Holy Roman Empire-Chapter 992 - 6, Gambling

Chapter 992 -6, Gambling

“Gotten it and still not leaving? Don’t block the way here; you’re holding up the line for others to receive their food.”

Holding the slightly moldy potato in his hand, the young man couldn’t believe this was his daily ration.

He couldn’t help but ask, “Didn’t we still have a piece of bread yesterday? How come today there’s only one potato? How are we supposed to survive on this?”

The official in charge of handing out food, with disdain, scolded, “Stop wasting words! Why can’t you figure it out yourself? If it weren’t for you bunch of refugees, the city wouldn’t be short of food. Now everyone is suffering hunger because of you. You should be thankful you’re getting anything at all, instead of being picky. Now get lost!”

In the face of hunger, the ugliness of human nature was fully exposed. The influx of refugees had harmed the interests of the locals, and although the new government was trying to suppress the tensions between the two sides, the conflicts continued unabated in secret. As the situation deteriorated, these conflicts became increasingly intense.

No matter how the situation in Paris changed, and the government changed hands several times, the middle and lower-level officials were mostly the same people.

Seeing that the new government was about to collapse again, the bureaucrats became frantic, willing to do anything for money.

Naturally, it was the incoming refugees who were the first to suffer. Since these people had no support, their deaths meant nothing and made them the easiest targets for abuse.

Was the top echelon of the new government really unaware?

Maybe not!

The enemy was too cunning, adopting a siege strategy without even entering the city, leaving the new government with no room to maneuver despite its many plans.

They had originally planned to persuade soldiers from the lower ranks of the Noble Coalition Army, but now they were separated by rows of landmines, unable to even make contact.

In this context, if the leaders of the new government didn’t want to end up on the guillotine, they had no choice but to stubbornly hold out, waiting for the climax of the revolution to arrive.

With limited food stores in the city, the only way to last longer was to reduce the population. The bureaucrats’ unchecked actions might not be entirely unwelcome to those in higher power.

Thinking more darkly, if the refugees didn’t clash with the locals, then the hungry people would direct their hatred toward the new government.

Human greed is limitless. Once they’d tasted the sweetness of embezzling and reselling food, they couldn’t stop. This scene was no surprise.

“What? Just one potato? Are they trying to starve us to death?”

“Just one potato? Could it be that someone has pocketed our rations? A single potato is going to drive us to desperation.”

“No, I have to get a piece of bread today!”

…

“Bang, bang, bang…”

Gunfire sounded, and instantly the scene quieted down. Facing armed soldiers, the unorganized refugees had no courage to resist.

“Troublemakers, kill!”

“The food we give you for free is what we’ve scrimped and saved for ourselves. If anyone is dissatisfied, you can simply not take it; no one is forcing you! If you want relief food, follow the rules. If you can’t eat enough, that’s your problem. How many in Paris can eat their fill right now? Everyone is starving; why should you be any different?”

The middle-aged official’s murderous words suppressed the chaos, leaving only pairs of angry eyes behind.

In the adult world, there is no right or wrong, only pros and cons. It was obvious from a glance at the line of refugees, mostly young and strong, that the elderly and weak were seldom seen, and what had happened did not need to be said.

Everyone is trying to survive, and there’s nothing to blame – no one is cleaner than anyone else. To survive in this chaotic world, one must be ruthless.

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…

Inside the Presidential Palace, Daniel, as the government leader, was now peering out of the window, his brows filled with endless worries.

The crisis belonging to Paris was just beginning. It was autumn; the main conflict for Paris was food, and soon heating would become another problem.

“Without rice, even the cleverest housewife cannot cook.” Even racking his brains, Daniel couldn’t find a solution to the lack of supplies.

If it had been before the knife was raised against the nobility, there was still a chance for compromise. For an intact Paris, the Bourbon Dynasty would most likely have dealt with them, and securing preferential treatment wouldn’t have been difficult.

