Flowers, Swords and France

Chapter 193: Revolution (10)

When the king, who was already listless, heard the report from the courtiers that "a group of rebel soldiers have joined the siege of the palace", he just sighed softly. .

"Even my army has already stood on that side?"

This time, he was not angry, nor did he have the energy to be angry again, he just asked with a wry smile. The continuous bad news has made him lose his fighting spirit, and now he can only hold on with the last bit of courage.

Now the army is not just sitting still and watching the situation, but has chosen to turn against him and directly pick up guns and stand in front of him. This fact made his spirit fall into the final despair.

The courtiers originally wanted to comfort the king again, but after seeing his extremely depressed expression, they all shut up and bowed their heads and left the room.

In two days, he finally got a chance to be alone.

He leaned back in his chair, thinking blankly, but it was a mess, as if he couldn't remember anything.

The sound coming from the window was getting louder and louder, and almost every slogan could be heard clearly. Obviously, the mob was getting less and less patient, and they might soon launch a general attack on the palace.

What to do?

I couldn't think of a solution.

He had used all the tricks he could think of, but none of them worked. Now, apart from waiting for the judgment of fate, he found that he had no other choice.

The words of the former prime minister, "Your era is over," kept echoing in his ears.

He was already seventy-five years old, and was born in the most turbulent period in French history. What kind of storms had he not seen? What kind of life-and-death crisis had he not experienced? He undoubtedly cared about his own life, but he was more worried about his children and grandchildren than his own safety.

If the mob really attacked directly next, could he hold on?

If he couldn't hold on, then what would happen next...

A huge sense of terror enveloped his heart, and he dared not think about it anymore. He had experienced those most terrifying times and witnessed the deaths of countless people. He knew how bad something could be.

In a situation where he had no other options and could not think of a way out, he closed his eyes, put his hands on the desk, and then laid his head on it. Like those who were completely desperate, he chose to leave it to fate. If he just fell asleep and never woke up, it would probably be a relief for him.

However, this precious relief only lasted for a few dozen seconds.

A gentle knock on the door suddenly interrupted his doze.

"Count Dillion requests an audience." The courtier outside the door reported cautiously.

Count Dillion? Why is he here? His Majesty the King was a little surprised.

Although he was an important official in the court, the count had been recuperating at home recently because of his old age and physical weakness, and his son had been hanging around him more.

Unexpectedly, on a day like today, he found a way to run over.

So, why did he come?

His Majesty, who had been awakened by a series of betrayals, was not so conceited as to believe that Count Dillion, who betrayed the Bourbon royal family without hesitation eighteen years ago, would suddenly be loyal to the Orleans family under such circumstances.

So what was he doing here?

Well, let him see him.

"Let him in." After thinking for a while, His Majesty ordered softly, and then he forced himself to sit up again to maintain the last bit of dignity of the king.

Count Dillion, whose hair was completely white, wore an embroidered court dress. He walked to the desk of His Majesty with a respectful and solemn pace, and then saluted respectfully.

There was no expression on his wrinkled face.

"Your Majesty, I'm here."

"Sir, I'm very happy that you are still in the mood to come and see me at this time." The king looked at the count in front of him with a deliberately calm attitude, "But I guess you don't just want to see me, right?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." The count's tone was still very respectful, as if he didn't know that the king's rule was about to end - or had already ended, "I came here today to give you some advice and suggestions."

Even though he personally participated in the conspiracy of the ** Louis-Philippe, in front of the king, Count Dillion still maintained his usual demeanor and never showed any disrespect because of his impending downfall.

As the descendant of the sage, he, like anyone who wants to make achievements in politics, will not forget his teaching that "form brings content, and manners contain everything."

【"Form brings content, and manners contain everything" is a famous saying of the great French politician and diplomat Talleyrand, implying that a politician should completely separate words and deeds from thoughts, and maintain demeanor regardless of ups and downs. 】

"Advice and suggestions?" His Majesty's tone was a little more sarcastic, "Like what you said to Charles X before?"

