Flowers, Swords and France

As night falls, the originally noisy city begins to become gradually quieter.

In a dark neighborhood, the grand Palais Bourbon stands proudly in the shadows, as if covered with a layer of black gauze.

Since the outbreak of the February Revolution and the establishment of the Second Republic, the Palais Bourbon has been used as the auditorium of the National Assembly and has become the seat of the entire country's legislative body.

Every day during the day, there will be hundreds of parliamentarians here arguing about major national affairs in France or trivial matters that are completely meaningless, deciding on the national budget and the formulation and modification of laws. It is as noisy and lively as a vegetable market in the middle of the city. But now, it has become silent and has once again regained the sense of majesty it once had.

A guard on duty stood at the door of the Bourbon Palace, looking at the gradually thinning crowds in the blocks in the distance, and slowly became sleepy. He only felt tired and bored, and he just wanted to finish the rest of his duty as soon as possible. time so that he can return to his barracks to rest early.

Today looks as peaceful as usual, even a little boring.

Yes, it has been too peaceful recently.

Not long ago, the two factions in the parliament had been quarreling non-stop. The two factions had been using various issues to attack each other and obstruct the implementation of their opponents' proposals. But now they seem to be much more harmonious, and there have never been too heated debates. As for the government, there have been very few conflicts with the parliament recently. They have been faithfully implementing the bills passed by the parliament without any resistance.

Maybe those dignitaries are finally tired of fighting? The guard thought slightly sarcastically.

Of course, although I am not a professional, I have stayed in this place of right and wrong for a long time. So he was fully aware that this was just a joke - for power and money. The dignitaries can fight for a lifetime, so how can they feel tired?

but. He also heard that in the political field recently, the topic that attracted the most attention was not the topic of struggle, but the marriage of Mr. Treville.

Charles de Treville, who holds a high position and is under the care of the president, is now in great demand. He will marry his cousin, Miss Charlotte de Treville, and the president happily agrees to attend their wedding. Bless this confidant. After the president expressed his intention to attend in person, almost all the leading figures in the Bonapartist movement, as well as some celebrities who wanted to be close to the president, expressed their desire to witness the wedding of the couple.

After a short period of silence after the New Year. Almost the entire social world is holding its breath, waiting for this grand ceremony that is sure to cause a sensation. The excitement surrounding this topic overshadowed other quarrels.

At least nothing major will happen until then. The president still has to be busy as a witness... the guard thought to himself.

However, his idea was quickly shattered by the cold reality.

At this moment, some confused figures suddenly emerged from the black screen in front of them.

These figures seemed to be arranged neatly, and their destinations seemed to be where they were. The steps are also very rhythmic.

The soldier was a little suspicious.

It’s this hour, why are there people running over here?

As they got closer, the guards were finally able to get a better look at the men.

Oh my God, what they were wearing. It’s a uniform military uniform!

God! An army is coming here!

"Ah..." The guard opened his mouth wide and made an incredible sound, and the same sound came from next to him. Apparently his companions were as stunned as he was.

At the same time, this army did not pause at all. He continued to move towards this side at the same pace as before. In the dark night, Gu Yingchuochao. It's like a frenzy that can swallow up everything.

Looking at the densely packed soldiers on the opposite side, the guard began to panic. Although he had not yet received an accurate explanation, he knew that since the news was not revealed beforehand, they must have bad intentions.

what do I do? He kept asking himself in his mind, but he couldn't get an answer at all. He only felt that his body was sweating constantly and his legs were shaking involuntarily.

He managed to pull himself together, then raised his head to look at his sergeant major.

Following a soldier's instinct, he decided to follow orders and avoid making any decisions.

The sergeant major with a big beard was now pale and his beard was trembling slightly.

"Stop! Stop!" After hesitating for a moment, he shouted, "Which army are you from? This is the National Assembly. What are you doing here?"

No one answered his hoarse shouting. The soldiers just kept walking toward them with guns in hand. Nothing could be seen from their indifferent faces.

Seeing that the worst situation had happened, the sergeant major's face suddenly turned red, and then he turned to look at his guards.

"What are you still doing? Hurry up and aim! Aim!"

After hearing the commander's order, the guard woke up like a dream and quickly raised his gun to face the enemies that kept coming.

He was anxiously waiting for the next order, but he knew in his heart that if a fight really broke out now, there would be no suitable shelter here, and because it was night and most of the soldiers were resting, their numbers would be huge. The gap is so large that resistance will only lead to death.

What's more, they didn't even have much ammunition prepared.

Perhaps considering the same reason, the sergeant major never gave the order to fire. He just looked anxiously at the troops on the opposite side and continued to shout.

"Stop! If you come here again I will give the order to shoot! Do you know what you are doing!?"

Just when his anxiety was about to reach its peak, the soldiers on the opposite side stopped advancing in an orderly queue.

The two groups of people confronted each other.

