He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 18

(17) Let’s Change History by Preemptively Detaining the King

Once, the king was the sun of France.

That was only two years ago.

“We must hurry, Your Majesty. If the Duke of Orléans has fled, we are in danger too!”

At dawn, the Tuileries Palace on the outskirts of Paris is in turmoil.

The reason is quite simple.

The first nobleman of the kingdom, the godfather of revolutionaries, and the king’s nemesis.

The Duke of Orléans has fled the country without any consultation with the National Assembly.

This news was delivered by the royalists, especially Count Fersen, who was preparing to escape.

The royal family urgently began to move.

“M-Mama. Where are we going?”

Princess Marie Thérèse grabbed the queen’s hand as she hurried.

“Princess, we must get out of Paris.”

“Why? Eugene told me to wait. It’s not a good time.”

“Eugene? Ah, the gambling prodigy. What does that child know? He’s just a kid, no matter how smart he is.”

The Queen, Marie Antoinette, did not forget to fix her hair even in this moment, and said firmly.

“We must go to Austria to be safe.”

The Holy Roman Empire.

It is the queen’s homeland and currently ruled by the queen’s brother.

Although it is a divided empire and France’s nemesis, it is now the only refuge.

The royal family moved all at once through the back door of the Tuileries Palace.

– Clatter!

King Louis, Queen Marie Antoinette, Princess Marie Thérèse.

And the royal maids and servants, including the young crown prince.

Everyone moves at once.

At first glance, there are too many people.

However, the escapees have already been decided.

By the Queen, the person Count Fersen really wants to escape with.

Count Fersen swallowed the words to reduce the number of people and led the royal family.

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty. This way!”

Suddenly, King Louis stopped.

It must be a secret escape.

In particular, they are running away while evading the commanders of the National Guard, who were guarding the palace.

But the escape carriage is too big, flashy, and noticeable.

It is none other than an eight-horse carriage, a carriage with eight horses attached.

“An eight-horse carriage? And it’s too flashy.”

“I’m sorry. The Queen wanted it.”

“Queen, isn’t this too much?”

The king looked back in dismay, but the queen retorted sharply.

“Your Majesty, we must seek asylum in the Holy Roman Empire. If we lose even our dignity without a country or an army, it’s over.”

The Queen’s judgment makes sense.

The French royal family is now abandoning the country and trying to escape abroad for safety.

Even if they run away relying on blood ties, they are just a foreign imperial family in the end.

Also, the Habsburg imperial family of the Holy Roman Empire has long been the enemy of the French Bourbon royal family.

So, if they look down on us, it’s over.

At least we must maintain the dignity of the royal family to avoid being treated poorly.

The problem is that this is only allowed when we are not caught.

King Louis swallowed his anxiety and hurriedly got into the carriage.

“Okay, I understand. Let’s go!”

We must leave Paris for now.

Mirabeau, who was trying to protect the royal family, is dead.

Even the Duke of Orléans, who advocated the revolution, felt fear and ran away.

It will be too late if Paris is covered in a whirlwind.

However, the king had to suddenly realize that it was too late.

– Clack, clack, clack!

A group of soldiers armed with breech-loading muskets and bayonets blocked the way.

The king felt frozen.

They were caught.

However, unlike the king, the queen shouted at the soldiers with dignity.

“What is the meaning of this?”

The soldiers hesitated at the sight of her dignified appearance.

However, not everyone succumbs to the dignity of the royal family.

A central officer smiled and took a step forward.

“I am Lieutenant Lazar Hoche of the National Guard. Your Majesty. I am sorry to meet you like this. However, Louis Philippe Égalité has fled the country.”

Égalité, meaning equality [a title adopted to show support for the revolution].

It is the title taken by Duke Louis Philippe of Orléans, who claimed to be a commoner.

So, these officers and soldiers came because of the Duke of Orléans.

The king trembled but tried to clear his throat and said.

“The Duke of Orléans? Wait, wasn’t that man a supporter of yours, or rather, the revolutionaries?”

“I thought so. That is why we allowed him to return to the country. But he ran away abroad without any prior consultation.”

“That’s absurd. What does that have to do with me?”

The escape has not yet begun.

The king feigned ignorance and swallowed hard.

But the officer smiled and replied.

