On the night of June 20, 1861, there was still a hint of daytime heat in the air, mixed with a slight warm breeze, and everyone felt a little uncomfortable in the streets of Paris.

And in the loud theater, this heat is even more gathered, and it is even more unbearable. Many well-dressed viewers were already sweating from the heat.

However, very few people pay attention to this discomfort, because everyone's attention is already focused on the play that is being played on the stage.

This is the work of a new playwright who has recently made a name for himself, and the plot is indeed very captivating, and when the show reaches its climax, the male protagonist and the enemy face each other on stage, some are so nervous that they cry.

In the majestic sound of horn music, the male protagonist fights fiercely with the enemy. This carefully selected actor has light and chic movements, and his performance is like a dance, which almost makes everyone fascinated.

It wasn't until he knocked down the enemies one by one in an admirable gesture that the curtain was slowly pulled up amid the relieved cheers of the audience, and the scene finally ended.

Very wonderful performance.

The audience applauded and cheered, excited to see such a wonderful performance.

It wasn't until the curtain completely covered the stage that the audience, who had been fully engaged, came back to their senses, teasing each other and their friends about each other's gaffes, and secretly looking forward to the next scene being even more exciting.

And for many of them, the show isn't quite over now. As if they had made an appointment, they suddenly turned their heads. I cast my eyes on the box facing the stage.

And under their gaze, a well-dressed lady put away the small gilt binoculars in her hand.

This lady has a very nice face. And apparently carefully groomed, the blue pupils have been watching the performance on stage. It looks like she has both the charm of a young woman and the naughty and delicate of some girls, and she can hardly tell her age. She wore a flowered hat on her head, and her golden head peeking out of her temples was strangely soft, and she wore the diamond brooch on her chest, which looked as brilliant as the lights around her.

It was a blessing to have God's favor, wealth and beauty at the same time—a conclusion that could not be reached in the minds of all who have seen such a dress.

In the face of this dazzling charm, the man's gaze is full of admiration, and the woman's gaze is inevitably mixed with a little jealousy. And she didn't seem to notice anything, just staring at the stage motionlessly.

And at this moment, a middle-aged man slowly walked onto the stage.

It wasn't the environment of the show, but no one was surprised by his actions.

Because...... He was the author of the play that was staged this time, a talented playwright who had finally been fortunate enough to emerge from his hard life.

The playwright had clearly not yet adapted to the life in which he had now made his mark, and his dress was still very simple, his expression was restrained and somewhat sad, and his face was covered with the scars of a life of hardship—he was yet another playwright who had been depressed but was now able to blossom with the help of this lady.

Between the two acts, he was in the presence of all the audience. He bowed down and bowed deeply to the lady in the breadbox, and he wanted to do it that way. I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to her.

At the same time as the playwright saluted, thunderous applause rang out simultaneously.

This filled the theater with a frenzied applause. It's tantamount to everyone paying tribute to her at the same time.

In this frenzied atmosphere of respect, the lady's eyes widened in surprise. A moment later a humble smile appeared on her face, as if she was embarrassed that she had received such an unexpected honor.

She smiled and nodded to the playwright on stage. Then he stepped back slightly, hiding in the shadows of the box to avoid this sudden embarrassment.

Madame de Treville, the patron goddess of the French literary world, was always merciful and benevolent, and the lord of the unparalleled glory of the civilized world...... How can you not deserve such reverence!

…………………………

"You seem to be in a good mood today, huh?" As she retreated into the shadows, a voice suddenly rang out from behind her.

If he had been present, he would have recognized that the man who spoke out was none other than His Excellency Charles de Treville, Duke of Kerson, then Chancellor of the Exchequer and Minister of the Interior.

He was dressed in civilian clothes today, but he still looked some of the arrogance that he had cultivated in a long time in high positions, and his face was radiant, and he looked shrewd and decisive.

The middle-aged man, who was in his thirties but still handsome, now seemed to have reached the pinnacle of his life, holding two extremely important ministerial posts at the same time, and carrying out his will almost without hindrance within the borders of the empire, so much so that he was openly proclaimed to be vice-emperor.

The establishment of railroads, the expansion of the telegraph industry, the reform of the army system, the expansion of the military industry of the empire, and the formulation and implementation of foreign policy...... Although he was still young and had not been in politics for a long time, the duke had already achieved so much that even his opponents had to openly admit that he was indeed talented.

And the feat that brought him to the pinnacle of his prestige was the feat that he had just put to rest the economic crisis that had swept through the empire.

