Descending On France 1780
Chapter 87 - 081 Night of Versailles

Chapter 87: 081 Night of Versailles

Anning’s small troop lit torches and embarked on the road toward Versailles.

On the way, the crowd asked loudly, "Are you the National Guard? Are you going to petition His Majesty?"

Anning answered, "No, we are here to maintain order."

Fortunately, it was dark, and Anning deliberately kept away from the torches, so no one recognized him as the "Hero of the Bastille" along the way.

Had he been recognized, who knows what kind of exaggerated stories would have spread.

Perhaps by tomorrow, all the taverns in Paris would be buzzing with rumors that Andy Frost kicked open the gates of the Versailles Palace and pointed a gun at Louis XVI’s forehead.

Anning had no wish for such an outcome.

Around eight at night, Anning’s small troop arrived at the Versailles Palace.

The Versailles Palace was still bright with lights, the crowd’s torches outside the palace were three to four times more plentiful than the palace lights.

Seeing this, Anning couldn’t help frowning; his small troop of only two hundred men seemed insignificant in the face of thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of people outside the palace gates.

The crowd surrounding the palace, upon seeing the troops arriving, shouted inquiries, "Is it the National Guard? What are you here for?"

Anning said somewhat uneasily, "We are here to maintain order."

After he finished speaking, he heard someone in the ranks muttering softly, "How are we to maintain order among so many people? If they all blow on us together, we’ll be blown away."

Anning quietly commanded, "Pull a stern face, at least we can’t lose out in terms of presence."

At that moment, someone from the crowd asked again, "What exactly are you here for?"

It seemed Anning’s previous answer hadn’t been heard by this person.

Thus, Anning spoke up once more, "We have come to negotiate with His Majesty!"

"Wait a minute, the Captain just said..."

"Shut up." Rang Bo’er glared at the private who pointed out Anning’s inconsistency, "Whatever the Captain says goes. All we need to do is to present a strong front."

By now the crowd had already started shouting, "The National Guard is here to negotiate with His Majesty! Let’s make way for them!"

"Fellow citizens, clear the way for our troops to enter."

"Officer, sir, you must talk well with His Majesty, and don’t let that Austrian Woman lead you astray!"

"Officer, sir, let His Majesty go to Paris; once in Paris, he won’t be fooled by the bad people!"

Amidst the chatter, the crowd parted to create a path, and Anning led his small troop toward Versailles Palace.

During their entrance, a peasant recognized Anning and shouted, "Look, the officer leading the troops is the Hero of the Bastille! His words certainly carry weight!"

Anning’s face twisted as if he had swallowed a fly. He wished to keep a low profile, but his fame was already too prominent.

Dan Dong, who had come with Anning, teased, "Guess by tomorrow they’ll be saying you kicked the gates of Versailles Palace open with one foot."

Anning pursed his lips and kept a straight face.

When they reached the gates of Versailles Palace, the Guards responsible for defending the palace saw the National Guard arriving and opened the gates to let them in.

The National Guard wore blue uniforms with liberty caps, bearing a tricolor emblem on the hats.

The Palace Guards still wore the white uniforms of the French King’s army, but they too had added a tricolor emblem to their hats.

A Palace Guards officer glanced at Anning’s rank insignia and immediately displayed a disdainful expression; after waiting for Anning’s salute, the Colonel then condescendingly returned the gesture and asked, "Where is Lafayette? Why have only so few people come?"

Anning replied, "General Lafayette’s headquarters are within Paris City; we were closer, so we came ahead."

The Colonel waved his hand dismissively, "Have your troop line up in the square in front of the palace gates; we don’t need your help guarding the palace for now."

Anning issued the command, and under the officers’ lead, the troop moved toward the square.

Several representatives of the National Assembly hurried over, with Munier leading them, asking, "Where is Lafayette?"

"He should still be in Paris; we came here first," Anning replied.

