Fox of France

Joseph stood in front of his window, watching the smoke column rising from afar.

"It seems to be burning somewhere," said Lucien, who was standing aside.

"It's the Les Invalides," said Joseph. "It is said that there are many weapons there-the revolution has begun."

"Don't we do something?" Lucien said. Joseph turned his head, and he could see the desire to try in Lucien's eyes.

"No, we don't need to do anything now." Joseph shook his head and said, "Lucien, you have to remember that the first one to play is not necessarily the protagonist. The protagonist will only play at the most appropriate time. Now too It's chaotic, it's not time for us to play."

It was indeed very chaotic at this time. Almost all of Paris is burning. Rumors were flying about the imminent start of a new St. Bartholomew massacre, and almost everyone was busy looking for weapons for self-defense. However, Joseph lived in the military academy, so he was safe for the time being.

But even the military academy was prepared for chaos. Instructors have been allowed to carry firearms with them. And after paying a certain deposit, take these out of school to protect yourself in your own home. For example, Joseph now puts four rifles and two pistols in his rented house.

Joseph asked the two younger brothers not to go to school temporarily, and stayed by his side every day. Because Paris at this time is too unsafe. The streets are full of fanatical and chaotic crowds. Some of them are indeed full of revolutionary enthusiasm, but some are just taking advantage of the opportunity to loot. At the same time, in the past two days, the police system in Paris has been completely paralyzed. For the sake of their own personal safety, the police dare not go out at all. You know, in the past two days, quite a few "tyrant's spies" have been hanged by street lights.

These policemen are really annoying, but without them completely, Paris has entered a state of complete anarchy, and the entire social security has also come to an end. Now walking on the street, it is very possible to be robbed suddenly, or even killed.

Barricades have been set up in the block where Joseph is located. This barricade is said to deal with the mercenaries who may come to massacre the king who looted the people of Paris. own neighborhood.

On the barricade at the intersection, a dozen young men in blue clothes were standing guard with rifles. A little in front of them, a temporary horse was placed, and no one except the people in the block was allowed to enter the block.

Because the action is fast, this block is still safe for the time being.

"You stay at home, and don't open the door if anyone knocks on it." Joseph took out his pocket watch to check, and said to his two younger brothers.

"Understood, big brother, don't worry, we are not little white rabbits anymore, we won't let the big bad wolf in." Lucien said nonchalantly.

"Well, Lucien, you know how to use a gun. I took you to practice some time ago. You hold the gun and protect your brother. But be careful not to accidentally fire. I am going to participate in a You have to go out for an hour or two for the meeting. You have to protect yourself and your brother."

Joseph picked up the coat from the coat rack, put it on his body, and put on a hat with a blue and red badge, and then inserted two pistols into the gun pockets hidden under his ribs.

"I don't need Lucien's protection, I can shoot." Louis said, "I'm no worse than Lucien."

"You're still too young, you just need to listen to Lucien honestly. Don't make trouble." Joseph said seriously.

"Yes, if something happens, I will protect you. You just need to be behind me and help me reload the bullet." Lucien was obviously very excited to get Joseph's support.

"Okay, I'm going out. You stay at home and don't mess around. If I come back a little late, the bread is in the cabinet, and Sophie is not here these days, you can cut the bread yourself."

Joseph had already dressed at this time, picked up his cane again, and after instructing his two younger brothers a few words, he went out.

Walking along the empty street for a while, in front of you is the place of this meeting - the home of the banker Shire.

Joseph stepped forward, showed the invitation to the gatekeeper, and entered the door. A servant led him through a rococo vestibule to a hall.

Joseph handed the cane to the servant and walked in.

There are already many people in the hall. Joseph also knew most of these people, and they were all the richest people in the neighborhood.

"Everyone be quiet!" Charles the banker took out his gold watch with a long gold chain from his bosom, looked at the time, and then shouted, "It's almost time, and our people are almost here. Don't waste time, just get started!"

Everyone fell silent.

"Gentlemen know what's going on these days," said Charles. "Mr. Necker has been dismissed. This may mean that there has been a certain change in the king's attitude, so financially, it has also brought a lot of trouble." Therefore, we temporarily closed the stock exchange. You also know that the resignation of Mr. Necker has brought too much uncertainty. At the same time, we also sent a representative to Versailles to understand the situation."

"How?" Someone asked anxiously.

