The Fox of France

Chapter 45: Rumors and the National Self-Defense Militia (1)

At almost the same time, in the not-so-distant Palace of Versailles, King Louis XVI and his queen, Marie Antoinette, were engaged in a conversation about a similar topic.

"Your Majesty, do you know that there are people openly advocating rebellion?" his queen, Marie Antoinette, widened her beautiful eyes, staring at her husband.

"In the Palace of the Tuileries, when has there not been someone advocating rebellion?" Louis XVI responded indifferently.

Marie Antoinette shot her husband an exasperated look and continued, "Mr. Lavoisier's nephew has become a rebel! He performed a play at the Tuileries that promotes rebellion, especially that song in it. It not only promotes rebellion but even blasphemes the divine. Don't you think we should do something about it?"

Louis XVI raised an eyebrow, "What would you have me do? Should I order them arrested and ban the performance? Paris is already in chaos, and such actions could easily incite a real riot."

"Isn't the current situation already a real riot?" Marie Antoinette asked without hesitation.

"At least they haven't come to attack Versailles with weapons," Louis XVI replied.

"You are the king; how can you say such things?" Marie Antoinette was visibly upset by her husband's weak response.

"Your Majesty, we must face the reality," Louis XVI lowered his head, appearing somewhat ashamed of their predicament. "The Parisian police system is nearly paralyzed, and due to financial problems, our army hasn't received their pay for a long time. They are just as discontented with the kingdom as the rebels. Additionally, the Parisian-based troops have long been infiltrated by those opposed to us. We can't rely on them now. If something happens, it's hard to predict whom their weapons will be pointed at. The provincial armies are a bit more reliable. Currently, we lack the means to suppress these rebels."

"What about the mercenaries? The Swiss, the Germans? They've been paid; aren't they supposed to do their job? And aren't there more reliable provincial armies?" Marie Antoinette inquired.

"The mercenaries and more reliable armies are not fully in place yet. For now, they can only be used to protect us, not enough to quell the situation," Louis XVI explained.

"How long will it take for them to be fully in place, then?" Marie Antoinette asked.

"That's hard to say. It requires funds and we can't act too quickly, or it may provoke them to rebel. If they really take action, our existing forces won't be able to withstand them. The provincial armies are somewhat more dependable now. That's why we need to stay in Versailles," Louis XVI hesitated.

"But if we stay in Versailles, won't we become hostages?" the queen asked.

"Not to that extent, but our power here isn't dominant," Louis XVI admitted with a sigh.

"Then why are we staying here? Why don't we move to a place where our power is dominant, like the provinces? We could gather our strength there," the queen suggested.

"Because once we leave, it means there will certainly be a civil war. Even if we ultimately win, our country will be devastated by civil war. To avoid this, at least to prevent a destructive civil war, we must stay in Versailles," Louis XVI explained.

"But what can we achieve by staying in Versailles?" Marie Antoinette wondered.

"We need to stabilize them first, and then slowly shift our power here. We must lull them into complacency, not let them despair immediately. Until our forces are concentrated and we have an advantage," Louis XVI said.

"Perhaps..." the queen pondered. "Perhaps, if things escalate, I can contact my family."

"It's not necessary at the moment," Louis XVI replied. "Even your normal communication with your family should be cautious, neither increasing nor decreasing it."

"This is absurd!" the queen protested. "Are they going to inspect our mail now?"

"I didn't mean that, but messengers leaving Versailles will be closely watched by others. This could lead to rumors," Louis XVI furrowed his brow.

"Rumors," the queen scoffed. "Do you think such actions can dispel rumors? No, because rumors don't need facts. Your Majesty, the more you indulge them, the stronger they become. If you truly wish to buy time, then do not be too permissive."

However, Louis XVI merely shook his head.

"Your Majesty, if you continue to allow these actions, even the Church will be disappointed in you," Fersen, who had been silent, spoke up.

"In that case, issue the ban. But do not enforce it," Louis XVI decided.

"If it's not enforced, it might as well not be issued at all," the queen argued. "If we issue the order but do not enforce it, it will only make us look weak and encourage further unrest."

"If we enforce it, what if conflicts arise?" Louis XVI countered. "Should we send the Swiss Guard to suppress them? We do not have the force to quell them, and if conflict erupts, our weaknesses will be exposed. So for now, my queen, we must avoid any direct conflict, even if it means enduring humiliation, just like King Henry IV."

Henry IV was an emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in the 11th century. He had his excommunication order issued by Pope Gregory VII due to power struggles with the Papacy. During that time, the Holy Roman Empire was unstable, and after the excommunication, theoretically, all those who were loyal to him were no longer bound by allegiance. Some local nobles declared that if Henry IV did not receive the Pope's forgiveness, they would not recognize his authority.

In the midst of domestic and external crises, Henry IV had to bow before the Pope. He personally went to the castle of Canossa, where the Pope stayed, with his wife and son to repent and seek absolution. After enduring humiliation, he was forgiven by the Pope. Later, Henry IV managed to quell internal rebellions and, with his army, marched into Rome, expelled Pope Gregory VII, and appointed an antipope. This story was mentioned now to serve as an example for enduring humiliation in the present. After hearing this, everyone fell silent.

After a while, the queen said, "So, let's pretend we know nothing. I've heard that sometimes you either do something or not at all. If we take no action, at least it will make you seem mysterious. If we act but appear weak, people will look down on us."

Louis XVI quickly nodded, "I think the queen has a point."

"But, Your Majesty," the queen suddenly added with a mocking tone, "I've always been curious about one thing: where is your limit, Your Majesty?"

...

While King Louis XVI did not decide to ban the play "Spartacus," rumors that the play was about to be banned spread increasingly wildly. Initially, these rumors were merely about the king's intention to ban the play. Later, they claimed that the king had sent secret orders to arrest the author and all the actors. Subsequently, it was rumored that anyone involved in the play would be excommunicated. Various rumors emerged and evolved, keeping people on their toes.

During this time, Armand showed some of his uncle's wisdom. He regarded these rumors as free advertising. Leveraging the rumors, he used them to promote the play, claiming, "This may be the last chance to see it; if you don't watch now, you won't see it again!"

Just like Adam and Eve couldn't resist the temptation of the "forbidden fruit," their descendants always seemed to become even more interested in things with the word "forbidden." So the tantalizing headline "about to be banned" was indeed very effective. Now, the Dragon and Rose troupe's performances were consistently sold out, and other theater groups followed suit, staging the same play. It was due to this that the blasphemous song, "The Slave's Anthem," became popular throughout Paris.

Initially, when these rumors first emerged, the actors in the troupe were nervous. However, the packed audiences brought them increased earnings, which were particularly persuasive in a time when food prices were soaring. Therefore, the actors came to embrace the rumors and even started fabricating some themselves, such as an actor being attacked by unknown individuals.

As conflicts, both large and small, continued to occur in Paris, the rumor that the king was planning a massacre of the city's residents became more popular. The rumors manufactured by Armand and his group found many believers.

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