At the kind invitation of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Fran, who was originally not interested in this kind of social interaction, finally agreed to his request and danced with him. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 ｉｎｆｏ

Amid the melodious dance music, they, like everyone else, strolled leisurely through the hall, candlelight shining in the gold and silver vessels, and everywhere there was a sense of dreaminess.

But Crown Prince Alexander immediately noticed that what the beautiful woman said was not polite - she was indeed not a good dancer, and although she was very light, her steps were very jerky, and even though he had tried to cooperate, it still looked a little incongruous.

"You...... Do you not usually attend events? After a while, he couldn't help but ask.

"yes, I just said that, right? I like the quietness and don't like to go to crowded places. Fran immediately replied, "So I don't usually have the opportunity to dance with others, please forgive me." ”

"Oh! This is really amazing, I thought that a beautiful woman with a family background like you should be very fond of participating in all kinds of activities......" The crown prince was a little surprised.

"People are different from each other after all." Fran smiled.

"I feel even more honored that you're doing that." Crown Prince Alexander also laughed, "I have the privilege of being one of those who can dance with you. ”

With a smile on his face, he also made a secret judgment about the woman of the D'Treville family - she was gentle and conservative, not very keen on social interactions, fond of art and travel, and very humble in her dealings with others.

is a completely different person from her sister-in-law, so beautiful and with such a good personality, many people must be falling in love with her. The crown prince thought to himself.

And Fran also felt that His Royal Highness the Russian Crown Prince was preoccupied, and it was not as easy as it seemed.

However, she did not take the initiative to speak, she only hoped that the time would be exhausted as soon as possible, and then bid farewell to this highness politely and decently, so as not to cause any trouble.

"Is it uncomfortable to be with me like this?" Perhaps sensing her mood, Crown Prince Alexander suddenly sighed, "I always feel that you are absent-minded. ”

"No...... No...... I didn't think so," Fran quickly defended herself, "I just ...... I'm just too rusty, I'm really sorry. ”

"Well, I don't really blame you, because the whole of Europe doesn't think well of us right now." Crown Prince Alexander sighed, obviously helpless about this, "Now the newspapers all over Europe are cursing us as if we are demons from hell, even if you don't think well of us, you can't blame ......"

Fran didn't expect her plan to provoke such an exclamation, and she didn't know what to say all of a sudden.

"But let me tell you, this is a complete misunderstanding, we are just ordinary people, no worse than anyone - and certainly no better." As if to confide in Fran, Crown Prince Alexander whispered in Fran's ear, "Some of the attacks on us that I admit are justified, but there are some that I think are ridiculous, either out of ignorance or from malicious attacks on us. ”

"What do you mean by that?" Fran was a little curious.

"I mean a lot of things, but in the final analysis, there is only one sentence, many people do not understand Russia, not only you Europeans, but also many people in our country, maybe they love God very much, and have the most impeccable reasons, but they are naïve and blind," perhaps with a little emotion, Crown Prince Alexander commented with a straight face, "Have you met Count Bezukhov?" ”

"Huh?" The sudden question made Fran a little out of tune, but she nodded immediately.

"And what do you think of Count Bezukhov?" Suddenly looked up at Fran.

"He was a very knowledgeable man and loved his country." Fran muttered for a moment before replying. "And he also has a good personality, and he doesn't condescend to us at all because of his age."

"That's right, he's a good man, a great man, there are few people in our Russia who are more kind-hearted than him, a saint, and any upright person will like him." The corners of Crown Prince Alexander's mouth turned up slightly, and he made a slightly mocking sneer, "Don't think too much about it, I'm telling the truth, I respect him from the bottom of my heart, but if you continue to do so, I still have to say it...... He is an overly idealistic person, his claims are blind and too drastic, and even somewhat unrealistic! ”

"What?" Fran was stunned for a moment, and even stopped in her footsteps, causing the people next to her to look at her with strange eyes, and for a moment she thought that the Crown Prince knew all the things that Count Bezukhov had done in secret, and in horror she began to think about how to exonerate herself.

