Chapter 420 The King Must Die
The empire's war theory believes that victory usually has a peak. "Total annihilation of the enemy" or "annihilation of the entire army" are rare situations that will occur. As the battle continues, it will become increasingly difficult for the dominant side in the war to expand the results. At the same time, it will The damage caused by own casualties and logistical shortages will be magnified.
As for the defeated army, after losing the battle, whether it stabilizes the situation or is completely defeated depends on the quality of the generals and the army itself. As a professional army, the Imperial Army must "retreat like a lion" even after defeat. They try their best to It is possible to pull out the teams that still have fighting capacity, harass and contain the highlands controlled by the Valois, and cover the transfer of others.
In this battle, it can be clearly said that the winner is the National Guard.
Both sides were exhausted after the battle. The Imperial Army held on to the camp. Early failures and later defensive battles caused huge attrition. The National Guard also suffered heavy casualties. Therefore, the winner cannot pursue, and the loser cannot counterattack.
Although the main offensive force of the empire was not eliminated in one fell swoop, the empire's plan to quickly occupy the royal capital was ruined. The imperial army would withdraw from the outposts and retreat to the Condy region, relying on the occupied fortresses and the eastern section of the Seine River to set up defenses.
The turtle shells created by Lieutenant Colonel Wu Turtle were only temporary after all. By the time the battle was over, they had been completely filled by the collected rainwater, and the inner walls of the trench collapsed due to the soaking.
Therefore, holding on to the outpost camp became an impossible option. The Imperial Army considered a strategic retreat for the first time since entering the territory of the Valois Kingdom, no, "containment".
News of the Imperial Army's retreat reached Valuauna, but it did not become the only focus of attention for the citizens. Valluvana, it can no longer be called the royal capital. Of course, the motherland defended by the National Guard was not defeated, but transformed.
The Montagnards who control the situation pushed for the issuance of a new charter. After obtaining the majority vote, Valois will no longer be a monarchy, a "sacred kingdom" with the religion of light and order as its state religion, but one that advocates equality, The Republic of Fraternity and Liberty.
Valois under the republic naturally no longer needs a king. Charles and his spouse stood before the National Assembly as citizens, but he was not a glorious citizen representative, but the subject of a special trial.
A public trial for treason against Charles and his wife is now being held in the National Assembly Hall. The site is open to all citizens of Valois. All national representatives will conduct a public vote in turn under the witness of the masses to decide the life or death of the former monarch.
On the stage, the speaker transformed into a judge and excitedly read out the charges of the former king, listing all the treasonous acts he committed in order to restore the authority of the king after losing power.
Then, the assistant sent news from the front line, and the presiding judge modified his concluding remarks on the spot and reported the good news to the audience: "I just learned that our army has achieved a glorious victory in the battle in the northern part of the Valuauna region! Soon! We will restore the whole territory!
"Charlie, the imperial army you are counting on is already retreating. Your plots and dreams will all come to naught. All that is left is the fury of the patriots!"
Upon hearing the sound of victory, the representatives and the people cheered, and a huge sound swept through the hall. When people got tired of shouting and applauding, Charles XVI, who insisted on saying nothing, actually spoke:
"I would like to congratulate our soldiers here. No matter what position I am in, I will be inspired by the enemy's defeat. I insist that I am innocent, but I will accept everyone's anger calmly. May the Lord of Order forgive you!"
Charlie's speech angered the people. A lot of boos and shoes and stones tried to hit him. It took the guards a long time to restore order.
The voting began, and the club members naturally strongly supported the execution of the former king. The royalists originally trembled when they saw the jury crowd, especially the angry poor people who blocked the entrance and exit of the trial.
"I oppose the execution of His Majesty the King! This trial has involved too many other purposes, especially the strong desire of the Montagnards to dominate the meeting and the country, making the trial unjust!
"I am not exonerating the king, but I am calling for and considering whether our laws are still functioning normally, and the legitimate rights of those being tried should not be swallowed up by the blind hatred of the majority."
However, under the huge public pressure, some "royalists" actually persisted in their opposition. He faced the people's boos and scrutinizing eyes without fear: "You remember my face, even if I walk out of the hall today, I will be Even if the mob lynches someone, they must also protect civility and justice.”
With the first beginning, the members of the "royalists" finally cheered up. They were not alone. In fact, during this period, the trial of public opinion and the lynching of the people gradually got out of control. Most property owners were afraid that one day they would be raped. Pressed on the guillotine, they sought asylum while demanding that the members of Congress who represented them overthrow the "Mountains" as soon as possible.
And the king is the focus of the "guillotine panic". It is not difficult for those decent people to realize that if the king's head can be sent up, what does their own count?
As a result, the vote count became anxious. The onlookers sometimes cheered and sometimes gnashed their teeth. Reporters ran in and out quickly. They wanted to report the current vote count to the outside world as quickly as possible, and who was in favor and who was against. The voting delegates seized the opportunity to make speeches and win over the swingers in the centrist camp who did not vote.
The outgoing queen had cried until she was about to faint, and tears streaked her pale face with eye makeup. Charles remained calm. Even when his cousin, "Mr. Equality" who gave up the glorious surname "Merovingian", voted in favor, Charles XVI only responded with a cold look.
What a clown! You cut off the honor of the nobility and your brother. Sooner or later, someone will come to cut off your head! It is not a curse. Charles XVI just silently predicted for "Mr. Equality".
Unexpectedly, the votes were tied!
Fortunately, the last voter was a member of the club. The young man had curly blond hair and a handsome face with a feminine and melancholy temperament when he was silent. He was dressed in simple light-colored linen clothes. Combined with his perfect face, it made people suspect that he was an angel or the Son of God from the paintings of the cathedral. The gloom also turned into pity for the world between his eyebrows.
However, when the young man spoke, his weakness was swept away, and his pleasant voice was cold: "I am in favor of the death penalty for the traitor Charles and his wife!"
He paused, and as the final vote, it caused an uproar after being cast. The cheers of the "Mountain Party" and the people, and the angry and desperate roars of the "Royalists" tore the hall apart.
The "Son" spoke again: "I support the execution of Charles. The king must die because the Republic must live!"
"Good! Good!" "Well said!" "Long live the Republic!"
On the way to the square surrounded by the crowd, Charles XVI squinted his eyes in the sun. The people lining the streets and the inaudible voices seemed to bring him back to the day of his coronation, when the glory of the Lord of Order and the love of the people were bestowed upon him.
"May the Lord forgive me."
The guillotine fell, and the first crown of the Florent continent fell to the ground.