She changed Europe

Page 76

"Has this day finally come?" The woman stood by the window with a touch of emotion, gently turning a huge metal globe on its base with her index finger.

“Yes, sir, it is you who should toll the death knell for the Bonaparte family.” The servant bowed his head, his words filled with reverence for the dark-haired woman before him.

"No! The death knell will not be tolled by us, but by our people." The woman gently raised her head and glanced at the Enlightenment thinkers' works on her bookshelf, such as "The Spirit of the Laws," "The Social Contract," and "Philosophical Letters."

“Montesquieu, Rousseau, Voltaire… many of our ancestors have passed on their philosophical reflections on politics, history, and politics to us. With their wisdom, they have pointed out a broad road to a new nation for us, their descendants.” The woman’s words were full of respect for these thinkers.

"But reality is never the 'ideal state' that Plato spoke of. We French people have tested whether these paths are correct and whether the people are happy by shedding blood."

PS1: Ra!

Chapter 282 Irises Withering in the Alps: Capter 143 Thiers' Ambition (Seeking Votes)

"But reality is never the 'ideal state' that Plato spoke of. We French people have shed blood to prove whether these paths are correct and whether the people are happy. I don't care what this country will be like in the future, but right now it must become what I hope it will become."

The young maid stood quietly to the side, listening to the woman's words. At that moment, she knew that her mistress had the right to say such things.

"Lies are a politician's specialty. Time and again, they weave beautiful fairy tales with lies, then lure those 'naive lambs' to willingly offer themselves up to the slaughterhouse. The butcher feasts and makes a fortune. Until one day, the 'lambs' discover the truth, they transform into 'wolves,' knock down the fence, and devour the 'butcher.' Everything seems to end there, but some 'wolves' become 'sheep' again, while others become new 'butchers.' New lies emerge, and everything is as if it were just beginning."

“My lord, if the slaughterhouse is to continue to exist, and if the lambs are to survive, then butchers are indispensable.” Charlotte raised her head, her eyes flashing with an unprecedented determination.

“A very insightful answer. Compared to your parents, I see an immeasurable future in your eyes. Come closer to me, let me take a closer look at you.” The woman’s words were calm yet tinged with uncertainty, making it impossible to discern the emotions hidden within them.

"Yes, sir." Charlotte took a deep breath, then approached the woman by the window with steady steps. Her short, slightly wavy, dark hair was fluffy yet glossy. Her flowing purple evening gown couldn't conceal her graceful figure; her alluring body was captivating, making men's blood boil. Most importantly, she exuded an aura of charm, a captivating blend of allure and the cold indifference characteristic of someone in a position of power.

"Just as I thought, your appearance matches your character perfectly." The woman lifted Charlotte's chin with her index finger, looking at Charlotte as if she were an appraiser. Despite her short stature and being a woman herself, the young girl dared not disobey her in the slightest.

After all, in French high society, the leader of the Order Party, Madame Sarah Adolphe Thiers, was a notorious figure. Of course, no one cared about her personal life. In France, whether man or woman, having many lovers was not something to be condemned. Compared to these trivial scandals, they were more concerned about her and her faction's political leanings and stance.

"You flatter me, sir." Charlotte lowered her head slightly shyly. After all, as a girl who had just come of age this year, this was the first time she had ever faced a beauty like Thiers.

"It's still early, how about we enjoy ourselves a little?" Thiel smiled and lifted the girl's chin, then gently slid his fingers along the fabric, leaving much to the imagination in an ambiguous manner.

"Your lips look delicious!" Thiers smiled, clearly pleased.

"Hmm." Charlotte nodded somewhat awkwardly. As an innocent girl, she didn't immediately realize what this beautiful woman in front of her wanted to do.

Thiers looked at the flustered girl in front of him, leaned close to her ear and whispered something.

After a moment, the girl, her cheeks slightly flushed, spoke:

"No! My lord, this is wrong." Charlotte gently pushed Thiers away, then took a few steps back and bowed to Thiers in a flustered manner.

Tier raised an eyebrow at the girl's reaction, then looked at her coldly and said, "Whatever." After saying that, she stopped looking at the girl in front of her and looked outside the room, or rather, locked her gaze on the wall near the corridor.

"Hmm!" After coughing softly, Thiers elegantly straightened the wrinkles on his dress and strode towards the door. He then peeked out from the doorway and looked towards the corridor.

At that moment, a blonde woman was crouching against the wall, eavesdropping on what was happening inside the room.

"Elizabeth, how long do you intend to eavesdrop?" Thiers asked the woman crouching in the corner, somewhat annoyed. The duchess, seeing this, could only awkwardly scratch her cheek and give Thiers a helpless, sheepish smile. It's worth mentioning that because Gisela had easily slit her throat during their fight, she now had a bandage wrapped around her neck.

