In the midst of the incomparable noise, the silent Charles, standing in front of the podium under the Speaker's seat, quietly waited for the doomed storm.

Because hundreds of people are gathered together, the cold is driven out of this magnificent building, and it gives people a blazing heat.

One row of seats was taller than the other, and finally it weighed down on the people in the center of the venue like a mountain.

Today, the Palais Bourbon was almost full, and the vast majority of members of the National Assembly were present at the hearings on the War Department.

Hundreds of lawmakers sat in their seats, each looking at the blonde man, who looked excessively young despite his heavy old-fashioned coat. Although his back was to most people, the horseshoe-shaped seating setting was worth feeling the gaze mixed with jealousy, disgust, and even hatred.

The parliamentarians who were sitting precariously seemed to want to use their gaze to form a silent majesty that would intimidate the fledgling youth.

Directly opposite the Charles, the Speaker, Mr. Malast, looked down on him condescendingly, and because of his unkind countenance, his long face looked even more stiff, and his demeanor was focused and fierce, as if he wanted to take advantage of the crowd to flatten him.

[Armand-Marrast, 4), a French politician, became editor-in-chief of the newspaper Le Nacional during the July Dynasty, was elected to the National Assembly after the February Revolution, and joined the Party of Order, becoming one of the main party leaders.

He was extremely opposed to the republicans and provided substantial support in the suppression of the Paris riots by General Kafenac in June 1848. And after that he became the Speaker of the National Assembly. 】

There was little hesitation after Charles asked to appear at the hearing in place of the minister. General San Arnaud immediately agreed to his request - rather than that he would have someone to rap with the deputies in his place.

Today is the day of the hearing, so Charles came to Parliament early.

Thereupon. This group of parliamentarians, most of whom were opponents of the president and the Shire, naturally wanted to disarm him in a highly uncooperative manner.

However, to their surprise, Charles did not have stage fright, and from the beginning he maintained that vague smile on his face. It is not rude, but it does not back down, and there is no stage fright because of the strength of the force.

Hehe, there are quite a few people here today! It's very different from their future juniors.

Seeing this crowded scene, he thought maliciously in his heart.

Yes. Compared to a century and a half later, the French National Assembly today has an unbelievably high attendance.

Or should I say that the parliament of the French Fifth Republic is incredibly insignificant of all democracies?

Exactly one hundred years after Louis Bonaparte's military coup, the highly respected de Gaulle, with the support of his soldiers, also staged a coup d'état, established the Fifth Republic, and then forcibly tamed Parliament.

According to the Constitution of the Fifth Republic, the President can not only dissolve the National Assembly, but also submit bills directly to a referendum (bypassing Parliament). The President has the power to take the necessary measures and issue decrees in accordance with the "extraordinary times", all without the consent of the National Assembly. In addition, according to article 38 of the Constitution, "the Government shall carry out its programme of governance. Parliament may be requested to authorize it to take measures by decree for a certain period of time in respect of matters which are ordinarily within the scope of law". Therefore, the President and the Government declare a state of emergency at any time when necessary. The legislative power of Parliament can then be limited or directly replaced by Parliament.

The same is true for key fiscal powers. The parliament theoretically has the power to decide on the general annual budget of the state, the supplementary budget. and various economic construction bills. However, the preparation of the budget is the responsibility of the Government - as stipulated in Article 40 of the Constitution of the Fifth Republic. The Government may reject proposals and amendments proposed by members of Parliament if the result of their adoption will reduce State revenues or increase or increase State expenditures. This once again gives the final decision on the budget to the government, as the government can use the article to support its budget proposals, and the parliament's right to reject it is null and void.

Under these circumstances, the power and influence of the Parliament of the Fifth Republic were weakened to such an extent that the parliamentarians themselves were not interested in attending the Parliament.

In the Fifth Republic, there are often many unexcused absences from parliament, and attendance is often less than half. At one point, there was a joke that only a few dozen lawmakers were present at the meeting, and each voted instead of a dozen of his colleagues.

