Descending On France 1780
Chapter 88 - 082 We won

Chapter 88: 082 We won

Anning: "What is the Commander of the Guards doing? The people are armed; to open fire would be suicidal, wouldn’t it?"

While speaking, he approached the window and looked out into the courtyard.

What he saw was the crowd toppling the walls of Versailles Palace and flooding into the royal courtyard.

The Guards tried to stop them but were disarmed by the enraged masses.

Anning also saw the guard officer who had just been arrogantly posturing at him, now impaled by a pitchfork, held high like a flag.

Anning immediately leaned out and yelled to his own troops in the courtyard: "Don’t obstruct the people, fall back, just block the building’s main entrance!"

He feared his small force of two hundred would evaporate amidst the tidal wave of the oncoming crowd.

Having said that, he withdrew and then saw Queen Mary glaring at him furiously: "Why don’t you make your troops do something!"

Anning: "Your Highness, The Queen, have you gone mad? The Guards collapsed instantly like a sand dike before a giant wave; what could my two hundred men possibly do?

"Only the Flanders Legion can stop the people, but they have retreated back to their quarters!"

The Queen turned to Louis XVI and said: "Let the legion..."

Before the Queen could finish, a gunshot rang out, shattering the room’s glass which fell to the floor with a loud crash.

The Queen screamed in terror.

Anning: "Your Majesty, the Queen! There’s no time, face reality!"

But the Queen would not face reality; she shouted at Louis XVI: "Look at this! It’s all because you keep giving in; the situation has gotten to this point! The people aren’t even afraid of the Royal Guards anymore, this isn’t just ordinary citizens, we must strike hard!"

Anning: "The people are very hungry, hunger drives people to desperate actions."

At this time, the night sky outside was lit as if it were day by the torches the people carried.

"Where is His Majesty the King!" someone in the crowd shouted.

Immediately countless people echoed: "Where is His Majesty?"

"Let His Majesty come out and talk to us!"

Anning turned to look at Louis XVI: "The people are calling for you."

Louis XVI’s lips trembled slightly as he looked down at the ground.

Anning reminded again: "The people are calling for you! Don’t let things become irreparable. I was there at the Bastille, and I saw firsthand what the angry people did to Marquis de Launay.

"Once the people lose their reason, it’ll be too late."

Louis XVI raised his eyes to look at Anning: "Are you threatening me?"

"I am stating the facts," Anning said decisively, "Once the masses lose control, I fear not just you, but all of us in Versailles Palace will suffer the consequences, including myself. Your Majesty, go to the balcony, a wave of your hand to the people will suffice."

Louis XVI glanced at Queen Mary, pursed his lips, nodded reluctantly, and then moved with great unwillingness toward the door that led to the balcony.

The structure of Versailles Palace is such that, on the second floor, there is a row of small balconies, with each room having access to one.

The balcony is less like a balcony and more like an oversized window ledge; a very small space that can only accommodate one or two people.

A guard opened the balcony door for Louis XVI, who stepped out and looked down at the crowd holding torches below.

The crowd was not only holding torches but also muskets, and soon countless flintlocks pointed at Louis XVI.

If the people were determined to have a new king, a single volley could see Louis XVI sacrificed.

If that happened, the happiest person would probably be the Duke of Orleans who could then, according to the line of succession, be crowned King of France in grand style.

Of course, it could also be his son who got crowned, with the Duke himself serving as the Regent King.

Faced with the gun barrels of the people, Louis XVI seemed to cower, appearing to shrink in stature.

Anning: "Wave, Your Majesty."

Louis XVI, mechanically, raised his right hand and gave a slight wave.

Anning: "Speak, Your Majesty, the people don’t know who you are; most of them have never seen you."

Louis XVI put down his hand and cleared his throat awkwardly: "Uh, hello, everyone! I am your king."

"It’s His Majesty the King!"

"It’s His Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, we have no more bread!"

Louis XVI: "Uh... I know you have no bread, and I will sign a decree ordering them to ensure a supply of bread. I mean, ordering the Nobles.

"You shall all have bread soon, everyone will have bread!"

Anning: "And cake, too."

Louis XVI: "And cake! Are you sure you want me to say that?"

"You don’t have to say it, but saying it would make you seem more humorous."

At that moment, the people gradually lowered their raised flintlocks.

Louis XVI let out a slight sigh of relief, gathering even more courage, he said: "Everyone, I have heard your complaints! I will sign the August Decree and the Declaration of Human Rights tonight. Go back to Paris, get some good rest; there will be bread tomorrow!"

"We’re not going back!" someone in the crowd shouted, "Unless you come back with us!"

"Right! To Paris!"

"You should be with your subjects!"

Louis XVI was in a quandary. He turned his head to look at Anning.

