In Mademoiselle Caterina de Perriette's lavish mansion, in the dim candlelight of a deliberately controlled brightness to maintain a certain mystery, it was once again full tonight. After a brief hiatus due to the riots in June, the lady of the blue stockings, who was generous to the literary and artistic circles, held another party in the middle of summer, finally bringing a wave of excitement to the long-dormant literary world.

According to the custom of Miss Blue Stockings, everyone first had dinner and talked about the world, and at the same time took the opportunity to communicate with each other. Here, people generally joke with each other and take pride in making funny jokes to each other. Interspersed with celebrity anecdotes, such gatherings in salons are at least much more interesting than racetracks, according to Charles.

However, the atmosphere in the living room of tonight's party was a little more solemn than usual. Because, in some places, it is a little different from the usual—in the past, it was only a place for literati and writers to speak Wendao characters, but tonight it is mixed with a strong political flavor.

If it were only because the host here invited Victor Hugo, a former member of the French House of Lords and now a member of the National Assembly, it could be said that the host considered his guest list only from a literary point of view; But when Louis Bonaparte, nephew of the late Emperor Napoleon and the current head of the Bonaparte family, was found to be present, no one doubted the politics of the gathering.

[In the by-elections to the National Assembly on June 4, 1848, both Victor Hugo and Louis Bonaparte were elected to the National Assembly. 】

Was this Miss Blue Stockings turned out to be a Bonapartist? The guests who had just arrived looked at each other or whispered to each other, and it was not clear whether she had made Louis Bonaparte a high-class decoration for the banquet on a whim. Or is she herself inclined to the Bonapartes. Some of the orthodox supporters of the Bourbon monarchy either left the table or secretly decided never to set foot in the land again.

For a moment, the entire living room fell into a strange atmosphere. The advent of Louis Bonaparte. The guests were divided into three groups – the restless and exasperated opposition, the elated and agitated supporters, and the overwhelming majority of the overwhelmed neutral wait-and-see.

Mademoiselle Perriette seemed unaware of the atmosphere, and kept talking eagerly with Monsieur Louis Bonaparte, who sat beside her, and laughed heartily from time to time.

"So, are you really planning to run for president in the near future?" She asked with a smile.

"Yes, dear Mademoiselle de Perriette." Louis Bonaparte nodded dryly. "I am deeply saddened by the predicament that France is now facing, and I feel that it is my duty as my uncle's heir to stand up and save our country at this catastrophic time......"

After hearing this. Charles and other supporters applauded and cheered at the right time.

"Napoleon! We want Napoleon to be president! ”

In the midst of the cheers, Louis Bonaparte waved his hand in a very leading manner.

"Gentlemen, thank you for your support. In a time of crisis for the nation, we must everyone step up. to save the country together – I can't save the country alone. A republic will prosper only if each of us is united. So, I beg you, I need the help of all, your help is vital for the Republic! ”

The faces of the others were even more ugly—it was evident that Louis Bonaparte had used the party as a tool for his own campaign by the hand of Miss Blue Stockings.

They all looked at Victor Hugo, who had been silent on the other side of the table, and everyone was speculating about what choice the famous writer and politician would make.

They didn't know that Hugo didn't know anything about the day, and when he received the invitation from Miss Blue Stockings, no one told him that Louis Bonaparte would be there. He thought it was just another gathering of the literary world, and he would have been caught up in this political maelstrom as soon as he came.

Hugo at this time. He is no longer the hairy boy who shouted at the Napoleonic Emperor and sang the praises of the King of Bourbon when he first debuted, and his years of experience have changed his opinion of that emperor greatly. But he still had little impression of Louis Bonaparte, with whom he had become a colleague of the National Assembly, for in Parliament the Bonaparte rarely took the stage, and his always expressionless and listless appearance, and his stammering Germanic French, did not make much impression of him.

And Bonaparte, who was sitting opposite him and was talking endlessly, was surprisingly bright-eyed and bright, almost forgetting his strange accent and remembering that he was still surnamed Bonaparte after all.

This man wants to run for president? Why does he want to run for president? Is he qualified? Can he do it?

Like everyone else, he was a little intrigued.

Seeing that he had become the center of attention, he decided not to remain silent any longer.

"Monsieur Bonaparte," he said as calmly as he could, "you just said that you wish to run for president, and to be honest, I was a little surprised, I did not hear that you were interested in this intention before in Parliament. Did you do this on the fly? ”

"No, it wasn't a whim, it was a deliberate decision." Louis Bonaparte replied solemnly, "For many years I have been thinking about what I can do for this country, and now I have decided that I must run for president in order to save the country." ”

"So what are you going to do when you run for president?" Victor Hugo looked at each other with the same seriousness, "Do you want to restore your uncle's lost empire?" ”

His question is also what many people want to ask at the same time.

Louis Bonaparte, of course, had his own answer long ago.

"No, sir, I went into politics for the people, not the empire." Louis Bonaparte replied with great sincerity, "I am a man who is strongly in favour of freedom and democracy in our country, and I will fight for it all my life." ”

Ignoring the obvious disbelief in his eyes at this remark, Louis Bonaparte continued.

