From Corsica to the Fourth Rome

"In other words, the police force stood idly by because of the incompetent colonel."

After dealing with Colonel Giovanni, Louis XV turned to look at Lieutenant General Jacques Philippe in the front row, and asked even more puzzledly:

"Then what happened to your city defense army? Jacques Philippe, your ability is no less than that of the previous field marshals. Could it be that you misjudged the situation?"

Compared with the Duke of Choiseul, Louis XV was not so afraid of Lieutenant General Jacques Philippe, but trusted his ability and loyalty very much.

Even in history, when the Duke of Choiseul fell at the end of 1770, Louis XV did not remove Jacques Philippe from his position. After the new king Louis XVI came to the throne, Jacques Philippe was further promoted to field marshal.

Therefore, Louis XV completely did not expect that the Paris city defense forces led by such an outstanding general would show indifference during the riot the day before yesterday.

Faced with the king's question, Lieutenant General Jacques Philippe showed no signs of nervousness. He lowered his head calmly and said sincerely and sadly:

"This is my dereliction of duty, Your Majesty. That day I received a report that a group of bandits appeared on the outskirts of Paris. Since I had not encountered such lawless bandits around Paris for a long time, I impulsively led the troops forward in person. We went to pursue him, and the command of the city defense force was given to the staff general, Mani Alexandre-Guillaume de Clermont."

Despite his military background, Lieutenant General Jacques Philippe's rhetoric is still quite perfect.

He first admitted his responsibility without hesitation. Anyway, Louis XV would not really punish him for this trivial matter. Then he pointed the finger at Major General Magny, implying that the city defense troops' inaction was all because of this. It came from the order of the major general.

At this time, Mayor Lyle in the corridor also echoed. It can be seen that he is also full of complaints against Major General Mani because of what happened the day before yesterday:

"Yes, Your Majesty, I can testify to this. On the morning of the 19th, I went to the city defense forces to seek reinforcements, but Major General Magny, who was in charge of the command, directly rejected my request. What else could he say? The Paris City Hall has no idea at all. The authority to call in city defense troops.”

After listening to the explanations of the two men, Louis XV finally understood the ins and outs of everything - Lieutenant General Philippe happened to be out, and Major General Magny, who took over the command, did not dare to make any decisions at all, and had no choice but to let the mob march openly on the streets. raging on.

"Mani Alexander-Guillaume, what a bastard!"

Louis XV gritted his teeth and cursed:

"In such a situation, is he still thinking about fighting for power with the city hall? He cannot shirk his responsibility! Order! Remove him immediately and let the military court initiate a lawsuit and investigation for serious dereliction of duty!"

No one interceded for poor Major General Mani, and everyone knew that someone had to take responsibility for the riot.

Lieutenant General Jacques Philippe showed a bitter smile on his lowered head. He was confident that Major General Mani would not do anything detrimental to him during the investigation and trial of the military court.

Because the officers in the entire city defense force command post can prove that Lieutenant General Jacques Philippe did not deprive Major General Mani of his command authority. He just reminded Major General Mani in a rather subtle hint not to act overstepping his bounds.

This is very common in the relationship between superiors and subordinates. Any superior will be very unhappy after discovering that his subordinates have acted beyond their superiors. The investigators of the military court could not find any clues about Lieutenant General Philip.

Still, Lieutenant General Jacques Philippe sighed.

Major General Mani himself was considered his capable subordinate, especially for Lieutenant General Philip who loved his soldiers as much as his own son. Seeing his subordinates ignorantly and ignorantly being used as a scapegoat, Lieutenant General Philip was still extremely reluctant to give up. .

Of course, for the overall purpose of executing Madame Du Barry, Lieutenant General Philip would still make the same choice without hesitation even if he were allowed to go back in time.

Louis XV's breathing became rapid after a furious outburst, and he slumped on the throne for a while before reluctantly calming down.

Now that he had figured out why the two major armies stood still, Louis XV no longer wanted to verify the details and authenticity. He just wanted to turn the page of the humiliating riot the day before yesterday as soon as possible.

The king looked at the police lieutenant general with a gloomy face and asked:

"How is your investigation and interrogation of the participants in the riot going?"

"We have arrested more than two hundred people. The interrogation is in progress. If there are any clues, we will report to His Majesty immediately." The police lieutenant general wiped his cold sweat and reported continuously.

"There is no need to report. Throw all the rioters into the dungeon and imprison them for life. If any organizers or leaders of the riot are found, hang them directly. There is no need to do it in secret, they can be executed publicly."