Seeing that the other party did not exchange fire immediately, the sergeant major's heart calmed down a little. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, and then quietly gave an order to a guard next to him. "Hurry up and inform the commander! Tell him that a group of rebels are attacking us. Go quickly!"

Just as the guards took the order and left, the queue of soldiers on the opposite side suddenly spread through a gap. An officer wearing a military uniform and a medal came out, and then walked towards them calmly and alone.

"Stop! If you come over again, we'll shoot!" the sergeant major shouted quickly. "Who are you?!"

"I am Major Lucien Leflaire. I have been ordered to take my troops to take over the defense of the Bourbon Palace." The officer replied in a calm tone. "Please don't stop me from carrying out my mission, now. Hand over your posts immediately!"

After hearing this answer, the sergeant major was stunned for a moment, and then looked at the major with confusion.

"What order? Change defense? How come we haven't heard of it before?" he shouted in retort.

"This is the latest order... If you want to see the official document, I can give it to you." The major took out a piece of paper from his arms, "Please don't misunderstand us, we are just executing normal procedures. Just a mission.”

The sergeant major waved his hand, and a guard boldly stepped forward, took the document from the officer's hand, and then held it in front of the sergeant major.

After the sergeant major brought it over. After looking at the document carefully, I found that it was indeed the transfer order from the Ministry of War.

That's right, without the exact order, such a force wouldn't dare to walk through the city with such arrogance...

However, choosing this moment to come over...can this be called performing a normal mission? !

This is a military coup! The government is officially declaring war on Parliament!

The sergeant major finally came to his senses.

"According to the decree of the Parliament, the government has no right to mobilize the security forces of the Parliament without authorization, so your document is invalid!" He shouted to the officer, "Please return to your original station and wait until the formalities are completed. Come and defend!"

After hearing his rebuttal. The officer was furious.

"Are you going to disobey orders? And...how did you talk to me? I am a major, and you are just a sergeant major! Now obey my orders quickly, do you understand!"

"I only accept legal orders...Sir." After the other party pointed out the class gap between the two, the sergeant major obviously lost the confidence he had just now. "If there is a legal order, I will be happy to obey it... Now, please give me what is supposed to be given to me first."

Maybe it was because he was very angry. The officer sneered.

"What if I don't?"

"If you don't do this, you are rebels! You are attacking our country's legislature with arms!" the sergeant major replied loudly.

"No. There is no such thing." Major Leflare replied calmly, "Because according to the latest order of His Excellency the President. In order to save the country from crisis, France has entered a comprehensive state of emergency, and the National Assembly will temporarily suspend the operation indefinitely. The meeting is adjourned. Its functions have now ended, so it cannot and has no right to give me any additional orders. I only need to obey the orders of the War Department itself, and if you don't obey, you are a rebel."

Although he didn't understand why "temporarily" and "indefinitely" could be put together, the sergeant major understood that all this would be irreversible - a military coup had taken place, and the Bourbon Palace had been regarded as the primary goal.

"From today on, your duties are over," the officer continued, "Now, I repeat my order for the last time, immediately give up your post, hand over your weapons, and leave here! If you don't obey... "

Then, he waved his hand, and the soldiers behind him also raised their guns and pointed them at the guards.

Their movements were so uniform that there was only a roar of thunder.

Read the original text in Liu#9@书/吧!

Sweat was already pouring from the sergeant's forehead. Only now did he understand what it felt like to be pointed at by hundreds or even thousands of guns.

The courage has gradually disappeared, and what remains is nostalgia for one's own life.

Should I engage in resistance that would surely result in death? Looking at the group of soldiers opposite, the sergeant major kept asking himself.

Years of military experience only cultivated his instinct to unconditionally obey the orders of his superiors, but did not tell him what to do in an emergency.

If only the chief had come here...if only someone had made the decision for me, no matter what the decision was, as long as there was a decision...he thought to himself.

However, the person opposite didn't seem to have much patience anymore.

Lucien looked at the sergeant major who was obviously hesitant and frowned slightly.

He knew he didn't have much time - even though it was late at night. But with such a large force passing through the city, it is absolutely impossible to keep it secret. The news will soon spread throughout the city, and he must get there before anything uncontrollable happens. To complete your task, you must at least completely control the area where the National Assembly is located.

"I'll give you another half minute to think about it. If you still don't obey the order after 30 seconds, then I will punish you with rebellion!" With a hint of anxiety, Lucien shouted to the guards on the opposite side, while moving slightly He retreated to get himself out of the danger zone, ready to order the soldiers to attack forcefully at any time.

The major's order made the sergeant even more frightened and uneasy. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but nothing came out. He wanted to order resistance against this undoubtedly criminal act, but he felt there was no need to waste his life and that of his subordinates on such meaningless resistance.

He has no feelings for the Parliament, the President, or even any political theory. Serving in the military is just a profession to support his family. He has never thought about sacrificing his life for any doctrine before - not to mention, he still has himself family.