Anning: "If you ask me, Your Majesty, you should go to Paris. After all, you’ll still be living in a palace, whether it’s Versailles Palace or the Palais des Tuileries doesn’t make much difference, does it?"

Louis XVI hemmed and hawed, and then he fled the terrace like a runaway, hurrying back into the house.

The crowd immediately became noisy: "His Majesty has gone to look for that Austrian woman!"

"Let that Austrian woman come out!"

"The Austrian woman isn’t running away, is she?"

The angry mob once again raised their guns, chanting in unison, "Bring out the Queen!" "Bring out the Austrian woman!"

Anning retreated from the terrace door, turned, and said to the Queen: "The people are calling for you."

"No!" Queen Mary resolutely refused, "They will shoot at me!"

Anning: "They won’t do it for the time being, I can stand with you. If they shoot, let them kill me along with you."

Queen Mary took a deep breath and closed her eyes, breathing deeply several times.

Her figure was indeed beautiful, it was only unfortunate that today she had again styled her hair like a black person’s afro, a look that seemed particularly popular in this era. Anning remembered that noblewomen always had afro hairstyles.

Perhaps because the current level of productivity meant that maintaining an afro was difficult and expensive?

Finally, the Queen opened her eyes and glanced at Anning: "There’s no need, I refuse to stand on the terrace with the son of a leatherworker."

Anning frowned, suddenly feeling an urge to slap this woman.

What was she thinking, couldn’t she see the way things were headed?

Anning suppressed his impulse: "Very well, as you wish."

The Queen, holding her dress in both hands, walked towards the terrace.

As she stepped onto the terrace, the people were chanting "roll out, Austrian woman."

Seeing her appear, the crowd quieted down, but they did not lower their rifles.

Faced with the black muzzles of the crowd below, Queen Mary couldn’t help but swallow.

Then she spoke out: "I am your Queen, that Austrian woman."

Immediately after, before the crowd could react, she lifted her dress with both hands and curtsied to them.

"Long live France!" she said.

The people gradually lowered their raised rifles.

Someone took the lead: "Long live the Royal Family!"

Then a chorus of uneven cheers of "Long live the Royal Family!" echoed around.

Queen Mary turned and went indoors, her face wearing a proud expression, provocatively looking at Anning: "Handled!"

Anning could only purse his lips: "You did well."

Then the Queen turned to Louis XVI: "We should leave Versailles immediately and take up residence in Verdun Fortress. That way these commoners won’t be able to threaten us! Or we could just flee to Austria. I’m actually missing the large gardens of the Schönbrunn Palace right now!"

Louis XVI frowned: "I am the King, not a deserter. If I run now, what would the people think of me?"

"You’re not leaving? Fine, I will!" Queen Mary huffed and left the study, slamming the door on her way out.

Anning watched the situation develop, having made enough of a spectacle of himself that night, so he decided to leave the remaining limelight to the tardy Lafayette.

Munier stepped forward: "Your Majesty, the Queen, she’s gone."

Louis XVI waved his hand, resignedly said: "Let her go, just let her go!"

Before his words were finished, the door opened and Lafayette dragged the Queen back in by her hand.

Following in were several ladies-in-waiting of the Queen, Christina among them.

Seeing Anning also in the room, Christina frantically made eye contact with him, but Anning pretended not to notice.

Lafayette: "I caught sight of Her Majesty the Queen hurrying at the back door of Versailles Palace. Your Highness, at a time like this, you should be by His Majesty’s side."

While Lafayette was talking, a Major and a group of the National Guard burst into the room.

Lafayette saluted Louis XVI: "Your Majesty, you must have heard the people’s demands. I have made arrangements at the Palais des Tuileries. The palace is ready to welcome the King of France at any moment."

Louis XVI took a deep breath, then pointed at Lafayette: "You! And you!", pointing at Anning.

Anning: "Ah? I’m here to protect you, honest to God!"

Lafayette solemnly said: "I’m also here for your protection, and moreover, by your own decree, Your Majesty."

Anning: "Exactly!"

Louis XVI heaved a deep sigh, slumping down behind his desk like a deflating ball: "Alright, alright! If you want me to go to the Palais des Tuileries, then we’ll go. You want my royal power, want a constitutional monarchy, then let’s have it! Bring me the decree and the Declaration, and I’ll sign right now."

Mirabeau and Munier in the room visibly beamed with joy, and even Lafayette’s mouth curved slightly upwards.

At least at this moment, the constitutional monarchy in France was established.

Munier said excitedly: "The revolution has succeeded! It can end right now!"

Mirabeau rushed to the terrace and shouted to the people below: "His Majesty agrees to go to Paris! Agrees to the constitutional monarchy! We’ve won!"

The crowd looked at each other, then cheered together.

Gradually, they began to sing a song called "It Will Be Alright," and for a time, an atmosphere of joy hovered over the Versailles Palace.