Three days later, Baron de Rochefort could no longer bear the absence of sleep, and at last he told everything he knew without reservation, and begged him to get a good night's sleep.

"What? You're saying that the cargo that was unloaded from the ship was a ton of gold! Colonel Brandon almost uttered this in silence, and Wickham and Major William were stunned by the news, and no one could have imagined that the secret mission of this unassuming French captain would be to escort a staggering fortune to the Indian subcontinent.

De Rochefort's face was pale, and his eyes were bloodshot, like a bull teased by a Spanish bullfighter. He licked his dry and cracked lips, smiled contemptuously, and said, "That's right, this ton of gold is the property of the French Bourbon royal family, and in addition to the one I shipped to Calcutta, another batch was transported to a sugar plantation in Haiti. Those damned no-pants guys, even if they control Paris and Versailles, don't want to get a penny! ”

Wipe! This ton of gold turned out to be not all the property transferred by the Bourbon royal family, which was really rich. But since the French royal family has so much money, why did it encounter a financial crisis that put the country in jeopardy before the outbreak of the French Revolution?

Wickham himself poured the poor French nobleman a glass of wine, handed it to him, and asked, "Wasn't the French government before the revolution already in debt?" Where did Louis XVI still have so much gold? ”

Half of the reason for the outbreak of the French Revolution was the high debt of the French government, and the government could not even repay the interest on the loan in a year's income!

There are many reasons for this unmanageable situation. First of all, in order to combat the colonial power of the old enemy Britain in North America, the French government did not hesitate to borrow huge sums of money to support the Americans' war of resistance against Britain after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War. Although the British colonial system suffered a great blow after the victory of the War of Independence, France did not gain any substantial benefits from the war.

In addition, the French royal family has always been extravagant, since the time of Louis XIV, the royal family has owed huge debts from Swiss bankers, and the extravagant life of French Queen Antoinette has exacerbated the situation.

In order to solve the dilemma of financial constraints, King Louis XVI of France was determined to reform the French tax system, which provoked a strong backlash from the feudal aristocracy and the reform failed. But in order to raise new taxes to solve the financial problems, Louis XVI had to convene the Estates-General, which ignited the fuse of the Revolution.

De Rochefort yawned a lot, and said with a strong spirit: "It is true that the French government is already in debt and insolvent, but the wealth of the Bourbon royal family, which has been accumulated over hundreds of years, is a considerable amount! After the mob stormed the Bastille, His Majesty realized the gravity of the situation. In order to leave a way out for the Bourbon royal family, His Majesty secretly transferred the gold and jewels accumulated by the royal family from the Palace of Versailles, and sent them to the naval base in Brittany with the Swiss Guard, the palace guard. Later, after His Majesty was taken hostage by the mob to the city of Paris, General Michel Touron selected two inconspicuous cruisers and secretly sent the royal treasures to two predetermined hiding places, namely Haiti and Calcutta. ”

Wickham secretly sighed in his heart, this Louis XVI is really a mouse, and his vigilance is not ordinarily high. At that time, the revolutionaries in Paris had not yet fallen out with the royal family, and he even began to transfer the royal property.

If we objectively analyze Louis XVI, we will find that Louis XVI, the last king of France, was not as stupid as described in history textbooks, on the contrary, he had extremely lofty political ambitions, and also had certain strategies and means. It's just that this person's heart is too soft-hearted, and he always makes compromises and concessions to the revolutionary party, which makes him end up showing off in public.

If Wickham had been the king of France at the time, he would have followed the queen's advice and fled to the military fortress as quickly as possible.

Wickham frowned and asked De Rochefort, "I can understand that these important things are shipped to Haiti, after all, it is a colony of your French." But why bring a ton of gold to Calcutta? The Indian subcontinent is so far away from Europe that if you need this gold to finance your restoration, it will take a long time to get it back to Europe. ”

De Rochefort's face struggled for a moment before he deflated: "Captain Wickham, your judgment is very correct. The largest amount of gold, silver and jewellery remained in Haiti, worth about £1.6 million, which were the funds for the future restoration. But the gold in Calcutta is not a restoration fund, it is a bailout money. In other words, in case the restoration fails, the descendants of the Bourbon royal family will not be impoverished. Kolkata was chosen as the hiding place because it was the central city of the British in the Indian subcontinent and safe enough to avoid the spread of war in Europe. ”

When William heard that such a large sum of money was hidden in Calcutta, he grabbed de Rochefort's arm with some frustration and shouted: "Where is that gold now, in the city of Calcutta?" ”

Because he had tried too hard, de Rochefort bared his teeth a little in pain. Obviously, Major William has been blinded by the vast wealth and is bent on finding the location of the treasure, which is not a good sign!

