The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 975: Chapter 47 Vendee Past_3

At this point, the farmers’ emotions inevitably grew somber, with some having tears welling in their eyes.

”You don’t really understand what we’ve been through. On December 23rd of that year, my father and two brothers were massacred in the Savona Marshes in Lower Loire, along with my mother and sister. They not only raised their butcher knives against the warriors but also executed the families accompanying our army.

Francois Westerman, that butcher, proudly wrote to the National Assembly afterward, saying: ’The Vendee rebels no longer exist. I have just buried them in the Savona Marshes. As per orders, I trampled the children under horse’s hoofs and slaughtered the women. I left no prisoners to accuse me; I had them all exterminated.’

But he was wrong. He did not exterminate us completely, and there are still those who remember the atrocities he committed. Although our voices are not loud, nowhere near the cries of those city folks in Paris, we lads from Brittany and Vendee have always been unafraid of death.

I can’t stand seeing them trample over our faith, disregard our rights, while boasting themselves as paragons of morality. They are all the most despicable wretches. Before they came to power, they were thugs and rascals, and after coming to power, they remained thugs and rascals. They have no faith and want others to have none, they have no morals and want others to have none; if others don’t comply, they label them as reactionary forces. Such are those hypocritical republicans.

They call us a bandit race, but I think they are the real bandits! If you want food, grow it yourself; if you want clothes, weave them yourself. But they do nothing, only rob from others, impose our agricultural tax, confiscate our Church property, and want us to go to war to rob things for them. That’s what they do!

By this point, the farmers spoke with righteous indignation.

”Many farmers elsewhere mistakenly believe the Jacobin Party passed land decrees, giving them land because the Jacobins were benevolent. Napoleon signed a concordat with the Roman Curia, recognizing Catholicism as the religion of most people in France, because Napoleon too was a believer in God. But in reality, it was all because of our struggle! Our families died, our blood relatives have gone to God, yet those who reap the benefits laugh at our ignorance, saying we deserved it. All those like that deserve to die!

Today we should prepare a few more carriages. I heard Napoleon’s nephew is at the mansion too, right? Today those partisan hacks of the republican and Bonaparte parties have all gathered there, even Louis Philippe, that double-faced fellow, is present. Their sins in the Mortal World are countless; sending them to meet God earlier will allow them to redeem themselves sooner!

Arthur, seeing such a scene and hearing the farmers’ accounts, found himself at a loss for words.

In regards to these individual people, Arthur simply couldn’t condemn their actions. Each of them had plenty of reasons for revenge, and even if their actions seemed extreme, after experiencing such things, it’s hard to expect them to develop a proper and peaceful temperament.

On the other hand, Arthur suddenly felt somewhat fortunate that he had pursued them here today.

For these farmers’ methods of assassination were too crude, and as long as the Great Paris Police Hall put their mind to it, it was only a matter of time before they discovered this hideout.

Arthur thought long and hard, ultimately deciding to speak: ”Staying here isn’t safe for you. Although I know, most of you coming to Paris didn’t intend to go back alive. But listen to me, rather than losing your lives for nothing without achieving anything, it’s better to live with peace of mind...”

Before Arthur could finish speaking, the assassin leader at the front interrupted him: ”Sir, this is our business, it has nothing to do with you. I only hope you don’t report us when you return. We’re not planning on surviving, but at the very least we must gain something before we die. There are many things you don’t know, but we’re sure we can succeed this time. Just last year, the Duchess of Berry launched another uprising in Vendee. As long as we can take out Louis Philippe, the Bourbons will soon return.”

Arthur glanced at the attire of the assassin leader, knowing this guy was likely from the upper echelons of the Orthodox Party.

He didn’t say much more, just drained the wine in his cup, then stood up and said: ”The Duchess of Berry is pregnant, probably it won’t be long before she announces her new marriage. According to traditional views, your current leader doesn’t have the caliber of those noble leaders of the old days. She is just a common woman who wants to help her son ascend to the throne but breaks her marriage contract with the deceased husband, gets pregnant with her lover out of wedlock, without adhering to the traditional Catholic morals. So, give it up; this time won’t have a good outcome. Besides, you needn’t worry about me reporting you, because like you all, I am also a farmer, a farmer from Britain.”

Arthur’s words were like a bolt out of the blue to the farmers who had been passionately charging forward moments ago, as they hadn’t yet heard the news about the Duchess of Berry’s pregnancy.

Arthur paused at the door handle, hesitated for a moment, and finally said: ”If you need help, you can always find me at the Breaux Detective Agency at 21 Croucher Percy Street. I’m not skilled at assassination, nor do I encourage you to continue such actions, as it’s meaningless. But if you wish to escape, maybe I can lend you a little help.”