French Empire: But Napoleon IV

Chapter 63 Money's being distributed! Money's being distributed! The final celebration, th

When Eugène saw Bellemare, Bellemare's eyes were bloodshot, his military uniform was covered in mud, and he looked like he hadn't had a proper rest for several days.

Eugène showed no disgust at his appearance; on the contrary, he was pleasantly surprised.

If, at this moment, the commander-in-chief were to remain impeccably clean and maintain an elegant demeanor, Eugene would truly want to give the other party a good beating with his size 38 boots, even if the other party were a lieutenant general.

"You've worked hard, General."

Bellermal pleased Eugène, who, wanting to build a good relationship with this unfamiliar general, tiptoed and patted him on the shoulder.

Perhaps it was Eugene's attitude, or perhaps it was the army's preparations, but for some unknown reason, Bellemar was drawn to the scene.

Although they had never met, Bellermar's attitude towards Eugène was almost obsequious. This made Eugène rethink his actions several times, confirming that he had never met this lieutenant general before.

As for whether he was really flattering him, Eugène thought it was unlikely. This man was someone who didn't even respect the ruler Troch, so there was no reason for him to pay attention to a crown prince who hadn't even ascended the throne yet.

"For the sake of France, it's not hard work for you, Your Highness. At the current pace, the entire outer defense line will be completed around September 10th."

"Not fast enough... I'll send you another 3,000 laborers and 500 engineers. It must be completed by September 5th. The Prussian army might arrive even faster than we anticipated."

"Your Highness, please rest assured to leave the matter to me. I guarantee I will complete the mission."

If we're rushing things like this, we can't rely on sheer enthusiasm alone. By the time the 14th Army soldiers finish building the fortifications, they'll burn themselves out. When Prussia comes, we can't expect Eugène to fight them off.

Therefore, Eugene deliberately transferred an extra 3500 men to the enemy so that there wouldn't be any problems when the 14th Army sped up its progress.

Under Eugène’s personal supervision, the construction of the outer defenses of Paris progressed rapidly. By the end of August, the first line of defense was completed, the second line of defense was 80% complete, and the reinforcement of the third line of defense was nearing completion.

The whole of Paris was like a huge fortress encased in steel and concrete, awaiting the coming storm.

In addition to building military fortifications, Eugène also vigorously organized civil defense forces. Relying on the power of the Governor of Paris, Eugène established the Paris Civil Defense Command and recruited 100,000 men aged between eighteen and fifty from the laborers to form civil defense regiments.

It was not the National Guard, an armed organization personally defeated by Napoleon I, which Eugène, as a descendant of the Napoleonic family, could not possibly restore.

The Civil Defense Corps was simply a force that Eugene had conscripted from the civilian laborers, a group of experienced reservists to prepare for the battles to come.

These civil defense members undergo an hour of military training every day after get off work, learning how to use rifles, how to build barricades, and how to conduct urban warfare.

As for compensation, there was none. What compensation would one need for protecting one's homeland? Mr. Eugène, unable to bear seeing the civil defense troops suffer, was too kind-hearted and secretly paid for the soldiers' dinners out of his own pocket.

An hour of training can earn you a meal. In Paris right now, there aren't many hourly jobs that pay for an hour of training that would get you a dinner with bread and meat.

Therefore, even though there was no profit, the fact that their contributions were not forgotten by the management during this time of national crisis was enough to move the 10 civil defense soldiers.

By the end of August, Eugene was no longer concerned about the scale of the commotion. In 5 to 15 days, the empire would be gone, so why should he worry about this or that?

With this in mind, Eugène completely ignored Montauban, who complained about him every day and tried to put pressure on him. That old bastard Montauban was destined to become the scapegoat, taking the last rays of the Second Reich to the grave.

As long as I don't worry about what will happen afterward, I am invincible right now.

Eugène perfectly exemplified this point; by ignoring the government and parliament, he could do almost anything he wanted in Paris using his power.

The establishment of the civilian labor corps was not enough; Eugène also organized Parisian women to form rescue teams and sewing teams to make bandages and mend uniforms for the soldiers.

Aside from children under 10, the whole of Paris was mobilized. The anti-government slogans that once filled the streets disappeared, replaced by slogans such as "Defend Paris" and "Drive out the Prussians."

The coffee shop was no longer discussing political scandals, but rather the situation on the front lines and the fortifications.

Of course, this is only a superficial calm. The Republican Party and the other two royalist forces are far from quiet. In fact, if they really wanted to quiet down, Eugène would be unhappy.

On the morning of August 29, as the soldiers got up one after another to prepare for morning exercises, they were surprised to find that the barracks square was full of military wagons covered with tarpaulins.

A dozen or so armed military police stood guard beside the carriage, their expressions extremely serious, looking at them as if they were thieves.

"What is this being transported? It's so mysterious."

A new recruit asked a veteran next to him out of curiosity, but the veteran didn't know either and could only guess at the answer.

"Who knows? Maybe it's new rifles and ammunition."

At that moment, the assembly call sounded in the barracks, and all the soldiers had no choice but to put aside their confusion and assemble in the square, forming a neat square formation.

Seeing the soldiers lined up, Conrobel and Eugene walked together onto the makeshift platform.

Knowing what was hidden beneath the canvas, Cornelius, suppressing his excitement, stood in front of the brass megaphone and addressed the soldiers below.

"Soldiers, today, His Highness the Crown Prince has brought you a special gift."

Without saying much, what lay beneath the canvas spoke for them. Drawing the soldiers' attention to the back of the carriage, Cornelius waved his hand from the platform, and the military police pulled back the canvas covering the carriage.

In an instant, golden light illuminated the entire square. The carriage was loaded with glittering gold coins. The sheer number of coins, reflecting the sunlight, was so dazzling that it was hard to open one's eyes.

Upon witnessing this scene, the square erupted in uproar. The soldiers were stunned, and their breathing became heavy. Even Eugene, standing on the platform, could hear the heavy breathing below.

Many, no, it should be said, everyone present had never even dared to dream of such a grand dream in their entire lives. Now, to actually witness several carriages laden with gold francs—the powerful allure of money was irresistible to everyone.

The carriage couldn't have been parked here just for their benefit, could it? Since it wasn't meant to be displayed, and was brought here anyway, then it must be...

The soldiers weren't stupid; they looked at each other, the unbelievable answer flashing through their minds.