The Law Does Not Punish the Masses

A single spark could set the prairie ablaze; revolution was contagious, especially in France, a nation steeped in revolutionary thought.

Napoleon IV had swallowed the bitter fruit of yielding to the financial syndicates. He had originally believed that, with their support, his rule would become more secure, but reality moved in the opposite direction.

The facts proved that capital needed restraints. Once the shackles were removed, capital would devour people.

According to the agreement with the financial syndicates, the French Government had handed the economy over to the market and no longer interfered with commodity prices.

Without question, this was the chief culprit behind France's soaring prices.

For prices to surge even against the backdrop of global overcapacity—what that meant went without saying.

At the Palace of Versailles, Napoleon IV sat there with a gloomy expression, utterly motionless. The successive rebellions across the country had plunged him into self-doubt.

"Your Majesty, the ministers have arrived. When will the meeting begin?"

The maid's voice roused Napoleon IV.

"Have them come here. We'll hold today's meeting here," Napoleon IV replied casually.

By convention, there was a designated place for deliberations as well. But France had no such creature as an imperial censor, and when the Emperor was in a bad mood, no one would quibble over such trivialities.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Army Minister Ruskinia Hafiz said, "Your Majesty, after two days of bloody fighting by the Seventh Division, we finally breached Lyon yesterday afternoon. We expect to clear out the rebels in the Lyon area within the next two days.

"The Fifth Division arrived in Toulouse last night and has already begun suppressing the rebels. It will not be long before good news arrives."

There were no surprises. The French Revolution perfectly illustrated what it meant to "come in a hurry