He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 303

(303) Conspiracy Blossoms at the Rosetta Stone Ceremony

Sometimes, a single stone can shake history.

-Thud!

December 1st, 1801. A time when snow is approaching even in Paris.

After a long interval, key figures of France gathered at the Champ de Mars in Paris.

Perhaps because the economy has improved, the faces of the citizens who came to watch are also bright.

However, all are puzzled because there is only one stone in the center of the square.

Ipolite, like ordinary citizens, scratched his head and asked,

“What is that stone, and why do we have to hold such an event?”

Eugene looked at the stone from Egypt and tilted his head slightly.

The place where that stone came from is Rashid, a port city in Egypt.

It is also the city that the Egyptian garrison soldiers mainly call by this name.

Rosetta, meaning rose in Italian.

Because the stone was found there, Europeans will call it this way for generations to come.

The Rosetta Stone.

It is the key that made it possible to decipher the writing of ancient Egypt.

“Hieroglyphs.”

“What is that?”

“It’s ancient Egyptian writing. No one can interpret it now. But if you have that stone, you can interpret it.”

Eugene shrugged, looking at the man holding the stone on the platform in the center of the square.

“Because ancient Greek is also written on it. That’s something that educated people generally know.”

The man’s name is Jacques Champollion, and it would be a mistake to think he looks unfamiliar.

Because in the original history, the person who became famous for translating hieroglyphs was Jean-François Champollion.

However, Jacques Joseph Champollion, who is proudly holding the stone, is not unrelated.

Anyway, he is Jean-François’s older brother and an archaeologist who led Jean into the world of linguistics.

Suddenly, Jacques Champollion is holding hands with another man familiar to Eugene and shouting.

“It was really hard to bring this stone from Egypt!”

“Excellent. Jacques Champollion! It’s amazing just to find a historical stone, but to bring it safely to France!”

“It’s all thanks to Ambassador Denon!”

He is Denon, the former Swedish ambassador who remained in Cairo as a diplomat stationed in Egypt.

His current position is the Chief Advisor to the Governor-General of Egypt, approved by the Consulate Government.

It is a very high position, but of course, Egypt cannot be better than France.

In 1800, the year of the previous war, the Rosetta Stone was discovered a little later than in the original history.

Originally, Pierre-François Bouchard, an officer of the exploration team led by Dopul, famous as a stormtrooper of the Italian expeditionary force, discovered it.

However, because the Egyptian expedition ended in a blitzkrieg, neither Dopul nor Bouchard had time to explore the Rosetta Stone.

Currently, both of them are assigned under Eugene and are serving in the Consulate Guard.

Instead, Eugene, who remembered the Rosetta Stone, sent a letter to Egypt.

He heard that there was an ancient relic in Rashid village, so he asked them to find it.

Jacques Champollion, one of the French scholars stationed in Egypt, discovered this stone.

The stone contained hieroglyphs and already translated Greek.

A situation arose that made the whole of France noisy, and Denon took this opportunity to follow Champollion on his way home.

Looking at Denon, who was showing off his presence in his home country and enjoying it, Ipolite asked.

“Come to think of it, is Denon now returning to France?”

“No, even if Hosche and Kleber are excellent, they are soldiers. Lavoisier is a tax official with the reputation of a politician. To deal with the locals politically, you need a civil servant.”

“It seems like he likes coming to France after a long time, but that’s too bad. Then, can’t Hosche return home?”

In fact, Ipolite doesn’t care about Denon.

Although he is an important figure in the diplomatic world and a social celebrity, what does it have to do with Ipolite?

But the Governor of Egypt, Hosche, is a little different.

“Well, the promised deadline is approaching. Why are you suddenly talking about Hosche?”

Ipolite looked around and licked his lips.

“Because everyone is staring at us. Or ignoring us. If Hosche is there, he’s tall, so wouldn’t their eyes go there?”

“I’m past the age where I need protection from my mother’s ex-lover, Ipolite.”

“But it wouldn’t be bad to have a helper.”

Ipolite whispered very softly to Eugene.

“Especially in this politically isolated situation, wouldn’t it be even more so?”

He doesn’t have outstanding political talent, but Ipolite is a genius at winning women’s hearts.