Louis XV waved his hand, without asking for the opinions of any courtiers, and criticized in a low voice:

"In addition, hum, the performance of the police force the day before yesterday was simply a disaster. One lieutenant general, two major generals, and three generals ignored everything that happened, leaving a small colonel in charge of the defense command of Paris. How ridiculous!”

The police lieutenant general knelt down tremblingly. Although everyone with a discerning eye knew that the three generals were transferred back to Paris from the border area to retire, he did not dare to feel aggrieved at all now, so he had to cry and apologize:

"Yes, Your Majesty, I am guilty."

"You can submit your resignation to the Île-de-France Military Region yourself, and I will not publicly remove you from your post."

Louis XV waved his hand dissatisfied, signaling the police lieutenant general to step back. He had already decided to remove him peacefully as a warning:

"The Paris police force needs someone to rectify it. As for the candidate."

When Louis XV was hesitating which general should take over the police force, Chancellor Maupe gave Lawrence a secret wink, then stepped forward and said:

"I have a suitable candidate, Your Majesty."

Seeing that it was Justice Maupe who came forward, Louis XV's attitude became much better, and he looked at the Marquis Maupe kindly.

Although the chancellor personally ordered Madame Du Barry to be executed, Louis XV only regarded it as a compromise forced by the threat of the mob.

In the eyes of the king, if Justice Maupe did not pass the judgment of the High Court to send Madame Du Barry away decently and leave her with a complete body, then the mob would have no choice but to disgracefully kill their enemy on the spot. Tear into pieces.

"The administrative deputy governor of Provence, the Marquis de Rezmont, he is an old acquaintance of mine."

Justice Maupe said sincerely, without concealing his friendship with the lieutenant-governor, and such honesty also made Louis XV trust him:

"He retains the rank of major general and participated in the War of Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War with outstanding achievements. Although he is a bit old, he must have no problem in taking charge of the police force."

"That's it"

Louis XV looked at the generals and marshals in the front row and silently asked for their opinions.

The generals and marshals also nodded silently, indicating that they had heard of the Marquis Redmond and that he was indeed qualified to serve as the new commander of the police force.

After receiving the affirmation from the generals, Louis XV had no other concerns, so he nodded and agreed to Justice Maupe's request.

In the view of Louis XV, Justice Maupe was just helping his old friend to gain some benefits. Everyone knew that the police lieutenant general was a good job for old age. Since the Marquis was getting older, he naturally wanted to transfer him. Come back to Paris and live the rest of your life in luxury.

Louis XV didn't care about this. Anyway, he didn't really need a good general to rectify the police force. He dismissed the police lieutenant general just to give an explanation to the outside world.

Although transferring a deputy governor to the Île-de-France Military Region would be a big promotion, His Majesty the King only regarded it as a small reward for the loyal service of Justice Maupe.

After receiving His Majesty the King's approval, Justice Maupe also stepped back respectfully and looked at Lawrence quietly.

Lawrence also smiled and nodded. In this way, the Marquis of Redmond owed Mopp a big favor. Before he took office as police lieutenant general, he could naturally recommend Carlo Bonaparte to succeed him. Lieutenant-Governor of Provence.

Coupled with the changes made by Justice Maupe in the treaty, Lawrence was almost certain to hold the position of Deputy Governor of Provence.

And with the selection of the new police lieutenant general confirmed, the courtiers who were receiving the king's news in the corridor also returned to the queue.

Calm returned to the throne room, and a clerk presented the newly drafted royal edict to His Majesty the King for a look. After Louis XV confirmed that it was correct, the Paris riots that occurred the day before yesterday were deemed to have been dealt with.

In response to the riot, the palace dismissed a lieutenant general, imprisoned a major general, and sentenced more than 200 civilians to life imprisonment. Some of the prisoners were also publicly hanged for inciting rebellion.

Although in the face of such an unprecedented riot, this series of punishments seemed a bit too light and too hasty, but considering the benevolent image of Louis XV, the royal family also made a reasonable response.

Everyone watched silently as the clerk handed the royal edict to a herald who was waiting nearby. After the herald quickly ran out of the throne room, the ministers looked at His Majesty the King with bated breath.

Dealing with the riot the day before yesterday is definitely not the real purpose of this imperial meeting. This is something that most of the court officials can figure out.

So, why did this old and sickly Majesty gather them, the top dignitaries of the French Kingdom, here.

After dealing with the aftermath of Madame Du Barry's death, Louis XV slumped on the throne and was dizzy for a long time.

