Almost five minutes before Zhao Xin and the others evacuated, the residents of No. 366 on Avenue Saint-Honoré were awakened by a rapid knock on the door. Although it was already past two o'clock in the morning, some people were still awake. Except for the owner and his family, the other tenants in this house were almost all night owls.
The homeowner, Dupree, is a carpenter and does some furniture business, but most of his income still comes from rent. From the beginning of the Revolution, his favorite tenants were Jacobins. At present, in addition to the famous painters Gerard and Prudhon, the tenants in the yard are Maximian Robespierre.
The living conditions of the house are not very good, and there is no privacy. If visitors want to find Robespierre, they must first enter the dining room and then climb up the narrow ladder-like stairs to reach his room. . However, this place is only a few doors away from the "Association of Friends of Liberty and Equality" (Jacobin Club). When you go out, you turn a corner and you will find the Tuileries Palace and the Stables (the seat of the National Convention). This is comparable to Robles. Peele's previous residence in the Mahé district was many times closer.
The landlord Dupree, who was woken up, walked to the door and asked through the door: "Who is outside?"
"I am Fréron. If there is something urgent, please see Mr. Robespierre!"
Two minutes later, Maximilian Robespierre, fully dressed, was already standing in the restaurant on the first floor.
"What happened?" It was nearly 3 kilometers away from the Temple Tower Prison, and the sound of flintlock gunfire could not be transmitted at all, let alone the silencer-filtered gunshots of the special operations battalion.
"Sir, something big happened..."
When he learned of the attack on the Temple Tower prison from the sans-culottes who reported the news, Robespierre was shocked and speechless, but then decided to rush to the city hall to get the latest news.
Although it is only just over one kilometer from Avenue Saint-Honoré to the Paris City Hall, a large number of armed sans-culottes from the surrounding districts are gathering towards the location of the Temple Prison, causing crowds to gather on the narrow streets. , Robespierre took 20 minutes to arrive at the City Hall, and then learned one shocking news after another from the mouth of Paris Mayor Boucher.
About 500 royalist militants broke into the Temple Tower prison at around 2 a.m. this morning. Although the garrisoned National Guard resisted, they suffered heavy casualties because the number was too small. The National Guard battalion and sans-culottes from the area outside the forest also participated in the encirclement and suppression. However, the enemy's firepower was too strong, and several attacks were repelled. Later, when the National Guard battalions from the two surrounding districts came to support and launched a new round of counterattack under the cover of multiple cannons, the Temple Tower Prison was retaken.
However, when the soldiers rushed into the tower, they discovered that Louis XVI was actually dead! According to preliminary investigation, someone stabbed him in the abdomen with a sword, causing massive bleeding. In addition, except for Queen Marie Antoinette, the only people alive in the entire tower were a few servants who were locked up on the first and third floors. Not only were hundreds of royalist militants missing, but even Louis XVI's sister, Lady Elizabeth, his daughter, Princess Charlotte, and heir to the throne, Louis Charles, also disappeared.
What the hell! When the Paris Commune members and members of the National Convention heard the news, they felt as if a bolt of lightning had hit their foreheads!
What’s even more shocking is yet to come. Soldiers of the National Guard and sans-culottes carried torches and carefully searched every inch of the four floors of the Temple Tower Prison and the square garden, except for a few people who were tied up like pigs. The unlucky guy, not even a shadow of a royalist was found!
How did they escape? You know, these are not just a few people, but hundreds of people! Besides, not long after the exchange of fire, the entire Temple Monastery was surrounded by citizens of the Sans-culottes organization. Even if no one dared to stop those people after climbing over the wall, someone would still see them, right?
But no one saw it, it was really a ghost!
The General Security Committee under the National Convention immediately ordered a large-scale manhunt throughout the city. National Guard battalions from 48 districts and more than 20,000 sans-culottes members led by the Paris Commune took action to search every corner of the city and check all suspicious houses. Arrest every suspect. Even the British, Spanish, Dutch, Russian and American embassies had many observers posted outside.
Of course, it is impossible to conduct a door-to-door search of the apartment on the Place des Vosges where the Chinese delegation lives; after all, they just took eight thousand pounds of wheat from them for free, which alleviated the food crisis in Paris. Who is the friend and who is the enemy? You can still see clearly.