However, if you are a playboy who wins the hearts of the opposite sex, there is one ability you must have.

That is to quickly grasp the atmosphere.

The atmosphere in the Champ de Mars right now was very tense.

Suddenly, a man with a grim expression strode towards Eugene.

“Freischütz.”

While everyone was just watching, Eugene greeted the person who bravely approached him.

“Congressman Desmoulins. Nice to meet you. I heard you will be the new Chairman of the Senate, succeeding Salicetti this time?”

“Is it true? That you spouted terrible things in the cabinet?”

“It’s not terrible, but it’s true if you’re talking about the monarchical restoration theory. Of course, if you’re thinking about restoring the Bourbon dynasty, that’s not true…”

However, before Eugene could properly explain, the stuttering Desmoulins scolded Eugene.

“I’m disappointed. I misjudged you!”

Looking at Desmoulins, who turned around with an angry cry, Ipolite whistled.

“Wow, he doesn’t stutter at all.”

“He speaks well when he’s excited. Besides, he doesn’t gossip behind my back like someone else. Perhaps soon, a barrage of criticism against me will be published in Desmoulins’ newspaper, ‘Cordelier’.”

“Doesn’t it matter? There are still many citizens in Paris who pride themselves on being sans-culottes [literally, ‘without breeches,’ referring to commoners during the French Revolution].”

Eugene sneered at Ipolite, who was glancing at the citizens.

“No way. Public opinion is on our side.”

As evidence, none of the citizens are glaring at Eugene.

They are only sending envious glances.

***

National events are also places where celebrities who are difficult to meet gather and have secret talks.

“What on earth is he thinking, Freischütz? Does he really want to bring the Bourbons back?”

That means Lebrun can talk to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, whom he usually dislikes and doesn’t visit.

Talleyrand glanced at the Minister of Finance and smiled.

“Minister of Finance Lebrun, do you know anything about Roman history?”

“Well? I don’t know much. I think I’ve read Gibbon’s ‘Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire’.”

“Still, you’ll know this. How Rome, which was originally a republic, changed into an empire. It also appears in Shakespeare’s plays.”

In the early 19th century, Gibbon’s ‘Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire’ was already a bestseller among intellectuals.

Furthermore, even French people who value French plays more than English plays know about Shakespeare.

Lebrun, who was reminded of the famous [Julius Caesar], blinked.

“Of course, Caesar died, and the imperial system was established after the civil war. Wait a minute.”

At that moment, Lebrun’s eyes widened.

“Then, does that mean Freischütz played the role of Antony?”

In this era, the bourgeois elites who participated in the French Revolution were enthusiastic about Greek and Roman history.

In particular, the Athenian and Roman republics were their exemplary cases.

By the way, the elites of this era mainly studied Plutarch’s ‘Parallel Lives’ to learn how the era of ancient republics ended.

According to Plutarch’s ‘Parallel Lives’, Antony stood out unusually just before Caesar’s death.

In the sense that Caesar should be Rex [Latin for ‘king’], that is, king.

Conversely, it means that the target Eugene is targeting is not Bourbon but [Caesar].

Soon, in terms of France, it is Napoleon.

“Consul Bonaparte was not assassinated, but that’s what will happen.”

“Are you saying that it may be Consul Bonaparte’s intention, not just Freischütz’s sudden action?”

“From the beginning of the revolution, there were many people who took the Athenian and Roman republics as models.”

Suddenly, Talleyrand wore a strange smile, mentioning a story that is common sense among revolutionary elites.

“Then, shouldn’t we also take the next step of Rome as a model?”

On the opposite side, there was also a minister who was not celebrating at all at the commemorative celebration.

“That can’t be! A king? That’s a betrayal of the revolution!”

“It’s not something to say so easily, Minister of Interior.”

“Fouché. Are you also going to succumb to power and flatter your brother and Freischütz?”

Fouché scolded the Minister of Interior, who was shouting loudly enough for everyone to hear.

“Minister Lucien, think carefully. What will happen if a vote is held today?”

“What vote?”

“If it’s a vote to restore the monarchy, no, to create an [Emperor].”

Fouché’s gaze turned to the seats in the Champ de Mars.

“Wouldn’t more than half of the people agree? If it’s about the national hero, Napoleon Bonaparte, becoming emperor.”