When he thought of his child, his heart began to tremble violently, and he could not give the order to resist.

finally. His tangles were untied.

He heard a commotion behind him and looked back subconsciously.

His commander, or rather the commander of the entire Bourbon Palace guard force, Major Viato de Moulins, finally came over after hearing the report.

Finally someone could order him... He just felt relieved.

……………………

"Starting tonight around the Palais Bourbon and several nearby blocks. All must be under martial law!"

At this moment, in the office of the War Department, Charles de Treville, the main plotter of the coup, shouted orders to his subordinates. "All idlers must be excluded. Parliament will never be allowed to resume again, and complete preparations must be made. If necessary, all means will be used to suppress possible resistance."

Seize the Palais Bourbon as the seat of the National Assembly. It was the most important step in the coup, so Charles sent Lucien as the commander-in-chief to ensure nothing went wrong.

Although he pretended to be very calm and determined on his face, he was actually quite nervous inside. Even if he was familiar with history, he didn't know what this much-advanced coup would bring to him - Napoleon was so disappointed in history. The coup that eliminated all opponents occurred in December 1851, and under the leadership of Charles, this coup had already occurred in March 1851.

The only thing that could comfort him was that he and Louis Bonaparte had made complete preparations for this operation, and there was no way any accident could shatter their dreams.

"Martial law must be carried out in the most severe manner! If anyone dares to approach, give a warning first. If the warning fails, just shoot!" After forcibly suppressing the excitement in his heart, Charles ordered again, "If shooting fails, just shoot. Don’t worry about any impact.”

"Are the cannons going to be brought here too..." A sudden hesitation came from the crowd, "Is it... is it too intense? Sir..."

"What's so drastic? Why do you still have to worry about this now?!" Ciel shouted, "First we have to think about how to win, and secondly we have time to think about how to explain after the victory!"

His words soon caused a deathly silence among the group of people.

Charles took a deep breath and looked at the officers with some contempt.

"Everyone, haven't you understood?! This is a world of struggle. Only through struggle can we stand out, right? Mediocre people who are afraid of everything have no right to be ambitious, because They don’t have the determination to do everything! The emperor became the first emperor at the age of 30! As soon as we came into power, I became the Secretary of State in my early twenties. What did we have at that time? We had nothing but the courage to make a fortune at all costs and the determination to overcome all difficulties. Apart from this, we did not need anything else. Something! And you...what do you have to be afraid of?"

No one answered him, and he didn't want to wait for anyone else's answer.

"In order to get ahead, the Emperor used shrapnel in Paris, so why can't we? We can also use our howitzers! If someone insists on fighting us to the end, then he is our enemy - against the enemy, use guns Guns are not a given "Under the gaze of a group of officers and soldiers, Charles waved his hands heavily, as if making a beheading gesture, "At this moment, whoever blocks us will seek death! No mercy, otherwise we will be the ones who fall!"

"That's right!" Ciel's words soon received almost unanimous agreement.

To be honest, everyone has actually thought about using the most drastic measures when encountering a crisis situation, but no one dares to speak out first - for fear of being used as a scapegoat to quell the national anger after the Bonapartists succeed. Throwed out.

Now that they have received clear orders from Ciel, they don't have to worry about any responsibility issues and dare to go ahead and do it.

"It's really admirable that you can show such determination, sir." After a moment of calm, Viscount Alex de Lautrec finally spoke, "Don't worry, you are not the only one who bears the responsibility for this. , I can also take responsibility for this! I am one of the main makers of today's plan, and all the blood today will be mine! Don't be afraid, just move forward!"

However, although he said it so boldly, Charles knew in his heart that it was just a slogan to boost the morale of his subordinates. If it could be avoided, he was determined to avoid something like the bombardment of the Bourbon Palace. of bad behavior so as not to cause adverse effects to oneself.

Charles ignored the commotion of the officers and walked to the window, then quietly looked at the dark night outside.

The darkness that swallowed everything did not give him comfort or warmth, but it seemed to give him the courage to ignore everything.

After a moment, he took out his pocket watch and looked at the time.

It was already two o'clock in the morning. According to the original plan, Lucien should have occupied the Bourbon Palace.

He took a deep breath.

Then he turned and looked at the officers.

"Everyone, it is only in these few hours that we will decide whether we will prosper or perish... No matter what the outcome is, I will have no regrets, because I have done my best to control my own destiny. . I firmly believe that our efforts will never be in vain, and destiny will reward us for everything we put in... I firmly believe that our dreams will be realized! At this moment, all the glory is waiting for us, and we...we have the obligation to show a look that is enough to bear this glory. So, please follow me. Let's shout together, no matter whether we go to the feast hall or the terrible execution ground next, we should rehearse it..."

Then, he raised his hand and made it into a fist. "Long live the Empire!"

"Long live the Empire!" The same cheers rang out from the mouths of other officers. (To be continued...)