Before the stunned Revolutionary Government could react, the Anti-French Alliance had already reached the city walls. Whether to "surrender" became the new focal point of dispute in the French Parliament.
"Having come this far, we can no longer keep fighting. To preserve France's remaining strength, I propose that we end this war immediately and resolve the subsequent issues through negotiations."
The old man's proposal instantly won everyone's support. A wise man submits to circumstances; the French Parliament was the product of compromises between all factions, and everyone seated here knew when to bend and when to yield.
The truly stubborn ones had either been taken out by Napoleon IV or taken out by the revolutionaries. Those who had survived and continued to thrive were all politically nimble.
Since he had been digging a pit from the start, Napoleon IV naturally could not have left the revolutionaries a rich inheritance. Not only had he swept away vast sums of funds, but even Paris's city-defense artillery had been packed up and sent away under the pretext of reinforcing the front.
With the Anti-French Alliance at the gates, Paris simply could not be defended. The enemy did not even need to storm the city; after one or two months of siege, the defenders would collapse on their own.
France's pride had already been worn down by the war. "Armistice" had become the consensus among those with foresight, while the pro-war faction had long since fallen silent.
Just as the surrender motion was about to pass, Socialist deputy François hurriedly objected. "We cannot surrender immediately, or the enemy's scheme will succeed.
"If none of you want to wear the label of traitor and be spat upon for the rest of your lives, then we must resist now.
"We do not hope to defeat the