In 1830, it was also the same "revolution" and it was this earl who persuaded Charles X of the Bourbon family to abdicate and abandon the country. Eighteen years later, the same fate fell on the usurper of that year. Is this a coincidence or a necessity? Maybe it's both.

In the face of this slightly malicious mockery, the old earl remained unmoved, and his tone was still very respectful.

"More than that one, your majesty."

"In other words... you really came to persuade me to abdicate?" The king's voice was a little cold, "I knew it!"

"Yes, your majesty, this is one of the purposes of my coming here." The earl still lowered his head.

The original text is in the six # 9 @book/bar!

"What a courage, you rebel!" The king roared in response to him, and his hands trembled slightly because of anger, "How dare you appear in front of me like this! Do you think I will surrender like the Bourbons? Even if I have to die, I can let a rebel like you die in front of me! You bastard!"

Under the fury of His Majesty the King, the earl remained unmoved and stood quietly. He did not speak until His Majesty the King finished cursing.

"At this moment, you can certainly reject my opinion, or choose to resist, or even order my execution. But you know what's the point? Resisting to the end will only make you and your family fall into an unfathomable crisis. You know that, don't you?"

"Are you threatening me? Threatening someone you've claimed to be loyal to for so many years!" The king scolded him again.

"It's not a threat, I'm just stating the facts." Count Dillion's tone became more sincere.

"Your Majesty, if you still have your sanity, you will not fail to see these facts - your current situation has reached the point of desperation, and everyone has abandoned you, Your Majesty. Undoubtedly, the mob has not completely surrounded your palace. If you want to escape, you can still take some people to escape from the palace or even Paris... But what's the point of that?" The old count's expression was very calm, and his tone was very sincere, as if he was analyzing the current situation for His Majesty the King from the standpoint of an outsider. "The day after you flee Paris, a new temporary government will be established, and then they will issue an order to attack you, calling on the people of the country to take action to thwart all your actions and capture you, just as they pulled Louis XVI from the carriage back to Paris in Varennes in 1791. Maybe there will be some troops to support you, but what's the point? Can they be enemies of the whole of France? I'm afraid even you don't believe it..." The count's continuous questioning seemed to be a heavy blow to His Majesty the King's heart, making him speechless for a while. Because he was telling the truth.

"If you do this, you will be an enemy of all France. Do you have the heart to let the entire Orleans family face such a risk?" The count continued to speak calmly. He knew the king too well, so he knew how to more effectively strike the king's last psychological defense. "Don't forget, even the most orthodox royal family couldn't do this feat back then! Do you really want to do this?"

The king did not answer, his hands were already shaking slightly.

"If you announce your abdication now, you won't have to face such a big risk." After stating the facts, the count gave his suggestion, "As long as you announce your abdication, the new interim government will guarantee the safety of you and your family."

"New interim government?" The king immediately felt something from his words.

"Yes, a new interim government will be established immediately after you abdicate. They will find a way to clean up the mess and ensure the safety of you and your family." Count Dillion said word by word, "And I am now making such a suggestion to you on behalf of that government."

"So, have you betrayed me a long time ago?" the king asked angrily, "Has the minister of the seal I appointed been waiting for rebellion for a long time?"

"Not very early, Your Majesty." The earl answered very coldly, "Until it is confirmed that your dynasty is hopeless, the Dillion family will be your loyal servants. We will do the same to a certain Majesty in the future."

The king's face turned pale, he seemed to be struggling with something, and asked loudly.

"What if I don't agree?"

Count Dillion's face was calm. "If you don't agree, then there will be nothing to guarantee your safety in the future. Don't forget..." He raised his head and looked directly at His Majesty the King. "There are tens of thousands of mobs and thousands of soldiers outside. They may rush in at any time! Do you want this to happen? Then I tell you, if there is still no news of your abdication in six hours, a general attack on the palace will be launched. So, please make a decision within six hours."

"You... traitor... traitor... murderous dog!" His Majesty the King cursed loudly.

"Your Majesty!" The Count suddenly shouted, shocking the King for a moment, "Please be decent!" (To be continued.)

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