After listening to Joseph's words, Napoleon was silent, he felt that he seemed to have understood what Joseph meant, and if he had to be emperor, Joseph would probably not object too much, but he did not seem to support it too much. Perhaps, in the most Josephian expression, "This is an approximate solution to this problem, but it is only an approximate solution, although it cannot be completely wrong, but it is still 108,000 miles away from the optimal solution." ”

"Of course, Joseph will definitely add a sentence to the end, 'But Napoleon, with your level of intelligence, it has already satisfied me and even surprised me to be able to make such an approximate solution that only deviates from the correct solution for only a few hundred kilometers', which is actually a sarcastic nonsense." Napoleon thought.

Now, Napoleon's mind, or the small goal in front of him, has quietly changed, that is, from how to persuade the eldest brother to accept the imperial system, to what is the optimal solution of the eldest brother?

Napoleon racked his brains for a moment, and then had to admit that he had no idea what Joseph's optimal solution was.

"It's really happy and painful to have such a big brother." Napoleon's head somehow came up with such a sentence.

As the eldest brother, Joseph played the role of almost everyone's father, including Napoleon, who was educated and cared for by him. Although Napoleon would have seized the opportunity often, even if he had the opportunity, to be sarcastic and sarcastic, even he had to admit that without Joseph's help, he would not have been able to have such a position and achievement, at least for now. In a big family, it is of course a happy thing to have such a big brother.

However, having such a big brother is really hurting self-esteem. Napoleon always considered himself a very intelligent man, at least smarter than Lucien, smarter than Louis, smarter than Jérôme...... Phew, blah, blah, presumably smarter than everyone except Joseph—even Laplace—Napoleon admits that he is not as good as Laplace in mathematics, but he thinks it's just a matter of specialization.

However, as soon as he met Joseph, there was no question of 'specialization in art', except for how to attack on the battlefield and how to get His Holiness to donate generously, Napoleon felt as if he was really inferior to his eldest brother. Even many times, it is difficult to even keep up with his train of thought. It's a ...... feeling of being crushed by this IQ being pressed to the ground." "So, a lot of times, Napoleon felt that some guys who were not particularly easy to use and could despise him when he had nothing to do, such as Murat or something, were actually quite cute.

But there are many such things, and Napoleon gradually got used to it, and he couldn't do the correct solution to Joseph's problem, isn't this a very normal thing, what's the big deal? It's really not good, find a time, go out on horseback and hunt foxes together, and make sure that you can crush Joseph out of anger in every game.

"After today's incident has passed, the family will go hunting in Versailles together, so that Joseph can make a good appearance." Napoleon secretly made up his mind.

"Alright, Joseph, stop playing dumb riddles and talk about your 'new rules.'" Napoleon finally decided to tactically admit defeat for the time being.

"Before we settle on this new rule, let's go back to the fundamentals," Joseph said, "for what are we making the rules?" Well, Lucien, you don't just sit there either, the question is relatively simple, you answer. ”

Lucien was a little unhappy: "What do you mean by the relative simplicity of this question, you will answer?" Am I just stupid? ”

But he could only spin this sentence in his head, but he didn't have the courage to say it. Because if he said it, Joseph would immediately throw a slightly more difficult one, but Napoleon would definitely be able to solve it in seconds, and he would embarrass himself with the problem that he couldn't do, and then laugh at himself with Napoleon's unconscionable guy.

"If you have the ability, let's compare who can trick a little girl into bed as quickly as possible?" Of course, he only dared to say this sentence in his heart.

So Lucien obeyed his heart and replied, "Of course, to ensure the interests of our family." ”

"Very good, very well said." Joseph said, "Napoleon, you also have to remember this, this is our real constitution, in terms of priority, take your code, I don't know where to take precedence." Whatever we do, we must not go against that. ”

Napoleon did not resist this statement, he nodded and said, "You still need to say this." It's so simple. ”

"Now, the big question is what are our interests." Joseph went on to say, "And what our strength can gain." Here, in particular, I would like to emphasize not to overestimate our strength, especially you, Napoleon. ”

Joseph looked at Napoleon and said, "You are the most heroic one in our family, and you have a lot of heroic temperament from ancient Greek mythology." It's good, our family needs a hero like this. But you, like many Greek heroes, tend to overestimate yourself and underestimate your enemies. ”

"It doesn't matter, anyway, with you, you can always see difficulties, even if it's just a bean's size." Napoleon sneered at each other with a little unconvinced.