Many people have also noticed that the woman was clearly the protagonist of the 19th riots, but His Majesty the King did not even mention Madame Du Barry's name just now.

"Ahem then"

After a long time, Louis XV looked at the ministers tiredly, as if everything he had just dealt with had exhausted His Majesty the King physically and mentally, and now he was just holding on:

"Besides this, I have one more thing to discuss with you."

The ministers were all very energetic and listened intently to every word spoken by His Majesty the King.

Louis XV gave a bitter smile and closed his eyes as if dizzy, as if he was still brewing the words in his mouth.

"Cough! Cough!"

After another series of heart-wrenching coughs, Louis XV looked at the ministers weakly, with a forced bitter smile on his face, and said slowly:

"Everyone must have noticed that your king is suffering endless torture, including right now!"

"His Majesty."

The ministers and dukes in the front row looked at the king unbearably. Whether it was true or false, their faces were all worried.

"There is no need to pity me, gentlemen. I know that this is a punishment from God, and one day, I will surrender to God."

Although there was a forced smile on his face, His Majesty the King's tone was melancholy and sad:

"But before I answer God's call, I must be cleansed of my sins in this world. Please pray for me, gentlemen. I will spend the rest of my life serving God, and I hope that on the day when the bell rings, I can go to heaven with a sinless body.”

After hearing this, most of the participants couldn't help showing expressions of disbelief, and some looked dumbfounded at His Majesty the King on the throne.

Lawrence in the queue frowned slightly. He knew that Louis XV said that he would spend the rest of his life serving God, but this was probably just an excuse to cover up his inability to govern the country due to illness.

Although His Majesty the King does not care about state affairs, his fifty-six years on the throne still gave him a profound understanding of politics. It is absolutely impossible for Louis XV to really give up everything before paving the way for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's succession. Spend the whole day with the Episcopal priests.

Sure enough, His Majesty the King on the throne licked his lips and then said:

"But at the same time, I will not forget another sacred duty which I have to bear - the twenty-two million French subjects whom I have command over, and it would undoubtedly be wrong for me to abandon them to serve God alone. Selfish, therefore.”

Under everyone's breathless gaze, Louis XV said in a deep voice:

"I have decided to appoint a regent to act in my place."

As His Majesty the King finished speaking, the entire throne room fell into a dead silence again.

No one thought that His Majesty the King convened this royal meeting specifically to announce this big news.

Since Louis XV abolished the position of prime minister in 1740 and firmly held the autocratic power in his hands, he has always followed the example of the previous king Louis XIV in continuously strengthening centralization and royal power.

Few could have predicted that His Majesty the King would uncharacteristically share power with the yet-to-be-appointed Regent in the last years of his reign. Even His Majesty the King's closest associates had no idea of ​​this, because it was Louis. Fifteen made a decision alone on a painful night.

After understanding the king's words, the ministers and dukes in the front row tensed up instantly, and Duke Aiguillon even sweated nervously on his forehead.

Who is it? Who can win the favor of His Majesty the King and gain the autocratic power of the royal family?

Could that person be me?

The powerful ministers and powerful dukes in the front row immediately recalled every detail of their dealings with His Majesty the King in their minds, searching for evidence that His Majesty the King would definitely appoint them, as if they were deceiving themselves.

This can't help but make the Duke and ministers so excited. After all, being appointed as a regent means the king's trust and supreme power. The ordinary nobles can only get one of them in their lifetime, but the position of the regent can make people Combining both, he rose to the pinnacle of French power.

Even the calm and wise Justice Mopp could not suppress the fire in his eyes at this time. He excitedly turned his head and looked at Lawrence:

"Your Excellency Bonaparte!"

As a close confidant of the royal family, the Marquis de Maupe naturally believed that he should deserve to be at the top of the list in His Majesty's heart.

However, Lawrence just shook his head slightly and poured cold water on Justice Maupp without mercy.

He was already 90% sure of what the purpose of Louis XV's appointment of a regent to share power was:

That's what His Majesty the King has always done - checks and balances.

The struggle between the Richelieu faction and the Choiseul faction has gone through more than ten years of fierce confrontation. The forces of the two sides have generally remained almost equal, and neither side is sure to completely defeat the other.

As for the reason for this stalemate, in addition to the profound background of Duke Richelieu and Duke Choiseul, the most important factor is Louis XV's checks and balances.

