Unplanned funding? Talleyrand said.

"Yes, it was supposed to be the eleventh tax for the Holy See. Now we have temporarily withheld the money. At least until the problem is finally resolved, the control of this money is in our hands. Metternich replied, "Last time I remember you saying that if money is left motionless in the treasury, it is no longer money. I think there should be a lot of investment opportunities in maintaining free trade at sea. See if we can have a chance to work together......"

"This, this question, you know, my friend, I can't give you an answer right away. But I'll help you find out...... After all, our two countries are friendly countries with the same beliefs. ”

Talleyrand did keep his promise and informed Napoleon of the news.

"What do you think the Austrians mean by these enumerations, Mr. Talleyrand?" When Napoleon heard the news, he asked.

"Your Excellency, I think the Austrians are drawing closer to us." "At the same time, they want to test what they can get by moving closer to us. ”

"Go on." Napoleon said.

"Your Excellency, I think that the peaceful development of these years has made Austria realize that the gap between them and ours is widening, and that it has become impossible to challenge our dominance in Europe. And Austria is again a country with obvious weaknesses. Your Excellency, I have heard you mention that the combat effectiveness of today's armed forces is composed of two aspects. One is weapons and training, and the other is ideas. ”

Napoleon listened and nodded.

"Weapons and training aside, France is now invincible in this regard." Talleyrand continued, "As for ideology, in '93, the French army, which was obviously underequipped and trained, was able to defeat the intervention army in one fell swoop with the support of democratic ideas and patriotic ideas, and by the courage to overwhelm the enemy. However, in today's European countries, anyone can practice patriotism, but Austria cannot practice patriotism, let alone democratic ideas. So they're more vulnerable than ever.

Voltaire said that the Holy Roman Empire was neither sacred, nor Roman, nor empire. Because this country is a feudal hodgepodge, and their domestic ethnicity is too complicated, when it comes to patriotism, there will immediately be people who love Hungary, the Czech Republic, and ...... As for democracy, it is even more impossible to mention. And these things are now becoming mainstream ideas. In this situation, Austria was weakened like never before. He can no longer care about the hegemony of Europe, and all his strength can only be put on how to maintain himself from collapsing. And even if it's just to do that, it's going to be very difficult for them without our support. So, one of their goals now may be to tie their interests to ours as much as possible. ”

When Napoleon heard this, he said, "Minister Talleyrand, you can get a memorandum in this direction, and then I will consult with the others." There's so much important going on......"

The so-called more people, in fact, are not much, and they are basically just a family meeting of the Bonapartes.

"Talleyrand is very talented and discerning." After seeing the documents that Napoleon showed him, Joseph commented, "He almost saw the truth at the bottom." But there are some Austrian guys who are even more powerful, and they are already making their own policies according to the truth at the bottom of the world. ”

"What is the lowest truth in the world?" Lucien asked.

"Lucien, let me ask you, what do you think is the most fundamental difference between people?" Joseph asked suddenly.

"Joseph, your question is too broad and unclear, and I don't know where to start." Lucien protested. Even today, when suddenly asked by Joseph, Lucien unconsciously felt very nervous.

"Okay, I'll just ask you a specific point, which one do you think is the most fundamental difference, cultural differences, or income differences?" Joseph then asked.

This question is much more specific these days, but that doesn't mean it's easy to answer. Lucien thought for a moment, then said, "Well, both of these differences are very important differences, for example, the reason why there are so many countries in Europe is because there are enough cultural differences in Europe. So many different peoples, so many different languages, and all kinds of religions, Catholicism, Protestantism, Orthodoxy, and under each of the big denominations, there were a whole bunch of small denominations, and then the small denominations could divide into more and smaller denominations, and all of that turned Europe into a big pool of fragments......

But the difference in income is also a very important difference, for example, when we were revolutionary, why did we go to other places, whether it was Italy or Austria, as long as we went to the places we were, the people in those places would follow us? The important reason is that we are on the side of low-income people. So income differentials are also very important......"

Lucien spoke for a long time, and Joseph frowned.

"Alright, Lucien, stop talking nonsense, let's just say the conclusion!" Joseph said.

"Oh." Lucien said, "No, there is no process to answer directly, haven't you always denied it?" ”

"Is the process like this?" Napoleon said, "You also call it process?" It's like you're using the method of exhaustion to prove the 'four-color conjecture'! Do you call this the proof process? You're wasting your time, just get straight to the results! ”

"Just the result?" Lucien Road.

"That's right!" The two older brothers said together.

"Oh, well, then I said it...... Well, I don't know. Lucien said, "I haven't thought about it yet." Well, how can such a profound question be answered at once? Well, Joseph, you better just talk about it! ”

Joseph laughed all at once: "Knowing one's ignorance is true wisdom." Lucien, you are very progressive. As for this issue, my opinion is this.

I think that people must first eat, drink, live, and clothe, and then they can engage in politics, science, art, religion, and so on; Therefore, the production of the direct material means of subsistence, and thus a certain stage of economic development of a nation or an era, constitutes the basis from which the state facilities, the views of law, the arts, and even the religious ideas of the people develop, and must therefore be explained by this basis, and not the other way around, as was done in the past. I call this line of thinking: 'The economic base determines the superstructure'. ”