xymnovel Chapter 28: Conversation with Olivier, Eugène's Betrayal of Class
Chapter 28: Conversation with Olivier, Eugène's Betrayal of Class
"Mr. Olivier, His Highness is waiting for you in the east wing; all servants have been dismissed."
As he stepped down from the carriage, Olivier, who hadn't expected to be summoned by Eugène Napoleon, nodded and straightened his slightly disheveled collar.
Olivier followed the newly appointed Major Royal, who was serving as the captain of the Royal Guard alongside Eugène, into the mansion.
With the change of government and Olivier taking the blame, the number of Parisians demonstrating around the Tuileries Palace has decreased significantly.
The curtains in the east wing were half drawn, and on the afternoon of August 9th, the bright sunlight streamed through the gaps onto the floor, filling the entire east wing with a faint aroma of black tea.
Eugène Napoleon sat on the sofa by the window, not forgetting the bandages he always carried with him. These past few days, he had been going out to distribute bread without fail.
His continued presence at the scene amidst this unrest undoubtedly exerted a tremendous influence on public sentiment.
Of course, the life-conscious Eugène Napoleon knew that in this situation where the bigger the storm, the more expensive the fish would be, the more expensive the fish would become, but the storm would also become bigger.
Therefore, during his travels over the past few days, Eugène Napoleon did not forget to strengthen the security of his police and guards.
He himself distributed bread as usual, and then instructed his subordinates to expand and prepare their armies. This routine continued until the 9th, when Eugène Napoleon began to take action after Olivier's downfall.
"Mr. Olivier, please have a seat."
He no longer addressed him as Prime Minister, but Eugène remained very kind to this "French sinner." He stood up and pointed to the sofa opposite Olivier as he walked in.
After Olivier was seated, he personally pushed a freshly brewed cup of Earl Grey tea in front of the former prime minister.
"I know you don't want to see any members of the Bonaparte family right now, but I'd still like to have a chat with you."
"Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness."
Olivier sat down, holding a warm teacup in both hands, his tone uninteresting. At a time like this, it was indeed difficult to expect a good attitude from the scapegoat.
However, after taking a few sips of black tea, Olivier couldn't help but have many doubts in his mind as he looked at the 14-year-old boy in front of him.
Putting aside the matter of Eugène Napoleon's previous loan, what use would it be for him to seek out his former prime minister, who has fallen from power, right now?
Just a few hours ago, when he was still the Prime Minister of the Empire, he could understand if someone contacted him. But now, he has become a sinner condemned by the entire nation.
Unsure why Eugène wanted to see him, Olivier remained silent for a moment before asking directly.
"Your Highness, there's no need to beat around the bush. I have nothing now—no power, no prestige. What is it that Your Highness seeks me out for?"
However, Eugène did not immediately answer Olivier's question. Instead, he gently swirled his teacup, his gaze passing through the other window, which was not covered by the curtains, and looking at the plane trees outside.
As a highly symbolic tree of France, plane trees are ubiquitous in Paris, and there is no need to spend military funds to plant them just because of someone's preference.
"I have a question for you, sir. Mr. Olivier, why do you think France lost the battles of Walter and Forbach? Was it really because of your fault, sir?"
!
Once the topic was brought up, Olivier immediately became restless. While Olivier was undoubtedly capable, he hadn't reached the level of a saint who could calmly face everything.
Given the current situation, it's a situation that only Joan of Arc could accept so readily in French history, while Olivier couldn't.
When asked by Eugène Napoleon, Olivier gave a direct negative answer and defended himself in front of the Crown Prince.
"Of course not. I started calling for military reform and increased military spending in April of this year, but those old men in the Ministry of War pocketed the military funds."
McMahon repeatedly requested reinforcements, but Bazin's 17 troops remained stationary in Metz. His Majesty Napoleon hesitated at the front, sometimes wanting to attack, sometimes to retreat, wasting precious opportunities…
You can tell how angry Olivier was; he really got carried away with his rant in front of Eugène.
He even criticized Napoleon III's mistakes without hesitation, slamming his hand on the table from time to time, his face filled with anger.
"The reforms I'm implementing are aimed at the executive, legislative, military, diplomatic, and judicial branches. The conservatives are obstructing me at every turn. Empress Eugénie says I'm going to overthrow the empire, His Majesty Napoleon is wavering, and even the Republicans don't want to see my reforms succeed. In the end, we lose the war, and it's my turn to take over..."
From Olivier's perspective, he was indeed wronged. As a politician caught in the middle, why was it so difficult for him to do anything practical in France?
Even if he was overly optimistic about the Prussian war before the war, he still didn't have military and diplomatic power in his hands.
Ultimately, no matter what he says, the sole commander of the French army is the French Emperor, and his cabinet government has absolutely no right to interfere in military or diplomatic affairs.
Eugène was not angry at Olivier, who was full of resentment and had mentioned Napoleon III and Eugénie many times. Instead, he nodded in agreement.
"You're right, the defeat in this war was destined from the very beginning. The empire's system was rotten to the core; the army was the private property of the royal family, the bureaucracy was corrupt beyond measure, and the finances were controlled by a few bankers and nobles."
My father came to power through a coup, and his rule was ultimately based not on the people, but on the army and the big bourgeoisie. To maintain his rule, he could only launch continuous wars abroad to divert attention from domestic problems. But this time, we encountered Prussia.
Without any attempt to conceal his true intentions, Eugène Napoleon uttered words that were entirely inappropriate for someone in his position, but there was no one else around except Olivier.
Eugene would only talk within this space. Even if Olivier went out and spread rumors that he had been betrayed, Eugene could turn the tables and say that Olivier had framed him.
In the current climate, it's inevitable that more people will believe in Eugène Napoleon.
Therefore, for security reasons, Eugene was willing to say some nice things, or even belittle his own royal family, to reach a reconciliation with the former prime minister.
"Prussia is different from us. They have a unified national consciousness, an efficient general staff system, and universal conscription. Their army is the army of the nation, and their government exists for the national interest."
Our empire is merely the private property of the Bonaparte family. Everyone is calculating for their own benefit; no one truly cares about the fate of France.