He needed the talent and power of the Duke of Choiseul to help him govern France. Under the governance reforms of the Duke of Choiseul, the corruption, incompetence, and weakness of the French Army during the Seven Years War have been greatly reduced. Things have improved, and the number of warships in the Navy has also increased significantly.

In terms of diplomacy, the marriage alliance with Austria, strengthening relations with Spain, maintaining the traditional alliance with the Ottoman Empire, intervening in the Russian-Turkish war, and peacefully recovering Lorraine were all tangible achievements of Duke Choiseul.

However, although the Duke of Choiseul was leading the Kingdom of France to move forward, Louis XV was still full of fear of this willful, arrogant and domineering Duke.

Especially when Choiseul's power was able to threaten the royal power and intimidate the king, it was even more impossible for Louis XV to allow him to cultivate cronies and influence in the government and army.

For this reason, it was particularly important for Louis XV to maintain the division between the Richelieu faction and the Choiseul faction.

For example, a year ago, when Duke Richelieu crossed the border and attacked the Corsican embassy, ​​Louis XV angrily put him under house arrest, but accordingly, the king immediately secretly exiled Duke Choiseul to the Rong, this is to maintain the balance of power between the two sides.

Including ordering Lieutenant General Jacques Philippe to serve as governor in the Lorraine region. In addition to the fact that Lieutenant General Philippe was from Austria and understood the local customs and language, Louis XV also hoped to drive the second-in-command of the Duke of Choiseul faction out of Paris. , to reduce the pressure on the Richelieu faction.

However, although Louis XV has been working hard for checks and balances, this balance was completely broken in the riot the day before yesterday.

The loss of Madame Du Barry made the Richelieu faction, which was already at a disadvantage, completely passive. During this period, there was also an episode where the Duke of Aiguillon interfered with the charity auction, which greatly reduced the prestige of the entire faction.

And Louis XV could not forever contain the Duke of Choiseul in Dijon in the name of judicial investigation. When the Corsican crown coronation ceremony was scheduled to be held in late spring, Louis XV was not allowed to do so due to his status and etiquette. The Duke of Choiseul, as Chief Minister and Minister of War, was not recalled to Versailles.

When Duke Choiseul returned to Paris and Versailles, this powerful Duke was bound to purge the fragile Richelieu faction, and Louis XV absolutely did not want to see Duke Choiseul take charge of the entire government alone. .

The night before yesterday, when His Majesty the King learned of the death of Madame Du Barry, Louis XV immediately realized this problem after a brief period of memories and sadness of the long love between children.

It is no longer realistic to continue to pin hopes on Duke Richelieu - Duke Choiseul will return to Paris in a few months, and Louis XV does not want to spend a lot of money to promote the Richelieu faction in such a short period of time. core members.

After all, the Duke of Richelieu has been under house arrest for less than a year. Compared to his crime of sending people to attack the Corsican embassy, ​​Louis XV would not have released him so quickly; the Duke of Aiguillon had only just Having offended the crown prince because of the auction and gaining a bad reputation among the public, Louis XV also did not want to promote him in a short time.

And what worries His Majesty the King even more is that he knows very well that he does not have that much time.

As time goes by, Louis XV also knows that his body will become more fragile and his spirit will become weaker. When the day comes when he loses his mind, Louis XV knows that even if he holds the power of the king, he will not be able to survive. The Duke of Choiseul could no longer be suppressed.

Therefore, the night before yesterday, Louis XV firmly made this decision - while he still had some strength left, he sought a trustworthy regent so that he could use the royal power to suppress the Duke of Choiseul and regain his authority in the court. A tripartite situation is formed inside and outside.

As for the candidate for the regency, Louis XV naturally thought of Prince Louis for the first time.

Of course, this candidate was also thrown out of the mind of His Majesty the King at the first opportunity.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is still too immature. It is impossible for him to compete with the Duke of Choiseul. His Royal Highness even trusts the Duke of Choiseul and regards him as a respected elder. There is a high probability that he will not realize that he is It will be manipulated into the background silently.

As for the remaining candidates, they can only be carefully selected among the dukes.

"That is to say."

After quickly analyzing all this, Lawrence looked at Louis XV calmly and murmured in his heart:

"This person must be able to convince the public, after all, he was suddenly promoted to the high position of regent; he must also have the ability to suppress and balance between Richelieu and Choiseul in politics, and in state affairs. To ensure the long-term peace and stability of France; the most important thing is that he must not be ambitious. It is impossible for the king to promote a second Duke of Choiseul by himself. Looking at these three points, it is no wonder that the Duke came to Paris specially. "