"Don't be so surprised...... Crown Prince Alexander couldn't help but laugh again, "Count Bezukhov is a great celebrity in our country, not only because he is rich, but also because he generously uses his money to sponsor the construction of the country and the cause of public opinion, his construction has helped many people, and his character and political views have always been very respected, he is blameless in terms of personal morality, but ...... I gotta say, he still has his limitations. ”

"I don't understand what you mean?" Fran had forgotten about anything else by this time, and did not even pay attention to the pointing points of the people next to her, and asked His Royal Highness the Russian Crown Prince with great interest.

She's still young after all, and she loves new and interesting things, and what could be more fun than an unknown crown prince commenting on a political opponent who wants to put him to death?

"The Count, having the moral sense of a well-behaved intellectual, inevitably contracted one of their common diseases, a kind of naïve opinion, that they were full of the belief that if we in Russia only had to be on par with everything in the West, and have a government and government like theirs, the world would be very different, and the Russian people would henceforth embark on the glorious road of happiness...... However, this is naïve. Crown Prince Alexander said with some dissatisfaction, "However, among our aristocratic community, there are many, very many, and it is very disappointing." ”

"You...... Why do you say that? Fran was even more puzzled, "Is it ...... Isn't it bad to be like England or France? ”

"Of course, it's too good...... But can copying your country's system make my country the same as yours? His Royal Highness smiled and asked, "Think about it, our country is landlocked, unlike you France and England, which have many seaports, and we cannot participate in international trade on a large scale, let alone get rich through sea trade - that is to say, we are much more troublesome than you from the beginning, and our weather is also a great trouble, you are warm and humid, and we are not able to do business normally for a few months a year, besides, although our vast territory gives us endless resources, But it makes our transportation costs extremely high...... So in general, I don't think that the Russians can be richer than the British or the French, whether or not they have the same system and culture as the West. So any idea that we can just copy Western Europe and we'll be all right is ridiculous! ”

Fran lowered her head and chewed on the other party's words carefully, although she was a little confused, but she felt that the other party had some truth in what she said.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you about this stuff." Crown Prince Alexander smiled again, "Come, let's keep dancing!" ”

"No, you should continue to tell me about these things, I feel more interesting than dancing!" Then, Fran shook her head, "We can finish while jumping." ”

"Do you like to hear this kind of thing?" Crown Prince Alexander was a little surprised.

"It's always more fun than boring socializing, isn't it?" Fran asked rhetorically with a smile.

"All right," ...... the crown prince nodded, and then thought a little more highly of her in his heart - not every lady liked to hear this kind of thing.

"As I said earlier, on the basis of what we have, no matter how hard we try, it will be difficult for Russia to live on the same standard of living as that of Western Europeans - unless we become Attila of the new era, invade all of Europe, and forcibly pull you down to the same standard of living as us, but can we do that? Unfortunately we can't, and can't. He shrugged his shoulders with a slight regret, "so that although Count Bezukhov and some of his friends were extremely morally noble and had an impeccable love for their country, it seemed to me that they were a little naïve—at least they provided a not-so-wonderful remedy for our country." ”

"But...... But I think Russia needs some reforms...... "Fran plucked up courage, "I have heard that there are still serfs in your country. ”

"Of course I feel that our country needs to be reformed, and in fact I think that this reform should come as soon as possible so that the country does not fall into regrettable turmoil. After all, freedom, who wouldn't love such a nice word? Crown Prince Alexander smiled again, "However, this reform will not be achieved overnight, because it will affect the entire political and economic system of our country, and I do not want to see turmoil, so I would rather facilitate the implementation of this reform little by little...... But, whether I reform or not, I don't think I can make my people as rich as the countries of Western Europe. ”

"Is that so......" Fran still seemed to understand.

