Descending On France 1780
Chapter 60 - 60 056 A storm is coming in the mountains

60: 056 A storm is coming in the mountains 60: 056 A storm is coming in the mountains After the election of representatives ended not long ago, Anning received a letter from Napoleon stationed at his post.

This 19-year-old lieutenant, filled with doubt, asked in the letter: “Andy you always talk about the power of the people, so I went to see the election of representatives in the nearby district, hoping to truly experience this force, but unfortunately I did not feel it.

“I only saw a disorganized crowd gathered together, initially only a few people were shouting the names of the representatives, the rest seemed completely unaware of whom they were voting for.

“However, soon everyone started chanting that name together.

In my view, this was merely blind obedience, the crowd akin to ducklings behind Mother Duck, blindly following the one in front, swaying their long necks as they marched.

“What power can such people have?

Rather than believing in these people’s power, I’d prefer to believe in shrapnel, for shrapnel can utterly disintegrate them.”

This letter made Anning frown deeply; Napoleon seemed to be a tyrant…

well, he indeed was.

In another timeline of history, during the early Revolution, Napoleon had already used shrapnel on rebelling civilians and tried it again in Paris with outstanding results.

Anning thought and replied with a long letter to Napoleon: “I witnessed the same scene in Paris, and I was even one of those chanting names.

True, they seem like a disorganized crowd now, but that’s because they have not yet awakened.

“Now, they are impassioned only due to the high price of bread, they only have a vague sense that change is necessary, or they will starve tomorrow.

“But as things progress, they will eventually understand that the era where they stand equal with the nobles is approaching, and one day they will chant for liberty, equality, and brotherhood, and send those high above nobles into the dustbin of history.

“When that time comes, you will see an invincible army, able to face shrapnel and grapeshot without changing their expression.”

Yes, the characteristic of the army in the early stages of the Revolution was very high morale, extremely difficult to disintegrate, yet their training was absurdly low.

Anning did not mind giving Napoleon a slight preview of this scenario so that when Napoleon sees that the National Guard is indeed like this, he’ll surely remember Anning’s remarkable prediction.

Anning now pins all his hopes on this mixed Marshal title.

After all, Anning introspectively did not see himself as capable of warfare; he might be a qualified artillery officer right now, but that’s just about it.

Moreover, since receiving his military rank, Anning had not served in the army for even a day, having instead been lecturing at the Paris Military School, where he was responsible for mathematics, which is somewhat related to cannons.

How could a mathematics teacher possibly fight in a war?

After finishing the letter, Anning took a parchment envelope, put the letter inside, then picked up a candle, dropped a few drops of wax on the envelope’s seal, and pressed his medal into the wax seal.

Indeed, Anning now uses the medal personally awarded by Louis XVI as his own seal.

“Vanni!” Anning called out to his maid, “Go help me send a letter!”

Vanni quickly appeared, took the letter, looked at it, and asked, “Is it for that little Corsican dwarf?”

“Yes.”

“Does he also choose representatives?”

“No, no, he always considers himself Corsican, not French.

He would not partake in French elections.”

“If he thinks that way, he should refuse the registration office and not register.”

“Alright, Vanni, everyone has their moment of bending down for their survival, it’s nothing shameful.”

Vanni pursed her lips and left with the letter.

Anning stood up and looked out the window at the street below.

Today there was someone speaking on the street: “The king wants to convene the Third Estate to raise our taxes!

In our view, to hell with that!

He thinks the priests and nobles are on his side.

With the voting rules of the Third Estate, they can certainly pass the tax law!

“Our response is no!

Absolutely not!

The Third Class can vote, but it’s absolutely not the case that the entire Third Class only has one vote!

Our goal is voting based on the actual number of representatives, one person one vote!”

Anning poked his head out, wanting to see if he recognized today’s speaker.

Unfortunately, today it was a new face.

The Third Estate is the recent focus of all newspapers in Paris, numerous papers attacking the old system of the Third Estate: each class having one vote, making it such that as long as the king had the backing of nobles and priests, even if the representatives of the Third Class were completely against it, the tax law would still pass.

Sadly, Louis XVI thought too naively.

He did not realize that many from the First Class priests and Second Class nobles were already greatly influenced by Enlightenment ideas and had leaned towards the Third Class.

