Chapter 83: Saving Maximilian I
June 19, 1867.
Compared with Juarez, Maximilian I could be said to have no politician's thinking or ability.
As a traditional monarch supported by Mexico's conservative forces and Napoleon III, he largely implemented the Republicans' policies. At the same time, he naively believed that his Republican opponents such as Juarez could shake hands and make peace.
Juarez did not disappoint Maximilian I. He took advantage of Maximilian I's pitiful naivety and soon made a comeback. Now he has imprisoned Maximilian I.
If Ernst had become the emperor of Mexico, he would have certainly strongly supported the local conservatives, stabilized the French, and actively suppressed the so-called revolutionaries.
As for reactionary forces, backward systems, and corrupt rule, they are nothing but a joke. For example, in the past, there were so many small African countries whose leaders and governments were corrupt and rampant, causing public outrage and people’s livelihood was in misery, but in the end, didn’t they all have a good ending?
Even if they are forced to flee overseas, their descendants can even return to their homeland and run for election again, which perfectly fits with American democracy.
As long as you can promise benefits to the local powerful forces, you have a chance to be elected. As for the dark history of your father's generation, do the African people really not know about it? Have they forgotten how their family ruled the local area in one or two generations?
It can only be said that the votes in the hands of the people can be cashed in. Even if the people do not buy into this and truly elect a president who dares to serve the people, the powerful class can still arrange an "open-top" one-stop service for the so-called democratically elected president.
Political struggle is a life-and-death struggle, and one cannot deviate from one's own base. As a second-generation rich man, Maximilian I has implemented the idealistic administrative model very well.
From this perspective, it can be said that Maximilian I is also a breath of fresh air in world history. He may not be a good emperor, but he is definitely not a bad person.
Moreover, he did not run away after his failure, which made Ernst feel ashamed of himself. Maximilian I was truly a man of great integrity.
I admire him, but it is impossible to ask Ernst to be a person like Maximilian I.
Moreover, as Ernst's father-in-law, Ernst could not just stand by and watch Maximilian I die. He had to help if he could. Whether he could succeed depended on God's will.
…
Three o'clock in the morning.
Maximilian I, neatly dressed, walked out of the cell and was escorted to the execution ground by Mexican soldiers.
The execution ground was chosen in the suburbs, which is also a place with beautiful mountains and rivers.
Maximilian I slowly turned around, took out a handful of gold coins from his pocket and distributed them to the soldiers carrying out the execution.
…
Roy Lee, a graduate of the Hechingen Military Academy.
"Is Vincent Cassel ready?"
"Don't worry, Li. This time we are using the latest explosive invented by Mr. Nobel. It can definitely blow down the entire wall."
"Very good. Let's get our people ready. When the explosion occurs, open fire directly and then stuff the Mexican emperor into a sack and take him away."
…
Maximilian I, standing on the execution ground, was preparing to give his last "speech" for his death.
He said, "I..."
“Boom…”
Before he could utter a word, he heard a series of loud noises coming from around the execution ground, and a large hole more than ten meters wide was blown open in the wall of the execution ground.
There was a sudden riot in the crowd, and the students of the Hechingen Military Academy dressed as Indians shouted in Indian: "Long live the emperor, long live the Mexican Empire."
He pulled out a pistol from his bosom and fired wildly at the Mexican soldiers who were still in a daze.
Roy Lee fired several shots at the Mexican officials at the execution ground to prevent them from organizing a counterattack.
Suddenly, there was a sound of horse hooves outside the wall, and a group of masked men on horseback broke into the execution ground and galloped to Maximilian I.
Maximilian I looked at the chaotic execution ground with a dazed face. Before he could react, he felt a black screen in front of his eyes and was thrown into a sack.
The students of the Hechingen Military Academy exerted their strength forward and backward and threw Maximilian I, who weighed over 100 kilograms, along with the sack, behind the horse.
With a whistle, all the students of the Heixingen Military Academy in the execution ground mounted their horses and continued to attack the crowd with bullets without cost.
The soldiers at the Mexican execution ground watched helplessly as His Majesty the Emperor was kidnapped by this group of people, and the unlucky execution ground official even died.
…
At ten o'clock in the morning, Juarez received the news that Maximilian I had been kidnapped.
"Bang……"
Juarez slammed his hands on the table in anger, and the Mexican Republican officials dared not say a word.
"Have you identified the target? Is it the French or the Austrians?" Juarez asked.
"Mr. President, according to the survivors, there were about 40 to 50 of them, equipped with horses, and they had buried explosives at the execution ground in advance. After investigation, it is very likely that our soldiers were bribed by them for intelligence, so they were able to find the location of the execution ground."
"Because we were not prepared, they caught us off guard and we were unable to organize an effective counterattack on the spot. The enemy did not leave any wounded or dead bodies behind."
Juarez said: "The point is, we must first figure out who the enemy is, rather than replaying the process of the incident."
"Mr. President, according to the descriptions of the suspects provided by the eyewitnesses at the scene, they are indeed Indians and speak Indian dialects. But we know that this is impossible! So these are most likely Mexican desperados hired by the French."
Juarez is an Indian, so government officials certainly cannot say that this incident was planned by Indians. Moreover, the students of the Hechingen Military Academy have Asian faces, just like Indians. The Mexicans could not imagine that someone would use people from the Far East to participate in Mexican affairs.
After a period of analysis, the Mexican authorities did not obtain any useful information.
At this time, Maximilian I was stuffed into a carriage and rushed madly towards the west coast of Mexico with a group of students from the Hechingen Military Academy.
At this time, no matter how stupid Maximilian I was, he knew that someone had saved him, but two of his generals, Miguel Miramon and Thomas Messi, were still at the execution ground.
Maximilian I also tried to communicate with the students of the Hechingen Military Academy, but Ernst had already given orders that all students were not allowed to speak to Maximilian I.
The mission of the students of the Hechingen Military Academy on this trip to Mexico was to bring Maximilian I back to Europe.
In order to prevent Maximilian I from doing bad things, Ernst particularly emphasized that the students should treat Maximilian I as a piece of wood.
…
The next day, noon.
After a day and night of frantic travel, during which several horses died of exhaustion, the group finally reached the coast as agreed upon in advance.
A Hechingen ocean-going vessel that had recently been on a mission in Alaska had already been waiting here. They sent out a small boat to take the students of the Hechingen Military Academy and Maximilian I onto the ship.
With the roar of steam, the ship left Mexico and headed towards Alaska, and everyone was safe.
(End of this chapter)
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