Father of France

Chapter 188 The Restoration of Emperor Baoda

It's perfectly normal for people in central Vietnam, represented by Hue, to have this idea, as it was the capital of the Kingdom of Vietnam.

After the Nguyen Dynasty continued its southward expansion, the Vietnamese royal family realized that the country was too far apart from south to north, so they moved the capital to Hue. In fact, given Hue's conditions, its only advantage was its location.

There are always some supporters in the capital, so the royalist party that supports Bao Dai is mainly concentrated in central Vietnam.

For most farmers who toil day and night for a living, the distant political struggles may be perplexing.

Their primary concerns are security, land, and basic necessities. They tend to support whoever can provide them with a stable life. They maintain a "wait-and-see" attitude towards Bao Dai and the Viet Minh, and their loyalty often depends on the local de facto ruler and their policies.

In any case, the restoration of Emperor Baodai has reached a crucial step, and Koeman's trip to Hong Kong can be declared a complete success in advance. He also accompanied Ava Gardner to take a tour of the 40,000 square meters of land he bought, which Koeman thought could be transformed into public facilities and several light industrial plants.

This is to facilitate demolition after the land is developed into a real estate development. The value of this plot of land should increase fortyfold after more than twenty years.

Moreover, by then it won't just be a matter of buying houses. The value of building a few office buildings and attracting multinational corporations will far exceed the returns from residential buildings.

“I don’t believe it, unless you can buy a piece of land there too.” Ava Gardner thought Koman’s words were too optimistic and was deeply skeptical.

“I’m going to use the money to build a children’s welfare home. I also spent some money in Bangkok to help Louis Fida expand its business.”

Although Koeman made a fortune from the Americans by exploiting the oil resources in Vietnamese waters, he still had many other expenses. For example, the issue of the illegitimate child in France required money.

Koeman has no sympathy for anyone, not even children. However, from the perspective of public morality, he must also demonstrate his attitude towards the vulnerable.

A gentleman judges by actions, not intentions. He did indeed keep Martin's side informed about the plight of French orphans and provided assistance to the best of his ability.

“So you had a heart.” Ava Gardner said as if she had discovered something unusual. “I thought you were always cracking down on the disadvantaged.”

“There are no vulnerable groups among adults.” Koeman immediately recognized this as a reference to Ava Gardner, the French women exiled to North Africa, and quickly changed the subject. “Okay, I admit women are more likely to elicit sympathy. So, what do you think of the script I told you about? Are you going to use French actors or American actors?”

“I’m having a tough time in Hollywood myself, so I want to give other women a chance.” Ava Gardner’s words are completely at odds with her face, and are full of incongruity. “Finding some younger girls would be more in line with the role of an International Red Cross nurse.”

Koeman did a decent job as the straight man, giving Ava Gardner plenty of emotional depth. The film didn't need to be too polished, since it's a story about Vietnam anyway.

The United States' consistent style and its superficial understanding of other countries' cultures are also reflected in the film with a great deal of disrespect.

The United States' impression of the conical hats of the great Eastern power is actually based on Vietnam, and the conical hats of the great Eastern power are not as small as those of Vietnam.

In areas where the US doesn't respect the cultures of other countries, it's not that it's targeting anyone in particular; it's always been like this. American movies have featured characters being cuckolded by the French and British kings—they probably wouldn't make movies without such plots.

As for the love story between Emperor Baoda and Empress Nanfang, there are no conditions to bring it to the screen right now. Koman originally wanted to use this tragic love story to add points for Emperor Baoda.

The other member of this trip to Hong Kong was not neglected by Koeman either. He is destined to shine in Vietnamese politics, and there may be opportunities to meet him again in the future.

However, when Wu Tingyan heard Koman's admiration for Eastern culture, such polite words, she couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. "Judge Koman clearly understands Chinese countries better."

Even you shouldn't say it out loud! Fortunately, Koman's skin has always been thick enough to withstand the test, and he said indifferently, "There's nothing I can do about it. Who can blame him for being so realistic in this world?"

He meant that Vietnam wasn't qualified. His words might have sounded harsh, but that was the truth.

Could it be that the threat to the white world that Wilhelm II spoke of was the Mongols?

Or perhaps the United States is not treating everyone equally. When evaluating the world's mainstream culture, besides being number one itself, it should rank Vietnam, not the major Eastern power, as number two.

The funniest thing about this US ranking is that Koeman thought the US was being ranked as a representative of the English-speaking world, but when he saw that the UK was also included in the ranking, it became quite ridiculous.

If the English-speaking world were to choose a country to represent it, ranking it first would be understandable. But if the UK and the US were to be ranked separately, does the US even have a culture? Isn't it all British culture?

In fact, the United States ranks the major Eastern power second in most fields, and in some areas, even the major Eastern power itself feels that it has not reached that position.

Take culture as an example. Many people feel that their country's culture is not widely disseminated around the world.

But that doesn't stop the US from thinking this way. Aside from military rankings, which are truly crucial and concern the very foundation of the US, most countries in the world likely recognize that strength is paramount. Once you have the strength, all sorts of problems will fall into place naturally and cease to be issues.

Don't say that Western countries' views are too much like the law of the jungle; even Vietnam itself thinks so, otherwise it wouldn't be trying so hard to squeeze into East Asian countries.

