The Fox of France

Chapter 56: The Women's Army

"Joseph, the Constituent Assembly has passed a new decree," announced Lucien as soon as Joseph returned home, shaking a newspaper in his hand.

"Lately, Lucien seems to be getting more interested in politics," Joseph thought. He inquired, "Did they pass the Declaration of the Rights of Man?"

Joseph's knowledge of the history of the French Revolution from his past life was minimal, mostly due to his focus on sports and a lack of interest in history. He knew about a document called the Declaration of the Rights of Man.

"No, it's not that," replied Lucien. "It's a decree that abolishes all feudal rights."

"What? Let me see," Joseph said, surprised. He knew that rural areas were erupting in uprisings and riots. With France nearly on the brink of anarchy, the Constituent Assembly aimed to pacify the peasants, but passing such a significant decree so quickly and with such force was astounding.

"This is absurd!" Joseph exclaimed. "This involves numerous interests and is as complex as the Gordian knot. Without Alexander's sword, no one could unravel it. The Constituent Assembly doesn't have an Alexander the Great, so how did they manage this? Hand it over; I want to see."

Lucien handed the newspaper to Joseph, who sat on the couch and started reading.

After a while, Joseph couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Lucien, why are you laughing?" Lucien asked.

"I'm laughing at the spineless king and the shameless Constituent Assembly," Joseph said sarcastically. Unfortunately, Lucien didn't catch the reference. Joseph continued, "Look at this decree; it treats the peasants like fools. 'Abolish all feudal obligations,' it says, but when it comes to money, like land rents and dues, they must be redeemed, and the entire sum must be paid at once the equivalent of thirty years' worth. If peasants could produce that much money in one go, I'd become a farmer! Moreover, look here, redemption is on a village basis, meaning if one household in a village can't pay, none of them can redeem. And here, redemption requires mutual consent if the lords disagree, even if they have the money, they can't redeem. It's like offering a loaf of bread to a starving person. It's blatantly taking peasants for fools. Do you find it amusing?"

"Well, it is certainly a way to deceive them. But, Joseph, I wonder if some people don't really want to quell the rural chaos. After all, as long as it's not them suffering," Lucien mused. "Besides, this decree still needs the king's approval to take effect. I doubt he's in any position to address this issue right now."

"Lucien," Joseph exclaimed in surprise, "did you come up with that yourself? Nicely done! You might be catching up to that other dummy, Napoleon!"

Lucien knew it was a compliment, even if it implied that he was still behind the other "dummy." Lucien considered his older brother an absolute genius.

"You once said that some people might not be capable of accomplishing much themselves, but they are adept at causing trouble. This might be the time they want to create chaos," Lucien replied.

As Lucien had suggested, King Louis XVI was facing concerns about the unofficial submission of the "August Decrees" by the Constituent Assembly.

"Your Majesty, you cannot approve such a thing!" Queen Marie Antoinette's face turned pale with anger. "If you approve something so absurd, you'll lose the support of the nobility. This is essentially a death sentence for all of France's traditions!"

"I am aware of that," said the man theoretically the most powerful in France. "But if I reject it outright, it will only incite further violence. Some people are eagerly awaiting such events!"

But this response only infuriated the queen further. "You're always fearful, always afraid! The more you act this way, the less they respect you. Your loyal supporters will lose morale due to your delay and fear, and the rebels will revel in your weakness. You constantly undermine your own side and strengthen the enemy. I genuinely don't understand how someone like you became the King of France!"

"I never wanted to be the King of France in the first place," Louis XVI said in a low voice.

"Yes, you only wanted to be a hunter and a locksmith. Maybe someday, when we've lost the crown of France and are in exile, you can use your locksmith skills to support the family," the queen sarcastically remarked before storming out of the room, slamming the door shut.

Louis XVI sighed and rose from his seat, heading to a small room on the right, where he studied various locks. It was the only place he could find a moment of happiness during these times. After all, this decree was informally submitted by the Constituent Assembly, which meant it could be delayed.

King Louis XVI adopted an ostrich-like policy toward the "August Decrees." He left the Constituent Assembly's submission of the "August Decrees" unacknowledged, neither openly opposing them nor granting approval.

As Queen Marie Antoinette had predicted, some nobles who had been supporting the king began leaving the country to seek European support. They claimed to be doing so to secure European support for the king, but in reality, the departure of these key figures significantly weakened the king's power.

In Paris, food prices continued to rise, accompanied by a barrage of rumors. Among the most widely circulated rumors were these:

The first was that Paris was suffering from a shortage of food due to widespread rural uprisings. The reason for these rebellions was supposedly the king's refusal to approve the "August Decrees."

Another rumor claimed that someone was intentionally preventing food from entering Paris and driving up prices. Who were these culprits? The answer, of course, was the "reactionaries" who supported the tyrant. They were obstructing the food supply to Paris and causing the price hikes.

According to Vicomte de Ver, the key to deception was to tell the truth in most areas, except for the crucial points. Both rumors adhered to this principle.

While it was true that rural areas were in turmoil and there were uprisings, the fact was that the Constituent Assembly did not submit the "August Decrees" for the king's approval until October 1. Thus, before that date, there was no official "August Decrees" that required the king's approval. Moreover, these rural uprisings had already started in July, and the situation in the provinces was not significantly worse now compared to July.

As for someone deliberately blocking food from entering Paris and driving up prices, that was true too, but it wasn't the king doing it. It was a certain nobleman and a group of respectable third estate people who had joined his efforts. They were profiting from the situation while shifting the blame onto the king.

In the midst of this turmoil, it was now October 1789. Typically, July and August were the harvesting seasons for wheat in France. By late August, wheat should have been fully harvested. That year, France had experienced a bountiful wheat harvest, and this news had already reached Paris. People expected that a bumper wheat harvest would lead to a drop in bread prices, yet, by October, bread prices continued to rise steadily and sustainably.

As the nobles supporting the monarchy left one by one, the royal family felt increasingly unsafe. At the end of September, the king moved the Flanders regiment near Versailles. The Flanders region was relatively conservative and had a stronger royalist presence. In the eyes of the people, these troops were more inclined to support the king.

On October 1st, the king hosted a dinner for the officers of the Flanders regiment. It was after this banquet that a rumor spread throughout Paris:

Towards the end of the banquet, the king and his family appeared. The officers of the Flanders regiment cheered for the king and trampled on the red, white, and blue tricolor cockade, symbolizing Paris and the National Guard.

This news quickly spread in Paris, rekindling fear. The people didn't know that the king's power had already significantly diminished compared to July, and he was unlikely to pose a real threat to Paris. In their eyes, after months of careful preparation, the troops the king had called to suppress Paris must be more numerous, and Paris was in danger. They believed it was their duty to stand up and defend themselves with their weapons.

On the afternoon of October 4th, after serving dinner to Joseph and others, Aunt Sophie announced that she needed to take a day off the next day.

"Is something happening in your family?" Joseph asked.

In this era, for the household maids responsible for chores, Joseph was undoubtedly the best employer. He genuinely cared about their well-being.

"Oh, sir, nothing is wrong at home. But us women, yes, some women from the Halles district and the Saint-Antoine district have made arrangements. Tomorrow, we're going to the city hall to request their help in solving the bread issue."

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