It was not until 2008 that the new regulations of the National Assembly, which were amended to the constitution, stipulate that anyone who is absent from more than two committee meetings per month will be fined 25% of the official allowance of the parliamentarians, which barely keeps the absenteeism rate of parliamentarians below one-fifth.

So, in reality, France in the late 20th century and even in the 21st century was a country in which the president had absolute power -- that is, the "democratically elected emperor" advocated by the political theorists of the 19th century.

The unfinished business of Louis Bonaparte was finally completed by Charles de Gaulle, who came from an aristocratic family and in the army; More than a century of struggle between the French army and parliament finally came to an end in his coup d'état.

And I'm ...... Now I'm going to have to bite with this group of monkeys.

With a mixture of regret and excitement, Charles looked at the group of stern councillors in front of him.

After all, it was the first time he had encountered such a scene, and he needed some psychological comfort to make himself look more aggressive and not timid.

The silent contest has been going on for a long time even before the hearings have officially begun, but it has remained a dead race to this day.

The time has come. The noisy council hall was suddenly plunged into a brief moment of loneliness.

"Monsieur de Treville," said the Speaker, perhaps annoyed by the young man's unassuming and unpretentious attitude, "are you here today in place of your minister?" Why hasn't anyone sued us until yesterday? ”

"I'm sorry, sir. The minister fell ill and was suddenly unable to see things. Charles still had that vague smile on his face. "So, although he was more than happy to listen to you and the other councillors, the doctor's instructions kept him from doing so, so he had to let me come as a last resort...... This is a temporary measure, and I ask for your pardon. However, I believe that this will not be an obstacle to today's hearing, as the Minister has entrusted me with full powers to represent him. ”

"So......" the Speaker raised his chin slightly. Can you explain and take responsibility for your minister's actions, as well as your own words and actions today? ”

"No doubt, sir." Charles replied immediately, without hesitation, "I am responsible for everything. ”

"Okay." The Speaker laughed fiercely, and then his voice suddenly rose to almost like a roar. "Could you, then, please explain why the War Office refuses to implement the decision of the National Assembly to establish a force under Parliament?"

"Why not do it?" It was almost as if he had been given a starting pistol, after the Speaker's question. Many lawmakers also clamored at the table. A sea of roars filled Charles' eardrums.

However, the battle did not intimidate the Charles.

"I don't think we're not going to do the decisions of the council, sir." Charles replied calmly. "We just don't know how to interpret this resolution. As we all know, the most important thing for the army is to maintain the consistency of military orders. All the time. Our armed forces are all commanded and mobilized through the command system of the War Department, and now you ask us to establish an army subordinate to another command system. We don't know what to do about fundamentally violating any military rules that we know, so I think we need more time to study and coordinate to see if that's really feasible. ”

"We're not asking you to study, we just need you to obey orders!" The Speaker interrupted him.

A loud uproar was also heard at the same time.

If it were an ordinary young person, he would already be frightened by this formation.

However, Charles had been prepared in advance, so he was not in a hurry.

"Execution is two words, but sometimes it's complicated, sir." He raised his head proudly and looked directly at the speaker, "Let me ask, if one day, let's say tomorrow, a certain country suddenly attacks our country, should we get all our troops ready to meet it as soon as possible, and then mobilize all our troops to fight the enemy to the death, or should we come here first and wait quietly for the decision of the parliament?" Otherwise we will have a large army that will not be able to meet the enemy at all? ”

Perhaps it's because this cross-examination is so effective that most people are dumbfounded.

"So, ever since we heard your opinions, we've been preparing for this to see if there's a way to get the best of both worlds, taking into account the safety concerns of your esteemed legislators without compromising the Army's traditions of honor......