"So Sarah, where are we going next?" Elizabeth tilted her head, looking quite embarrassed.

"Where else can we go? Let's hold a meeting to discuss some events in Paris in a few days."

"And what about her?" Elizabeth glanced at the girl in the room, nudged Thiers' chest with her elbow, and whispered in her ear.

“Let him be, I’ve lost interest in him,” Thiers said calmly.

"Tsk tsk, so heartless?" Elizabeth muttered under her breath.

“Shut up! No one can refuse my invitation,” Thiers said firmly. In fact, a princess in Italy had once refused her invitation.

The two walked one after the other into the reception hall, while Charlotte, left in the room, looked completely bewildered.

Meanwhile, inside the royal palace in Turin—

King Victor II stared blankly at the reports submitted by his generals. It wasn't that he was truly expressionless, but rather that he genuinely didn't know how to express himself in front of his subjects, for after his daughter's capture, he had also lost his army. It was a miracle that this blow hadn't killed the elderly king, who was over fifty and suffered from heart problems, on the spot.

After a long pause, the king, whose face was ashen, finally spoke.

"I have no intention of blaming anyone here. Shall we now analyze a more practical issue?"

The ministers present, led by Cavour, all lowered their heads, looking extremely embarrassed.

"My question is simple: if the French cease hostilities, what will happen to the kingdom without an army, and the territory we handed over to the French?" Victor II hadn't forgotten Cavour's promise to exchange Nice and his hometown of Savoy for Lombardy and Venetian territory. If Nathan were to give him an empty promise, it would be like throwing away the cub without getting the wolf. Coupled with the recent rise in criticism of the royal government, the combined effect of these two factors would likely only result in one thing: a revolution against the monarchy…

Chapter 283 Irises Withering in the Alps: Capter 144 The Tragedy of Savoy (Seeking Votes)

"Your Majesty! If the French abandon us, we will have to seek help from the British in order to achieve national independence." Cavour's idea was simple: to use the pretext of preventing Austria-Hungary from dominating Italy to incite the British to intervene in the Italian situation. He didn't seek any great benefits, just to maintain the status quo. This was an essential survival strategy for small countries seeking to survive among large nations.

"And what will be the price?" As a monarch, he didn't believe the British would help them for no reason; after all, the British Empire wasn't a country of philanthropists.

"Within decades we will once again lose the right to lead the Italian independence movement, and of course we cannot seek help from France again, because we are suspected of disrupting the Italian balance, and our people will no longer trust us or France." Clearly, all the efforts and plans of the Kingdom of Sardinia in the past will be in vain, and Italian independence will remain a long way off.

"Very well, since fate has decreed that Savoy is ultimately unable to bear the destiny of unifying the Apennine Peninsula, let it be." The old king sat blankly in his seat, gazing at the setting sun outside the glass window, and sighed helplessly.

"By the way! Miss Garibaldi, are you still in Genoa?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, Miss Garibaldi is recruiting soldiers in her own name."

"Is she still unwilling to give up?"

"Yes."

"Then open our Genoa armory, sell the ships to her at a low price, and leave the rest to God."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Savoy's ambitions have come to an end, but one young woman has not given up. Soon, she will use her personal charm to launch an event that will be forever recorded in history, the "Thousand-Man Expedition," but that will be several months from now.

The French also have some tricky things to deal with right now—

On the morning of October 15, 1870, as the weary Napoleon III rose from his camp bed, his most loyal general, Campbell, brought him news that filled him with despair.

"Your Majesty, a rebellion has broken out in Paris," Campbell reported succinctly. The urgent report, personally drafted and sent by Mr. Constanz, the Paris Police Chief, last night, was a direct result of the protest.

"What scale?" The discontent of the Parisian citizens was not something that had arisen overnight. Regardless of the outcome of the defeat at the front, it was certain that the domestic opposition would seize the opportunity to incite the people to confront the government, which was exactly what he expected.

"According to Constanz's report, people began to gather in the square outside Notre Dame yesterday afternoon, and by around 6 p.m., nearly 10,000 people had gathered there. Before that, they were just spreading some anti-war rhetoric, but later it escalated to..." At this point, Campbell looked somewhat embarrassed and looked at Napoleon III to seek his approval.

"Speak freely," Napoleon III waved his hand, indicating that the old general should continue explaining without worrying about his feelings.

"They started spontaneously insulting His Majesty and your relatives, so our police officers maintaining order clashed with the rioters." Up until this point, everything was still under control.

"At the same time, near the Bastille, a group of rioters publicly burned your portrait in the square and even fired the first shot, wounding our police officer." Their blasphemous act was supported by the mob, who then spontaneously erected barricades in an attempt to block mounted police from enforcing the law.