“Your Majesty, do you really have no plans to escape? What is this carriage all about?”

The eight-horse carriage is too big to hide.

Just as the king felt despair, the officer scanned the carriage with sharp eyes.

Count Fersen, who was sitting in the driver’s seat of the carriage, hurriedly covered his face.

However, the officer, Hoche, who had already seen Fersen, smiled, revealing his teeth.

“I see that Count Fersen frequents the palace.”

“W-Wait a minute. O-Officer Hoche, was it? I think there’s some misunderstanding.”

“That doesn’t matter. Your Majesty. It’s not a matter of whether I misunderstand or not.”

Hoche stated to the king.

“If the Assembly, and furthermore the citizens, think of you as a fugitive, it’s over. Your Majesty.”

King Louis slumped down.

At Hoche’s gesture, the soldiers approached King Louis.

At that moment, the queen hurriedly stood between the soldiers and the king.

“How dare you!”

The queen shouted, glaring at Hoche.

“You will pay the price for this rudeness!”

Hoche stared at the queen and shook his head.

“I don’t care. I am loyal to France, not to the king. Take him into custody.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Let go of me! I am the King of France! You can’t do this!”

Only then did King Louis shout, but it was already too late.

A commotion broke out between the soldiers and the servants.

The king was taken away by the soldiers, Fersen had already fled, and the queen and princess were forcibly dragged back into the palace.

After the commotion ended, Hoche sighed and looked behind him.

Towards the person who instigated this order.

“Is this okay, Eugene?”

In the darkness, Eugene yawned and revealed himself.

“You saw it, they were running away.”

“That’s the problem. The soldiers saw it too.”

“It’s better than being caught while running away and being dragged back to Paris.”

Looking at him at times like this, Eugene, still a young boy, spoke nonchalantly while still yawning.

“In the future, the era will change in some form, Hoche.”

The era will come when the king’s orders are meaningless.

***

Even for revolutionaries, the king’s arrest is shocking.

“The king was arrested?”

Revolutionaries, members of the National Assembly, and leading figures of the Jacobin Mountain faction gathered urgently.

It is the home of Maximillian de Robespierre, the leader of the Mountain faction.

Unexpected events were repeatedly happening.

The death of Mirabeau, the escape of the kingdom’s first nobleman, and the arrest of the king.

All of this was something the Mountain faction had never imagined.

Robespierre’s young friend, Desmoulins, said urgently.

“Yes, Maximillian. How on earth should we deal with this situation? Duke Philippe has fled, and the National Guard, which is Lafayette’s subordinate, has arrested the king. It’s confusing.”

Then, a sharp-looking young man sitting in the corner of the mansion opened his mouth.

“Monsieur Robespierre, this is an opportunity.”

“What do you mean, Saint-Just?”

“The king’s cousin has fled. No, the king’s siblings have also fled. The king’s aunts too!”

Louis Antoine Leon de Saint-Just.

The main figure of the Reign of Terror, later called the Angel of the Guillotine.

However, he is still just a young, outspoken, novice hardliner member of the Assembly.

Nevertheless, the eyes of the 25-year-old Saint-Just were unusual.

“Now, even Lafayette is afraid that the king will run away, so he caught him. If this isn’t an opportunity, what is it?”

“So, what kind of opportunity are you talking about?”

“An opportunity to kill the king!”

Saint-Just smiled brightly.

“It’s a golden opportunity to realize a republic!”

Royal beheading.

In January 1791, not only the National Assembly but even among the Jacobin leaders, the republicans are not the mainstream.

Moreover, to kill the king is a word that is difficult to utter.

Immediately, Desmoulins was flustered and stammered.

“W-Wait a minute, kill the king! I never agreed to such a thing!”

“What are you talking about, Desmoulins? Wasn’t the republic something we all agreed on as Jacobins?”

“W-Well, of course, I think the king should abdicate! He’s incompetent, foolish, and blocking reforms. But k-killing is a different matter!”

Desmoulins shook his head violently and shouted to Robespierre.

“Maximillian, w-we need to think carefully. Th-This is unacceptable.”

The Mountain faction leaders all looked at Robespierre.

In this place, there are Saint-Just, Desmoulins, and Robespierre’s younger brother, Auguste.

Everyone is a hardliner in the Assembly, but when they gather among themselves, they are divided into factions again.

