"That's a long story, Monsieur Rousseau."

Lawrence smoothed his hair, smiled and said:

"To put it simply, Monsieur Pauli resigned as Governor of Corsica and I took over, while Mr. Pauli went to enjoy his retirement under the name of General of the Corsican State."

Although Lawrence personally does not care about others labeling him as a usurper for power, for the sake of the reputation and legitimacy of the current Corsican government, Lawrence still unanimously declared that what happened in Ajaccio on April 1 was just a peaceful change.

After all, Paulie himself had accepted this argument under pressure from Lawrence, and he was very cooperative in confirming to the Corsican people and the army that Lawrence was his rightful successor.

"Is that so..."

Rousseau looked a little lonely when he heard this, and sighed.

Because in Rousseau's eyes, Pauli can be called an outstanding leader, who not only led the Corsicans to overthrow the oppressive rule of Genoa, but also was one of the few rulers who appreciated his talent.

Hearing that such a figure had come to an end on the European political scene, Rousseau couldn't help but feel a little complicated.

What worries Rousseau even more is that since he received the commission from the Corsican ambassador to draw up the Corsican constitution for himself, he has devoted almost all of his heart and soul to this work.

The work has not yet been completed, but the government of Corsica has changed.

Although he already knew that the young Corsican ruler in front of him had read his writings, Rousseau was not sure what his attitude towards his constitution-making work was.

If the other party does not want to let him complete this unfinished business, then Rousseau knows that his hard work over the years has completely become a pile of waste paper.

Thinking of this, Rousseau sighed slightly, looked at Lawrence with a complicated expression, and decided to test his attitude first, so he said sideways:

"I see, I haven't been back in Paris for a few days, and I've been in England before, and the news about where I'm staying is very closed. But... I would like to take the liberty of asking, since you are the Doge of Corsica, why are you in Paris? And how did he concurrently hold the position of the French royal family? ”

Lawrence nodded, for someone like Rousseau, who had just returned to Paris, it would be very strange to see a Corsican governor who also served as the French royal family appear in the dungeons of Paris.

Lawrence explained to Rousseau in a slow manner that Corsica was going to renounce the republic and honor Louis XV as king.

"This..."

There was a brief gaffe on Rousseau's face, he frowned, bit his lip vigorously, and then took a breath and said:

"A great republic is about to restore the monarchy...? With all due respect, this sounds a bit unreasonable. How can you make the people of Corsica turn their heads and bow down to a king they have never met before to shed their blood to make this island embrace freedom and independence? ”

"With all due respect, Monsieur Rousseau."

Lawrence did not care about Rousseau's slightly offensive remarks, and said slowly:

"I can't be an idealist like you, and I have the interests of all Corsican people on my shoulders. If I hadn't done this, the island of Corsica you see on the map today would have become a province of the Republic of Genoa, the Kingdom of Sardinia, and of course more likely a colony of the British. ”

Lawrence then went on to give Rousseau a brief description of his treaty with the Duke of Choiseul, telling him that the people of Corsica still had a high degree of autonomy and that the king's powers would be governed by the Corsican constitution.

"If that's the case..."

Rousseau suddenly realized, and there was a hint of surprise between his eyebrows, only to realize that he had just made a mistake.

He also thought that Lawrence had given all the authority of Corsica to the French, but he did not expect that the young governor of Corsica would be able to retain Corsica's autonomy and independence in negotiations with France.

At the same time, Rousseau himself was not an out-and-out idealist, let alone a paranoid old stubbornness, although he advocated democracy and republicanism, and advocated that France should become a sovereign state, but he was not completely resistant to absolute monarchy.

For example, Rousseau's attitude towards the enlightened autocracy of the Kingdom of Prussia under the leadership of Frederick the Great was rather ambiguous and ambiguous, believing that absolutism limited the power of the people, but on the other hand, Rousseau also recognized that enlightened autocracy brought an efficient government and a strong army to the Prussian kingdom.

In other words, from an idealistic point of view, Rousseau's political proposition was to establish a democratic republic that completely renounced the monarchy, which was not the same as the "enlightened constitutional monarchy" advocated by his contemporaries Voltaire and Montesquieu.

But realistically, Rousseau had not foreseen the Revolution, so he knew that the complete abolition of the monarchy was still an elusive goal.