But now that was impossible. In the previous purges, the Revolutionary Government had already been stained with the blood of the Aristocratic Group. Surrendering meant certain death; only by stubbornly holding out was there a glimmer of hope for survival.

Despite his unwillingness to admit it, the harsh reality told Daniel that this “sliver of hope” was becoming increasingly ethereal.

The anticipated climax of the revolution had yet to explode, and Daniel knew that the revolution had failed again. It wasn’t that they hadn’t tried hard enough; the enemy was simply too powerful.

From the moment the Royalist Party reached a compromise, the balance of strength was sealed. The Bourbon Dynasty had the Continental Alliance behind it, while they had nothing backing them.

Even the United States, which had originally been inclined to support them, couldn’t possibly provide assistance at this time under the pressure of the Continental Alliance.

“Knock, knock, knock…”

The knocking at the door brought Daniel back to reality; he slowly said, “Come in!”

The young man said breathlessly, “Mister Dagnell, our negotiations with the enemy have failed. They refuse to open a passage out of the city for the civilians, citing concerns that we could be disguising ourselves as refugees.”

“I see!”

Daniel replied indifferently, as if it were a minor matter that wasn’t worth worrying about.

This was to be expected. Politics are cruel; with the Bourbon Dynasty’s successful restoration imminent, they naturally wouldn’t want any last-minute complications.

Opening a passage to let refugees leave seems like a minor issue, but it invites trouble. Putting aside the additional millions of mouths to feed, it increases the risk of restoration failure.

Inside the City of Paris lay over a million people. Keeping these people in the city, the Revolutionary Government would collapse in a few months without lifting a finger. The Bourbon Dynasty could win without struggle.

But if all these people were released, the resource crisis within the city would be solved. With no other option, they’d have to engage the revolutionaries in street combat.

Not to mention the terrible cost, would the refugees receiving asylum be grateful to the Bourbon Dynasty?

The answer was negative.

Human nature is complex. Perhaps initially, everyone would be grateful. However, this gratitude would not last long, and soon enough, due to delayed resettlement and insufficient supplies, the resentment would grow.

With the revolutionaries’ incitement mixed in, another anti-starvation uprising could break out outside the city. History is not without similar incidents.

If they really had wanted to let the refugees leave, the Revolutionary Government would have done so at the start of the civil war, without waiting until now.

If the Noble Coalition Army arrived and immediately attacked the city, the refugees would be the best cannon fodder to deplete the enemy’s forces.

As an extreme idealist, Daniel saw everything as expendable in the pursuit of the ideal, including his own life and fortune, let alone a bunch of refugees.

After a brief pause, Daniel added, “Ma Lun, notify everyone to initiate the contingency plan. At this point, we can’t afford to worry about that anymore.”

The young man’s face paled, and he hesitated, “Mister Dagnell, are we really going to do this? The enemy may not be fooled, and if they don’t come, then…”

“There are no ifs!”

“Live or die. This is a gamble. If we win, France will be an Ideal Nation free from oppression and exploitation; if we lose…”

At that point, Daniel’s voice trailed off. If they lost the gamble, they would all be dead, and there would be no need to know what would happen next.

…

“Hand over the food, or I’ll kill you!”

“Bang!”

The surrounded middle-aged man attacked first. At this point, food was life, and it was necessary to fight to survive.

Scenes like this played out every day on the streets and alleys of Paris. In the face of hunger, the primal survival of the fittest prevailed.

The police, who were supposed to maintain order, had gradually faded from sight at some point. Outside of officials’ areas and main thoroughfares, their presence was nearly non-existent.

To survive, more and more people began to band together. Black gangs emerged, and rampant crimes such as robbery, rape, and murder became widespread.

The government’s indifference finally ignited public discontent. The anti-starvation movement sprouted from the refugee camps, quickly spreading to the workers and citizens of Paris.

On October 21, 1893, a massive anti-starvation march erupted in Paris, its shouts reaching the ears of Carlos outside the city.

Whether to launch an attack on the city became the focal point of contention among the nobility again.