Wickham hurriedly pulled Major William away and shouted loudly: "William, you need to calm down!" Even if that wealth is found, it will belong to the United Kingdom of Britain and has nothing to do with us! ”

After hearing Wickham's words, Major William slowly came to his senses, and his eyes were no longer feverishly red. Colonel Brandon's face did not change much, as if he did not see William's gaffe, but only asked de Rochefort, "Tell me, where is that thing hidden, Monsieur de Rochefort." ”

Drosfort rubbed his arm, which was scratched by Major William, and then said angrily: "In a cotton plantation on the outskirts of the city!" I can take you there then, but can I sleep now? ”

Colonel Brandon nodded, "Then rest well, Monsieur de Rochefort, and we will come and take you with us tomorrow." ”

After receiving permission, the guy de Rochefort hurriedly walked to the side of the bed and collapsed on the bed, and in less than ten seconds he fell asleep, obviously very sleepy. The three of them didn't stay here too long, and after getting the answer they wanted, they walked out of the hut, stepped on their horses, and galloped all the way towards the Belvedere Building.

Belvedere Mansion Governor's Office.

The Marquis of Cornwallis took the glass in his hand and asked Lord Margarny, "George, how is the situation in London lately?" Has His Majesty's paranoia been alleviated? ”

The Marquis of Cornwallis will soon be transferred back to London, and for him who wants to make a difference in politics, he urgently needs to be informed of the latest political developments in the Palace of Westminster and St. James's Palace before returning to London, and the Viceroy of India, though a fat man, is also far from the political center.

Lord Magalny shook his head and said, "The situation is not optimistic, a group of liberals, inspired by the French Revolution, are demanding that His Majesty the King hand over most of his power." Your Whig Fox, like a mad dog, is attacking the cabinet led by His Excellency Pitt the Younger, and London is in chaos right now! As for His Majesty's paranoia, not only has it not improved in the slightest, but it has a tendency to worsen, and His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales is a useless prodigal, and the situation in the country is really worrying. ”

Listening to Lord Margarny's words, Cornwallis couldn't help but blush. The United Kingdom of Britain was now facing a great crisis, but his party was constantly causing chaos in the Tories Cabinet. In particular, the Whigs had many liberals sympathetic to the French Revolution, which is really worrying.

But what can the Marquis of Cornwallis do? The younger generation of the Whigs became more and more radical, and with the private support of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, people were already dissatisfied with him, let alone listening to him.

"Eh, young people nowadays, they're really getting more and more impulsive, we old guys can't persuade them for a long time, anyway, I don't care!" As he spoke, the Marquis of Cornwallis showed a trace of worry on his face, "His Majesty is really ill at a bad time, and the Prince of Wales is not worrying, why bother with the son of man." ”

One of the glorious traditions of the English dynasty of Hanover was the father-son fight, and the king and the crown prince always fought each other, from George I to George IV. One is the king, the other is the future king, and the ministers are really uncomfortable.

Lord Magalny had always been dismissive of that prodigal Prince of Wales, and a young man who knew how to drink and have fun all day long and look for women, even with the support of the radical wing of the Whigs, could still shake the Cabinet and the House of Commons led by His Excellency Little Pitt?

"His Majesty has made a future wife for His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, Princess Caroline of Braunschweig. Maybe after getting married, His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales will settle down. "It's no secret in London, and George III has threatened that he won't pay off his high debts for the crown prince unless he marries Princess Caroline.