"Do you think your small troop can disperse the crowd?" Munier asked skeptically.

Anning spread his hands: "Of course there’s nothing I can do. Isn’t the urgent matter to persuade His Majesty to quickly agree to the people’s conditions?"

Munier: "We have submitted a petition, but His Majesty has yet to respond. Later, we plan to meet with His Majesty alongside representatives of the people."

Munier paused, sizing up Anning, and said: "We originally wanted to wait for Lafayette to arrive and take him with us, but it seems we can’t wait any longer. You come with us."

As soon as he finished speaking, Mirabeau behind him teased: "From the perspective of putting pressure on His Majesty, bringing Mr. Frost is more effective than bringing Marquis Lafayette."

Anning immediately lost his desire to go, thinking so I’m just a tool for pressuring His Majesty?

Munier nodded: "Indeed. So, Mr. Frost, will you join us?"

Anning: "I was originally summoned to save the carriage, of course I must seek an audience with the saint."

"Let’s go then," Munier said, turning and striding meteorically toward the main building of the palace.

Several women in civilian attire followed him.

Anning couldn’t help but ask: "Who are these ladies...?"

Mirabeau waved his hand: "These are representatives of the people. Most of the earliest people to arrive at Versailles were women. Look outside, those squeezed against the innermost layer of the palace wall are all women."

The impressive entourage passed through the brightly lit royal courtyard and entered the main building of Versailles Palace, passing through several rooms before arriving at the study of Louis XVI.

Louis XVI was already waiting there. Seeing Munier enter, he barked, "Why hasn’t Lafayette arrived? His duty is to maintain order in Paris! So many rioters surrounding Versailles Palace, it’s his dereliction of duty!"

Munier frowned: "Your Majesty, those surrounding the palace are not rioters. Look closely, they are starving Parisian women."

As he spoke, Munier stepped aside to let Louis XVI see the women behind him.

Louis XVI was dumbfounded when he saw the group of women: "This..."

Before he could speak, one of the women’s eyes rolled back as she fainted.

Everyone was shocked, quickly reaching out to support her.

"Wait! Let me do it!" Louis XVI called everyone to stop, stepped forward, squatted down, helped the fainted woman up, and let her head rest on his knee, "What’s wrong with you?"

Only then did Anning get a clear view of the girl’s face; she was about twenty years old, her face covered with the freckles commonly seen on girls of this era.

The girl opened her eyes, glanced at Louis XVI, and muttered: "Bread... Your Majesty, bread..."

With his face turning livid, Louis XVI said: "Bread... They surrounded my palace just for bread?"

Anning thought to himself, what else could it be?

Louis XVI handed the girl over to the Palace Guards standing by and stood up.

Munier didn’t miss this opportunity, stepping forward: "Your Majesty! The citizens of Paris have no bread left! If you don’t do something, they will take more radical actions than storming the Bastille!"

Louis XVI glanced at Queen Mary, who was behind the desk.

Only then did Anning notice the Queen was also present, so he stepped forward: "Your Majesty, as far as I know, the people don’t have cake anymore either!"

It was only then that Louis XVI saw Anning, and he gasped sharply in shock.

Anning wanted to laugh, thinking just how deep a psychological shadow have I cast upon His Majesty?

Mirabeau cleared his throat, and said to Louis XVI: "It’s not too late now. As long as you, Your Majesty, sign the previously mentioned ’August Decree’ and ’Declaration of Human Rights’, and add an order for the city’s grain merchants to lower grain prices, the people will be satisfied!"

Just as Mirabeau finished speaking, a gunshot came from outside the window.

Anning: "Who’s shooting?"

Then came the sound of a volley of gunshots.

After the volley, the immense courtyard of Versailles Palace fell eerily silent.

The next moment, the people issued a roaring outcry: "The Guards are shooting!"

"It’s those villains holding the King hostage!"

"Charge, disarm them, topple the gates, and rush in!"

"We want to see His Majesty!"