Descending On France 1780
Chapter 78 - 78 072 Storming of the Bastille

78: 072 Storming of the Bastille 78: 072 Storming of the Bastille Cannon fire roared, and the white smoke spewing from the muzzle instantly obscured Anning’s vision.

He couldn’t see the effects of the shelling at all.

In this era, firearms all had this problem; as soon as they fired, everything in front turned into a white haze that you couldn’t see through until the wind dispersed the smoke.

But the cheers of the people around him assuredly were not fake.

The crowd cheered and surged forward, clearly something had been blasted open by Anning’s cannon shot.

Anning grabbed De Mulan, who also wanted to rush forward: “Wait a minute!

Are you crazy?

The design of the bastion is meant for the garrison to slaughter the enemy soldiers who breach the first gate.”

De Mulan looked at Anning puzzled: “What should we do then?

Are we totally out of options?”

Before Anning could answer, gunfire and screams erupted from the direction of the city gates.

Anning: “Look!”

De Mulan: “Stop saying look!

You led everyone here to attack the Bastille, do you now want to tell us that we can’t break into the fortress with just infantry?”

Anning kind of wanted to tell this reporter that in actual history, indeed, they never broke through until the end.

It was Marquis Delaunay who wavered first, planning to bargain with the attackers using ignited gunpowder.

Eventually, the soldiers, unwilling to continue harming the people, mutinied, seizing the torch from the Marquis.

Regrettably, Anning couldn’t say that.

He could only pat the cannon beside him: “What are you talking about!

Isn’t this here?

Someone go!

Bring three thick quilts from the nearby residences, and fetch several buckets of water!”

The Bastille fortress had originally required that enough space be left nearby to ensure the fortress’s firing range, but the fortress had been established for hundreds of years, and the city of Paris had developed rapidly; residences now completely surrounded it.

Following Anning’s order, the men in long pants immediately ran to the residences to find quilts.

Meanwhile, Anning proceeded to reload the cannon.

Indeed, as he was the only one with an artillery background, he had to do all the reloading himself.

Soon the men from the residence “requisitioned” quilts, and Anning covered the cannon with them, ordered water to be poured on, and then had his subordinates push the cannon forward while hiding beneath the wet quilts.

This trick was something Anning had learned from war movies later on, called a “dirt tank,” which appeared in “Little Soldier Zhang Ga.”

Anning: “For France, forward!”

His temporary subordinates immediately began to shout: “Push hard, up!”

And so, the “dirt tank” was pushed forward, with Anning crouching beside it, lowering his body to hide behind the wet quilts.

When passing the broken drawbridge, two ladles of boiling oil were poured down from the bastion top, all of which landed on the quilts.

Anning yelled, “Push fast!

Don’t let them throw torches down and ignite the oil!”

At his call, the young men shoving the cannon roared together, pushing the cannon through the broken drawbridge into the gatehouse.

The armed masses followed suit, all firing their guns now, driving back the guards on top of the bastion.

The cannon was pushed into the inner courtyard of the bastion.

Looking around, numerous bodies lay in disarray; among them, a woman with a severed arm was rummaging through, mumbling, “My hand…

where is my hand…”

De Mulan followed Anning into the inner courtyard and immediately gasped at the sight: “My God.

Lucky you stopped me…”

Anning hastily pushed De Mulan behind the quilts.

Just then, gunfire hit, making ‘chirp chirp’ sounds as they struck the quilts.

After the gunfire ceased, Anning lifted the quilts, exposing the cannon’s muzzle.

He aimed the cannon himself, targeting the inner gate just a short distance away.

From atop the wall, someone exclaimed, “They’re going to shoot the inner gate!”

“This crappy gate can’t withstand the cannon fire!”

Anning picked up a torch and lit the cannon’s fuse.

The cannonball was sure to hit the gate directly at this distance!

The cannon’s blast shook the ancient fortress, and the pungent white smoke once again obscured the entire view.

Amidst the reverberating cannon sound, Anning faintly heard the noise of the cannonball smashing wood.

Hit!

Just then, the wind passing through the bastion’s gatehouse dispersed the white smoke from the blast, and Anning clearly saw a large chunk of the Bastille’s main gate blasted away, exposing the broken bolt.