Most of the people here are rich people, and many of them are the French government, and more precisely, they are the creditors of the French royal family. Over the years, a large part of the various expenditures of the French government has been supported by debt. Now everyone is worried that His Majesty may default on his debts, or forcefully lower the interest rate on the national debt.

"Mr. Necker's dismissal has been confirmed. Although the king claims that there will be no default or forcibly lowering the interest rate of the national debt, this statement is not made by the king, and how credible it is is also a question. He also found out that there was indeed a military movement near Paris."

As soon as these words came out, there was an uproar below.

Charles seemed to be very satisfied with everyone's reaction. He admired it quietly for a while before saying, "Everyone, be quiet and don't panic. We asked the Marquis of Lafayette for confirmation. The Marquis of Lafayette revealed that the king It is true that an army of mountain men was called in, but only to strengthen the protection of Versailles. This army is limited in number and lacks heavy weapons, and they cannot threaten Paris at all."

"But around Paris, there are already more than twenty legions," one shouted.

"The Marquis of Lafayette promises that the French army will never attack Paris." Charles replied.

"And will they fight those mercenaries?" asked another.

"Of course not." A person in the crowd replied, "Just yesterday morning, the French Guards retreated to the Champ de Mars. That is to say, no matter what happens in Paris, they will not participate."

"That's right." Charles said, "Considering the real danger, I'm not only referring to mercenaries, but also the thugs who took advantage of the fire outside. You should also know that in the past two days, there have been quite a few Legitimate merchants have been robbed or even killed by these thugs. There is a grain merchant hanging on almost every lamppost in the St. Antoine district. If these thugs enter our neighborhood, it will be a crime. A nightmare."

"We have built barricades and organized guards. Just rely on those mobs?" Someone said disdainfully.

"If we only want to deal with those scattered thugs, our current precautionary measures are enough." Shire said, "But we also need to consider the possible mercenaries. In addition, those thugs may also gather in groups. So... we can't just rely on a single block to fight against the mob in Paris. Gentlemen, why can an army always easily defeat the mob and scoundrels that are several times its own? That is because the army is organized. We must put our We must organize our forces to form a real army. Only in this way can we protect our own interests in this changing era."

"But where do we have military talents?" Someone asked.

"The Marquis of Lafayette said that when he was in North America, he had some experience in organizing militias. He can provide us with some help." Charles said.

Joseph listened and smiled slightly. Lafayette's meaning is actually very obvious. He does have a lot of influence in the French army, but the French army he can really command is still very limited. If a militia team is organized in Paris, at least 40,000 to 50,000 militias can be formed on the scale of Paris. If such a team can be controlled in his hands, or at least people think that this force is in his hands, it will definitely bring him more political benefits.

"It's all right now, with the Marquis of Lafayette, we can rest assured." Someone said from below.

"The Marquis of Lafayette also believes that we should unite with other respectable gentlemen in the neighborhood to form a unified national self-defense army. Only by concentrating the power of decent people in Paris can we deal with various dangers and better Protect yourself." Charles continued, "According to the Marquis Lord's suggestion, the self-defense army in our neighborhood can form a company. As the biggest sponsor, I am willing to take on the responsibility of being the company commander of this company. Whoever agrees with you, Who objected?"

Everyone is silent.

Charles looked at everyone with satisfaction, and was about to continue talking when someone suddenly said, "Charles, can I ask you a question?"

Charles saw that it was an old man named Orlando. Charles knew that although this man was just a tavern owner, behind him was the shadow of Orleans, so although he frowned slightly, he still asked kindly: "Mr. Orlando , do you have any questions?"

"Gentlemen, I admire Charles' character and his mind to serve the neighborhood. I just want to know, have you ever served in the army, Charles? If it is commanding a team of Louis d'Or, any of us Not as good as you, but directing the battle..."

"So, Mr. Orlando, do you have a suitable candidate?" Charles asked back.

"Me neither." Orlando said frankly, "I don't object to Charles being the company commander. I just intend to recommend an advisor to you."

Speaking of this, Orlando turned to everyone and said to Joseph: "Mr. Bonaparte, please come here. Mr. Bonaparte, I believe you all recognize him. He is an instructor at the Military Academy and an active soldier. For He has more experience in how to fight than any of us. The barricades we built were designed by him. It's just that M. Bonaparte is an active soldier and cannot hold an official position in the militia. But I think, As a member of our neighborhood, he should also contribute to our neighborhood as much as he can. Therefore, I would like to invite him to be the military advisor of the National Guard company in our neighborhood. What do you think?"