Chapter 116: Bountiful Years and Famine
Fouch's method of coercion was essentially extortion through kidnapping. However, it differed from regular kidnappings in one key aspect - he didn't demand ransom from his captives. Instead, he required them to "expose the people hiding money that belongs to traitors of the Republic." He told each captive that if they could provide information within the first fifty to prove their loyalty to the Republic, they would be set free from prison and even receive a reward from the money Fouch confiscated from the traitors.
This was clearly a manipulative ploy to sow discord, but the prisoners in the jail were genuinely trapped in a "prisoner's dilemma." They understood Fouch's true intentions, yet they feared that someone else might betray them, causing them to suffer losses. Falling behind could mean not just losing money but potentially losing their heads!
Nevertheless, one's own head was always more important than anyone else's. So, even though everyone understood Fouch's sinister motives, they raced to "expose" others. Fouch then swiftly dispatched his agents to confiscate the wealth "legally" based on these tips. With the collaboration of the "aristocratic traitors," he proved highly efficient in seizing assets. In just a few days, Fouch had accumulated even more wealth than Robespierre had imagined. He then proceeded to behead hundreds of "undeniable traitors" and seized their possessions. Simultaneously, he posted a commendation order in Marseille, recognizing the "citizens of the Republic" who had remained loyal and contributed to thwarting the aristocrats' conspiracy.Visit no(v)eLb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience
Subsequently, these "citizens of the Republic" demonstrated exceptional revolutionary spirit. They volunteered to donate their wealth to the Republic, claiming it was shameful to possess excessive riches during times of national crisis. They pledged to embark on a self-sustaining and honorable life henceforth.
The guillotine's falling blade was undoubtedly terrifying, but Fouch believed that a blade perpetually hanging overhead was even more effective in making people yield.
At this point, Fouch had achieved significant success in his mission. The new municipal administration had been established, sidelining the nobility and "respectable" citizens, and it appeared that Fouch should return to Paris. Furthermore, Fouch's friends, Eber and Chaumette, needed him now more than ever because the situation in Paris seemed to be going awry.
The "Committee of Public Safety" had passed resolutions opening the ports and promoting trade with neutral nations, involving a significant portion of barter trade. The most crucial commodity in this barter trade was food. However, the consequences of exporting vast quantities of grain soon became evident. In some regions, previously subdued rebellions reignited, and despite strict price controls and supply guarantees, people noticed significant changes in the quality of the flour.
In this era, Europeans primarily used "whole wheat flour" to make bread. This meant that the entire wheat, including the bran and germ, was ground together in millstones, resulting in flour containing bran and germ.
The reason for Fouch's "illness" was because he felt that the situation in Paris was not as optimistic as Eber had imagined.
Now, it was entirely different from 1789, even from just a few months ago. When the Brissotins held power, there were plenty of opponents within the National Convention. They hindered them from passing any resolutions against the Paris Commune, or even measures that would diminish the power of the Commune. For instance, when the Commune surrounded the National Convention, compelling them to pass a resolution to hand over more than twenty Brissotin deputies, one Brissotin representative had proposed forming a guard to protect the Convention. Still, that proposal was swiftly rejected in the Convention.
But now, in the "Committee of Public Safety," while there were factions, they were far more united than the previous National Convention. Additionally, they directly controlled the French military, making them more formidable and unified.
Furthermore, the Paris Commune's own power had diminished significantly. The incessant use of the guillotine and the terror it symbolized had wearied many. The most energetic and fearless individuals had enlisted in the military during repeated conscription rounds. Even the old veterans of the National Guard who became "volunteers" had gone to the front, taking their cannons with them. So now, the Paris Commune had fewer military assets at its disposal.
Eber had tried to replenish the National Guard with new recruits, but most of them lacked revolutionary fervor, physical fitness, and proper training. In previous times, such individuals wouldn't have been admitted to the National Guard.
All these changes led Fouch to believe that continuing to align with Eber might not lead to a favorable outcome. But if he were to return to Paris at this moment, it would signify his allegiance to Eber and the "Committee of Public Safety" publicly. In a sense, he would be trapped between them. Given the absence of specific orders preventing his return, Fouch suspected that Robespierre wanted to place him and Eber in the same predicament.
Therefore, feigning illness became Fouch's choice for now.
Of course, he couldn't pretend to be ill for too long. However, for Fouch, this period would be sufficient to determine which side he should align with. If Eber's faction emerged victorious, he would remain an important figure within their ranks. If the Committee of Public Safety triumphed, Robespierre would likely not spare him. But perhaps, through Napoleon, he could forge a connection with Carnot an appealing option indeed.
