The Fox of France -
Chapter 47: Rumors and the National Self-Defense Militia (3)
Joseph stood by his window, gazing at the rising columns of smoke in the distance.
"Looks like something's burning over there," Lucien said, standing nearby.
"It's the Honorable Artillery Company," Joseph replied. "They say there are a lot of weapons there—the revolution has already begun."
"Shouldn't we do something?" Lucien asked. Joseph turned to him, seeing the eager anticipation in his eyes.
"No, there's nothing we need to do right now," Joseph shook his head. "Lucien, remember, the first one to step onto the stage isn't necessarily the main character. The main character will only appear at the most opportune moment. It's too chaotic right now, and it's not our time to step in."
Indeed, it was incredibly chaotic at the moment. Almost all of Paris was in flames. Rumors of the impending Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre were spreading like wildfire, and almost everyone was busy searching for self-defense weapons. But Joseph lived in the military academy, so he was temporarily safe.
Even in the military academy, they were prepared for the chaos. Instructors had been allowed to carry firearms with them and, after paying a certain deposit, take these weapons out of the school to protect themselves at home. Joseph had placed four rifles and two handguns in his rented house.
Joseph had decided to keep his two younger brothers from going to school for the time being. Paris was too unsafe at this moment. The streets were filled with fervent and chaotic crowds, some genuinely filled with revolutionary zeal, while others were just taking advantage of the chaos. Moreover, in these two days, the Parisian police system had completely collapsed. The police officers were too scared for their own safety and refused to go outside. In these two days, quite a few "spies of the tyrant" had already been lynched from lampposts.
These police officers were generally disliked, but without them, Paris had descended into complete anarchy, and public safety had gone to hell. Walking on the streets now, being robbed or even killed suddenly was highly possible.
The neighborhood where Joseph lived had built barricades to protect against the mercenaries who might come to massacre and loot the Parisian people. In practice, the main purpose of these barricades was to protect the neighborhood in such a state of lawlessness.
On the barricade at the street corner, a dozen young men in blue uniforms stood guard with rifles. In front of them, there were makeshift chevaux-de-frise, and no one could enter the neighborhood except for the residents.
Because they acted quickly, the neighborhood was still relatively safe.
"Stay at home, and don't open the door to anyone," Joseph took out his pocket watch and told his two younger brothers. "Understood, you two. Don't worry; we're not helpless little rabbits. We won't let the big bad wolf in," Lucien said nonchalantly.
"Well, Lucien, you know how to handle firearms. I took you to practice not too long ago. You take good care of your little brother, but be careful not to accidentally fire a shot. I need to attend a meeting now and will be gone for an hour or two. You need to protect yourselves and your little brother."
Joseph put on his coat, donned a hat with a blue and red badge, and inserted two handguns into the holsters hidden under his coat.
"I don't need Lucien to protect me; I can handle a gun too," Louis chimed in. "I'm not worse than Lucien when it comes to shooting."
"You're still too young. Just listen to Lucien and behave yourselves. Don't cause trouble," Joseph said sternly.
"Yes, if something happens, I'll protect you. You can stay behind me and help me load bullets," Lucien said, clearly excited after Joseph's approval.
"Alright, I need to go now. Stay home and don't be reckless. If I'm late coming back, there's bread in the cupboard. Sophie is not here these days, so you can make sandwiches for yourselves."
Joseph was now dressed and picked up his cane. After a few more words of caution to his two younger brothers, he left the house.
He walked along the empty streets for a while until he reached the location of the meeting—the house of the banker Charles.
Joseph approached the gate and showed his invitation to the gatekeeper, who then led him through the Louis XV-style courtyard to a large hall.
Joseph handed his cane to the servant and walked in.
The hall was already filled with a number of people. Most of them were familiar to Joseph, and they were the wealthiest residents of the neighborhood.
"Quiet down, everyone!" Banker Charles took out his gold pocket watch on a long chain and checked the time. He then shouted, "It's about time, and our people are almost all here. Let's not waste any time and get started!"
Everyone quieted down.
"Gentlemen, you all know what has been happening these days," Charles said. "Mr. Necker has been dismissed, which may signify a change in the king's stance and has brought a lot of uncertainty in the financial sector. Therefore, we've temporarily closed the stock exchange. You also know that Mr. Necker's dismissal has created too much uncertainty. Meanwhile, we've sent a representative to Versailles to gather information."
"How's it going?" someone asked anxiously.