"Parliament is the legislature of the country, which has the power to defend itself, and the power to amend laws and place a guard under its control. Sir, this is not a request, this is an order! After hearing Charles's humble but obviously perfunctory answer, the Speaker finally became furious, "We, in the name of France, order you and the War Office to carry out our decision at once!" ”

"If you're going to mention the Constitution, then ...... I would like to say that according to the constitution of the republic, the president is the supreme leader of the army, and he has dominion over the army...... Any changes to the military system should be approved by the president. Charles frowned hesitantly, "And now, we don't have any form of approval from the president, so if we arbitrarily change the military system without his approval, does this count as respecting the spirit of the rule of law in the republic?" Does this count as respect for parliament? ”

"Are you flouting the council?" The Speaker asked rhetorically, "I remind you that you are responsible for what you said today. ”

"No, I think you misunderstood me, I have the same respect for the Republic, for the President, and for Parliament, so I act according to my duty, and it is really difficult for us to carry out such a decision if the President does not nod. Of course, before that, if you or other councillors and gentlemen feel unsafe, then I am willing to do everything in my power to protect your safety, I can have two more battalions in the ministry, or even one more regiment to defend you......" Charles's expression was gentle and humble, but his tone was almost like a joke, "Of course, if you don't think it's enough, I can also find a way to mobilize more people, as long as the area around the Bourbon Palace can be stuffed!" ”

This answer, because it is really leaky, has aroused the anger of the speaker even more. But even if this fire burned fiercely, it could only be forcibly pressed in his heart.

Because, there is no way for them to openly say that the direct force was created because they did not trust the president and the War Department.

"Judging by your answers, I don't think you're up to the job." The Speaker said coldly, "Perhaps the same is true of your ministers, and we have reason to ask the prime minister to replace him with a more reliable candidate." ”

"There's no doubt that you have the right to do this," Charles bowed his head in the face of the blatant threat.

Just when people thought he was humbling the legislature of the republic, he suddenly raised his head and raised his voice. "So, can I say something about myself in my private capacity?"

"No!" Perhaps he felt that something was wrong, and the speaker stopped him directly, "You were only summoned to the hearing today, and you have no right to speak on your matter!" ”

"You have just accused me of contempt for Parliament, and I think this accusation is very biased and not in line with the facts, because I have great respect for the Republic and the Parliament." Charles looked directly at the other party, and did not back down, "What is really worth debating about is whether this place respects itself?" When millions of citizens of the republic are deprived of their citizenship for no reason, this legislature is defiling its own sanctity......"

"Bang!" "Bang!"

The Speaker tapped his hammer, but to no avail, and Charles continued.

“…… When the president is unknowingly and unjustifiably eroded his authority over the military, the legislature is tarnishing its legitimacy......"

Someone had already approached Charles, and it looked like he was about to be taken out.

There is no doubt that such disrespect for the rules of procedure will be punished - but under the patronage of the President, he will not be punished in any real way.

Charles took a deep breath.

"So, I think, on these issues, the president may need to appeal to the whole people and let the people decide what is right and wrong! Only in this way can the constitution of the republic be guaranteed and the legitimate rights and interests of all citizens respected! ”

"Appeal to the whole people!"

"Appeal to the whole people!"

At this moment, as the president had previously instructed the few parliamentarians who supported Louis Bonaparte, they suddenly burst out of silence and shouted in unison, "Call for a referendum!" ”

The people who came to fight the Charr hesitated in the roar and stopped.

Looking at the group of guys who suddenly jumped up and made a loud noise, Charles couldn't help but feel a sense of disgust in his heart that he was ashamed to be with them.

Ah, our allies are just as nasty as our enemies.

Forget it, sooner or later they will all have to shut up and not be in a hurry.

This sudden blow really made the majority order party a little panicked.

They looked at each other, as if asking why things had come to this point.

Recourse to a referendum - for them is more terrible than losing a power struggle.

If it were someone like Thiers or Malast, he would naturally prefer to fight to the end, but for hundreds of less determined parliamentarians, they could change their doors at any time anyway, so why make such a fuss?

They have managed to deprive millions of citizens of their right to vote, and it is impossible to hope that this qiē will return to the way it was.

In the midst of this rare spectacle of the jubilation of the minority and the silence of the majority, Charles finally felt a burst of joy.

Because he knew that their threatening tactics had worked.

"I repeat, sir, that Your Excellency is ready to add an additional delegation to the Council to make you feel more secure." In front of the staring councillors, Charles smiled and shrugged his shoulders at the Speaker, "Please feel free to give me orders." (To be continued......)