Descending On France 1780
Chapter 253 - 246 Chain Reaction

Chapter 253: 246 Chain Reaction

Anning, having won too easily at the Marne River, was planning to press the pursuit and fight a few more significant battles outside.

Then the news of Marat’s death arrived.

After receiving the news of Marat’s death, Anning remained silent for a long time.

Bertier heard him mutter quietly: "I specifically assigned guards to him, how could this still happen..."

Bertier: "Should we take serious action against the guard for negligence?"

Anning shook his head: "No, this is probably just fate."

Bertier: "Fate?"

"Don’t worry about it." Anning waved his hand dismissively, then turned to Jacques Louis David, who had been accompanying the army, "Go back to Paris immediately. I want you to paint the ’Death of Marat’ like he’s a saint! Then hang the propaganda painting all over Paris!"

David nodded: "I will return to Paris immediately."

After speaking, Jacques packed up his things and left the headquarters.

Bertier, carefully observing Anning’s expression, suggested: "Why don’t you go back to Paris too? The next battle is still some time away, it might be a good half a month before our forces and the enemy engage, this may be a good opportunity for you to attend Mr. Marat’s funeral."

Anning looked at the map.

The enemies coming from Alsace had been routed; the two main enemy groups were gathered around the fortresses of Sedan and Verdun, and it would be too late for these groups to come over now.

Indeed, there was enough time for Anning to return to Paris to attend Marat’s funeral.

After a brief hesitation, Anning nodded: "Alright, I’ll go back for the funeral. While I’m away, I’ll leave the troops in your charge. Keep applying pressure on the enemy, don’t let them concentrate all their forces on sieging."

Bertier: "Leave it to me."

"Also, find Beethoven for me, I need him to conduct the music at the funeral," Anning added.

"Of course, I will notify Sergeant Beethoven right away."

Since Beethoven had enlisted, he naturally held a military rank; the rank of Sergeant was the highest a military musician could attain.

Anning sighed deeply: "I suddenly feel a bit tired, I’ll go rest now, the rest of today’s tasks are yours."

After speaking, Anning left the headquarters and stood outside in the warm spring sunshine.

He sighed deeply.

Truth be told, Marat’s death had shaken him more than he expected. Perhaps because he had truly started to see the unattractive former doctor as a good friend.

At this moment, he reminisced about Marat’s horse-like face, the days they spent drinking and dreaming of the future.

Anning had always thought that Marat was assassinated because he didn’t have a guard, so he wholeheartedly believed assigning loyal and reliable Guards would prevent this outcome.

Now, it seemed, history wasn’t so easily changed.

Perhaps only by moving Marat out of Paris could this event be thoroughly prevented.

But Marat would never leave Paris, especially now during the crucial moments of the Revolution, where he was unleashing his light and heat.

Anning sighed deeply, realizing that the thoughts he was having now were just excuses he was making for himself.

Never mind, what’s done is done, let’s focus on the future.

With Marat’s death as the starting point, the Jacobin’s Reign of Terror would become even more radical, and then the remaining two Jacobin leaders would turn on each other.

Robespierre would send Dan Dong to the guillotine, leaving him as the last of the original triumvirate. Eventually, in the coup led by people like Fouché, Robespierre himself would be sent to the guillotine.

Anning did not want Robespierre to meet such an end.

After years of interaction, Anning knew Robespierre to be a virtuous and self-disciplined good person, even if he wasn’t his friend, Anning didn’t wish for him to end like this.

To avoid such an outcome, Anning must return and persuade Robespierre, ensuring he remained the moderate Robespierre.

There remains the need to reconcile the differences between him and Dan Dong.

As for the coup that follows, Anning is not too worried. After all, unless his military authority is no longer, it would still be somewhat difficult to overthrow Robespierre through a coup.

Anning paced back and forth in the military camp, thinking about these issues.

He was so focused that he did not even hear the soldiers passing by shouting, "Long live the General," and merely waved mechanically in response.

**

The next day, Bertier prepared the main troops to return to the city.

Just as Anning mounted his horse, he saw Beethoven already mounted and waiting for him.

Anning: "How are you doing?"

Beethoven: "Great! Just speak up a bit, and I can hear you."

Anning was very pleased; he thought the maestro’s hearing wasn’t as bad as in history and believed the maestro would create even more outstanding music.

But then Beethoven said, "Unfortunately, I can only understand speech, I can’t distinguish tones at all, my absolute pitch is completely ruined."

He said it jokingly, but Anning’s expression darkened.

Beethoven quickly said, "Don’t worry! I will absolutely not give up on music! Just like you said, I will seize fate by the throat!"

Anning nodded.

At that moment, he suddenly realized something: Wait, did I just steal Beethoven’s famous quote?

Damn, I didn’t mean to, I was just encouraging him!

Anning shook his head.

At that moment, Beethoven asked, "What about David?"

"I sent him back to Paris yesterday, he’s going to paint a picture of Marat, a very important one."

Anning said this because he knew David’s "Death of Marat" would become a famous painting later and even a sacred image of the revolutionaries during the great revolution.

But to others, this statement might not carry the same meaning.

Bertier had a "I understand" expression, but it was unclear what he understood.

Anning told Bertier, "During my time back in the city, I’m leaving the troops in your charge."

"Rest assured," Bertier nodded.

Then Anning looked forward, raised his riding crop and exclaimed, "Depart, back to the city!"

**

On the outskirts of Paris, Versailles Palace.

Christina was instructing the maids to tidy the room: "Move quickly, Frost will be back by tomorrow at the latest."

"Understood, Your Highness," said the maid half-jokingly.

Christina blushed: "What are you saying! It’s a Republic now, there are no Queens anymore."

"But we are all maids of the Queen, and this palace, it used to be the sleeping quarters of the King and Queen," the maid said. "Although you are not called the Queen, your fiancé commands the armies of all France with supreme authority, isn’t that just like a King?"

Christina: "It’s not the same! If you keep speaking such incorrect remarks, I might have to send you to the guillotine!"

"Look, even queens, in order to send someone to the guillotine, must have the nod from the chief judge of Paris, yet you, look, don’t need to consider anyone’s opinion, whoever you want to send to the guillotine you can!"

The maids probably all knew that Christina was a kind person and wouldn’t easily send anyone to the guillotine, so they continued to joke with her.

Christina sighed: "Alright, if I were really a queen, you wouldn’t dare to joke with me like this, right? These words, just keep them between us, but definitely don’t let my fiancé hear them."

"We wouldn’t dare to say this in front of him."