Descending On France 1780

Schönbrunn Palace, as Louis XVI was fiddling with a lock in his study, suddenly Queen Mary burst open the door, leading a group of nobles into the room.

Louis XVI stood up with a lock still in his hand, and only remembered to put the lock down after noticing his wife's gaze, and then wiped the grease from his hands onto his clothes.

"What are you doing?"

"You should remember that I too have inheritance rights to the Holy Roman throne. These gentlemen believe that the coward who fled the battlefield cannot lead the Holy Roman Empire any longer; the Empire needs a new ruler."

Louis XVI: "No! I don't want it! I won't be King again!"

Queen Mary: "Not as King, but as Emperor. This is the result of my long efforts in Vienna, do you want to see my hard work go to waste?"

Louis XVI: "Let me tell you! Besides fiddling with locks these days, I've also been doing something else - reading Rousseau and Voltaire! I've realized something, the era of monarchies has ended! It's the age of the Republic that comes next!"

Queen Mary's eyes widened in disbelief: "What are you talking about? You've been poisoned too! How could the era of monarchy end? It's been centuries, our power, it's granted by God!"

"Not anymore," Louis XVI shook his head, then retorted, "If it's granted by God, then why have we still lost France? Why weren't those who seized our throne punished by divine wrath?"

"They have been punished! Whether it be Louis XVII or that Robespierre, both were exiled!" Mary argued back.

At this moment, the Swede Count Fersen behind her stepped forward: "Actually, as long as you agree to ascend the throne, that's all that matters. The one with the inheritance right is you, not your husband. You can become the queen of the Holy Roman Empire just like your mother..."

Mary lifted her head proudly: "I know. So, what are we waiting for? Seize this coward who plays with locks, and bring him along. I cannot ascend the throne without my husband by my side!"

Fersen nodded lightly, then approached Louis XVI: "My apologies, Your Majesty."

"No need to seize me, I'll go voluntarily," Louis XVI waved his hand, then told Mary, "You'll bring disaster upon yourself doing this, I swear, you absolutely will. The Austrians are not ready to accept your rule!"

Mary: "I become queen according to the National Decree, I don't need Austrians' acknowledgment, they just need to accept my rule!"

"Mary, you don't understand, times have changed," Louis XVI shook his head gently.

**

Grand Duke Carl was still locking horns with the crowd trying to thrust him onto the throne, when suddenly a child came running and shouting: "We have a new queen! The daughter of Empress Theresa has claimed the throne!"

Everyone turned their heads, all of them completely baffled.

Wilhelm stepped forward and grabbed the child's shoulders: "What did you say? What queen?"

"Just now, at the Imperial Palace, that's what the herald announced!"

"What in the world?" Wilhelm was astounded, "I am the Imperial Chancellor, how could I not know about this?"

The child just shrugged.

Then a mounted constable arrived, galloping while exclaiming: "Long live Queen Marie Antoinette, who has succeeded to the throne, long live Queen Marie Antoinette!"

Grand Duke Carl: "That's fine, my aunt does indeed have the right of succession."

"This is not fine!" Wilhelm raised his voice, "We all know what kind of person that woman is, we see it clearly! If she rules Austria, forget about reform, it'll be a miracle if the people can survive! Haven't you read what the French newspapers say? She's the one who uttered 'If they have no bread, why not eat cake'!"

And a young officer said: "She is opposed to any reform, who knows, she might even reverse the reforms Empress Theresa has made!"

Carl bit his lip, pondered for a moment, then smiled: "Then we'll overthrow her. Establishing a republic this way, you all don't have any objections now, right? Surely that's better than having this woman as queen?"

Everyone looked at each other...

The ideas of the French Revolution had already been circulating in Austria for quite some time, especially what the French did in Italy, it was almost like a template, the Austrian bourgeoisie had long wanted to give it a try.

However, Austria's industry and commerce were not as developed as those in Northern Italy, even worse than those under Austrian rule in the German states. Especially Northern Germany, Northern Germany is naturally suited to republicanism, its people originally a bunch of merchant city-states.

The bourgeoisie in Austria was weaker, but it did indeed exist.

It was precisely because of this that Empress Theresa needed to reform, changing the Holy Roman system into an "enlightened monarchy", to a certain extent responding to the demands of the emerging bourgeoisie.

Now, the bourgeoisie and small bourgeoisie had mostly taken up arms, ready to defend Vienna, perfectly suited to ignite a revolution.

Even skipping the need to distribute arms.

Suddenly someone started the chant: "Long live the revolution! Overthrow the usurper French witch!"

"Long live!"

The French officers waiting outside the position were even more confused: What's going on here?

After the rising and falling "long lives" subsided, Grand Duke Carl stood atop the city walls and called out to the French officers below: "Please report back to Mr. Frost that we have another revolution to carry out, ask his troops to wait outside the city for a bit."

The French were baffled: "What revolution? What are you going to do? I don't understand?"

"It's literally what it means, just now Marie Antoinette usurped the power and became the Queen of Austria, we are off to depose her!"

The French: "Ah? That Marie? Well then... good luck?"

Carl nodded, then turned around: "Let's go!"

He strode purposefully towards Schönbrunn Palace, the armed populace following him in a mighty stream.

As they walked, someone started singing "Hymn of Rome".

Grand Duke Carl looked beside him in surprise; he didn't even know there was a German version of this song.

In fact, with a little thought, one would realize that this song certainly had a German version, since Frost's most trusted musician was a German.

And so, a legitimate Austrian Grand Duke, leading a throng of bona fide Austrian citizens, singing the French revolutionary anthem, surged towards the symbol of the Holy Roman rule of five hundred years—

**

Anning was baffled when receiving the news: "What do you mean they have another revolution?"

Officer: "I don't know, it seems that that Marie has usurped the Austrian throne, and they are going to overthrow her."

Napoleon: "That Marie?"

"Yes, that Marie."

Anning scratched his head: "How did things turn out like this? What kind of madness is this?"

The high command of the French Army looked at each other, at a loss.