The bolt was broken!

Now that gate could be pushed open directly!

Anning yelled, “The main gate is shattered!

Charge!”

The crowd cheered, swarming into the bastion’s main gate.

Anning thought his task was done, and he could step back and watch, preparing to make way, when suddenly a man in long pants pointed at Anning and shouted, “Wait a minute!

Brothers!

It was Mr.

Frost who broke the main gate!

He should be the first to step into the Bastille!”

—What?

No, I don’t need this honor!

Anning was about to decline when another trousers-clad man shouted, “Let’s carry him inside!”

—— What are you going to do next!

Involuntarily, Anning cried out, “No, don’t carry me!”

However, no one listened to him, and the trousers-clad men clumsily lifted Anning and rushed towards the shattered castle gate.

Anning shouted, “Put me down!

Be careful!

The first courtyard inside the castle is specifically designed to slaughter attackers!”

However, in the fervor of the moment, no one listened to Anning.

Thus, he was carried by the crowd into the interior of the Bastille fortress.

As soon as they entered, everyone saw the garrison lined up on the low wall facing the gate.

Anning was right, this first courtyard inside the castle was specifically designed as a trap for attackers.

Marquis Delone shouted, “Fire!”

The two rows of garrison soldiers lined up on the low wall fired simultaneously, and white gunpowder smoke obscured everyone’s faces.

Lead bullets tore through the trousers-clad men charging into the castle.

As they fell, Anning also crashed to the ground.

Anning cursed, “Damn it!

I told you not to carry me…”

He stood up and saw that the garrison was reloading on the front low wall.

Looking around, there was nowhere to hide — this courtyard was designed precisely to ensure attackers would be slaughtered by the garrison’s firepower.

Anning tried to retreat, but found he was blocked by a tide of attackers surging in from behind.

—— Damn, so we can only go forward?

We can’t wait for the garrison to finish reloading!

Anning drew his officer’s sword, screamed bizarrely, and charged at the garrison leading the way.

He deflected a bayonet stabbed by the first garrison soldier, kicked the unprotected lower body, and advanced a step during the opponent’s collapsing posture to thrust his sword through the throat.

After killing the first enemy, he shouted loudly, “Soldiers!

Open your eyes and see!

Whom are you shooting at!

These people are ordinary fathers, sons, and husbands just like you!

There’s no need for us to slaughter each other!”

However, Anning was too late; the enraged crowd had already rushed forward, knocking down the garrison soldiers one by one with pitchforks and other implements.

Anning leaped over the garrison line and charged at Marquis Delone.

The Marquis was holding a torch, with a mountain of gunpowder stacked behind him.

“Stop!

Don’t come any closer!

Otherwise, we all die together!”

Anning slashed at the Marquis’s hand holding the torch.

The Marquis screamed miserably, and the torch slipped from his grip.

Anning was startled and hurriedly reached out to grab the torch.

When he caught the torch, his heart felt like it was leaping out of his throat.

Damn!

Why did I recklessly slash with my sword?

Anning thought while sweating coldly.

But since he successfully grasped the torch, he definitely had to strike a heroic pose.

Anning held the torch high, his sword pointed directly at the Marquis’s throat, “Surrender, Marquis!”

However, the Marquis was not given a chance to surrender, as the enraged trousers-clad men rushed up and stabbed furiously at the Marquis’s body with pitchforks and bayonets.

One robust man shouted angrily while stabbing, “That’s for resisting!

That’s for killing my friend!”

Unable to bear it, the Marquis cried out, “Enough!

Let me die!”

Then another robust man came forward, raised the logging axe in his hand, and before Anning could react, chopped off the Marquis’s head.

People cheered.

Just then, someone shouted loudly, “The prisoners have been saved from the jail!”

Anning turned and saw several people in prison uniforms being bewilderedly dragged out from the main tower of the castle.

The crowd became noisy, “Ask who they are!”

“Which one of you is Mr.

Voltaire?”

—— Let’s not bring up Voltaire!

Deciding to interrupt the crowd’s pursuit of the prisoners’ identities, Anning raised his voice, overpowering all the noise, “Gentlemen!

You are free now!”

The crowd immediately joined in shouting, “Freedom!”

“Long live!”