The Marquis of Cornwallis was taken aback, obviously not knowing this latest news, and hurriedly asked, "Princess Caroline of the Duchy of Braunschweig?" That's a fat, ugly girl! As a veteran among the flowers, can the Prince of Wales look down on such a girl? Besides, it is rumored that the Prince of Wales is in a hot fight with a widow, and he will agree to the marriage? Eh, His Majesty the King is also confused, and if he lets his son marry such a woman, the relationship between father and son will be even more strained. ”

Lord Margarny shook his head and said, obviously disagreeing with the Marquis of Cornwallis: "Old friend, what is the retreat of His Majesty? If HRH the Prince of Wales does not marry Princess Caroline, Braunschweig will break away from the Kingdom of Hanover. His Royal Highness is not only the Crown Prince of the United Kingdom of Britain, but also the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Hanover, and he must be responsible for the Kingdom of Hanover! Forget it, what are you talking about all that mess, come on, drink! This is a white wine from Cape Town, and while it's not as good as Bordeaux's, it's still very flavorful. ”

At this moment, the attendant of the Governor's Mansion walked in and bowed his head slightly, saying, "Your Excellency the Marquis of Cornwallis, Your Excellency Lord Margarny, Colonel Brandon, and Captain Wickham have asked to see you, saying that they have important matters to report. ”

"Oh? Then invite them in. The Marquis of Cornwallis looked overjoyed, and when Colonel Brandon came to report the situation, it meant that they had received useful information from the French captain.

After the Qing mission handed over this captive to the authorities of Calcutta, the Marquis of Cornwallis felt that a French warship operating alone in the Far East was definitely not simple! So he sent his right-hand man, Colonel Brandon, to take charge of the matter, and now it turned out that his guess was correct.

Wickham followed Colonel Brandon into the richly decorated governor's office, and saluted the two nobles. The old marquis was a straightforward person, and he went straight to the point: "Colonel Brandon, did you take something out of that Frenchman's mouth?" ”

"Yes, Mr. Governor, thanks to Captain Wickham and Major William. Especially the interrogation methods provided by Captain Wickham, no one can keep their mouth shut in that situation! "Colonel Brandon didn't take credit for himself, and he was a good man.

The Marquis of Cornwallis laughed, got up and patted Wickham on the shoulder, and said, "I remember you, young man, that you were a capable young man. It's up to you to tell you, and I believe my old friend, Lord Magalny, can't wait to know the news. With that, the Marquis of Cornwallis squeezed his eyes at Magalny.

Wickham had a good impression of this "counter-revolutionary" who suppressed the American independence movement, and did not hesitate to reiterate the top-secret information provided by de Rochefort.

After listening to Wickham's report, the Marquis of Cornwallis said with a shocked face: "The Bourbon royal family has transferred a ton of gold to Calcutta?" ”

In order to strengthen Wickham's credibility, Colonel Brandon spoke: "This is entirely true, Your Excellency the Governor. Given the tensions between France and our United Kingdom of Great Britain now, we must quickly control this gold so that this wealth does not become the money to finance the French Revolution! ”

Lord Margarny also recovered from the shocking news, but he did not approve of Colonel Brandon's proposal: "Colonel Brandon, I am afraid this is not a good idea. After all, this gold belonged to the private property of the Bourbon royal family of France, and had nothing to do with the current revolutionary government in Paris, which was completely contrary to the British spirit of the sanctity of private property. ”

Britain has always respected the right to private property, and this principle was established in the Magna Carta, signed in England during the Middle Ages. In the eyes of Lord Margarny, King Louis XVI of France was imprisoned, not executed, so the gold hidden in Calcutta could not be touched. (Due to the lack of communication, Lord Magalny did not know about the execution of His Holiness)

The Marquis of Cornwallis pondered for a while, and then ordered Colonel Brandon: "Colonel Brandon, tomorrow you will personally bring someone over and bring that batch of gold back to the Governor's Palace!" ”

Hearing this, Lord Margarny's face was gloomy, and he stopped him in a loud voice: "Charles! I will never agree with your reckless actions. The Marquis of Cornwallis ignored Margarny and said to Wickham, who was stunned over there: "Captain Wickham, tomorrow you will act together with Colonel Brandon, after all, you have caught the man." ”

After Brandon and Wickham had left the office, Lord Margarny held back his anger and said, "Charles, you and I are old friends. You should listen to my advice, or else this matter will be known to the members of the House of Commons, and your political life will be over! ”

Cornwallis smiled and poured a full glass of wine for Margarny, and then said, "Don't worry, George, am I so stupid?" Besides, I'm not asking Brandon to confiscate the property of the French royal family, it's just escrow, but the date of return, hehe...... Besides, this gold will help ease the Kingdom's growing trade deficit, and you Tories should thank me. ”