Many of the people here were wealthy, and quite a few of them were creditors of the French government, more precisely, creditors of the French royal family. Over the years, a significant portion of the French government's expenses had been supported by loans. Now, everyone was concerned that His Majesty the King might default on his debts or forcibly lower the interest rates on the national debt.
"The dismissal of Mr. Necker has been confirmed. While the king's side claims there won't be any defaults or forced reductions of interest rates on the national debt, this statement was not made by the king himself, so its credibility is in question. Besides, he found out that there have been military movements near Paris."
This statement immediately caused an uproar below.
Charles seemed quite satisfied with everyone's reaction, and he observed for a moment before continuing, "Everyone, calm down. Don't panic. We've also consulted with the Marquis de Lafayette, who has revealed that the king indeed brought in a legion composed of mountain people, but it's for enhancing the security of Versailles. This legion is small in number and lacks heavy weapons; they are in no position to threaten Paris."
"But there are over twenty legions near Paris," someone shouted.
"The Marquis de Lafayette assures us that the French army will never lay a hand on Paris," Charles replied.
"Will they confront the mercenaries?" another person asked.
"That's highly unlikely," someone in the crowd replied. "Just yesterday morning, the Royal Guard of France retreated to the Place des Victoires. In other words, no matter what happens in Paris, they won't get involved."
"Yes," Charles said. "Considering the real dangers, not just the mercenaries, but also the lawless looters outside. You should also be aware that in these past two days, many legitimate businesspeople have been robbed or even killed by these hooligans. Almost every lamppost in the Saint-Antoine district has a grain merchant hanging from it. If these hooligans enter our neighborhood, it will be a nightmare."
"We've already built barricades and organized guards. Are we doing this just for a few hooligans?" someone disdainfully remarked.
"If we were only dealing with scattered hooligans, our current measures would be sufficient. But we also need to consider the possible presence of mercenaries. Furthermore, these hooligans might gather in groups. Therefore, we cannot rely solely on individual neighborhoods to confront the entire mob of Paris. Gentlemen, why can a single army easily defeat multiple hooligans and ruffians? It's because the army is organized. We need to organize our strength to form a genuine army. This way, we can protect our interests in these turbulent times."
"But where do we find military experts?" someone asked.
"The Marquis de Lafayette has suggested that during his time in North America, he gained experience in organizing militias. He can provide us with some assistance," Charles said.
Joseph listened and smiled slightly. It was clear that the Marquis de Lafayette held a significant influence within the French military, but his ability to command French troops was quite limited. If a militia force could be organized in Paris, given the size of the city, they could easily assemble forty to fifty thousand militiamen. If such a force could be controlled or at least made to appear under his control, it would undoubtedly bring him more political benefits.
"Now it's good; with the Marquis de Lafayette, we can rest easy," someone below commented.
"The Marquis de Lafayette also believes that we should unite with the respectable gentlemen from other neighborhoods and establish a unified National Guard. Only by pooling the strength of decent Parisians can we address various dangers and protect ourselves more effectively," Charles continued. "In line with his suggestions, our neighborhood's self-defense force can be organized into a company. As the largest sponsor, I am willing to assume the responsibility of commanding this company. Who agrees and who disagrees?"
Everyone remained silent.
Charles, satisfied with everyone's response, was about to continue speaking when suddenly, someone spoke up. "Charles, may I ask you a question?"
Charles looked and saw an elderly man named Orlandi. Charles knew that even though this man ran a tavern, he had connections to the House of Orleans. So, although he furrowed his brow slightly, he kindly asked, "Mr. Orlandi, do you have any questions?"
"Gentlemen, I greatly admire Charles's character and his dedication to our neighborhood. I just wanted to know if Charles has any military service experience. If it's about leading a company of Gold Louis, no one is more suitable than you, but leading in combat…"
"So, Mr. Orlandi, do you have a suitable candidate?" Charles asked in return.
"I don't either," Orlandi said candidly. "I'm not against you becoming the company commander, Charles. I just want to recommend an advisor to you."
At this point, Orlandi turned to Joseph and said to everyone, "Mr. Bonaparte, could you come over here? Mr. Bonaparte, I believe you're familiar to all of us. He's an instructor at the military academy and an active-duty soldier. When it comes to military strategy, he has more experience than any of us. The fortifications we've built were designed by him. However, Mr. Bonaparte is an active-duty soldier and cannot hold a formal position in the militia. But I believe he should also contribute to our neighborhood, as a member of our neighborhood. Therefore, I'd like to invite him to be the military advisor to our neighborhood's National Guard company. What do you all think?"
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