Not so long ago, the entire Second French Empire was plunged into a terrible financial and industrial crisis. In a volatile economic environment, a large number of companies and factories went bankrupt and closed, workers lost their jobs, peasants went bankrupt, and the entire financial system fell into a serious crisis. Displaced people began to gather in the cities, news of suicides of the unemployed was abounding, there was a strong resentment of the government, and the rule of the empire seemed to be in shambles, and any unbiased observer would admit that a new revolution was on the horizon.

In this worrying and even frightening environment, the kings and ministers used various methods. After trying his best to unsalvage the situation, the Emperor finally suppressed his distrust of Duke Kerson. The duke himself was recalled from the Austrian ambassadorship, and at the strong request of the duke himself. Reluctantly, he was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer and Home Secretary, giving him the power to enforce economic policy and maintain the rule of the empire as he wished.

And the Duke did not live up to his expectations, and used all his strength, and finally let this terrible crisis slowly subside after a short time. It is precisely because of this that the duke has gained great prestige in the country, and many people have even shouted that the duke should be the official prime minister to protect the country.

However, whether this kind of call comes from the public heart for the country or the selfish desire for profit. It's up to you......

"It's rare for you to come to me, how can I not be happy?" Ms. Tréville replied with a smile.

Then, she walked up to her brother and reached out and gently straightened his collar and tie.

"You can't be so raunchy, even if you want to hide it, can you? That's not good. As she tidied up, she seemed to complain to her brother.

"Hey...... There have been so many things lately that I'm having a headache, where is the time to pay attention to such a small thing? The Duke frowned, then let out a long sigh. Okay, let's not talk about that, I don't think today's performance is bad...... You're really discerning......"

"It's a good work, but I don't think he'll ever be able to write it again. But this is also normal, most playwrights can only write one or two good works in their lifetime, and once they get out of poverty, they will run out of ideas. The lady glanced back at the playwright who was still bowing to her on stage. Then a rather snarky comment was left, "And. Most of these artists have no conscience...... They always turn their faces and deny others after they don't have to rely on others. deny that it is with the help of others that he has been able to get ahead......"

"Ahh If he hears your comment, I'm afraid he will be angry! After hearing his sister's comment, the duke's eyes widened.

"I'm just telling the truth, that's what I've learned in the last few years!" The lady carefully retied the duke's tie and patted it easily and naturally. "I don't see any difference in this person."

Feeling the soft touch on his chest, Charles didn't know what to say for a while.

That's right, in front of people and behind people, his sister is indeed so different.

Probably no one would have imagined that Ms. Treville, who enjoys such a high reputation, would have such an inner being under the surface of compassion and benevolence......

"Okay, don't talk about this, you came to me like this today, you should have something very important to explain, right? Speak quickly, sir......" The lady looked at the Duke face to face, her eyes showing great concern.

"Hey, not for the sake of our poor financial situation?" As soon as he said this, the duke couldn't help but sigh again, "I didn't expect it to be so troublesome to clean up the trouble I caused!" I knew I should have been gentle when I slapped my majesty, but now I have to be honestly slapped myself......"

"The bigger the trouble, the more the country needs you to clean up the mess, isn't it......?" Seeing her brother's embarrassed appearance, the lady couldn't help but smile again. "One thing is guaranteed, in the face of this storm, His Majesty will be more anxious and uneasy than you, because he needs to pay attention to the safety of his dynasty."

"yes, that's true, I can be at peace when I say that." The Duke shrugged.

"We've achieved our goal, and that's what we can say......" The lady buried her head in the duke's arms, her tone full of joy, "Brother, congratulations, your plan has finally succeeded...... No matter how difficult the situation is, I have never doubted you...... That's great! ”

True, no one but a handful of people knew that the Duke of Kerson was one of the authors of this unbearable economic crisis - or at least the main driver of it.

After the economic crisis began to show some signs, it was this duke, for his own selfishness, who secretly ordered his assistants and subordinates cultivated in the industrial and economic circles to sabotage the normal operation of the economy in various ways, and even secretly issued a large number of counterfeit banknotes, using the banking system controlled by his own party members to distribute them to the market in large quantities!

It was precisely because of the covert fanning of the flames by the Duke and his main activists that the economic crisis lasted so long. The scourge is so deep that so many people have lost their savings. ushered in a miserable life.

And as one of his sisters and one of his main assistants, this is the woman de Treville, whom everyone praises and admires. It also happens to bear the heavy responsibility of creating this crisis.

There is no doubt that the brother and sister share a great sin.

But...... In the hearts of these two brothers and sisters, there is absolutely no remorse or apology for this.

Because there are already so many sins they share together, they don't care and can't care about more.

As long as the goal can be achieved, a qiē is acceptable.

No matter how evil this plan is, as long as it can achieve its goal, it is reasonable for them.