"Isn't it because of you that I'm like this? Do you really think I'm a coward? Joseph said.

Napoleon was silent. Napoleon did believe that Joseph was not a coward. This was proved by Joseph catching up with him and marching side by side with him in the midst of a hail of bullets. Napoleon believed that Joseph, like him, was a brave hero. Napoleon also believed that the reason why Joseph was so conservative, so steady, and so unwilling to take risks was indeed because there were really a little more daredevil in this family. As a big brother, he shoulders the heavy responsibility of the family, how can he do it if he is not stable? But with so many daredevils in our house, aren't you responsible, Joseph?

Of course, the last sentence was just a thought, and Napoleon did not dare to say it.

Since Napoleon didn't say anything more, Joseph continued

"In addition, we also have to take into account the ebb and flow of family power. Sir Newton was one of the smartest men in the world, but what about Sir Newton's son? Have any of you heard of it? The son of a hero is not necessarily a hero. I don't think at all that my son will be better than me in math and science in the future. Well, Napoleon, I don't think either, that your future son will be as capable of military power as one of your toes. ”

"But I believe that no matter how to deceive the little girl, Lucien's son still has a chance to catch up with him." Napoleon hastened to interject, lest Lucien stay here too Acarin.

Lucien pouted, but didn't try to fight back, anyway, with Napoleon, the bad thing, there was no way to reason at all.

"Napoleon, don't digress." Joseph said, "Our family is very fortunate that there are so many talented people in our generation, even Lucien, whose skills alone are enough to support a good family. But we can't expect God to be kind to us all the time. We need to be prepared for the next generation that is not particularly outstanding.

Of course, a rigorous and appropriate education can improve their abilities, but the role of talent is also undeniable and even irreplaceable. Therefore, when we consider what we can gain, we should also consider what our descendants can hold, so that they can be prepared to retreat and hold on. Napoleon, you know, the most dangerous and difficult military thing is the retreat. When the inevitable ebb of power arises—a time that is even predictable, after you and I have died of old age, and Lucien has grown old and confused—we are to keep as many things as possible for the descendants of our family. ”

Napoleon was silent, and after a long time he said, "Joseph, I understand what you mean." If we had written down the rule that the emperor would have the size of his fist, then after the ebb of our power, when our fists were not enough to subdue everyone, if a guy like you, or me, or even just Xiang Lucien suddenly appeared in someone's house, our family would be very dangerous, and we could lose a lot of things. So, you want us to have a rule that prohibits the use of violence to gain advantage, even though we essentially rely on violence to get all of this?

Well, your idea is good, but isn't such a request itself contradictory? What the new rules will look like is not what we say, but how we do it. We ourselves have taken it by violence, and the rule must be to seize it by violence. Others, especially those who can come and rob, are heroes, and even if we cover them up in some way and deceive them, it is impossible for them not to see it. ”

"You're quite right. But it doesn't matter if they can see it or not, it's important that most people can't see it. You have to think about it, what do the future heroes, the heroes who want to end our family's rule, have in common with us? ”

"Common good?" Napoleon's face was full of doubts at first, but soon he showed a smile that suddenly dawned on him, "Joseph, you are right, we have common interests between us, they are what we are now, and the first thing they want to guarantee is also the interests of their own family - unless that hero is not only a hero but even a real saint, but this probability is too low." So even if they see what lies beneath our guise, they themselves have to defend it for the benefit of the family. And to maintain this pretense, then they can't use too violent ways to deal with our descendants. Well, the republic, that's the guise. That's what you mean, right? However, to use this disguise and hold all the power in your hands, it requires very elaborate design. Joseph, don't sell it, what do you think, just say it! ”

When Napoleon said, "Unless that hero is not only a hero but even a true saint, but this probability is too low", Joseph's mind suddenly remembered someone in another time and space. Such a person who is both a hero and a saint does exist, and this person is such a person. It's just that, as Napoleon said, the chances of such a person appearing are too low. Not every era and every nation has such good luck.

"Well," said Joseph, "in the far East there was a philosopher named Laudan who said something like this: 'The most brilliant ruler in the world is the one who is ruled by him and is not even aware of his existence.'" ’”

。 I want to talk about "The Fox of France" with more like-minded people, and pay attention to "excellent reading literature" on WeChat, talk about life, and find confidants~