Among the countries surrounding the Eastern superpower, Vietnam is arguably the most helpless. Japan, having been wealthy for a long time and indeed reaching the position of the world's second-largest economy, has already begun to lose its composure.

South Korea's mentality was even more explosive. South Korea's period of prosperity was actually very short. It only began to gain an economic advantage over the major Eastern powers in the 1990s, and then it was exploited again during the 1998 Asian financial crisis, which took several more years to recover. It wasn't until the early 21st century that it developed the mentality of "the serfs have finally sung their praises."

However, South Korea's small size and short period of prosperity meant it was quickly overwhelmed by the powerful Eastern nation, especially in the military sphere, leaving it feeling uneasy. Although South Korea didn't enjoy its wealth for very long, it still had this much time left.

Vietnam is completely lacking in everything, with a much lower per capita income and a very weak national strength. The only consolation is that the national system is similar. If you are a citizen who supports socialism, you will feel much better, at least you can prove that you have not gone down the wrong path.

Before accompanying Emperor Bau Dai back to French Indochina, Coman had already contacted the Governor's Office to announce the news of Bau Dai's return in Hue. General Dassanliu arranged for a regiment of French troops to be stationed in Hue to maintain order.

When they set off from Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, the people of Hue already knew the news that Emperor Bao Dai had been restored to the throne. People spread the word and did not even care when they saw French soldiers entering the city.

On the day Emperor Bao Dai arrived in Hue, the ancient imperial city of Hue, in front of the Khai Dinh Gate, was already submerged by a surging crowd.

People held up that long-unseen bright yellow flag with a golden dragon—the symbol of the Nguyen Dynasty.

The members of the royalist party were mostly elders dressed in traditional Ao Dai, officials and gentry of the old dynasty, and farmers from the central region. They held dragon flags, looked up expectantly, and their eyes shone with an almost religious devotion.

"His Majesty is coming back! He has finally returned to the capital!" An elderly minister with white hair, wearing a faded purple court robe, said to the young man beside him with a choked voice, as if announcing the return of an era.

In the distance, the sound of car engines could be heard. A convoy of French-made black sedans and motorcycle escorts slowly crossed the Changqian Bridge over the river, heading towards the imperial city.

The crowd erupted in cheers, "Long live! Long live!" crashing against the ancient city walls like a tidal wave.

As the lead car door opened, the first thing that caught the eye was spotless leather shoes, followed by a well-tailored white suit.

Emperor Baoda stepped forward calmly. He did not choose the traditional dragon robe, but appeared as a modern monarch. His gaze behind the gold-rimmed glasses was calm and complex as he swept over the city that he knew yet was unfamiliar with, and over the people who were crazy for him.

He waved to the crowd, which sparked even more fervent cheers. The royalist leaders, at the forefront of the crowd, were so excited they almost knelt down. They saw a "third possibility" for Vietnam beyond war and French colonization—independence and modernization under the monarchy. They temporarily ignored the presence of French military and police in the Imperial City.

An elderly royalist, trembling, held a scroll embroidered with gold thread and loudly recited his blessings for the return of Emperor Baoda, the monarch.

Emperor Baoda nodded slightly as he walked across the wide square in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, his footsteps echoing in the silence. This was the place where he had announced his abdication; today, he returned as the head of state.

Having ascended the steps of the imperial city, Emperor Baoda looked at the sea of ​​supporters and, completely unlike the indifferent demeanor he had displayed before Koeman in Hong Kong, loudly proclaimed, "I have returned! I have returned to the land of our ancestors, to the heart of our nation!"

"A year ago, I chose to leave for the sake of the country's peace and unity. But today, seeing our land torn apart and our compatriots killing each other, I can no longer stand idly by. I will shoulder my mission and, within the framework of the French Federation, strive for the greatest autonomy and glory for Vietnam!"

"What we need is not a bloody revolution, but orderly evolution! Not a division fueled by hatred, but a unity based on inclusiveness!"

His words were repeatedly interrupted by cheers. Dragon flags waved, forming a golden sea.

In the eyes of countless royalists and ordinary people, at this moment, history seemed to turn back to its rightful page. The glory of the past and the hope for the future intertwined in the sky above the imperial city of Hue.

A Citroën sedan was parked in the distance. Coman, who hadn't gotten out of the car, was leaning against the edge of the window with his chin resting on the back of his hand. All he could see from there were heads, all of them supporters of Emperor Baoda.

"Honey, what are you looking at?" Ava Gardner pressed her body against his from behind, making Koman feel two soft mounds against his back.

"This is a rare sight, of course we should watch carefully. If we miss it, we won't see it again." Koeman didn't turn around. He was wondering if Zhang Xun's restoration back then was similar to this scene?
Fortunately, the Qing Dynasty was a minority ethnic group. If it had been a royal family that truly represented the Han people, the struggle between the royalists and the republicans would have lasted for who knows how long.

The imperial system of this great Eastern power lasted for more than two thousand years. With this inertia, the royalist faction would become unimaginably large.

The test for Emperor Bao Dai has only just begun. Can the cheers of Saigon, the French Indochina Governor-General's Office, and the Viet Minh in the north be dispersed?

(End of this chapter)