Besides, just how many days did it take for those thirty or so people from the Republic of China to enter Paris after disembarking from Le Havre? Except for General Deng, who leads the team, who is proficient in French, and an assistant staff officer who understands English, and the others can simply say hello, they probably don't even know what the Temple Tower Prison is for.
To be able to do such a big thing, you have to plan for at least several months before you can do it.
The Jacobins, headed by Robespierre, Danton, Marat, Camille and others, unanimously determined and affirmed at the meeting held in the meeting hall of the Equestrian Field that there were members of the National Convention and the National Guard. A traitor; otherwise it would not be enough to explain how hundreds of royalist militants stormed the Temple Tower in full view of the garrison and watchers.
Marat, the Jacobin "terrorist", loudly denounced from the podium that the internal corruption and impurity of the National Convention and the General Committee of Safety were the main culprits that caused all this. The guy immediately attacked Foreign Minister Lebrun, saying that he was in contact with foreign agents, and accused banker Val Kiers of being an agent of Austria and a speculator on the exchange.
"We want to arrest all enemies and all suspicious people! If we don't want to be eliminated ourselves, let us eliminate all conspirators without mercy! Only dictatorship is the only way to defeat all counter-revolutionary traitors!"
"enough!"
Although the Girondins were at a disadvantage, they immediately struck back. They first targeted Marat; of all the Jacobins, Marat was the boldest and most aggressive in speaking. As long as his arrogance is suppressed, others will not be a problem.
The leader of the Girondists, Minister of the Interior De La Salle, immediately stood up and spoke, saying that it was Marat's advocacy and incitement in September that led to the massacre, and that the Paris Commune adopted a laissez-faire attitude towards it. This is also the root cause of the royalists’ desperate efforts to save the royal family. In addition, he also declared at the Paris Commune meeting in September that at least 270,000 heads must be chopped off to ensure the smooth progress of the republican cause and the tranquility of the French people.
There was an uproar at the scene, and some members of the Girondins called for the anarchist to be arrested and handed over to the Revolutionary Court for trial. However, this was not the topic to be discussed at today's meeting. The president of the National Convention, Eli Guardet, vetoed the proposal.
When it was Robespierre's turn to speak, he first called on everyone present to remain calm, but he himself was not calm at all. He even roared on the podium: "I demand severe condemnation of those who protect traitors!"
Pétion, the former president of the National Convention and member of the Committee of Public Safety, stood up and was about to speak, but Robespierre suddenly said: "You are their accomplice."
Petion's nose was so angry that he thought, "Have I provoked you?" He immediately retorted: "Yes, if I am an accomplice, so are you. It's time to put an end to all atrocities! It's time to put the traitors and slanderers to the gallows! And I will carry out their execution myself!"
Robespierre shouted: "You are lying!"
Pétion responded: "You are the one to be punished!"
The two men's mutual accusations immediately caused a commotion in the venue. You must know that the two were very good friends half a year ago. Robespierre and Pétion were neighbors before moving, and they ate and discussed issues together every day. Since August 10, the relationship between the two has deteriorated sharply, and now they have openly turned against each other!
Faced with the increasingly fierce attacks on him by the Girondins, Robespierre made a general refutation, and at the same time exaggeratedly asked everyone present: "Who dares to accuse me?"
At the other end of the council hall where the Girondins were sitting, a tall, thin, pale man stood up and shouted: "I dare!"
Everyone took a look, okay, it turned out to be the writer Louve, a good friend of Interior Minister De La Salle.
As soon as these words came out, Robespierre froze. The other party's speech completely disrupted his position, and he felt panicked. Danton on the side immediately jumped to the rescue and threatened Luwe: "I hope this accuser can insert his fingers into the wound."
What he meant was to ask the other party to produce evidence. If not, stop beeping.
Lu Wei glanced at Dandong and said: "I originally planned to do this. But why did you stand up and shout?"
"Uh..." Dandong was speechless.
Lu Wei's meaning is very clear. If I dare to stand up, I will naturally have evidence. Who the hell are you talking about?
Seeing that Danton was wilting, Louvet immediately shouted to Robespierre: "I accuse you! You regard yourself as the idol of the people and preach that you are the only person who can save France. I accuse you! Using conspiracy and fear To dominate the General Security Council and gain supreme power through defamation, violence and acts of terror. I demand the establishment of a committee to investigate your actions!"
