Father of France

Chapter 187 Persuading Emperor Baoda

This was not Bao Dai’s first attempt at restoration. The royalists in Vietnam had once pinned their hopes on Thuc Duc, hoping he could eliminate the Viet Minh.

However, when it comes to foreign interference, the allies have always remained unmoved. They have been full of nationalist slogans, but have never taken any concrete actions. The Vietnamese royalists placed their hopes on the General Secretary, which was similar to placing their hopes on Puyi. In any case, it was impossible, so what was the point of their imagination?
It has only been a year since Bódár abdicated, but a year may not seem like a long time. Bódár's luck turned around, and he got another opportunity in France.

Relying solely on military force was insufficient; France needed to find a figurehead in Vietnam to unify the non-Vietnamese Union forces. Thus, Emperor Bao Dai was once again brought to mind.

France needed to find a figure with equal or greater "national symbolic" significance to counter Ho Chi Minh. Bao Dai, as a former monarch, still wielded considerable influence in central and southern Vietnam, as well as among some upper-class individuals.

Koeman didn't hide this fact; there was no need to hide it. They were all adults with advisors around them, and it wasn't some profound scheme. Did they think they wouldn't understand?
"I want Vietnam to be independent?" Emperor Bao Dai was quite insistent on this point. If France did not agree to Vietnam's independence, he would be seen as a traitor upon his return.

"Of course, but only after defeating the Viet Minh, or rather, after His Majesty is able to control the political situation in Vietnam and prevent the dangerous ideas of the Viet Minh from spreading to other countries."

Koman lied without batting an eye, his tone full of certainty; if he didn't agree, he might not be able to take the other person away.

Moreover, before the other party was taken away, all conditions had to be agreed to. If Puyi knew that after he left with the Japanese, even appointing his brother-in-law as a lieutenant colonel would be met with fierce criticism from the Kwantung Army, he certainly wouldn't have agreed so readily.

Having learned from this experience, France certainly cannot treat Emperor Bao Dai as a complete puppet; some power must indeed be shared.

Even though Coman agreed so readily, Emperor Bóda still said he needed to think about it and asked Coman to wait a little while, because he knew what the French were up to, and also how much his reputation would be affected if he got entangled with the French.

“Then from today onwards, I will come to see His Majesty once a day. I believe that with more contact, we will recognize each other’s value.” Koman was already certain that if he made things clear, Emperor Baoda would come out of seclusion.

Koman is already twenty years old. He doesn't mind having too many achievements. The rank of major can't be a seal that covers him. There's a dragoon waiting for him to become a general.

To persuade Emperor Bao, one must first let him know that this monarch still has support. Koman knew in his heart that Emperor Bao was just a Puyi, but he absolutely could not let Emperor Bao also think of himself as Puyi.

General Da Shangliu believed that Koman had his own understanding of Vietnamese affairs, so he began to look for monarchs in similar situations in Vietnamese history, but quickly gave up. After all, he was not a real Vietnamese and his grasp of historical materials was relatively limited. With such a tight schedule, he could not find a template in hundreds of years of history.

They must return to their comfort zone. In the past few centuries, the only successful restoration in the great Eastern country was by Zhu Qizhen, who can be considered a template to be borrowed, but the domestic and international situations are not very similar.

The only similarity between Emperor Baoda and Zhu Qizhen was that they were able to restore the throne, but even after the restoration, there were still major enemies to deal with, and the Yue Alliance was still in place.

Zhu Qizhen seemed to have no internal or external troubles. If we're talking about internal and external troubles, we should look to the end of a dynasty for a model; the gloomy-faced Koman almost showed signs of losing his appetite.

"Why think so much about supporting a monarch?" Ava Gardner lit a cigarette, took a puff, and then bent down to place the lit cigarette in Koman's mouth.

"Hiss..." After taking a deep breath, Coman exhaled a smoke ring. "It's not that simple. There aren't many monarchies left these days. Even those who have been monarchs are inevitably affected. At the same time, don't underestimate the hatred these Eastern countries harbor towards us. They may not show it, but it certainly exists."

Leaving aside Burma, which became part of British India, Thailand, Vietnam's former neighbor, was also a powerful nation with a territory exceeding one million square kilometers.

Originally, Thailand was a neighboring country of the Eastern Power, but after the actions of the former rulers Britain and France, Thailand is no longer a neighbor of the Eastern Power or Vietnam, having lost 50 percent of its territory.

Therefore, it was normal for Bau Dai to feel that he might be rejected by France in the fight against the Viet Minh, as Coman had already determined that he would be rejected.

"Darling, could you help us film a story praising the love between Emperor Bao Dai and Empress Nam Phuong? We need your Hollywood connections. Once I bring this Vietnamese monarch back, you can add another filming project to the mix." Koman couldn't think of any heroic or ambitious aspects of Emperor Bao Dai that could be portrayed, so he could only think of something through his love story.

