Make France Great Again

The questioning from the Elysée Palace Faction members left Speaker Du Ban and some Order Party members silent. If they could trust the President and the Ministry of War, they would not be painstakingly researching how to obtain military authority without the Ministry's involvement.

Of course, no one present would admit to distrusting the Ministry of War; they would only assert that they hold an army under the control of the Legislative Assembly in the name of protecting the assembly.

While some Order Party members and Speaker Du Ban were speechless, Thiers stood up with a smile and said in a calm tone, "We respect the President's authority over the military, but the Legislative Assembly is the highest authority in France, the core of the nation, and it should rightfully have the power to protect the laws it enacts from being amended. Gentlemen, establishing a unit directly under the assembly does not violate the spirit of democracy and the rule of law."

"Then how should this army relate to the President? Suppose one day France faces invasion by a foreign enemy, then should the assembly obey the President's orders,

or should it obey the orders of the Legislative Assembly? How should the constitutional grant of the President as Commander-in-Chief of the French Army be interpreted!" Elysée Palace members bit hard on the "constitution" to refute Thiers, and then, with a tone full of passion, addressed all present members, particularly the "Social Democratic Faction" members, saying: "Gentlemen, we should follow the constitution, which is the fundamental law serving the Legislative Assembly of France, and represents the spirit of France's rule of law! The deployment of the military must receive the President's approval to act, which is indisputable for anyone!"

Having said that, Prince Monfort also rose, rolled up his sleeves, and loudly declared, "That's right, the highest military command power entrusted to the President by the Republic of France must not be shaken. If anyone dares to undermine the spirit of law and order of the Republic, we will inevitably resort to force and the people!"

"That's right! Resort to the people!"

"Resort to the people!"

More and more Elysée Palace Faction members stood up, following Prince Monfort's lead, loudly chanting "Resort to the people."

Order Party members, including Thiers, wore grim expressions; how could they not understand that behind the call to resort to the people was a call to resort to force. Having control over most of the military near Paris, they were unlike the Mountain Faction a year ago; if chaos erupted within Paris, no one could assure being the ultimate victor.

Especially with the recent conflict between Commander Shangjia Ren and the President, Thiers keenly observed that the majority of the regular troops in Paris had already submitted to Napoleon, and the National Guard was more or less inclined towards Napoleon.

If the Order Party were to declare war on the President, Thiers believed they would not gain any advantage.

Realizing this, Thiers' attitude softened a bit, deciding to proceed gradually.

If he couldn't deal with the President, he figured he could just handle some people in the Ministry of War.

However, the proposal must pass.

"I am not denying the President's leadership over the military. We just wish to establish a more efficient Legislative Assembly!" Thiers softened his tone slightly, trying to diminish the tense atmosphere within the Legislative Assembly.

"The efficiency of the Legislative Assembly lies with you members. If the assembly can unite as one, then naturally its efficiency will increase! I really don't understand what exactly the assembly needs the military for; are you planning to use the military to suppress the people who support you?" Pierre Bonaparte sarcastically commented in a comical Italian-French accent to Thiers and others.

In the face of Pierre's sarcasm, Thiers didn't show any anger, calmly countering, "Member Pierre, the purpose of the direct-command military is also to allow the Legislative Assembly the capability to better implement the French Constitution! So that the constitution can be executed more swiftly!"

After saying this, Thiers didn't continue paying attention to the Bonaparte Faction and Pierre Bonaparte; instead, he turned to Speaker Du Ban and said, "Mr. Speaker, voting can start now!"

"Oh! Alright!" Realizing it, he frantically pounded the gavel and loudly declared, "Now, the voting begins!"

Under the slightly rogue collaboration of Thiers and Speaker Du Ban, the sanctity of the Legislative Assembly was utterly lost.

Not only the "Social Democratic Faction" and Elysée Palace Faction but even some members within the Order Party began to doubt what exactly they were upholding in the constitution.

As the forced proposal started, the Elysée Palace Faction, Social Democratic Faction, and a few conservative Order Party members voted against it, while the Orthodox Faction, Orléans Faction, and some extreme conservatives cast their votes in favor.

The assembly secured victory by a narrow margin of three votes.

"I declare the proposal passed!" Speaker Du Ban solemnly announced while pounding the gavel.

"Let's go!" Prince Monfort and the Elysée Palace Faction members left silently, just as Lederer Roland had hoped, with Prince Monfort leading the exit without saying a word.

