The Fox of France

Chapter 57: Building Up High (1)

Joseph, who had no knowledge of historical details, had no idea how the march that Aunt Sophie was about to attend would leave a deep mark in history. He was just surprised that someone like Aunt Sophie, who seemed quite indifferent to politics, would be willing to participate in a protest march.

"Sophie, didn't you say you have no interest in these things?" Joseph hadn't even spoken yet when Louis chimed in. "Can't you just skip it? If you're not there, Lucien will dump all the household chores on me."

"Oh, my little Master Louis," Aunt Sophie wiped her hands on her apron, "I can't skip it. If I don't go, others will be upset. It's like if your friends invite you to a gathering, and you don't show up, won't they be disappointed?"

"But, Sophie, it's different. Your gathering is a protest, and Joseph says things are quite chaotic and dangerous outside now. The City Hall area is especially messy and perilous," Louis continued.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine," Aunt Sophie reassured, patting Louis's head. "Mayor Bayi and Marquis Lafayette are good people, and I won't be at the front lines. If anything happens, I'll run fast."

Aunt Sophie didn't understand politics, but her simple wisdom told her that if everyone went and she stayed behind at a time like this, she would stand out and become conspicuous. And being conspicuous at such times often came with various risks.

The next day, Aunt Sophie indeed didn't show up. It wasn't until the late afternoon of the third day, after Joseph had already come back from work, that she appeared at Joseph's doorstep, looking excited and exhausted.

"Sorry, Monsieur Bonaparte, I'm back late. But I think it's just in time to make dinner now," Aunt Sophie said.

"Oh, that's not a problem," Joseph welcomed Aunt Sophie inside. "These days, unexpected things happening are no longer unexpected. In fact, if something is completely expected, that's what's truly surprising. Yesterday, when you didn't return, little Louis was really worried about you. Now that you're back safe, that's all that matters."

"Sophie, Sophie..." Louis came running out of the kitchen at this point, shouting, holding a bread knife covered in breadcrumbs, indicating that he was being bossed around by his two older brothers.

"Ah, my little Master Louis," Aunt Sophie quickly went to him, taking the knife covered in breadcrumbs from Louis. "Missed me, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Louis said with wide, curious eyes. "I heard people say you stayed in the palace yesterday?"

"Yes, I did. This morning, I even rolled on the Queen's bed!" Aunt Sophie answered in a boasting tone as she headed towards the kitchen.

"Sophie, tell me, did you see the Queen? Is she beautiful? And is her bed covered in gold, like everyone says?" Louis grabbed onto Sophie's apron, following her to the kitchen, bombarding her with questions.

"The Queen is indeed beautiful, but her bed isn't covered in gold. She's not a dragon, she doesn't like to sleep on a pile of gold coins..."

At dinner, Aunt Sophie went into detail about her experiences from the last two days. It was only then that Joseph realized how important these events had been.

The women had originally gone to City Hall to petition, but when they arrived, they were informed that Mayor Bayi was conveniently absent, and so was Marquis Lafayette.

Aunt Sophie thought that if they couldn't find anyone, everyone would disperse, but unexpectedly, someone in the crowd shouted, "Then we'll go to Versailles to find the King! He can't let us starve like this!"

Many others came forward to support the idea, and a man named Mayar, who was said to have taken part in the storming of the Bastille, stepped up, claiming he knew the way to Versailles and was willing to lead everyone there.

It was said that a bored scientist conducted a rather boring experiment. He removed certain parts of a fish's brain and then put it back into the school of fish. This brain-deprived fish only swam forward incessantly, leading the entire school. It became the leader of the school of fish.

In many ways, crowds of people were quite similar to schools of fish. Often, especially in chaotic and uncertain times, it was not the deeply wise individuals who led the crowd but the ones who acted decisively, even if their actions were rash and thoughtless.

So, everyone followed Mayar to Versailles. The journey from City Hall to Versailles took about four hours, but the women, eager to resolve the food issue, pressed on tirelessly.

After a while, the Mayor and Marquis Lafayette arrived at City Hall. The National Guard quickly assembled, preparing to go to Versailles to defend... the King or the people, who knew? The Paris Commune (yes, after the capture of the Bastille, the new municipal institution was called the Paris Commune. This was version 1.0. The one we're more familiar with is version 2.0.) sent two representatives to accompany Lafayette to Versailles. Their orders were to bring the royal family back to Paris.

The women's march was not particularly fast, so they hadn't arrived by the time the Constituent Assembly in Versailles learned of these events. The Assembly immediately dispatched its president, Mounier, to see the King. The King interrupted his hunting and returned to Versailles. Mounier presented his request for the immediate approval of the "August Decree" and the removal of the Flanders Regiment. The King expressed that he needed more time to consider.

Meanwhile, the Queen urged the King to leave Versailles to avoid the "mob," but the King felt that fleeing Versailles just because some women had shown up would make him a laughingstock. Little did he know that behind those women, the fully armed National Guard had already come to "protect" him.

In the late afternoon, the women reached Versailles. The King received them, displayed great amiability, and promised to ensure the supply of provisions to Paris. Of course, the King had no power to fulfill these promises; he was just appeasing the women.

This statement seemed to have an effect. Some women, upon hearing the King's promise, believed that all their problems were solved, and some even turned to go back to Paris. However, more women stayed behind, exhausted after walking for hours. They would most likely return satisfied the next morning.

But at around 10 PM, Marquis Lafayette arrived at Versailles with the National Guard and the representatives of the Paris Commune. Surprisingly, the National Guard was slower than the women's march. However, it was understandable, as they were carrying cannons. The reason for bringing cannons, of course, was to protect the King. Later that night, at around 11 PM, Lafayette met with the King and presented two representatives who boldly demanded the immediate relocation of the King's family to Paris. Lafayette assured the King of the National Guard's loyalty.

This request took the King completely by surprise. But upon learning that Lafayette had brought a substantial force of the National Guard with him, the King didn't dare refuse outright and asked for more time.

It's said that on that night, someone went to the nearby Flanders Regiment, but they remained passive. This might have been because they hadn't received an official order from the King.

In any case, from that day forward, the royal family found themselves in the hands of revolutionary crowds and were officially prisoners of the Revolution, even though the King still wore his crown.

"Alright, that's it. We brought back the bakery owner, his wife, and the little baker. From now on, we won't have to worry about not getting bread anymore!" Aunt Sophie concluded her story with these words, believing that all problems had been solved.

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