Xiao Letian never thought that today's negotiation would fail, because Bazin's choice was obvious and he had no way out at all.
Xiao Letian in his previous life also wondered why Bazin was so cowardly during the Franco-Prussian War. Why did he lead an army of 170,000 to guard such a strong city, only to surrender in just one month?
Looking at Bazin's personal struggle history, this person is not a coward at all!
He started fighting in the mercenary corps, accumulated military exploits along the way, and relied on his bravery in Algeria to rise to the rank of lieutenant colonel!
During the Crimean War, he cooperated with McMahon to capture the strategic location of Sevastopol, directly turning the tide of the war and being promoted to major general by Napoleon III, becoming the youngest general in French history.
His achievements even impressed the British, and the Queen awarded him the Order of the Bath!
It is worth mentioning that according to British rules, the recipient of the Order of the Bath directly possesses the status of a knight, which means that Bazin is not only a French baron, but also a British knight!
What was even more dazzling was his performance in Mexico. His outstanding command allowed the overseas French army to defeat the main Mexican forces again and again, and after the failure of political and diplomatic activities, he returned the main force to the country unscathed.
Mexico's failure was more a political and diplomatic failure of the French emperor, but Bazin's performance on the battlefield was still perfect!
Could such an Imperial Marshal, who had fought his way from civilian to baron, be a coward? Maybe fear of war?
Why did you surrender in just one month?
History books say that the city of Metz was forced to surrender due to a lack of supplies, but if the supplies were still scarce, could they all be used up in a month?
There are too many mysteries and doubts. Xiao Letian in his previous life couldn't understand this strange surrender!
Until now, all the mysteries have been revealed, because Bazin and the others are royalists through and through. Even if the empire collapses, they will still be loyal to the Bonaparte family!
People in the 21st century may not quite understand what this kind of loyalty is, because people in the 21st century have long forgotten what loyalty is, and no one regards loyalty as an advantage.
In that impetuous society, betrayal was the mainstream, and even family ties could be betrayed for the sake of profit!
But this was not the case in the 19th century. Bazin and the others were not so much loyal to the Bonaparte family as they were to the reward and punishment system, the aristocratic system, which made people struggle for a lifetime!
Climbing up from the bottom step by step, you will be rewarded as much as you work hard. You bleed, sweat and fight hard, and in the end, what you get in exchange is the privilege of yourself and the entire family!
This is a way, a way to change class!
From untouchable to noble, it is undoubtedly an earth-shaking change!
Who would give up the privileges of being a noble? Why should you deny my lifelong struggle after the founding of the Republic?
You shouted slogans, defrauded votes from the people, and then established a government, and finally deprived me of the privileges that I have worked hard for all my life?
Just because you shouted "Long Live the Republic", I have to step down from the upper class and become an ordinary citizen?
Is my lifelong hard work not worth a shit in your eyes? Didn’t your Republic get any benefits from the colonies I conquered by expanding our territory?
Damn it, you denied my life and made me fall from the clouds into the quagmire... What happened? Do you still want me to be loyal to you and kneel in front of you to sing conquest?
What’s even more frightening is that you not only want to crush my class, you are even threatening my life!
Because there is a blood debt between you and me. My troops once suppressed your riots, and I am afraid no one will forget those accounts!
It's not enough to turn me into a pauper and a pariah. Do you also want to destroy me physically?
Damn... not even a threat will do!
This principle is like a layer of window paper, which can be broken by a knowledgeable person!
Bazan said coldly with a livid face, "What on earth did your Majesty say? Even restoration must have a timetable! With the war going on like this, how can your Majesty restore it?"
"Of course Napoleon III is dead. His reputation among the people has been completely exhausted, and he is too old..." Xiao Letian felt happy when he heard this. He could ask such a question. This is it!
"But there is still hope for the prince, and there must be hope for the restoration of Napoleon IV! Prince Eugene's ability is obvious to all of you. Although he is young, he already has the potential of a wise king!"
"On the eve of the war, the prince was responsible for the logistics of the empire. He did implement a lot of good governance in Paris. Many citizens scolded the emperor, but there were really no scoldings of the prince..."
"And during the citywide parade, the prince also had the courage to go in front of the people and resolve the conflict with his own charm. This proves that the prince is a courageous person!"
"The only shortcoming right now is that he is young. Let him develop well in the UK for four or five years and secretly observe the chaos in France. When the time is right, he can return to Paris!"
"When the time comes, you royalists will naturally be able to re-enter the stage, and the aristocratic rights of you people will of course be guaranteed!"
"Believe me, and also believe in the stinky virtues of those politicians in Paris politics! Those people are very good at fighting among themselves. They don't have the ability to do things well, but they still have the ability to mess things up..."
"The moment public disillusionment with them rises, people will miss the benefits of the Empire!"
Bazin was shaken, and so were the three generals around him. Commander Radmiro looked at the marshal with eager eyes, and it seemed that he had been completely shaken.
The marshal took a deep breath, "Surrender... is not impossible, but I must have conditions..."
At the critical moment, Bazin still wanted to fight. Unconditional surrender was too shameful and difficult for any soldier to accept.
"After the surrender, the troops cannot be dispersed, and the various structures must be stable... We can hand over our weapons, but we must live together, and you must provide supplies free of charge..."
"All officers must receive preferential treatment, and soldiers must receive supplies no less than Prussian army standards!"
"Hahaha..." Xiao Letian laughed wildly, "It's impossible, stop dreaming, you have no right to bargain now, you can only surrender unconditionally!"
"The troops break up the organization and then disperse the supervision... The losers must work if they want to get food and accommodation... Your soldiers will carry out some repairs, expand railways, carry supplies, etc., in exchange for your food and drink!"
"The only thing I can guarantee is the treatment of you noble officers. We will give preferential treatment to all surrendering nobles in accordance with European tradition!"
"Then there's nothing left to say!" Bazan stood up and was about to leave. "I can't betray my army! Then keep fighting!"
