French Empire: But Napoleon IV

Chapter 50: The discussion inside the old tavern, the meeting between the two sides.

"Tonight at eight o'clock, Old Carpenter's Tavern, usual spot."

Having confirmed the information and knowing that the Republicans had taken the bait, Drema held the note up to the candle and lit it. The flame licked at the paper, quickly reducing it to ashes.

Drema himself tucked the pocket watch into his pocket, changed into a faded civilian outfit, put on a wide-brimmed hat, and quietly slipped out of the headquarters through the back door.

This action went unnoticed by the two guards at the door, allowing the former commander to run away.

The Old Carpenter's Tavern is located in a dead-end alley in the 18th Montmartre borough. As a meeting point, the tavern's facade is extremely dilapidated to avoid attracting attention, with the paint on the sign almost completely peeling off.

The owner, John, was an old comrade-in-arms of Drema's father and one of the Republican Party's most loyal underground liaisons. Since the Bourbon Restoration, this tavern had been a secret meeting place for Republicans.

By eight o'clock in the evening, it was completely dark in Paris.

Drema, who had strolled out, lowered the brim of his hat, looked around for a moment, and only after confirming that there was no tail did he push open the wooden door of the tavern.

The tavern was dimly lit and filled with the smell of tobacco and cheap absinthe. Several men who looked like workers sat in a corner drinking and talking in hushed tones.

This was clearly abnormal. If a secret policeman had come in, he probably would have questioned them. After all, what worker would talk in hushed tones while drinking, instead of speaking in a voice that could practically lift the tavern ceiling?

Ignoring the abnormal "workers," Drema immediately focused his attention on old John behind the bar, wiping glasses, as soon as he entered the tavern.

When he saw Drema enter, old John's eyes flickered, and then he subtly gestured towards the innermost cubicle.

Drema nodded knowingly and walked straight to the cubicle with the coarse cloth curtain hanging on the door. Inside the cubicle, Senucci, who had personally come to the rescue, was already sitting there.

The banker was dressed in a gray worker's uniform, his face covered in soot, and he looked no different from an ordinary dockworker.

Upon seeing Drema enter, the banker's arrogance prevented him from rising to greet the disgraced French colonel; he simply gestured to the seat opposite him, indicating that Drema should sit down.

"Long time no see, Drema."

Even in the past, whether as a banker and commander of the gendarmerie in Paris or behind the scenes, he was guided by republican ideas.

Both of these identities meant that Senucci and Drema had met and interacted before. When the "old friends" met, Senucci spoke in a very low voice, and Drema could sense Senucci's wariness towards him.

"It's been over a decade; I thought you'd forgotten this place."

"Some places you'll never forget in your entire life."

Knowing his task was extremely difficult, Drema sat down and placed the pocket watch he had tucked into his pocket on the table. He opened the watch cover to reveal a yellowed photograph inside.

This was a carefully prepared weapon by Drema, a tool to ensure his infiltration of the Republican Party. The photo was a picture of Drema's father, who had also served in the military, and Senucci when they were young.

Upon seeing this photo, and given that the Republican Party itself was also interested in contacting Drema, continuing to be wary would not be beneficial in winning him over, Senucci's gaze softened considerably.

The banker picked up his pocket watch, gently stroking the face in the photograph, before speaking after a long pause. Drema, upon hearing Senucci's words, responded with a self-deprecating retort.

"Tell me, why are you looking for me? You're a colonel in the Empire now. Aren't you afraid of losing your head if you get involved with us 'rebels'?"

"Losing my head? I'm practically dead now. That brat Eugène let Pierre take my place and left me hanging like a useless old dog."

"I've served the Bonaparte family for over a decade, and now I can only watch helplessly as they drag France into war and ordinary people starve to death in the streets. I've had enough."

Drema's background was not good; his father had significant ties to the Republican Party, which was the starting point for Drema, who came from a middle-class family, to be influenced by republican ideas in his early years.

To be honest, Drema's background is anything but ordinary; his father's death was related to a Republican uprising.

However, this extremely unfavorable background, which would have affected Drema's future career path, became Drema's most advantageous tool for infiltrating the Republican Party.

"My father died for the Republic, but I served as a lackey for our enemy for over a decade just to survive. For years, I've lived in constant guilt. Now, I want to make amends for my mistakes."

Senucci listened quietly without saying a word; he didn't believe a word Drema said.

However, he was somewhat convinced of Drema's intention to align himself with the Republicans. The Republicans were well aware that Drema had been having a difficult time lately, and under such circumstances, it wasn't surprising that he wanted to seek other political parties to continue his career.

Senucci, who believed he had seen through the truth, didn't say much. Instead, he took out a small notebook from his pocket, turned to a page, and found it filled with names and dates.

"In 1859, you released three printers who had been arrested by the gendarmerie; in 1864, you tipped us off in advance, allowing Mr. Blanqui to escape arrest; in 1868, you secretly funded striking textile workers. You did all of these things, didn't you?"

Drema was taken aback. He hadn't expected that the other party would know about some of the things he had done when he was aligned with the Republic. He then nodded and admitted that there was nothing to hide.

However, in admitting it, Drema also realized that if the Republicans knew about this, then perhaps His Highness also knew.

Knowing all this, His Highness still trusted him and promised to promote him to Major General afterward, which only strengthened Drema's resolve.

Unaware that Drema was more loyal to Eugène Senucci, the banker assumed Drema was truly an old republic like his father. Therefore, the banker closed his notebook and softened his tone.

"It's me, and this is all I can do."

"Alright, Drema, I'm willing to believe you. However, Drema, you should know that our current strategy is to lie low. Mr. Gambit believes that the Prussian army hasn't reached Paris yet, the foundation of the empire hasn't been shaken, and to start a rebellion now would be tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock."

"I'm not asking you to revolt now, I just want to tell you that I'm willing to stand by your side. The commanders of the six battalions of the military police were all trained by me."

Most of them come from working-class families and have long been dissatisfied with the Empire. If I give the call, all three thousand-plus gendarmes will follow me. I can help you gather intelligence and monitor the defenses of Paris; when you feel the time is right, we can act together.”

Perhaps feeling that words alone were not convincing enough, Drema also presented a tangible, immediate benefit. He took out a roll of parchment from his pocket and spread it out on the table.

"This is a defense map of all the police stations, gendarmes, and the Tuileries Palace in Paris. It shows the troop strength, weaponry, and shift change times for each post. This is something I've accumulated bit by bit over the past twenty years; consider it my pledge of allegiance."

Actually, this was given to Drema by Eugène as a key tool for him to infiltrate the Republican Party.