If Napoleon III really wanted to co-opt the liberals, Mérimée would not have been able to accept it.

"Your Majesty needs to show his kindness and generosity and give these untouchables a glimmer of hope. Otherwise, why did Uncle Mérimée think that His Majesty would suddenly issue an amnesty against the republicans in August 1859? One more thing, Your Majesty will issue the decree of the petition in the future. The reports of the Senate and the Legislative Council will be sent to His Majesty in the form of a petition. You should know what this means. ”

Empress Eugenie said calmly, "The conservative forces can no longer be counted on, so Your Majesty wants to be able to use the working class to counter them, so it is also appropriate to give liberal literati tolerance and freedom of speech." ”

Mérimée, who sang the praises of the Bonapartist faction, felt a chill behind him about the coming freedom of speech.

When he looked at Napoleon III again, he felt the anxiety that lurked behind the superficial glamour, the anxiety about the future of French politics.

"Empress Eugenie."

Mérimée hesitated for a moment, and after a moment of deliberation, he still wanted to express his thoughts vaguely, "I don't want to deal with the Spanish women around the emperor like the Parisian mob expelling Austrian women. Please ......"

"Uncle Mérimée."

Empress Eugenie remained calm, and replied word by word, "I am not Queen Mary, I am just a woman who supports her husband, and I know how to do it. ”

"Since the liberal literati have taken aim at the Second Empire, why didn't Uncle Mérimée, as an authority on literature and art, challenge them."

Eugénie instigated, "If the republican literati want to occupy the position of public opinion, they have to pass the pass of Uncle Mérimée first, right?" ”

Mérimée's eyes lit up, and she suddenly understood what the other party wanted to say. He bowed slightly in gratitude and whispered, "I understand." ”

Meanwhile, in another corner of the ballroom, the aged Jérôme was on crutches at what might have been the last big banquet of his life.

For the sake of his old friend.

It was the last petition in his life.

When the Prosecutor General of Prinal saw the last remaining giant of the empire appear in front of him, he showed sincere fear, he did not know why Prince Jérôme, who had nothing to do with him, suddenly came to the door, and he did not know what the purpose of the other party was.

"Your Excellency Jerome, I wonder what you are looking for me for?"

Pinar looked at the old man in front of him cautiously, and said in a humble tone, "As long as I can help, I will try my best to help you." ”

"Hehe, don't be nervous, Lord Pinar."

Jérôme waved his hand and said with a smile, "It's nothing important. I heard that you are going to try a young man who is suspected of colluding with the revolutionary party? ”

"This ......"

Pinar was stunned for a moment, and he didn't know why Jérôme knew about it, so he had to nod and say, "Yes, because we have a witness, so there is a chance that this young man will be sentenced." ”

Jérôme nodded pretending to be serious and asked, "And what kind of punishment will this young man receive?" ”

"Expulsion from the country."

After Pinar said this, he felt regretful again, so he had to add, "Of course, without a guarantee, he ended up like this." It's not the same if there is a guarantee. ”

"Oh......"

Jérôme smiled and asked, "What if I implore you to investigate and not to wronged this young man?" ”

"Huh?"

Attorney General Pinal was stunned, he had already investigated Garion's background before, and it was impossible for an ordinary French provincial peasant to have anything to do with the Bonaparte royal family......

Could it be......

He did not dare to use his rich imagination to think about it, and the idea of having an illegitimate child and other nonsense only dared to pass through his mind, and since Prince Jérôme opened his mouth to make a request, he could not refuse.

Both of them are sleek old foxes, and they speak with a sense of proportion. Pinal nodded to Prince Jérôme and said, "If there is any misunderstanding in this matter, we will definitely investigate and deal with it, and we will not wronged any innocent Parisian citizen." ”

Jérôme patted him on the shoulder as a sign of encouragement.

And Pinar was secretly overjoyed, he finally caught up with the background of Prince Jérôme, hoping to step by step to the position of minister in the future with the background of the large patriarch of the Bonaparte family.

A young man he didn't know before, touched the nerves of the two giants in the Tuileries Palace tonight.

…………

On rue Saint-Anthony, far from the Tuileries Palace, Dr. Miral smoked his pipe and looked out at the deserted street, lost in thought.

In the past few days, newspapers have overwhelmingly reported the news about Garrian's imprisonment, and even aroused the great attention of a number of liberal literati in the literary and artistic circles, who have condemned the Second Imperial government for wantonly breaking into other people's dormitories and allowing a young man to be imprisoned in the absence of evidence.

Under the coercion and inducement of her greedy wife, she forced Miral to testify in court that Garian was guilty.

He then meets Gambida, Gam's lawyer, an upright republican, and asks him about the night. Before the lawyer left, he asked a question that was buried deep in Dr. Miral's heart.

"Dr. Miral, I have heard that you have been a revolutionary in the streets, so I have a question for you, would you feel righteous indignation if a government condemned an innocent person who spoke out for justice and liberty without conscience?"

With that, he handed the other party a note with a short poem on it.

Miral took the note, took out his glasses from his bosom, and read in a low voice, "If the sky is always dark, then survive in the dark; If it is dangerous to make a sound, then keep silent; If you feel powerless to shine, then crouch in the corner. ”

"But let us not get used to it and justify it; and do not be proud of your own stubbornness; Don't mock those who are braver than yourself. ”

"We can be humble as dust, but we shall not be twisted like maggots."

When he read the last sentence, he paused, raised his head to look at Gan Bida in front of him, his unwavering eyes began to have a sharp brilliance, his hands were trembling, he tried his best to suppress his voice, and asked, "Who wrote this poem?" ”

"Young people who will be sentenced tomorrow."

Gan Bida picked up the briefcase and said the last word.

"The last conscience of France is in your hands."

"I'm done with what I'm going to say, and I'll see you later, Mr. Miral."

The memory was interrupted by the sound of scolding, and he turned his head to see his fat wife standing on the stairs with a wooden basin and said to him, "I haven't slept in the middle of the night, I want to die!" You have to testify in court tomorrow, do you want to get a bounty? ”

Miral, who has always been cowardly and cowardly, suddenly slammed his pipe against the wall, glared at her, and scolded angrily, "Stinky and shameless bitch, you shut up for me!" One more word, believe it or not, I'll tear your mouth apart! ”

Miral's wife froze in place, and her husband, who had been with her for decades, passed by him like a stranger.

The wind that passed through the corridor rolled up the paper on the floor and flew out into the street.

Miral looked at the seemingly never-ending darkness and said firmly, "I can be humble as dust, but not distorted as maggots." ”