However, unlike the joyful departure of the Mountain Faction, the departure of the Elysée Palace Faction did not bring any joy even to the Order Party members who passed the proposal.

They knew the President would not let it rest!

Upon leaving the Bourbon Palace, Prince Monfort and the Elysée Palace Faction members immediately headed to the Elysée Palace to inform Jerome Bonaparte of the happenings at the Bourbon Palace.

"The proposal passed?" Sitting on a chair, Jerome Bonaparte nonchalantly asked while picking at his nails.

"That's right!" Pierre Bonaparte replied with a bitter smile.

"Oh!" Jerome Bonaparte responded nonchalantly and continued picking at his fingernail.

"My dear Mr. President, the proposal has now passed! You're about to lose control of the military!" Seeing Jerome Bonaparte's indifferent demeanor, Prince Monfort was furious.

"Who says?" Jerome Bonaparte showed a surprised yet slightly contemptuous expression as he looked at the Elysée Palace faction members present.

"The parliament has already passed the proposal!" Prince Monfort emphasized again.

"So what?" Jerome Bonaparte retorted with a smile on his face, "Just because the Legislative Assembly passes something, does it mean it has to be implemented? They underestimate me too much!"

"What do you suggest?" Prince Monfort asked Jerome Bonaparte.

"Any proposal not approved by me is just a scrap of paper!" Jerome Bonaparte stood up from his seat and said disdainfully, "Are they even fit to discuss the constitution with me?"

Jerome Bonaparte's contempt for the Order Party relieved the Elysée Palace faction members. They realized that whether the Legislative Assembly's proposal could be successfully implemented did not depend on the Legislative Assembly, but on the will of the President.

The Order Party, which holds legislative power, is no match for the President, who holds executive power.

Jerome Bonaparte's confidence reassured the Elysée Palace faction, and the faction members left relieved.

After sending all the parliament members away, Valerovsky, who returned to the study, heard the President's furious voice from inside the room.

"That bastard Thiers! How dare he! How dare he!"

At this moment, Jerome Bonaparte's previous composure was gone. Alone in the study, he shouted insults at Thiers, directing all the malicious words he could think of at him.

After venting, Jerome Bonaparte sat back down to ponder the issue.

Outside the door, Valerovsky, upon hearing no movement inside, courageously pushed the door open and entered.

With a calm demeanor, Jerome Bonaparte smiled once more and kindly inquired, "All the members have been sent home, right?"

"Yes!" Valerovsky nodded in response to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Now, go immediately to the Ministry of War and tell Minister Renio and Secretary of State Saint Arno not to fear the parliament. Just carry on as usual! I'll handle the rest, but remember, do not give the parliament any chance to take advantage of you. Those bastards love to push their luck. If they see you being weak, they'll have no mercy in bullying you! Keeping the Ministry of War stable is the most important thing." Jerome Bonaparte instructed Valerovsky to convey this message to the Ministry of War.

The Order Party is competing for command of the military, but the military command relies on the Ministry of War.

As long as the Ministry of War remains stable, the Order Party will have no opportunity.

Ultimately, it's a matter of county officials versus current officials.

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Valerovsky took his leave from Jerome Bonaparte and swiftly got into a carriage heading for the Ministry of War.

When Valerovsky entered the hall of the Ministry of War, he could distinctly feel the noticeable unrest within the Ministry compared to his previous visit. It seemed that the proposal from the Legislative Assembly had already spread to the Ministry.

Valerovsky didn't have time to address them; he went straight to the Minister's office.

In the Minister's office, Valerovsky saw Minister Renio, Secretary of State Saint Arno, Chief Logistician Nie'er, Personnel Director Lendel, and Military Affairs Director Lang Dong. These officials, integral to the functioning of the Ministry of War, seemed to be discussing something together.

"Secretary General Valerovsky, you're here!" Minister Renio quickly rose to greet Valerovsky.

"Mr. Minister, I trust you've received the news?" Valerovsky said sternly to Renio.

Renio nodded and said, "We are here precisely because of this matter. Are there any instructions from the President?"

"The President asked me to tell you!" Valerovsky conveyed with confidence and authority, "The Ministry of War should carry on as usual, business as usual! If any issues arise, the President will support you! Do not show weakness to the parliament! And ensure the Ministry of War remains stable!"

Once Valerovsky relayed Jerome Bonaparte's words to the members of the Ministry of War, the Minister and deputy directors all pledged to safeguard the Ministry for the President, ensuring the Order Party wouldn't gain a foothold.