While pondering these, Anning listened to the gentleman’s speech below.

Unfortunately, this gentleman’s views seemed to still revolve around fighting for one person, one vote, to stop the king’s tax law.

Therefore, Anning, leaning out of the window, voiced a strong hiss: “Hiss!

Look who it is!

Your thoughts are really shallow!

Are we satisfied just by stopping the king’s attempt to raise taxes?

“No!

We have higher demands!

We want a constitutional monarchy, we want a constitution!”

The man below immediately retorted, “Your Majesty will not agree, he will not allow us to pass a constitution!”

Anning: “Why should we need his permission?

No, no, we as representatives, are not the king’s subjects!

If the people demand a constitution, we have the right to create it and to pass it!”

“We must bring the spirit of freedom, equality, and fraternity to this country through the constitution!”

“Bravo!” someone bellowed their support for Anning from downstairs.

Anning initially thought she’d swayed a passerby, only to find it was Dan Dong.

Anning: “What wind blew you here?”

Dan Dong pulled out a letter and waved it at Anning.

Anning: “Come up, I’ll go open the door for you.”

With the maid not home, Anning had to open the door herself.

Moments later, Dan Dong entered Anning’s study and looked around, admiringly saying, “You’ve got a nice little nest here.”

Anning smiled: “It’s because my maid has great taste.”

Dan Dong: “It shows.

Your maid is beautiful and full of intellect, more so than those young ladies from rich families.”

Anning: “You haven’t seen her muscles, though.

When she prepares my bathwater, she can carry two large buckets of water up from the first floor in one go, quite frightening.

So, what’s that letter about?”

Dan Dong threw the letter he just mentioned onto Anning’s desk.

Anning picked it up and saw it was postmarked from Alas.

Anning: “Robespierre?”

“Yes, he also got elected as a delegate and was preparing to come to Paris when he wrote this letter.”

Anning nodded: “Hmm, I guessed as much.”

Actually, not guessed—I had seen the strategy guide beforehand.

Dan Dong: “Now that we are gathered in Paris again, I’m thinking, once Maximilien arrives, we should find a place to have a good meal…”

Anning suddenly interjected: “I wonder if he’s still wearing that green coat of his.”

Dan Dong frowned: “He probably…

wouldn’t be, right?

He became a judge, and they pay fairly well.”

Indeed, in this era, lawyers can also serve concurrently as judges or prosecutors.

After all, the trial system was still in its infancy and had not yet developed the strict regulations of later times; it was common for everyone to fudge a bit.

Dan Dong: “By the way, do you know about the lightning rod case?”

Anning: “The one where someone tried to install a lightning rod and was complained about by a neighbor?”

“Right, that one.

Maximilien actually defended the family installing the lightning rod, unbelievable, that thing doesn’t look reliable at all.”

Anning: “No, no, as far as I know it is quite reliable.

Back in my hometown, I’ve seen lightning strike the weather vane on the roof more than once.

I think there must be some scientific principle at work, and substituting the weather vane with a lightning rod could recreate that process.”

Dan Dong raised an eyebrow: “Is that so?

Well, Maximilien did win that case, but I absolutely wouldn’t install such an iron needle on my roof.

Don’t you think it looks like a nail pointed at the sky?

What if God steps on it during his walk one day?”

Anning laughed heartily.

Dan Dong changed the subject: “Andy, are you really planning to propose the creation of a constitution during the meeting?”

Anning: “Even if I don’t mention it, others will, like Mr.

Sais.

He claims that the Third Class is everything.”

“Do you think Louis… I mean, His Majesty will agree?”

Anning: “He won’t, definitely won’t.

No one willingly gives up power.

But what does that matter?

Many things will not be swayed by the will of that locksmith.”

Dan Dong looked at Anning: “My goodness, you are the most determined and radical among us.”

Wait a second!

I’m not!

I was planning to stay neutral!

Damn, having read the script, I spoke unintentionally with such certainty.

I really just did it subconsciously because of the script!

I was planning to stay neutral!

As Anning reflected on her actions, Dan Dong stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the bloody sunset outside.

“You know, Andy, I always feel like something big is coming, very, very big!

I can feel it.

I don’t know what it is, but it is indeed coming this way.”

Anning: “I feel the same.

The storm is about to arrive.”

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