In terms of effect, it is precisely because the crisis is so terrible. His Majesty the Emperor had to retrieve the duke, whom he had sent to Austria as an ambassador, and entrust him with power that could almost override him.

As long as the goal can be achieved, isn't it all reasonable?

That's what they think, and they've always done.

"It's because I've done so well that I have to find a way to brake, or this storm will swallow me up - after all, I don't want a ruin!" The Duke reached out and gently hugged the lady's back. "I trampled the empire into the mud before, and now I'm going to do everything in my power to pull her back."

"Just say what you want me to do. I'll take care of it for you. The lady was quick to reassure.

"Actually, it's nothing, it's very simple - I'm going to squeeze money, that's all." The Duke whispered in the lady's ear, "And I can't afford to increase my taxes any more." The burden on the people is heavy enough, and continuing to raise taxes will only make me complain, and I won't get much money. ”

"And what are you going to do?"

"With the concession of the government. The railway companies everywhere have to issue more than two hundred million francs of stock every year......" the Duke of Kerson frowned slightly, obviously worried about something. "But the government gets too little out of it."

"Isn't that your fault?" Madam Trevier looked at the Duke with some irony, "When you were Minister of Transport. We can strongly demand that the state reduce the constraints on railway construction. ”

"But now I'm Chancellor of the Exchequer!" The Duke replied as if he had taken it for granted, not feeling any discomfort at all by his sudden change of position, "The railways are good, and we need more railways, but our financial situation requires the government to expand its financial resources, and only in this way can we stabilize the situation, if the government is shaky, then what's the point of the railroad being longer?" ”

"So...... Do you want me to come forward and suppress these companies so that they are willing to serve the country? The lady reacted immediately, "Including our own?" ”

"Yes, that's it." The Duke nodded, "I want to create a shape that is very beneficial to us, so that the people feel that I can bring them a better life - even if it affects the future a little, after all, the people don't want to see ten years from now, they want to care about today's bread!" They curse the recent Anglo-French trade agreement, so I'm going to curse it, they're going to hold off on future investments for the sake of bread, I have to go along with the will of the people first...... The government can't just do the right thing, that's all. ”

[At the beginning of 1860, in order to overcome France's economic difficulties and promote the development of industry and commerce, Louis Bonaparte finally signed a trade agreement with Britain aimed at abolishing excessive tariffs after a long period of hesitation and negotiation.

Beginning in July 1861, France successively abolished import duties on British cotton and wool, twine and linen. Then the tariffs were lowered on British coal and coke imports, as well as machine imports. And starting in October, the remaining ban on imports was lifted.

This treaty, which almost abolished the high-tariff trade protection system pursued by France for centuries, caused a great shock in the French economic circles at that time, and some victimized industrial and commercial owners even openly declared that this was the "second coup d'état" and vigorously demanded a boycott of the treaty.

In the long run, this treaty greatly reduced the cost of raw material imports for French industry, which was extremely beneficial to the development of industry; However, from the initial effect, this agreement touched and dealt a blow to some of the old commercial forces, caused great public resentment, and became an important trigger for the wave of national opposition in the middle of the imperial era. 】

The Duke of Kersun wholeheartedly supported this important economic initiative of the emperor. It can even be said that it is one of the important promoters of this agreement, but ...... This did not prevent him from exploiting the popular resentment caused by this agreement to undermine the prestige of His Majesty the Emperor.

It doesn't matter how much he has to do with the process of developing this agreement. By the time His Majesty signed this agreement, he had already been sent to Austria. Naturally, he could easily claim his innocence in the face of the wrath of the people - and he needed people to be dissatisfied with the emperor.

"I see...... I see......" The lady nodded, "Okay, I'll go with Mary to sue them, and if they won't, we'll subdue them!" ”

"It's good that you understand, there are some things I can't come forward with, the railways and the industry need my support, and I can't chill them." The Duke replied. "I think this can only be handled properly if it is left to you......"

"I'll do it for you. No matter how you ...... it," as if inspired by her brother's words, the lady replied with her eyes closed, and a charming smile slowly appeared on her face. "No one can stop you."

Very few people know what this intoxicated smile represents.

Then, as if suddenly something had happened, the lady suddenly looked up again.

"But, sir, why have you been in such a hurry lately? A lot of things can be done slowly, why is it so rushed? Don't...... Is something unexpected? ”

"Yes. Time is no longer on our side, and I have to race against the clock. The Duke nodded.

The lady's eyes widened.