For example, if Saint-Just is an ultra-hardliner, Desmoulins is moderate, and Auguste is a moderate hardliner.

Robespierre sat still, put his hands together, and opened his mouth.

“Don’t make a fuss. I haven’t said to kill him yet.”

“T-That’s right, isn’t it?”

“But the king’s plan to seek asylum, remember that ‘Mara’ exposed it in early January? It feels like that’s becoming a reality now, Desmoulins.”

Suddenly, Robespierre tapped the table lightly and said.

“I think Lafayette noticed it first and blocked it in advance.”

This is an amazing insight.

Even though he did not know that the royal family was plotting an escape, he saw through the truth.

Furthermore, he saw through that Lafayette had moved the army first.

He just doesn’t know that Eugene is behind it.

However, the ultra-hardliner Saint-Just frowned.

What matters to Saint-Just is not the truth.

It’s the result.

“So, are you going to leave it alone? The king, Lafayette, or the runaway nobles!”

“Can I do that? I need to use Danton a little.”

“Danton?”

Robespierre looked at Desmoulins, putting his hands together quietly.

“Yes. Camille, you created the Cordeliers Club with Danton, right?”

Camille Desmoulins was startled.

The Cordeliers Club.

Like the Jacobins, it is a political club.

In some ways, it was a more hardline group than the Jacobins.

However, the main thing they do these days is attack Hébert.

They believed that Hébert, who blindly advocated destruction, would ruin the revolution.

So far, Robespierre and Desmoulins think the same way.

The problem is that the club’s activities result in highlighting Danton.

It is Danton, Robespierre’s rival.

Feeling somehow guilty, Desmoulins asked.

“W-What about it?”

“Incite Danton. Tell him to take the lead and make him lead the protests.”

“What kind of leadership are you talking about?”

Robespierre said without a smile.

“Demand the king’s abdication.”

Saint-Just raised his eyebrows.

He might feel like he’s being deprived of his achievements.

However, Desmoulins, who was pale, stared at Robespierre.

He is usually a timid man who stutters, but once he makes up his mind, he does not hesitate, just like that day in the Bastille.

“Maximillian, there are three problems with that.”

“Suddenly you’re talking well. Go ahead.”

“First, it has not been proven that the king tried to escape.”

Desmoulins is a lawyer.

Although he couldn’t work because he couldn’t speak well, he values the law.

If the king escaped, it would be treason, but if it is not proven, it is just suspicion, not a crime.

Of course, Robespierre, also a lawyer, snorted.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s enough that the Duke of Orléans, his siblings, and his aunts ran away.”

“Next, this could lead to Danton taking the lead in the Assembly and the Jacobin Club.”

“What about it? For the sake of the revolution, what does it matter who takes the lead? Danton is a great politician.”

No one would believe it.

Robespierre just thought that the removal of the king was necessary for the success of the revolution.

He plans to get rid of him even by using Danton, who has a strong desire to show off.

The king.

Desmoulins, who was overwhelmed by his firm will, protested.

“Then, the last problem. The people are boiling right now. If a protest occurs, no one knows what will happen.”

The revolutionary period is a time when everything is changing rapidly.

The hero of the people today becomes the enemy of the people tomorrow.

That means even Danton, a hardliner who has the support of the citizens, may not be able to control the protesters.

No, maybe even Robespierre.

Then Robespierre smiled.

“That’s why Danton has to step up. Camille.”

Looking back at Desmoulins, who was pale, Saint-Just, who was smiling with satisfaction, and Auguste, who was silent, Robespierre declared.

“To succeed in the revolution, we sometimes need tactics. Execute it.”

However, Robespierre, despite his insight, did not know one thing.

That the one who created all these situations was not Lafayette, but the boy Eugene.

***

It is not only politicians who are shocked by the king’s arrest.

“The king was arrested, what will happen now?”

A guest came to the Café Boarner.

It is Jacques Lecamier, Eugene’s business partner.

Even though he is making a lot of money from stock speculation these days, thanks to Eugene’s advice, he still seems uneasy.

After all, the king’s arrest is just the news to tighten the political situation.

Immediately, stock prices are plummeting.

Of course, Eugene, who knew the situation in advance and sold all of his East India Company shares, smiled leisurely.

