Chapter 690: The Final Suppression
While the battle at the front was still raging, a fierce war was also being waged in the French Bourbon Palace's House of Representatives.
The parliamentarians were making their final move against Charles' faction, led by Gallieni:
"We can't delay any longer. The Germans have reached Dunkirk; we must immediately order Charles to send reinforcements!"
"This is their objective. They want to delay until Dunkirk is occupied, they are traitors to France!"
"Charles is using his position to protect his own interests. He treats the army as his own property. We cannot tolerate his reckless actions, this is shameless dictatorship!"
...
Gallieni coldly gazed at the parliamentarians below, his eyes filled with disdain and anger.
These parliamentarians, who often spoke of "national interests," were actually thinking about how to profit for themselves. Gallieni could not imagine how they could have the audacity to say such things.
However, Gallieni said nothing. He knew arguing with these people was pointless, so he quietly waited for the outcome.
At this moment, Lieutenant Colonel Fernand entered and whispered something into Gallieni's ear. Gallieni's lips curled into a small smile, nodding in satisfaction.
Briand walked up to the podium, standing in front of Gallieni.
He kept his composure, not shouting like the others. He believed that such behavior would only escalate the tension between the parliament and the military by making it appear as though he was attacking Charles, a war hero and figurehead.
He glanced down at the parliamentarians and helplessly said to Gallieni, "I'm afraid, Minister, that we must respect the decision of the parliament, as they represent the citizens of France."
"Yes," Gallieni calmly nodded.
"The parliament's choice is to send reinforcements to Dunkirk," Briand reminded him. "I think there's no need for a vote now, it would be a waste of time. Don't you think?"
"I agree, Mr. Prime Minister," Gallieni answered.
"So," Briand said with a barely noticeable smile, a winner's smile, as he handed over a document. "This is the order for reinforcements to Dunkirk. All you need to do is sign it…"
"I don't think that's necessary, Mr. Prime Minister," Gallieni interrupted, his tone stiff.
"What?" Briand blinked, his expression shifting to a more severe one, his voice laced with threat. "You can't defy the decision of the parliament, Minister. If you do, I'll have no choice but to remove you from your position…"
Gallieni stared into Briand's eyes, unflinching, and said, "You may not know this, but Charles has achieved victory!"
Briand's face changed.
Charles has won?
What victory?
Did he capture the Liege Fortress?
Impossible...
Just then, someone burst through the door, breathless, shouting excitedly with a trembling voice, "He... he's won! Charles, Charles won! He captured Mézières!"
The room erupted in surprise.
Mézières was a well-known industrial city in France. The parliamentarians had heard of it and even had shares in its factories. They all knew that this city was behind the German defense lines, and now Charles had captured it.
Briand stood frozen, shocked. He knew Mézières well. He had visited the city several times while founding the Socialist Party, speaking to workers and learning about their hardships.
(Note: The Socialist Party founded by Briand was mainly composed of the working class.)
Therefore, Briand understood that Mézières was a transportation hub. Even though he didn't know military tactics, he understood its strategic importance.
"No, this is impossible," Briand shook his head after a pause. "Charles cannot have captured Mézières. He's still in Namur, in Belgium."
Despite saying this, Briand felt uneasy.
This was Charles—nothing was impossible for Charles.
The parliamentarians were quickly enlightened by Briand's words, and they began to chime in:
"Yes, Charles is in Belgium. He's separated from Mézières by the Ardennes. How could he have captured it?"
"Did he fly over there?"
"I see now! You're using this fake news to delay the decision, so we don't send reinforcements to Dunkirk!"
...
Gallieni ignored Briand's hesitation. He stood up straight, walking confidently to the podium with a smile on his face:
"Gentlemen, you're right. Belgium and Mézières are separated by the Ardennes."
"But you've forgotten that Charles has already taken Charleroi."
"While we've been arguing over whether to send reinforcements to Dunkirk, Charles' First Armored Division has crossed the Ardennes and reached Mézières."
The room erupted in disbelief.
Could an armored division really cross the Ardennes?
Even Wells and Steed looked shocked.
They were only working with Gallieni to stop the parliament from passing the resolution, and didn't know the full plan.
They had thought Charles was simply protecting his interests in Belgium, but now, it seemed that was not the case.
Amand smiled indifferently.
He didn't care about the outcome—whether the Germans, the French, or the British won. It had nothing to do with him.
He just confirmed one thing: Charles was the rising force, and in the future, no one would be able to challenge his position.
Looking at it this way, following Charles was the right choice, without a doubt!
Gallieni wasn't in a rush. He waited for the parliamentarians to discuss for a moment before adding, "If you want to know whether this is true or not, you can just look at the Germans' reaction."
Many parliamentarians, who had little knowledge of the military, blurted out without thinking:
"What will the Germans do?"
"Should we ask the Germans if this is true?"
...
"Gentlemen!" Lieutenant Colonel Fernand couldn't help but interject: "If Charles really captured Mézières, then the German attack on Dunkirk becomes meaningless. Because, Charles has surrounded the Germans from the rear, including Dunkirk!"
The parliamentarians finally understood:
"So, will the Germans retreat?"
"What happens if they don't retreat?"
"If they don't retreat, they will be doomed, because they won't be able to get more ammunition or reinforcements!"
...
At that moment, someone burst through the door and shouted, "The Germans have retreated! Dunkirk is safe! We've won!"
There was no cheering or applause. The room was so silent that one could hear a pin drop.
Then, someone started clapping weakly, followed by a few others, and soon the entire room erupted into applause, even from the parliamentarians who hadn't wanted Charles to win.
Charles' victory wasn't good for them, but they couldn't help but genuinely admire his success.
Gallieni turned to Briand, glancing at the document in his hand: "Mr. Prime Minister, do I still need to sign this?"
Briand snapped out of his trance. "Oh, no, of course not. That's clearly unnecessary."
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