“There are very few Asian faces in Hollywood,” Ava Gardner said with a troubled expression. “And even if there are a few, we don’t know if they are suitable.”

"Is that so? Let's talk about it later." Koman wanted to suggest finding material in Hong Kong, but then he suddenly remembered that the filmmakers in Shanghai hadn't fled, so what filmmakers were there in Hong Kong?

It's certain that I'll share the burden for the country, and manned spaceflight must also be carried out. It's wrong to sacrifice personal interests for public or vice versa. As the devil's claws reached out, Ava Gardner raised an eyebrow and whispered, "I love your shameless face. Everyone else's badness is fake, but you are truly bad."

After feeding Ava Gardner a baguette, Coman, having matured considerably over the years, decided to combine the Ming and Qing dynasties into a story, turning one into two. He planned to use Zhu Qizhen's restoration to inspire the emperor when they arrived at his villa the next day.

"I know this emperor; his life story is truly legendary." To Coman's surprise, Emperor Baoda displayed a very deep understanding of history.

That's why I say you're the Little China of the South!
Koeman even doubted whether Emperor Bao Dai was so knowledgeable about Vietnamese history, even though it wasn't exactly obscure in this major Eastern country. It was astonishing that a Vietnamese monarch knew it.

"Actually, people from all walks of life in central and southern Vietnam still have great affection for His Majesty." Coman coughed lightly and continued, "You can think of present-day Vietnam as the Qing Dynasty during the Xianfeng era. Although the Viet Minh has misled many people from the lower classes, with the support of the middle class and the help of France, there is a great chance of restoring order."

The biggest event during the Xianfeng era was the Taiping Rebellion, which lasted throughout his reign.

By selecting this period, Koeman intended to tell Emperor Bódár that his reign was not yet over.

The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom did have an impact on the Qing Dynasty, but it had absolutely no chance of replacing it; it was simply too unpopular.

During the Taiping Rebellion, more than a dozen Qing Dynasty governors and viceroys died in battle. If you include lower-ranking officers and county magistrates, the number of casualties is close to a thousand. However, after more than a decade, only a handful of officials surrendered.

It can be said that not even one in a province could produce one. One reason for this situation is that the Qing army had its own military laws, and when encountering bandits, local Qing officials would directly transfer the responsibility to military officials without prior notification.

Upon being transferred to the position of military leader, military law immediately came into effect, stipulating that one was responsible for defending the territory, and that losing land would implicate one's entire family.

This military law was, of course, added by the politically astute Emperor Qianlong himself, based on the existing military law.

Therefore, during wartime, if officials could not defeat the Qing Dynasty, they would choose to commit suicide to avoid being implicated.

Another aspect is that the Taiping army's combat strength was inferior to that of the Qing army. Most Taiping soldiers did not have several times the number of troops, and they could not even maintain a stalemate.

Koman used this example to tell Bao Dai that the Viet Minh could only be said to be attractive to some of the lower classes, and that the forces that did not like the Viet Minh, when combined, were definitely a force to be reckoned with.

Moreover, the French army could help. So why invite Emperor Bao Dai now? It's because France cannot directly govern Vietnam. The restoration of order at the grassroots level in Vietnam still requires the Vietnamese government to send officials to manage it.

As for Vietnam's independence, it can be achieved through a gradual process.

"Is this really the French government's intention?" After Coman's serious analysis, citing precedents, Emperor Paul also felt that the dynasty might really be nearing its end.

He was the legitimate emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty, not Prince Sihanouk, so the Vietnamese people were completely indifferent, as if they were seeing a local chieftain.

“I believe that once the news of His Majesty’s return to Vietnam spreads, you will be greeted by a massive, overwhelming welcome when you disembark on Vietnamese soil,” Coman concluded decisively, leaving no other possibility but to bribe his way out. “Actually, we can let the Vietnamese people know first that His Majesty wants to lead them. We can observe their reaction first.”

"Of course I know that cooperation with France was an unavoidable key factor in the process of independence. It was also the least costly approach."

Emperor Bao Dai felt that one refusal was enough, and there was no need for repeated refusals in front of the French. He believed that things would change over time, so he had already expressed his willingness to cooperate when he spoke.

"This is a wise decision." Coman breathed a sigh of relief, and then contacted the French Consulate in Hong Kong to inform General Dassanio that Emperor Baodai was willing to come out of retirement.

Soon, with the approval of the French Indochina Governor-General's Office, major French-controlled newspapers were allowed to report the news that Emperor Baodai had accepted the French invitation and returned to power.

The news immediately sparked a strong reaction, especially among people in central Vietnam, who cheered with joy.

The former officials of the Hue court, Confucian scholars, and royalists in central China were naturally overjoyed at the return of Emperor Bao Dai. They hoped to restore the traditional social order and their own status.

(End of this chapter)