At this time, the entire meeting fell into madness, and the content of the discussion had nothing to do with what happened last night. Therefore, crooked buildings are human nature, regardless of ancient or modern times.
Although Louve's words were clichés, they still pushed the opposition's hostility towards Robespierre to unprecedented heights. Robespierre looked at the ghostly Louvet, and his heart went crazy.
He knew clearly that he was in danger of being lynched at this moment, and if he was not careful, he would be doomed. Dandong kept gesturing to him urging him to refute immediately. But the cunning Robespierre could neither refute nor want to refute. He knew that he did not have Dandong's eloquence, and rushing to defend would only make things worse; he needed time to calm down and write his self-defense statement.
He wanted to use powerful language to show his long-standing great contribution to the revolution. He is right! It's never wrong! Before you let others believe in you, you must first believe in yourself.
He immediately made a request to the president of the General Assembly to give him a week to defend himself. Then the members of the National Convention unanimously decided to give Robespierre a week to prepare his own defense, and then everyone continued to discuss how to deal with the current situation.
You must know that if such a big thing happened, the French government would not be able to hide it if it wanted to. Those who sympathized with the king, as well as spies from all over the world, would definitely be busy. Within three days, Austria and Prussia in the north would know.
By the afternoon, further investigation results were available. After questioning the National Guard soldiers who exchanged fire that night and examining the injuries and bullet marks, the General Security Council concluded that the attackers were royalists funded by Austria. Although the National Guard officers who participated in the firefight that night had different opinions, they were ignored because there was no other explanation. In addition, there is no such thing as "alien" in these days, otherwise the French would not be prepared to think about it.
Of course, the only people in Europe who can see bullet fragments clearly are probably the Russians, but the problem is that the Russians can't see them...
This conclusion mainly stems from a gathering of the Jacobin Club in April this year. At that time, a member recommended a "new invention" of his to the club leaders, which was later rejected by Robespierre as "completely contrary to the basic principles of human nature."
In fact, the fact that the French do not have equipment is not a problem of human nature, but that it is too difficult to process and the cost is too high. Currently, only the Austrian army in Europe uses it.
Yes, the "new invention" that member was so boastful about was the air rifle designed by Italian inventor Bartolomeo Girardoni around 1779. The basic size and weight are about the same as a flintlock rifle, with a tubular magazine that holds 20 rounds.
After installing the magazine, the user first erects the barrel and lets the bullets in the magazine slide to the bottom of the barrel. Then he pushes a push rod at the end of the barrel and uses the flat spring connected to the side tube. Load the bullet and enter the ready-to-fire state; after each shot, press the push rod again and the spring returns. Then repeat the above actions again.
The biggest feature of this gun is that it can fire 25 times in one minute. It also has the characteristics of high rate of fire, low shooting sound (compared to a flintlock gun), and no flame at the muzzle; in addition, because the inside of the barrel is engraved with ratchet rifling, As a result, the shooting distance can reach up to 150 yards (137 meters).
The special gas storage tank it is equipped with is the butt at the tail. It is connected through a thread. When shooting, the check valve at the interface is controlled to release the compressed gas through the linkage of the hammer. Each gas tank can carry out about 30 shots, and the internal pressure is 800~850 PSI. The only problem is that at least three compressed air tanks must be carried during combat.
Well, it is not surprising that there are Austrians behind the Royalists; after all, Marie Antoinette is the Archduchess from Austria, and the army of the Republic is still at war with the Prussian-Austrian forces. Therefore, both the General Security Council and the National Convention recognized this statement.
So the next question is, how did the attacker escape with three people, one large, two small and three? The city of Paris is now under full martial law. Tens of thousands of people have been searching for a whole day. Even a mouse can be caught if it escapes from the Temple Tower. Where are the large group of living people?
sewer? Of course I looked for it. The problem is that the sewers in Paris these days can suffocate people to death, so some people speculate that there must be an unknown secret passage inside or near the Temple Tower. It was through this passage that the royalists were able to take Louis Charles and three other people away, and at the same time hundreds of people were able to escape unharmed.
Needless to say, we had to dig three feet into the ground to find the entrance to the passage!