This square is a place where 100,000 people can gather.

The square was full for the sake of commemorating just a stone.

Of course, the reason why citizens came is not to see the stone.

The stone found in the village across the sea, which they had never seen, symbolizes one thing.

The conquest of Egypt.

The citizens of Paris came to see the two people who made it possible to see the stone from 2,000 years ago.

Napoleon and Eugene.

There is also an opposition leader watching Lucien clenching his teeth from afar.

“Grand Master, is it true? The rumors I’m hearing?”

Lafayette greeted Madame de Staël, a woman with a plump appearance, politely.

“It seems to be true. Madame de Staël.”

“What are you going to do? Citizens lose their lives, kill the king, and fight wars, and in return, a country bumpkin becomes king?”

Lafayette, one of the rare political figures who did not sleep with Madame de Staël, retorted coldly.

“If it’s a king, that’s right. But what about an emperor?”

“That can be a completely different form. Especially the Roman Emperor, who was originally not just an absolute monarch, but the [first citizen].”

It is easy for people to misunderstand, but the emperor of the Roman Empire was not an absolute monarch from the beginning.

For nearly 200 years, his official title was Princeps [Latin for ‘first citizen’].

During that time, the Roman Emperor was only the first citizen of the citizens or the Senate.

At least nominally.

Lafayette looked at the platform again and said lowly.

“Besides, the people may really want the restoration of the monarchy.”

Napoleon was moving his steps onto the platform.

***

One of the duties of the head of state is to directly oversee national events.

“Monsieur Champollion, excellent. To bring to France a stone that will reveal the secrets of ancient Egypt. This will be the eternal glory of France!”

It’s like the position of an ancient high priest.

Of course, in the enlightened age of the 19th century, the head of state would not perform rituals.

However, these events held with the public are similar to [rites] in some ways.

Above all, the letters themselves, hieroglyphs, are letters handled by priests.

Jacques Champollion smiled brightly and shouted, holding the stone.

“Thank you. Consul. All of this is thanks to the victory of the Consul and Commander of the Egyptian Army, Eugene!”

“Hahaha! I did establish an excellent strategy!”

“That’s right! If the Consul had not saved France, how could there be a day like today?”

Champollion’s words contain a historical irony that he does not know.

Originally, the Rosetta Stone appeared in the world because Napoleon went on an Egyptian expedition in the original history.

However, because Napoleon originally ran away, the British took the Rosetta Stone.

So, all that remains in France in modern original history is just a rubbing [copy made by pressing paper against a surface with ink].

But Napoleon did not go, and Eugene went and won.

Because of this, the Rosetta Stone remained in French hands.

Here, Champollion went one step further.

“In the past, just as Rome’s [Caesar] conquered Egypt, Consul Napoleon also succeeded in conquering Egypt!”

The faces of the elites surrounding the center of the square turned pale.

Even in this situation, a mere scholar compared Napoleon to Caesar.

But in fact, when you know it, it was Eugene who conquered Egypt.

Suddenly, Ipolite poked Eugene, who was also pale, in the side.

“Hey, did you tell Champollion to say that?”

“No. Why is that person suddenly like that?”

“The atmosphere is great?”

At that moment, one person jumped up and shouted.

“I agree!”

Auguste Robespierre.

The younger brother of Robespierre, who was busy running around Paris in the early days of the revolution to cut off the king’s head.

At the same time, a man who is a huge fan of Bonaparte shouted, calling Napoleon’s name.

“Consul Napoleon succeeded in conquering the holy land and Egypt, which no French king had ever failed to do in the past. He is the same as Caesar in that he even has an excellent adopted son!”

Now, Champollion and Auguste both contained implications that only French people could know.

That is, they called the Consul Napoleon.

It is only possible for a monarch to have the head of state’s name called by his name.

But both of them called the Consul Napoleon, not Bonaparte.

Why?

The reason is simple.

It is because we must praise another ‘Bonaparte’.

Now Auguste said this.

He said that he also has an excellent adopted son.

Who is Caesar’s adopted son?

Augustus, the first emperor of Rome, from whom Auguste’s name originated.

“I am happy to be able to share this great era. Aren’t you!”