Chapter 72: Derailment

Meanwhile, Napoleon on the battleship was unusually excited. After 16 months of campaigning, he had finally returned to the embrace of his homeland. This feeling was exhilarating, especially when he saw the cheering crowds, confirming the French people's enthusiastic welcome. He shouted loudly, "Thank you for your enthusiasm! We have just returned from overseas and must first undergo quarantine and health checks!"

However, the enthusiastic crowd forgot about this health regulation and continued to cheer relentlessly. Even when officials came to enforce the quarantine, people shouted, "Even if he is infected with the plague, we welcome him, but we will never allow the Austrians to set foot here!"

"The people's welcome is beyond reason; it seems that the situation in France is indeed very dire, and they are all eagerly anticipating my return. Timing is everything, and my return is just in time," Napoleon thought to himself as he looked at the excited crowd around him.

After a long time, Napoleon finally escaped from the enthusiastic crowd. At that moment, he received a letter that read: "Dear Commander of the Expeditionary Force, the Directory welcomes you back to France, and Paris welcomes you and your brave soldiers!"

"Hmph! These incompetent rulers, now they remember me!" Napoleon snorted disdainfully after reading the letter, crumpling it into a ball and throwing it away.

Napoleon decided to rest here for a few days, so he wrote a reply to the Directory, saying, "Egypt is under our control, with no issues. Rest assured. But upon hearing of your troubles, my first thought is that no matter the danger, I am obliged to stay in Egypt, ensuring that France's other problems will be personally resolved by me, Napoleon."

This letter would reach Paris before Napoleon did, intending to let them know who was coming and how important he, Napoleon, was to all of France.

As the letter spread, news of Napoleon's successful landing in France also spread rapidly. Celebratory gunfire greeted his arrival, a scene not even enjoyed by the former French Emperor Louis.

Bodin, one of the most famous deputies, died from excessive excitement upon hearing the news of Napoleon's return.

...

On October 16, Napoleon finally arrived in Paris, where the welcoming atmosphere reached its peak.

However, just before entering Paris, Napoleon hesitated, his mind filled with countless questions. "Where is Josephine? She hasn't written to me in a long time! Where are my brothers now? Why hasn't any family come to see me? Where could Josephine be? Will she still welcome me?"

Upon hearing the news of Napoleon's return, the members of the parliament, who were in session, decided to adjourn and stood up to applaud for a long time. The streets and alleys of Paris were swept spotlessly clean, and the main intersections were decorated with floral arches. The Paris garrison was ecstatic, cheering wildly for the conqueror of Egypt. Paris newspapers published the news of Napoleon's return, and overnight, the news spread like wildfire. People raised their glasses in celebration, cheering excitedly for his return. Wherever there were gatherings, people talked about one thing: Napoleon was back!

Napoleon was deeply moved by the people's almost frenzied welcome. He instantly realized that all the hardships he had endured during his campaigns were worth it. This was the greatest reward for the people's loyalty and reaffirmed the importance of the army, as it was his army that had won the victory and brought him such immense honor.

The people of Paris held a grand banquet for Napoleon and his army, which lasted for a long time. After the banquet, Napoleon and his generals dispersed, leaving only Roland and Napoleon in the crowd. Roland took on the responsibility of escorting the drunken Napoleon home.

After nearly a year and a half of campaigning in Egypt, Napoleon was exhausted. He returned home late at night, longing to see his wife Josephine. It had been a year and a half since he last saw her.

However, he was disappointed: Josephine was not at home. When Napoleon arrived at his house, the front door was tightly locked. Inside, her two children from her previous marriage to Hortense and Eugène were fast asleep (these children were not biologically related to Napoleon).

"How strange, where could Josephine be?" Napoleon pondered, looking around the empty room in confusion.

"Aunt might be busy," Roland said uncertainly.

"Impossible!" Napoleon retorted emphatically. "Josephine is not a diligent woman."

Then he added, "But where could she be so late?" Suddenly, an unpleasant thought crossed his mind. Others might not know, but as Josephine's husband, Napoleon knew she was not a virtuous woman.

"I'm home now; you can leave me here." Just as Napoleon was deep in thought, a familiar female voice sounded—it was his wife, Josephine.

"It's really hard to part now," said another voice, belonging to a strange man.

Hearing this strange man's voice, Napoleon's face turned pale. Roland's expression also became peculiar. Although he had never had a girlfriend, he understood clearly what was happening.

"I've heard rumors about Josephine's infidelity, but I never thought I'd catch her in the act," Roland thought, glancing secretly at Napoleon. Being cuckolded in front of his nephew was an unbearable feeling.

Sensing Roland's gaze, Napoleon became furious and rushed outside to see who dared to be so bold.

When he reached the doorway, he saw his wife looking quite happy, chatting and laughing with a young officer at the door.

"Ah! Napoleon, when did you return?" Josephine, startled by the nearby commotion, turned and saw Napoleon striding towards her. Panic overtook her as her secret was uncovered, and she blurted out to Napoleon, obviously flustered.

"I arrived at noon. The entire city came out to greet me. Didn't you know?" Napoleon's inner fire burned even more fiercely with her question. It was absurd that the whole town knew of his return, but his own wife did not.

"I... I forgot. You know I have a poor memory..." Josephine, sensing Napoleon's anger, answered nervously, trying to defend herself.

"I don't want to hear your excuses. Tell me, who is he?" Napoleon demanded loudly, pointing at the young officer standing next to Josephine.

"Madame Josephine, it seems you have other plans. I'll take my leave now," the young officer, realizing the gravity of the situation after Napoleon's outburst, understood he had made an unforgivable mistake. He quickly bid farewell to Josephine and left in a hurry, almost as if fleeing.

"Dear, let me explain," Josephine said anxiously, turning to Napoleon after the young officer had fled, a hint of disappointment in her eyes.

"I don't want to hear you speak; explain yourself to God," Napoleon shouted, pulling his hand away from hers. He then stormed off, locking the iron gate behind him to prevent Josephine from entering his house.

During Napoleon's 16 months of campaigning in Egypt, Josephine, unable to resist her boredom, had an affair with a young officer named Charles. The foolish woman didn't even know when her husband would return, leading to the earlier scene.

In his anger, Napoleon locked Josephine out. Outside, she regretted her actions and broke down in tears, waking her two children, Hortense and Eugène. At the children's pleading, Napoleon eventually allowed her back into the house.