"Around 19 p.m., as they had planned beforehand, the mobs from the two locations set off from the Pont de la Santa Maria and the Pont de Alcântara, crossed the Sene River, and besieged the city hall and the police station."

"Fortunately, they lacked heavy weapons and were unable to breach the barricades erected by our police, resulting in a brief stalemate." Up to this point, everything was within Napoleon's expectations. As long as the city hall was stabilized and the troops stationed outside the city were allowed to enter, the riot would be easily suppressed.

Controlling the military is the cornerstone of a regime's rule. This is because he himself relied on bribing the army's loyalty to rise from president of the Second Republic to emperor of France.

"The general has ordered the 12th and 14th Divisions, the 6th Brigade of the Foreign Legion, and the Paris garrison troops, all of which are stationed around Paris, to enter the city to suppress the rebellion." Napoleon sat down on his cot, relieved. Fortunately, he had left many trump cards in Paris to prevent such things from happening.

"What's wrong? Is there anything else, Campbell?" Napoleon III asked, somewhat puzzled, looking at the old man who was still standing there blankly. He couldn't believe that this general wouldn't understand the urgent military situation.

"Your Majesty, I regret to inform you that last night I contacted the 12th and 14th Divisions stationed in Paris, as well as all the Paris garrison, including the Foreign Legion. But so far, apart from the Foreign Legion's response, all the other units have remained silent..."

"What!?" Napoleon III stared at Campbellrow in astonishment, his mouth agape in a comical, angled manner, like an anglerfish. As a politician with years of experience in the political arena, he couldn't believe that the troops had simply failed to receive orders from Campbellrow.

“Betrayal! This is betrayal! Campbell, they must have been bribed! Damn it.” While the troops remaining in Paris might not be the most elite in the French army in terms of combat strength, their loyalty was something Napoleon III could absolutely trust. No monarch could tolerate betrayal, and clearly, Napoleon III was no exception at this moment.

He stood up, disregarding manners and showing no manners, and kicked over an empty chair next to him. Then he overturned the round table with wine on it, spilling it to the ground. The wine, like blood, splattered all over the ground, but unfortunately, no one thought it was a waste.

"Damn bastard! You devil cursed by Satan..." Napoleon III cursed as he lay on the ground in agony, pounding his fists on the exceptionally solid ground.

A moment later, Napoleon III suddenly realized something and hurriedly went to Campbell, grabbed his collar, and asked urgently, "Eugénie! Eugénie! Is she alright?" Empress Eugénie was Napoleon III's wife. In terms of bloodline and status, she may not have been the most noble, but in terms of beauty, she was one of the most beautiful women in Europe.

When she first met Napoleon III, he was still a "political wanderer," and the Bonaparte faction had not yet taken control of the French political situation. Of course, in the end, Napoleon III followed his heart, rejected the noble princess, and chose this beautiful lady instead.

PS1: Ra!

Chapter 284 Irises Fading in the Alps: Capter 145 Irises Fading (End of this volume)

"Your Majesty, Her Majesty the Queen left Paris immediately under the escort of the Foreign Legion and went to Versailles to escape the rebellion." At this time, compared to the regular army loyal to the country, these foreign legions loyal to money became the most reliable army, which is similar to the Swiss mercenaries who protected the royal family during the reign of Louis XVI.

"Cambell, we don't want Italy anymore. Let the damned Lombardy region continue to rot in Austrian hands." Napoleon III took a deep breath and sighed with some reluctance.

While it's said that whoever controls Paris controls France, that mostly applies when the monarch is at home. Napoleon III wasn't Louis XVI; he still commanded nearly 70,000 troops. Even excluding the missing or killed magic users, if negotiations with the Austrians were completed and the Duke of Orléans released, he would once again have at least four magic users under his control. A large amount of French military supplies were also stockpiled in Provence, far behind the Italian campaign, and ships could connect with colonies in North Africa. If necessary, Napoleon III could even forcibly mobilize local North Africans to join the French army.

In conclusion, he still has the resources to continue to contend with the mob in Paris and their masters behind the scenes.

"Cambell, your loyalty is beyond question. Come with me to the north to suppress the rebellion."

“If Your Majesty does this, it will be an unprecedented civil war! It will be a catastrophe for France!” Although Campbell was loyal to Napoleon III, as a French general, he had a responsibility to remind Napoleon III at this moment.

"Is that so? That's certainly something to look forward to." Napoleon III stood up and coldly responded to the old general in front of him. His gaze was indifferent, and his black pupils showed no sign of life, making him look like a living dead.

"Your Majesty! Negotiation is better than war..."

