French Empire: But Napoleon IV

Chapter 3: Paris, a Powder Keg, Receives Funding

"Why is that? My mother and father appointed me as the governor of Paris. I thought that the defense of Paris and the mobilization of troops should be my responsibility."

"Euryn, you're still too young..."

When military power was mentioned, Eugène Napoleon immediately became wary, as it was a crucial factor in the implementation of his plans, and he could not possibly entrust it to his mother.

After hearing Eugène's nagging, Eugène Napoleon's vigilance lessened considerably. After all, he was his mother's only son; she wouldn't have to deal with him.

This queen was used to being domineering and wanted to control everything. She felt that the military power in Paris should not be her responsibility, but rather that it should be her mother's responsibility.

Although he understood Eugène's psychology, understanding was one thing, but military power was related to his own plans, and Eugène Napoleon could not use it to satisfy his mother's desire for control.

"…Eugène, it's not that I don't trust you, it's that I'm afraid something will happen to you. Paris may look calm now, but aren't all those Republicans, Bourbon remnants, and capitalists eyeing the royal position?"

Eugénie was strong-willed, but she was undeniably devoted to her son, a fact that Eugénie Napoleon could sense.

I know my mother is worried that I'm not capable enough, that I can't control others, and that I'll be used by those scheming factions.

"Mother, I understand your intentions and know that you are doing this for my own good. But before Father left, he appointed me as the Governor of Paris, responsible for the defense of Paris and the troop deployment. This is Father's trust in me, and it is also my responsibility as the Crown Prince of the Empire."

"If I can't even shoulder this responsibility, if I can't even hold onto the military power entrusted to me by my father, how can I support the entire Bonaparte family in the future, and how can I gain the trust of my subordinates?"

Knowing this, Eugène Napoleon not only couldn't relinquish military power, but he also had to try to get some start-up capital from his mother.

"Mother, as the Governor of Paris, if military power were to recklessly fall into other hands, I'm afraid people would question the royal family's decisions. This is not what you and Father want to see, nor is it what I want to see, is it?"

Even if Eugénie wanted to take over the military power, it was impossible for her to control it; in the end, it still needed to be handed over to a man to manage it.

He stripped his son of the military power granted to him by Napoleon III, and then handed it over to a general with no blood relation to him.

This move could easily lead people to misunderstand, and thanks to Eugène Napoleon's reminder, Eugène also realized this.

For the sake of her son's reputation and for the sake of the country's operation, Eugénie had to admit that her son was right.

"Euryn, it seems you have indeed grown up. Although I still believe that going to the front lines would be the right decision for you, I will support your decision as much as possible."

Eugénie was not angry at being rejected by Eugène Napoleon; on the contrary, she was relieved, as her son's words of refusal were reasonable and well-founded.

She had hoped her son would go to the front lines to gain experience, but now that he insisted on staying, she mistakenly thought he was worried about her, and was overjoyed, so she wasn't angry at all.

Unsure of what his mother was thinking, or why a smile was playing on her lips, Eugène Napoleon decided not to let the opportunity slip by.

"Mother, I need your help with something. Now that Father has gone to the front lines, the heavy responsibility of defending Paris falls on my shoulders: the soldiers of the 13th Army, the reinforcement of the city's defenses, the displaced people... I have limited funds..."

Eugène Napoleon listed many, many things involving money, and he did indeed intend to invest money in these things, without deceiving his benefactor Eugénie in any way.

When money was mentioned, Eugénie became much more wary. Looking at her son, who was much more opinionated and had a very honest expression, Eugénie pondered for a moment.

"Sigh~ Alright, perhaps Eugène, you're more decisive and responsible than I thought. How much do you need? I think 200 million francs should be enough. After all, the Governor of Paris is a position that requires socializing, 200 million..."

There's no one better than a mother in the world; a child with a mother is a treasure.

The melody of a song echoed in Eugène Napoleon's ears. He took a deep breath and realized that the physical memory of Eugène Napoleon still had a significant impact. Listening to Eugène's words of advice, Eugène Napoleon felt a slight tingling sensation in the tip of his nose.

Two million francs was almost all of Eugénie's working capital.

拿破仑家族总资产在2亿法郎左右，其中有1.2亿乃至1.5亿都在自己父亲拿破仑三世手中，欧仁妮所拥有的资产只在3000万到5000万法郎之间。

My mother's jewelry collection was only worth 360 million francs, so to be able to give me 200 million francs was truly emptying the family's savings.

"I can give you the money, Eugene, but you must agree to two conditions."

"What conditions, Mother? Tell me! Don't just say two, even ten thousand conditions..."

Faced with 200 million francs, what conditions could be unacceptable? Eugène Napoleon generously agreed, patting his chest.

Before he could finish speaking, and before Eugénie could speak, a commotion broke out outside the carriage.

"Get down here, you men of Bonaparte."

"Go ahead and shoot if you dare!"

The loud noise interrupted the conversation between the mother and son in the carriage. Eugène Napoleon pulled back the side curtain of the carriage to look in the direction of the sound.

The first thing he saw was the streets, which were covered in mud and sewage, and even excrement could be seen on the roadside. The unbearable stench made Eugène Napoleon frown.

This scene illustrates the difference between the two banks of the Seine. In the new Paris, the roads are paved with asphalt, the buildings are of uniform height and have stone facades, and tall trees are planted on both sides of the streets.

Benches, public toilets, and trash cans—these are all things you can see in the new Paris, but what Eugène Napoleon saw before him was the old Paris on the east bank of the Seine.

Eugène Napoleon understood that the stark contrast between rich and poor in Paris was due to Baron Haussmann's plans for the reconstruction of the city.

While major cities like Lyon still retained their medieval character, Paris, under Napoleon III, was embracing the future. Unfortunately, this very development may have inadvertently hastened the demise of the Second Empire.

After all, no one wants to see heaven on the other side of the river while hell is on their side, especially when this situation is presented to the people of Paris with a revolutionary tradition.

This led to the scene that greeted Eugène Napoleon: within the boundaries of old Paris, hundreds of Parisian people gradually emerged and surrounded their carriage team.

The Imperial Guard responsible for protecting Eugenie quickly went on high alert, keeping all the civilians outside.

This obstruction clearly further enraged the public, causing more and more Parisians to flock to the carriage.

"If they get any closer, we'll have to shoot!"

Hearing the threatening warning from the Imperial Guard company commander outside the carriage, Eugène Napoleon knew he could no longer sit idly by and watch the situation worsen, so he took action.

Eugénie, who had been sitting comfortably in the carriage and indifferent to the unrest that occurred once or twice a week, panicked and screamed after seeing Eugénie Napoleon's actions.

"Eugene, what do you want to do! Come back here right now!"