"yes, that's it." Crown Prince Alexander said with great certainty, and then he suddenly asked Fran with great interest, "Do you think that we Russians are born to enjoy this status, and see ourselves living poorer than you Western Europeans?" ”

"No...... No...... Of course I don't. Fran quickly replied, "I sincerely hope that everyone can have a good life." ”

"But it's hard for everyone to live well in the world, but fortunately I am only responsible for the Russians and not for anyone else." Crown Prince Alexander slowly retracted his smile, "Well, I guess you can see the contradiction - since we have the right to live like Western Europeans, but we can't realize this right under the existing conditions, do you think we have the right to fight for it?" ”

Fran thought about it, but didn't know how to answer. "I ...... I don't quite know. ”

"You're so uninterested in politics, I shouldn't have said that to you." Crown Prince Alexander nodded lightly in regret, "But since that's all here, it's better to finish it." As the crown prince of Russia, I believe that I have an obligation to work for the well-being of my people and to fight for their prosperity - just like the kings of England and France, so I think I have to fight for the Russians, and reform is part of it, but definitely not all of it. ”

"And what do you mean?" Fran asked again.

"Naturally, there is an expansion - not against Europe, of course, like Attila, but in the Near and Far ......East," Crown Prince Alexander replied very bluntly, "We respect the freedom of the Europeans, and we do not want to destroy them, but in the Near and Far East, the people are only slaves of the Sultan or the Tatar Emperor, and they have no freedom in the first place, let alone pagans...... I don't think we're going to be against God's will even if we expand there, right? ”

Fran finally understood what he meant, and he, like the Tsar, wanted to continue to expand the Russian Empire. As for what he said about "not being able to bear to destroy the freedom of the Europeans", it is naturally not true, it is just that the Europeans can resist but the rest of the world cannot resist the Russians.

"Is that good?" She couldn't help but ask.

"What's so bad about that? Under the existing conditions, we cannot do anything to make the Russians as rich as the British and the French, so why can't we, the Russians, try to change the conditions? We can also find warm areas in the Near and Far East, warm access to the sea, and we can also have more resources at our disposal and at the same time be deeply involved in international trade...... At that time, of course, we will have the opportunity to be as rich as you, don't the Russians have such a right to pursue it? ”

"But that means brutal expansion and war, doesn't it?" Fran paused, and finally asked.

"Brutal? What's so cruel about this? Are we more brutal than the British in the Americas and India? Or are we more brutal than France in North Africa? I think everyone is the same, and we can't be accused of being brutal. Crown Prince Alexander was visibly a little upset, "As for the Russians, I must say that the Tsarist regime was a fatherly one...... You see, when my father ascended the throne, a group of Decembrists rose up in rebellion, and they incited the army to revolt! If it were you in France, there would already be countless people guillotined, right? However...... My father, who was merciful, ended up killing only five people, just five people, and you all said we were brutal! This brutality is so embarrassing for me......"

"If those people weren't nobles, the outcome would have been different, right?" Fran couldn't help but retort, "At least judging by the way your country treats civilians, I don't see much mercy. ”

As soon as these words came out, Crown Prince Alexander's face was a little unpleasant, and he stared at Fran with a little arrogance, as if she had said something stupid.

"It's just that you haven't seen it yet, our Russia has its own national conditions here, since you are here, you can be patient and take a look."

At this time, Fran also felt speechless, so he stopped talking.

After a moment of silence, Crown Prince Alexander reined in his anger and returned to his gentle and modest appearance.

"Since you have done me such a favor and are ready to convey my goodwill to France to your brother, then we Romanovs should also show our due attitude." Crown Prince Alexander looked at her with a smile, "I will try to make it as convenient as possible for you, and if you want to visit any famous places, you will be very hospitable—besides, I have a request that I wonder if you can grant, since you are skilled in painting, can you paint a portrait of me?" ”

"Of course, sir." Fran immediately agreed.

"It would be great that peace in Europe depends on the efforts of each and every one of us, and I am convinced that if we deal with our country and our people with the utmost sincerity, our country will have a better tomorrow......," said the Crown Prince, "remember, please tell your brother everything I have said, and it will be the dawn of peace in Europe." (To be continued.) )