Chapter 56: The Women's Army
"Joseph, the Constituent Assembly has passed a new decree," announced Lucien as soon as Joseph returned home, shaking a newspaper in his hand.
"Lately, Lucien seems to be getting more interested in politics," Joseph thought. He inquired, "Did they pass the Declaration of the Rights of Man?"
Joseph's knowledge of the history of the French Revolution from his past life was minimal, mostly due to his focus on sports and a lack of interest in history. He knew about a document called the Declaration of the Rights of Man.
"No, it's not that," replied Lucien. "It's a decree that abolishes all feudal rights."
"What? Let me see," Joseph said, surprised. He knew that rural areas were erupting in uprisings and riots. With France nearly on the brink of anarchy, the Constituent Assembly aimed to pacify the peasants, but passing such a significant decree so quickly and with such force was astounding.
"This is absurd!" Joseph exclaimed. "This involves numerous interests and is as complex as the Gordian knot. Without Alexander's sword, no one could unravel it. The Constituent Assembly doesn't have an Alexander the Great, so how did they manage this? Hand it over; I want to see."
Lucien handed the newspaper to Joseph, who sat on the couch and started reading.
After a while, Joseph couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Lucien, why are you laughing?" Lucien asked.Visit no(v)eLb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience
"I'm laughing at the spineless king and the shameless Constituent Assembly," Joseph said sarcastically. Unfortunately, Lucien didn't catch the reference. Joseph continued, "Look at this decree; it treats the peasants like fools. 'Abolish all feudal obligations,' it says, but when it comes to money, like land rents and dues, they must be redeemed, and the entire sum must be paid at once the equivalent of thirty years' worth. If peasants could produce that much money in one go, I'd become a farmer! Moreover, look here, redemption is on a village basis, meaning if one household in a village can't pay, none of them can redeem. And here, redemption requires mutual consent if the lords disagree, even if they have the money, they can't redeem. It's like offering a loaf of bread to a starving person. It's blatantly taking peasants for fools. Do you find it amusing?"
"Well, it is certainly a way to deceive them. But, Joseph, I wonder if some people don't really want to quell the rural chaos. After all, as long as it's not them suffering," Lucien mused. "Besides, this decree still needs the king's approval to take effect. I doubt he's in any position to address this issue right now."
"Lucien," Joseph exclaimed in surprise, "did you come up with that yourself? Nicely done! You might be catching up to that other dummy, Napoleon!"
Lucien knew it was a compliment, even if it implied that he was still behind the other "dummy." Lucien considered his older brother an absolute genius.
According to Vicomte de Ver, the key to deception was to tell the truth in most areas, except for the crucial points. Both rumors adhered to this principle.
While it was true that rural areas were in turmoil and there were uprisings, the fact was that the Constituent Assembly did not submit the "August Decrees" for the king's approval until October 1. Thus, before that date, there was no official "August Decrees" that required the king's approval. Moreover, these rural uprisings had already started in July, and the situation in the provinces was not significantly worse now compared to July.
As for someone deliberately blocking food from entering Paris and driving up prices, that was true too, but it wasn't the king doing it. It was a certain nobleman and a group of respectable third estate people who had joined his efforts. They were profiting from the situation while shifting the blame onto the king.
In the midst of this turmoil, it was now October 1789. Typically, July and August were the harvesting seasons for wheat in France. By late August, wheat should have been fully harvested. That year, France had experienced a bountiful wheat harvest, and this news had already reached Paris. People expected that a bumper wheat harvest would lead to a drop in bread prices, yet, by October, bread prices continued to rise steadily and sustainably.
As the nobles supporting the monarchy left one by one, the royal family felt increasingly unsafe. At the end of September, the king moved the Flanders regiment near Versailles. The Flanders region was relatively conservative and had a stronger royalist presence. In the eyes of the people, these troops were more inclined to support the king.
On October 1st, the king hosted a dinner for the officers of the Flanders regiment. It was after this banquet that a rumor spread throughout Paris:
Towards the end of the banquet, the king and his family appeared. The officers of the Flanders regiment cheered for the king and trampled on the red, white, and blue tricolor cockade, symbolizing Paris and the National Guard.
This news quickly spread in Paris, rekindling fear. The people didn't know that the king's power had already significantly diminished compared to July, and he was unlikely to pose a real threat to Paris. In their eyes, after months of careful preparation, the troops the king had called to suppress Paris must be more numerous, and Paris was in danger. They believed it was their duty to stand up and defend themselves with their weapons.
On the afternoon of October 4th, after serving dinner to Joseph and others, Aunt Sophie announced that she needed to take a day off the next day.
"Is something happening in your family?" Joseph asked.
In this era, for the household maids responsible for chores, Joseph was undoubtedly the best employer. He genuinely cared about their well-being.
"Oh, sir, nothing is wrong at home. But us women, yes, some women from the Halles district and the Saint-Antoine district have made arrangements. Tomorrow, we're going to the city hall to request their help in solving the bread issue."
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