“You have to say it accurately. It’s not an arrest, it’s detention. He didn’t go to prison, he just moved to the Palais Royal. It’s not a small place at all.”

“That’s the same thing. His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen must be trembling in humiliation, right?”

“Isn’t it better than being caught while running away and going to prison?”

King Louis, the Queen, and the Princess were imprisoned in the Palais Royal.

It is the mansion that was once the residence of the Duke of Orléans.

Rather, the scale is larger than the old palace, the Tuileries.

Of course, it would not be good to be in confinement.

However, Eugene thought it was much better compared to how the palace would turn into a prison in the original history.

Then.

“Eugene. You are a genius.”

Eugene blinked at Lecamier’s sudden words.

“Why are you praising me all of a sudden?”

“But it’s also true that you’re still young. You don’t know people. You know even less about royalty.”

“I was a royal attendant for quite a while, though?”

Lecamier, a middle-aged banker who has been trading with the royal family for quite some time, shook his head.

“For royalty, honor and pride are sometimes much more important than safety. Right now, you have tarnished that. No one knows what kind of reaction that will bring.”

How will the king, queen, or noble maids react?

Everyone will surely consider it a disgrace.

Perhaps they will deal with the Assembly more harshly.

One thing is certain, Lafayette will be the target of resentment.

Eugene smiled bitterly and replied.

“I will keep that in mind. By the way, did you find the person I asked for?”

“Ah, he’ll be here soon. But why do you need that friend? He seems to be quite influential in Nantes, but he’s just unknown in Paris. He’s not even a member of the National Assembly.”

“He will be elected soon.”

Eugene said, recalling the events that would soon take place in 1791.

“There will be an election this year.”

“Election? What election?”

“An election where voters elect members of the Assembly, like in England. The National Assembly will announce it soon.”

However, this election is a kind of temporary election.

Because as the upheaval occurs, there will be another election.

After that, a new election will be held in the fall of 1791.

That’s when the famous [National Convention] appears.

It is the hardline Assembly that cut off the king’s head.

Lecamier, who naturally does not know this situation, tilted his head.

“So, did you call him because you needed a member of the Assembly? Or?”

That was the moment.

– Bang!

A thin-looking man walked into the Café Boarner.

“I’m sorry I’m late. Whew, Paris is really complicated.”

A gaunt face, an unattractive appearance, but his eyes are sharp as if they are shooting.

There is one thing to think of when you see such a person.

A hunting dog.

Lecamier gestured to the man who would remain in history as the Empire’s [Hunting Dog].

“I’m here now, Joseph.”

“That’s a relief. Oh, is this young boy? Is he the famous gambling prodigy?”

“Yes. He’s the friend who wanted to see you.”

Then Eugene got up first, smiled, and reached out his hand.

“Nice to meet you. Monsieur Fouché.”

Joseph Fouché.

The butcher of the counter-revolutionaries during the revolutionary period.

Conversely, the man who brought down the revolutionary Robespierre.

In the age of the Empire, the secret police who worked as the Emperor’s dog, monitoring and catching his enemies.

And, the one who eventually betrayed Napoleon.

However, Fouché, who is still just a local celebrity who is not even a member of the Assembly, wiped away his sweat and smiled.

“What is the reason you called me, the president of Banque Boarner?”

“How did you know? On the surface, the representative of Banque Boarner is my father.”

“Phew, rumors are probably rampant, who doesn’t know?”

Eugene smiled contentedly.

“That’s exactly why I need you. Monsieur Fouché.”

In later original history, Fouché is called the founder of the intelligence agency.

That’s how well he knew the importance of information.

Even now, before meeting Eugene, didn’t he collect rumors first?

Even if there is no trust, his talent is real.

Eugene decided to use Fouché’s talent in handling this information now.

“I need you to promote one person for France. By spreading rumors.”

“Hmm, you want me to spread rumors for public opinion? Who is it?”

“General Lafayette.”

Eugene’s eyes lit up.

“Soon, General Lafayette will resign as the head of the National Guard. And, a riot will break out. At that time, make General Lafayette a national hero again.”

The ‘protest’ or riot that Robespierre is planning.

But Eugene already knows about the riot.

Because it is a riot that also occurs in the original history.

The greatest riot of the early revolution, later called the Massacre of the Champ de Mars, was approaching.