"You mean...... Where is 陛xià? ”

"Yes, he's been getting more and more kind to me lately, and he's constantly telling people how much he relies on me. How indispensable is the Empire...... From what I know about him, it's proof that he's ready to kick me out, or at least he's decided to weaken me. I understand his thoughts. After all...... My power is indeed too great for any monarch to sleep peacefully in such a position......" after calmly recounting. The Duke spoke out his judgment. "I was so indignant that his performance was so mediocre, and he seemed to think that I was still the kid I didn't understand anything about ten years ago."

Although the duke's tone was very flat. But his words provoked an extremely violent reaction in the lady.

She clenched her fists, and her face flushed with rage.

"This ...... This bastard! So ungrateful, so brazen! She cursed through gritted teeth, without the slightest of her usual graceful and easy-going. The anger of her brother's injury in her heart was even greater than that of her brother himself.

She gasped violently, her eyes full of resentment, "We're not going to throw in the towel again this time!" Time has passed, and now everything is different, if he still thinks he can treat us like he did two years ago, then ...... I swear, I'm going to make him regret it! ”

"Yes, I'll make him regret it." The Duke nodded calmly, "This time, I must win!" ”

With such an infusion of determination, the lady regained her composure.

"Okay, great! Brother...... I'll be there for you, please leave that bastard to me, and I'll make sure he knows the cost of treating us like this!" ”

"Silly boy, how can you take the risk yourself?" The Duke smiled, then pinched her nose, "I'll take care of this kind of thing, you just need to complete the tasks I have given you." ”

Under the ridicule of her brother, the lady didn't say anything more, and secretly decided in her heart that she must fulfill her promise.

"I'll do what you tell you to do, sir......," she assured in a low voice. No matter how much you trust me, I will never fail you...... It has always been that way. ”

"Yes, I absolutely trust you......" Charles let out a long sigh. I couldn't have asked for more from you...... As long as you're here, what do we have to worry about? Victory...... It's going to be ours! ”

At the duke's encouragement, the lady was also full of confidence.

Then, a feeling suddenly arose in her heart as if she did not belong to such an age.

"You're always so natural to say something deceitful, I won't believe it." She frowned slightly, as if she was complaining, as if she was coquettish, "I really don't know how many people you would say such things to you!" ”

"......" Charles did not answer.

"What's wrong? Are you alright? Worried that her complaint would make her brother angry, Fran glanced at her brother with some concern. I'm just saying it casually, you don't have to take it personally......"

"Oh...... It's nothing. Charles woke up from a dream and hurriedly replied.

My sister's slightly girlish demeanor just now, Xia Er was stunned for a moment, he looked at each other fixedly, looking at this delicate face that he never got tired of.

At this age, which is getting closer and closer to the age of thirty, he can still retain this youthful charm, which really makes him feel a little surprised.

And what is even more shocking is that under this delicate face, there is such a terrifying and even terrifying soul hidden, in those days, how could he believe that there is a person by his side who is determined and resolute and will never be inferior to himself?

All kinds of contrasts are intertwined in her, making her exude a charm that is difficult for him to resist.

This person has a qiē that she admires, but she has only one person in her eyes. I...... Am I lucky or unlucky?

There's no time to think about it anymore.

Before Fran could react, the agitated Duke suddenly lowered his head and kissed her on the lips.

Although initially stunned by Charles's sudden move, Fran quickly regained her composure, closing her eyes and enjoying the warmth of her opponent's chest and lips.

The rousing music on the stage sounded again, and it seemed that a new scene was about to begin.

Who would have thought that just above their heads, a brother and sister would kiss each other?

It wasn't until a long time later that the lips of the two men parted again.

The Duke's expression was flat, but he still looked like he was reminiscing about the warmth he had just had.

The corners of Ms. Tréville's mouth turned up slightly, revealing that satisfied smile.

"Hmm...... Uh......" The Duke seemed to suddenly remember a question and asked a little awkwardly, "How is Alice?" ”

"It's not good, the weather has been hot and cold recently, she has been difficult to adapt, and she had a fever two days ago, which scared me to death......" As soon as she talked about this problem, the lady was no longer as calm as just now, and her face was full of sadness, "Her body has always been so weak, and you don't want to come to see her more......"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry......" the annoyed duke apologized again and again, "I'm sorry, I've been going too much lately, I'll definitely go to see her, I'll go in the next two days." ”

"That's what you said, you must remember!" There was some threat in the lady's eyes.

"Okay, absolutely no problem." The Duke immediately assured.

"Great...... I'll go get ready, waiting for you! The lady was beaming.

Then, she looked up at her brother.

"You still haven't left my side after all......"

"Yes, you will never be able to leave my side again." Charles replied in a low voice.

In the accompaniment of the stirring music, the two siblings hugged each other tightly again, and they were not separated for a long time. (To be continued......)

PS: I wish you all a happy Dragon Boat Festival! R1292