The Fox of France

Chapter 66: Escape (1)

Due to their suspicion and fear of Mirabeau, the King and Queen did not follow his advice. In hindsight, this may have been their best opportunity.

Whether it was Mirabeau or Lafayette, they both reminded the King and Queen of one thing: their relatives couldn't be trusted. When choosing a location for their escape, Mirabeau emphasized that the King must not run too close to the border. One reason for this was to avoid harm from those who shared the King's blood.

Some believed that besides their distrust of Mirabeau, another reason the King and Queen didn't heed his advice was their reluctance to accept a constitutional monarchy. Fleeing to Lyon, relying solely on the power of Lyon, wouldn't be enough to counter Paris, let alone subdue it. Perhaps they could eventually reach a compromise, but it would still be a compromise in favor of Paris.

However, the Queen gradually convinced the King to escape from Paris. Still, various circumstances kept delaying their escape.

Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were both typical products of a sheltered palace life, and they had no experience in planning an escape. If they could have trusted Mirabeau, a man who frequently fled due to extramarital affairs and debts, he could have been quite helpful.

However, the King and Queen both distrusted Mirabeau. Besides, it seemed that God had turned away from the French royal family, who had always been pious - Mirabeau suddenly died.

Of course, Mirabeau wasn't poisoned by Pierre Blck's belladonna-laced wine. However, his death was connected to alcohol. In his final days, after receiving a new source of wealth, his bad habits became even worse, including heavy drinking, gluttony, and other indescribable activities.

It was said that Mr. Mirabeau would spend entire nights with prostitutes, feasting and binging. To keep enjoying fine food and wine without the constraints of a limited stomach, he followed in the footsteps of ancient Romans - after they had eaten their fill, they would induce vomiting to continue feasting.

In later times, people with a bit of health knowledge knew how harmful this practice was, but those in that era were ignorant of such matters. So, after another night of revelry, Mirabeau suddenly fell ill. His condition rapidly deteriorated, and not long after, illness claimed him.

Despite his libertine lifestyle, Mirabeau was knowledgeable, insightful, and skilled in managing relationships. His death left a void in the various factions within the Assembly.

However, Mirabeau's death didn't have a significant impact on Joseph and the others for the time being. During this period, Joseph and Napoleon devoted nearly all their time to building their small army.

The size of this "Red Army" exceeded their initial estimates. Initially, Joseph and the others had planned to form a small force of around a hundred men, but they quickly realized that due to the unique nature of this force, they needed more support personnel than expected. When the numbers were tallied, including support personnel, the force would exceed six hundred.

The increase in personnel naturally led to increased expenses, as was often the case in such projects, with budgets at the beginning and actual costs differing significantly.

Fortunately, after carefully reviewing the project, Lafayette believed that the money was well spent, and the project continued. However, he made a playful remark, "Joseph, you have over six hundred men in your team, but you only have a little over sixty soldiers who can line up on the battlefield properly. Add artillery and cavalry, and you have fewer than two hundred men. Yet, you have almost four hundred support personnel. If I send a two-hundred-strong force, and you fight them, people will say, 'You used over six hundred against our two hundred.' If I send a two-hundred-strong force, and you have this few soldiers..."

At that moment, Napoleon interjected, "Our unit can handle at least a thousand."

Lafayette heard Napoleon but only gave him a passing glance, clearly regarding his words as the usual arrogance of a young man. However, Lafayette was a lenient person and didn't want to quarrel with the young Napoleon, so he smiled and didn't say much.

With Lafayette's support, the formation of this army went smoothly. Two months later, most of the personnel and equipment were in place, and Joseph and Napoleon began to focus on their intense work.

This army consisted of multiple branches: infantry, and a relatively large artillery force with eight cannons. Joseph and Napoleon believed that modern warfare relied heavily on artillery. In most cases, battle plans should revolve around effectively utilizing artillery firepower.

The soldiers and junior officers in this unit were mostly selected by Lafayette from the French forces near Paris. After over a month of training, the unit was ready. However, what Joseph and Napoleon didn't anticipate was that their first mission wasn't to reinforce other units but to retrieve the King.

Joseph received orders one morning, signed by General Lafayette. The order stated that enemies of the revolution had "kidnapped" the King and his family and had left Paris with them. The general ordered Joseph's unit to be on high alert, ready for battle.

"The King has been kidnapped?" Upon receiving this order, Napoleon couldn't help but respond with a sarcastic question, "By whom? I bet he did it himself."

"Napoleon, this isn't what we should be thinking about right now," Joseph said while exchanging a knowing look with Napoleon.

Napoleon understood that Joseph had something to say but couldn't discuss it openly in front of others. So he remained silent.

"Do we know which direction the King and his family went?" Joseph asked the messenger.

"Some say they might be heading to Lyon, while others suggest Montmdy. The Assembly has sent representatives in both directions. General Lafayette requests your readiness to act at a moment's notice," the messenger replied. "You should be prepared to move as soon as he gives the order."

"Very well. Please inform the General that we can be ready in ten minutes to follow his command," Joseph replied.

The messenger saluted and left. Once he was gone, Napoleon exclaimed, "Joseph, we're on the brink of war!"

"Keep your composure. The King hasn't escaped yet. There's a chance they might bring him back," Joseph replied. Although his knowledge of history wasn't extensive, he knew that Louis XVI had ultimately been executed. If the King had escaped so easily, why would he have ended up on the guillotine?

However, Napoleon didn't share Joseph's view. He said, "Joseph, you're too naive! Why would you even entertain such fantasies? Have you thought that a lightweight carriage drawn by two horses can travel a considerable distance in a single night? I believe the King was well-prepared beforehand. Along the way, there must have been people ready to assist him. These people wouldn't have to do anything other than have another lightweight carriage prepared. As soon as the King arrived, they'd switch carriages and speed away. If they left in the middle of the night, by now, they should be near the border, in alliance with royalists and Austrians. Even if the National Assembly's representatives sprinted, they couldn't catch up. This is simple math, so basic even a fool like you should understand. I can't fathom how you still entertain such fantasies..."

"I don't know," Joseph shrugged.

However, by the afternoon of the third day, new orders arrived, confirming Joseph's suspicions: the King had indeed been intercepted!

"Representatives of the Assembly intercepted the King's family in Varennes. Some mercenaries are active in the area, and there are only a few local National Guards responsible for protecting the King. General Lafayette orders your immediate departure to protect the King's family and bring them back to Paris."

The messenger delivered the signed order from Lafayette to Joseph and then departed. Joseph immediately ordered the cavalry under Captain Robert to depart first, with infantry following behind. Napoleon wanted to accompany the cavalry, but Joseph prevented him, explaining that they needed to keep a low profile at this time.

"The situation is still chaotic. At this moment, we should try to hide our political stance as much as possible. We're different from others. While they have to play the game of alliances and corruption to climb the ladder, we can rely on our talents and cunning. We should avoid dangerous alliances as much as possible," Joseph explained to Napoleon.

"My brother, you're too cautious," Napoleon commented, a hint of sarcasm in his slightly upturned lips. Joseph could tell that Napoleon probably wanted to say something like, "Joseph, you're a coward."

"Joseph, you're indeed overly cautious," Napoleon remarked.

However, Joseph's caution was justified. They needed to be careful not to reveal their political leanings during these tumultuous times. They were different from the others; they could climb the ranks using their talents and cunning, rather than through corrupt alliances. So, they had to avoid risky alliances.

Now, their mission was clear: to protect the King's family and bring them back to Paris.