Thus, after learning that Corsica was going to implement a constitutional monarchy, Rousseau's mood eased considerably.

He knew in his heart that this was the best solution in the real political situation, otherwise Corsica would really become an oppressed province in some of the surrounding countries, as Lawrence said.

"I'm sorry, Your Excellency, but I was just abrupt."

Rousseau sincerely apologized, and also admired the governor of Corsican in front of him. Allowing Corsica to be sheltered and at the same time allowing the Corsicans to retain a high degree of autonomy and independent existence was already remarkable in Rousseau's view.

What excites Rousseau even more is that he also heard from the conversation that the constitution of the future Kingdom of Corsica is still in the preparatory stage.

This means there's plenty of room inside to make a difference.

Rousseau thought excitedly that it would be a great thing for him to be included in the formulation of the Corsican constitution.

This means that his theories have been recognized and accepted by realpolitik, and he can re-spread his reputation in the academic world. Ever since Rousseau's feud with Voltaire and his expulsion from Paris, his standing in the French academic circle had been declining, and this was an opportunity to regain his reputation.

And, in addition to the consideration of fame, Rousseau also had concerns about his livelihood.

Thinking of this, Rousseau couldn't help but glance down at the patched old dress on his body.

Although Rousseau, who had been in exile for eight years, had a good view of his living conditions, he was also a family man, with a wife who loved him deeply and shared his weal and woe.

"I'm fifty-eight years old... But he can't even leave a hundred livres of savings to his family... Copying music scores for people every day is just a way to make ends meet..."

Thinking of his wife and the children who were sent to the orphanage, Rousseau also suddenly felt very heartache and guilt.

Lawrence silently looked at Rousseau in his cell, and although the other party did not say anything, the subtle little expressions on Rousseau's face already proved that he was engaged in an extremely important contemplation.

After a moment, Rousseau raised his head and said to Lawrence as tactfully as possible:

"By the way, I don't know if Mr. Paulie mentioned to you that I have been working on the constitution of Corsican before. I don't want to brag about it, but I have to say that I really put 80 percent of my heart and soul into this job..."

In Rousseau's view, Lawrence had already come forward to get himself out of this prison, which already owed a great favor, and he had the cheekiness to ask him for a job at this moment, which made Rousseau feel a little ashamed.

And the smile on Lawrence's face became even bigger when he heard this, and he immediately heard that Rousseau wanted to take the initiative to move closer to him, so he nodded enthusiastically and said:

"Of course, although Mr. Paulie and I have not mentioned much about you, Mr. Paulie must be very satisfied with your work. And to tell you the truth, the new constitution of the Kingdom of Corsica is about to be drafted, and I would like to recruit scholars like you to join in this work..."

"Are you serious?!"

Rousseau's eyes lit up, and he said in disbelief, just now he was still thinking about how to open his mouth and ask Lawrence for this matter, but he didn't expect the other party to take the initiative to send out an invitation.

"It's true, naturally, I have read your book, Monsieur Rousseau, and I believe that your ideas can bring something different to Corsica."

Lawrence nodded earnestly and invited:

"I will soon return to Corsica to form a Constituent Assembly, and I would like to invite you, if you wish, to be the Speaker of the Assembly."

"The Speaker of the Constituent Assembly? OMG..."

Rousseau couldn't help but open his mouth and was stunned for a while, and then quickly closed his mouth and swallowed his saliva, a little incredulous.

He thought that Lawrence would let himself do some independent, non-establishment paperwork like Paulie did before, but he didn't expect Lawrence to directly grant himself a real political position so generously.

Moreover, Rousseau was well aware that, in general, such a constituent assembly would be transformed into a full-fledged parliament after the constitution had been formulated, which meant that he would be the future president of the Corsican parliament.

Even Judge Jackie, who was on the side, couldn't help but be stunned when he heard Lawrence's invitation, as an associate judge, he knew better than Rousseau how much weight this speaker had.

It is not so much that the Constituent Assembly of Corsica was a powerful institution, but that as President of the Constituent Assembly, Rousseau became a man close to His Excellency Bonaparte.

"Damn, I really envy this bookwriter, with His Excellency Bonaparte's position in Paris and the Palace of Versailles, he really has a big thigh."

Judge Jackie stared enviously and jealously at Rousseau in his cell, hating only that he was not the one to whom His Excellency Bonaparte had been invited.