During the General Security Council and the Paris Commune, people were sent to interrogate Marie Antoinette many times, hoping to pry answers out of her mouth. But Marie Antoinette dared to make the decision to stay, and she had already made preparations even to the death. The husband was gone, the children and Lady Elizabeth were taken away, and the Jacobins also had no leverage to blackmail.
When the Jacobins saw this, they realized that this was going to be really difficult! They did not dare to torture the queen. After all, the majesty of the royal power had not been shattered in the hearts of the French people. Otherwise, how could Napoleon successfully become emperor ten years later?
A few days later, news of Louis XVI's death spread to all directions. After learning about it, various countries responded quickly.
British Prime Minister Peter Jr. first declared that the murder of Louis XVI was "the worst and most brutal act in human history." Immediately afterwards, the British Parliament unanimously voted to approve the war proposal against France and approved war funding; Spain immediately recalled its ambassador to France and planned to declare war on France; then the Netherlands also began to actively prepare for war against France.
Catherine II of the Russian Empire learned the news when she was about to go to bed. She was deeply shocked and sad, and ordered the entire Tsarskoye Selo to mourn Louis XVI for six weeks.
Coupled with the previous Holy Roman Empire and Prussia, public opinion in almost all European monarchies has begun to oppose the First French Republic and demand the release of Marie Antoinette.
The reaction of the United States is more contradictory. They verbally support the Republic in trouble, but in their hearts they feel that the death of Louis XVI is an opportunity and they can refuse to pay back!
For the newly established French First Republic, after winning the battles of Valmy and Gemepis, it had occupied the entire Austrian Netherlands, which was a very exciting time. Danton, who was ordered to go to the Belgian front to investigate the needs of the troops, declared: "The boundaries of France are defined by nature. The territory will be bounded by four points, the Atlantic Ocean in the north, the Alps in the south, the Pyrenees in the west, and the Rhine in the east river."
On the tenth day after the Castle Temple incident, after learning the news from Britain, the National Convention decided to preemptively declare war on Britain and the Netherlands, striving to use war to get European countries to accept republican ideas and thereby consolidate the revolution.
In addition, Robespierre, Danton and others, who had successfully resolved the political crisis through self-defense, decided not to stop and proposed to set up a special court to try Marie Antoinette and let her compete with Louis XVI. Go with me!
In such a tense atmosphere, the mission of the Republic of China bid farewell to the Paris City Council. It was already winter and they wanted to return home when the storm at the Cape of Good Hope was at its least.
After discussion, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to let De Guigne serve as the accompanying translator. In addition, Degene's family will also go to the East with him. The public reason is that the old Degene was influenced by the Chinese scholar Jiao Xun and wanted to go to the East to re-study the origin of the Chinese people.
In addition, at the suggestion of De Guigne, the four "Ra gods" Lavoisier, Lacroix, Lagrange and Laplace, as well as the National Convention member Marquis Condorcet will also carry The family heads east. As friendly envoys of the French government, they will go to Republican China for a three-year academic visit and inspect the administrative system of Republican China.
In fact, due to Zhao Xin's interference, the factional struggle in the National Association has become increasingly intensified, far exceeding the pace of history in another time and space. The Jacobins were sharpening their swords. Lavoisier, who was a tax collector in the king's era, and Condorcet, the core of the Girondins, had already sensed that the storm was coming. Thanks to the prior communication and strong invitation from Jiao Xun and Huang Chengji, they decided to leave France with three other scholars.
Lavoisier, for example, had already been forced to resign from the Gunpowder Committee and move from his home and laboratory at the Royal Academy of Sciences before arriving in North Sea. Furthermore, for the Paris Commune, which was controlled by the Jacobins, the Republic needed neither scholars nor chemists! (These are the original words when Lavoisier was sentenced to death.)
On November 25, the National Convention and the Paris City Hall held a warm and grand farewell dinner at the Tuileries Palace. Early the next morning, Deng Fei and his party set out on their way back to Le Havre amid the cheers of tens of thousands of Paris citizens.
Zhao Xin, who had already sent the three Louises to the Thor in advance, and then secretly returned to Paris, looked back at the city of Paris that was fading away, and couldn't help but murmured: "The king is dead, long live the King!"