"No! Camrobel, now send a telegram to Emperor Joseph of Austria, saying that France is willing to discuss a ceasefire with the Empire. Also, send an additional letter to that lovely princess in Milan, titled 'The Song of the Nibelungs.'" Napoleon III completely ignored the general's advice, resting his chin on his hand and thinking for a moment before speaking. (The Song of the Nibelungs takes place in the Kingdom of Burgundy, and those familiar with history and its allusions should know the significance of Napoleon III's choice of this title; if not, it's alright, it will be mentioned later.)

"Yes, Your Majesty." Cornelius bowed, watched as Napoleon III slowly lifted the curtain and walked out, then closed his eyes, took off his glasses, and sighed helplessly.

“You people of Bonaparte, you eagles of Corsica, where will you lead France?”

At the same time as this, ye yi wo jiu liu cu yi shan ba VI

On a carriage speeding towards Versailles, two brown-haired ladies were urging the coachman to go faster, while a group of soldiers dressed in black and white robes and holding weapons followed behind the carriage.

"Your Highness! I'm afraid my horse won't last much longer. When we pass the woods ahead, you should jump off from the side or rear. I will continue driving forward to draw their attention," the coachman said to the people inside the carriage, standing on the carriage frame and cracking his whip.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Adam. You must live well." A beautiful woman inside the carriage said to the coachman with a slight frown, as if she were worried.

“Of course, Your Highness, we people born in Bordeaux are all blessed with good fortune and long lives,” the coachman named Adam replied, rubbing his nose.

"Lena, let's get ready to jump out of the carriage." The woman first gently observed the somewhat shy girl beside her, then sighed, gently grasped her wrist, and pushed open the carriage door.

"Your Highness, I'll count to three, two, one, then you jump!" the coachman said after observing the blind spot at the bend in the woods.

"No problem, Adam."

"three"

"Remember, it might hurt a lot in a little while."

"two"

"But you must be patient."

"One" umbrella E-cage 47 Ershi

"May God bless you, Your Highness."

The woman gave Lena no time to speak before pushing her off the carriage as they reached the corner, and then closed the carriage door.

Noticing the anomaly, Adam immediately turned around to look inside the carriage and shouted, "Your Highness, didn't I tell you to jump down with me?!"

"No need. Once they catch up with you, they'll definitely come back for us. How can two women in skirts escape the cavalry's pursuit?" The woman's words sounded pessimistic, yet also very rational.

"Since they want my life, I'll give it to them. Lena is innocent; I can't let her be implicated." The woman's words were calm yet full of emotion, making Adam, who was outside, feel sad as well.

“Your Highness, then I will escort you on the final journey until the very end.” Adam slowly brought the carriage to a stop and then handed the pistol to the lady inside.

Of course, the cavalrymen behind quickly caught up and surrounded the carriage.

"We are arresting you in the name of the French National Assembly and will execute you on the spot," the leading soldier said expressionlessly toward the carriage.

"Damn it, don't you know that the woman in the carriage is your emperor's only wife, the Empress of the French Empire!" Adam roared angrily.

"Sir! The French Empire has collapsed; we are now the Third French Republic," the soldier replied coldly. He then drew his pistol and shot Adam, who quickly fell into a pool of blood.

"Who is the president of your republic?" Empress Eugénie asked expressionlessly as she pushed open the carriage door and slowly stepped down.

"Your Excellency President Thiers," the soldiers said with pride.

“Then I wish her a long reign and that her rule will be blessed with good weather and abundant harvests.” Eugénie looked calmly at the group of soldiers before her.

"Your Majesty, there's no need for you to trouble yourself with that." The leading soldier raised his hand, and his men raised their guns in unison.

“No need for you to waste your bullets.” Eugénie picked up the pistol the coachman had given her and pointed it at her forehead.

"Boom!" As the gunshot rang out, to the soldiers' surprise, it seemed that France had ushered in a new era.

As Rousseau said, "Man is born free, and often bound in chains. He thinks himself the master of all others, but is more of a slave to them than they are."

PS1: A small foreshadowing has been planted.

PS2: The pacing of this volume is very bad, which is due to my writing early in the morning. What you see is the revised version; the previous versions were even worse QAQ

Chapter 285 The Fall of St. Stephen's Crown: Capter 1 The Ball at Schönbrunn Palace (Seeking Votes)

(This is a case of fate favoring the bold.)

"Your Highness, please put on your little dress. You are the star of the party tonight." Rita walked up to Gisela with a white dress in her arms, smiling as she looked at Gisela, who was staring blankly at the mirror like a salted fish, utterly dejected.

Yes, it was time for Gisela's hated ball again. As someone from the 21st century, she simply couldn't understand why so-called nobles liked such extravagant and pointless activities. If there was really something going on, it would be more efficient to gather key figures together for a meal and discuss matters over drinks than to do this.