"What do you think? Mr. Rousseau. ”

Lawrence asked, but with the knowledge of Rousseau's experience in his memory, he knew that Rousseau, who was already in his twilight years, would not refuse such an offer.

Even if it wasn't for fame and fortune, but for ideals and ambitions, Rousseau would certainly be willing to serve in the Corsican government.

After all, the core of Rousseau's "Theory of the Social Contract" is to discuss how to build a democratic and free society and government, and if the fifty-eight-year-old Rousseau misses this opportunity, he will not be able to put his ideas into practice for the rest of his life.

"I can't put into words how happy I am, Your Excellency."

Rousseau, who was excited, said repeatedly:

"I can't find any reason to reject you either. I would very much like to return with you to Corsica as President of the Constituent Assembly. ”

"Very well, Monsieur Rousseau, you can find me at the Corsican embassy on the Champs-Élysées in these days."

Lawrence said satisfied, then turned to Judge Jackie:

"How long will it take for the High Court to complete its review of Mr. Rousseau?"

Judge Jackie said with a smirk:

"Since the case is still in doubt, I think that Monsieur Rousseau will be released immediately, and we will send him a certificate of innocence after his innocence has been proved."

"Yes, Judge Jackie, I'll remember you."

After dropping an illusory promise, Lawrence looked at Rousseau again, nodded and said:

"Then Monsieur Rousseau, I'll see you soon, and I hope you'll enjoy the Corsican environment."

"Definitely, Your Excellency, I will devote the rest of my life to the land of Corsica."

Rousseau said with uncontrollable excitement.

......

After Rousseau accepted the offer as expected, Lawrence left the prison in a happy mood, not expecting to find such a talent here.

As for the Count Falcone in the ancient prison, Lawrence had no interest in him.

Lawrence then waited alone in the reception room for some time until Justice Mup returned to the Palace of Justice.

"I heard you were looking for me, Your Excellency Bonaparte."

Still in the private office on the top floor of the main building of the Palace of Justice, Justice Mopp said as he looked at Lawrence in front of him expressionlessly.

Despite his cold tone, Lawrence could sense that Justice Mapp was much less hostile to him than he had been in the last meeting.

It is not surprising that Lawrence's fatal blow to the Duke of Richelieu may have made the chief justice feel a little frightened.

Moreover, after this incident, Lord Mup also raised doubts about the value of Duke Richelieu's cooperation, believing that there was no longer a need for an alliance between the two.

Lord Mapp also feared that if he continued to stand with the Duke of Richelieu, he would be involved in those shady events.

And Justice Mopp and Lawrence don't have a deep grudge, so there is no need to deliberately stiffen the relationship between the two.

After all, in politics, the relationship between friend and foe can change faster than anyone thinks.

"Yes, Your Excellency."

Lawrence nodded and said:

"His Majesty is already dissatisfied with the progress of our negotiations, and besides, as you know, I am about to leave Paris for some time, so it is best for us to negotiate those details as soon as possible."

When Justice Mopp heard this, he didn't raise any objections, but just nodded slightly.

Lawrence was not surprised by Justice Mopp's cooperation, and the two began negotiations in perfect harmony.

...

Time flew by, and soon in the evening, the blood-red sunset poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the office, pouring on Justice Lawrence and Mopp.

"It looks like the time is almost up, what a fulfilling afternoon, Your Excellency."

Lawrence squinted his eyes at the dazzling sunset outside the window, smiled and said:

"Then we'll see you tomorrow afternoon, and I'll take my leave."

Justice Mopp didn't answer Lawrence, just stared at him indifferently.

Lawrence, on the other hand, straightened out his papers, got up and nodded to Justice Mup, and then walked out the door.

"Your Excellency Bonaparte."

When Lawrence's right foot had already stepped out of the door, Justice Mopp suddenly stopped Lawrence and said in a deep voice:

"I'll give you a heads-up."

Lawrence froze, turned his head to look at Justice Mopp, and did not reply.

Justice Mopp closed his eyes and said in a deep voice:

"Don't think you've taken down the Duke of Richelieu. He also had a dagger hidden in his sleeve, a poisonous, sharp, shining... An English dagger can easily slice through your chests and the Duke of Choiseul, and can make you fall from the top of the tower to the bottom of hell. ”