"I know. That sounds a little unbelievable. However, I can assure you and even swear to God. These are my words. Now, the prosperity of the French people is more important to me than the empire that has passed! Louis Bonaparte's eyes sparkled with sincerity, "Someone is slandering me and saying that I am planning to do some restoration." Do you think I'm out of my head? Am I not able to see this era clearly? Some people have guessed that I am going to revive Napoleon—but this is a fallacy, a slander against me. I know best what I want. In contemporary times, ambitious people can cite two role models – Napoleon and Washington. One is the majestic strategy. One is highly respected. If Napoleon was greater, Washington was even greater. Between a hero who has made a mistake and a good civic role model, I choose the latter. Like Washington, I want to be the first president of a free nation. I want it to be prosperous and strong in peace, and that is my ideal. Yes, peace and prosperity, that's all I want to do for France! Yes. Although I am Napoleon's nephew. I'd rather be Washington! ”

While he was speaking generously, the master of the room, Mademoiselle de Perriette, remained completely calm, and gave Charles a complicated look with a smile, and Charles looked at Louis Bonaparte with adoration as if he had not seen it, and applauded him from time to time.

And after hearing this generous statement, Victor Hugo, like some others, was obviously a little touched.

"You want peace to heal the wounds of your country. And lead it to prosperity? ”

"Yes." Louis Bonaparte nodded without hesitation, "What General Kafenjac did. It can only lead the country further astray, and brutal killing will not solve anything - we cannot allow the country to be torn apart between the poor and the rich! It was because of my deep fear that France would take that path that I felt even more that I had to stand up. ”

After hearing his words, Victor Hugo couldn't help but nod secretly.

In this respect, at least, he strongly agreed with Louis Bonaparte.

In the June barricades, he was one of the few people in parliament who thought that "everyone had gone too far", and he ran to the barricades in the middle of the road without any armed men, and personally persuaded the rebels to surrender and save their lives. It was also in the aftermath of the horrors of June that he dared to openly say to the National Guard who had participated in the repression: "The madness of the rich is as terrible as the madness of the poor." One of the few.

It is true that the view of "love for all" and "humanitarianism first" is naïve, but at least he truly practiced his idealism, rather than saying one thing and doing another like a hypocrite, and this great writer is also worthy of admiration for this.

At this moment, he finally flashed the idea for the first time, "It is feasible to let this guy be president."

However, he still has some doubts.

"In terms of rhetoric, your statement is so flawless that it is even worthy of being delivered from the podium of Parliament. However, if we could solve the problem by just speaking, we would not have to face such a difficult situation......"

"You don't have to worry, I'm certainly not going to limit everything to words." Louis Bonaparte immediately replied, "I said that I would do everything in my power to bring prosperity back to France." The glorious kingdom that has glittered for three hundred years will not be willing to fall. All in all, the country deserves a better peace! ”

"A better peace?" Victor Hugo's eyes lit up.

"Peace, yes, is peace! We need to maintain the hard-won peace so that the people can recuperate in peace. We should be at peace with all the nations and peoples of the world, not just Europe, not just our own, but we should strive for a universal peace in all of Europe, so that all wars between nations can be resolved with the help of international arbitration, and not to war as in the centuries that preceded it......" Louis Bonaparte continued his opinion, as if he were not the one who had been secretly plotting the war against Russia, and he certainly knew what Victor Hugo and his supporters liked to hear"For the domestic market, we have to do more, we have to fight for the eradication of poverty, we have to develop industry and commerce, so that industry and progress can meet the growing needs of the people; We also need to honor and honor the arts, literature, and science, and reward those who are talented. "The last sentence, of course, he said to these people here." In addition, in order to achieve a just peace, we must give more advancement to the children of poor families. Only when they also feel that they are not ignored by the country, and that they also have the hope of coming forward, will they have the motivation to defend the country. To do this, we must invest more to create more utilities and more opportunities for people to share. ”

Louis Bonaparte's words made Victor Hugo nod his head again and again, and he agreed with the other party's words very much.

Although he had known earlier that this Monsieur Bonaparte had some republican tendencies, that he had been involved in the charcoal party incident because he had joined some Italian republican group, that he had been implicated in the charcoal party incident because of his opposition to the Austrian Empire's rule over Italy, and that he had written a pamphlet on "The Abolition of Abject Poverty", he did not expect that his views and his own views could be so speculative!

At least, for a few would-be would-be candidates, such as General Caffenjac and Lamartine, Louis-Bonaparte's political views on freedom, equality, prosperity and peace were more in line with his heart – or at least it seemed.

"That's exactly what we need! You are right, Monsieur Bonaparte! He couldn't help but softly echo.

And this echo made Louis Bonaparte feel that his trip was worthwhile, and the campaign was almost about to achieve its goal.

As long as the famous Victor Hugo intended to help Louis Bonaparte in his future campaign, then with his appeal, many republicans who had become disillusioned with General Kafenjak because of the June massacre would rally to his side. Anyway, promises and words don't need money, in order to win the choice, although the promise is. As for what to do after being elected, that is something to consider in the future.

Isn't this the case with democracy for liberals, order for conservatives, security for the rich, and opportunities for the poor?

"Monsieur Bonaparte, your thoughts are very impressive, and I must say that you have convinced me." After a long conversation, Victor Hugo finally convinced Louis Bonaparte, "If you are elected president, it will be a blessing for the country." (To be continued......)

PS: Louis Bonaparte did not make up these words to Hugo, in fact he fooled Hugo and them completely confused at that time, and made them saddle up for his campaign.

That's why Hugo hated him so much later......