behind Eugène and watched the scene before him. Pierre truly admired His Highness.

Pierre knew all too well how tense Paris had been before, but now, the people were chanting "Eugène Napoleon" in unison, and in just over ten days, the reputation of the Bonaparte family seemed to have been reversed.

Pierre, who was inwardly marveling, felt that His Highness had made the right decision, and the hearts of the people in Paris seemed to have returned to what they were when Napoleon III first came to power.

Seeing that the cheering had subsided, Eugene raised his hand to signal everyone to quiet down, and then walked step by step to the bread distribution table.

Ignoring Pierre's "advice," Eugène picked up a piece of bread, wiped the crumbs off the edges with his sleeve, and handed it to the first person in line, an elderly man with a wrinkled face.

"Sir, your bread."

Seeing Eugène Napoleon, who was still fighting despite his minor injuries, the old man accepted the bread with trembling hands. Unable to express his gratitude, he could only bow deeply to Eugène.

"Thank you, Your Highness. Thank you for remembering us."

"Of course I remember. You are all citizens of France, how could I forget? Please line up slowly, everyone will get a turn, don't rush or crowd."

.........

After a brief period of jubilation, the streets of Rui District returned to order, and with the reappearance of the Royal Guard, the lively atmosphere of the past was restored once again.

With defeats beginning to appear on the front lines, Eugène Napoleon essentially brought the assassination attempt to a close by "going to the appointment while seriously wounded."