Descending On France 1780
Chapter 219 - 212 Elegy of the Old Era

Chapter 219: 212 Elegy of the Old Era

To be honest, looking at the night sky now, Anning suddenly thought of the time before she traveled through time.

This night sky really resembles the night sky of a 21st-century city.

After all, the lights of the 21st-century city are like a great fire that burns eternally.

Anning shook her head, freeing herself from the sudden bout of homesickness. Just then, Napoleon suggested, "Stop the chatter, just start the bombardment. A few shots at the gates and walls of the Palais des Tuileries and they’ll collapse!"

"No!" Anning interrupted Napoleon, "Haven’t I said it? I want to go in alone and persuade them to surrender."

Lana: "What if they take you as a hostage?"

Anning rested her hand on the hilt of her sword: "What else? Fight my way out alone."

Lana burst into laughter, then realized that neither Napoleon nor Christina were laughing, and his smile abruptly vanished: "You... you’re joking, right?"

Anning’s expression was like Anakin Skywalker from the Star Wars memes.

Lana: "Oh my god."

Anning: "No need to say more, my mind is made up."

With those words, he urged his horse forward, but Christina called out to him: "Wait! I’ll go too, he’s my brother!"

Anning thought, No, I really can fight my way out alone, but if I take you along, that’s an extra burden, and then it might not be certain!

Perhaps he’d be caught up in the heat of battle, and Christina would get captured first, then he would be coerced and forced to lay down his weapons...

In a brief moment, Anning had imagined a complete melodramatic scenario, something he definitely didn’t want!

Anning raised his hand to make a stop gesture: "Wait, Christina, I’ve sensed your oppressive thoughts—I mean, intentions. I’ll convey them for you."

Christina hesitated, biting her lip hard, and finally, she sighed deeply: "Fine, although I want to say that I am also a seasoned warrior, if it comes down to a situation where you have to fight your way out, I won’t be your burden."

Anning nodded and then looked towards the Palais des Tuileries, gently nudging the horse’s belly with his heel.

The white horse made its way, traversing the snowy ground, passing through the National Guard lined up in front of the gates of the Palais des Tuileries.

Lana immediately followed, and Napoleon hesitated for a moment but eventually stayed beside the cannon, shouting to Lana, "If something goes wrong, signal me, and I’ll bombard my way in!"

As Anning moved forward, the singing of the Hymn of Rome from the soldiers grew even more vigorous.

The chorus of soldiers and Parisians filled the night sky.

And those gathered inside the Palais des Tuileries were also singing "Henry IV," creating a scene as if they were in a singing contest.

If not for the blazing fire in the distance, one might mistakenly think this was some sort of celebration.

Anning arrived at the gates of the Palais des Tuileries and shouted, "I am General Frost, the Paris Security Commander; I demand to see Mr. Tolleson!"

Tolleson was the surname of Louis XVII now, Anning was deliberately not calling him ’Your Majesty.’

With the royalists, the face had already been ripped off, so what ’Your Majesty’ to call.

From inside the Palais des Tuileries, someone bellowed, "Audacity! How dare you address His Majesty by his surname! His Majesty will not see a rebel like you!"

Anning: "Listening to this voice, it seems like General Briena! You’ve secretly returned to France!

"General, I come on behalf of the National Assembly, and on behalf of the Duke of Orleans, his sister!

"I come for your lives, for so many people’s lives!"

Anning’s voice was nearly drowned out by the overwhelming chorus of the Hymn of Rome.

Nearly.

General Bouye was about to reply when a young man in his twenties appeared beside him.

The young man was wearing the blue cloak of the French Royal Family adorned with fleur-de-lis.

This must be His Majesty the new French King. Speaking of that cloak, Anning recalled seeing it last time when the National Assembly was still called the Third Estate.

It is possible that both Kings used the same cloak.

Louis XVII spoke out: "Frost, you ungrateful bastard!"

That was what Anning imagined. In reality, he couldn’t hear what His Majesty on the second floor was saying, as his ears were filled with the singing of the Hymn of Rome.

Anning: "Mr. Tolleson, speak up. How can you be His Majesty with such a soft voice?"

Louis XVII, with an angry look on his face, repeated his words, but Anning still couldn’t hear.

Anning: "Let me in, otherwise I can’t hear anything you’re saying."

Louis XVII looked helpless and waved his hand before heading back into the room. General Bouye shouted: "Your Majesty grants you an audience, Anning!"

Then General Bouye also went back inside.

Royalists blocking the way downstairs turned pale but finally cleared a path.

Anning dismounted, handed the reins to Lana who had been following him, and walked into the Palais des Tuileries with his head held high and chest out.

The Royalists, as if facing a great threat, gripped their weapons tightly when they looked at Anning.

Anning suddenly noticed that many of the Royalist flags were just pieces of white cloth, without any fleur-de-lis embroidery at all.

Inside the Palais des Tuileries, it was unclear whether there was a shortage of lamp oil, but many candles had been lit.

Outside the study, a guard holding a candlestick came forward to confiscate Anning’s sword, but Anning glared at him, and he shrank back obediently.

Holding on to the hilt of his sword, Anning walked into the study with grand strides, where he saw Louis XVII amidst the flicker of candles.

The young French King had a face very much like his sister’s.

"You bastard!" he began, "My father supported you, and it was his patronage that allowed you, a leatherworker, to attend the Briena military school and achieve your current glory! You are ungrateful and have turned your sword against us!"

Anning: "That’s not correct. I sent my most trusted troops to protect your father’s Royal Palace. Your sister has also been serving in my army and been treated with great importance."

"And what about me? Why didn’t you protect me? Am I not of Tolleson blood?"

"It is precisely to protect you that I’ve come to the Royal Palace alone," Anning replied.

Bouye: "Enough, Your Majesty, let’s detain him and use him as a hostage! If his troops dare to attack, we will let their beloved General’s head move house!"

Anning gave Bouye a cold look, having decided that this man had to die.

In fact, as far as Anning remembered, after Louis XVI fled to the same man’s place and stirred a rebellion that was defeated, that man had already died. It seemed there was an error in intelligence.

No matter, this time he would make sure that he actually died.

Louis XVII pursed his lips and ignored Bouye.

Anning: "Mr. Tolleson, the Kingdom of France has become a thing of the past, and the new France does not need a king. If you abdicate now voluntarily, I can still use my influence to ensure your life is not in danger."

Louis XVII clenched his teeth and glared fiercely at Anning: "Your influence? A mere leatherworker dares to spout such nonsense here! I am the King of France! A noble among nobles!

"No! I will not abdicate. I will make you all pay! I will restore everything back to the way it was! The Kingdom of France has existed for a thousand years, and it will continue to do so!"

Anning shook his head lightly: "Mr. Tolleson, the times have changed."

Louis XVII suddenly flashed a wild smile: "Perhaps, but that won’t save you from your mistake! Spend the rest of your life regretting that you walked into the Palais des Tuileries alone today! Guards, take him!"