London, near Oxford Street, in a restaurant decorated in a predominantly York yellow tone.

Arthur sat down at the dining table and handed the few bottles of wine in his cloth bag to the waiter as if he were opening a treasure chest.

"Please help me get all these bottles open."

The waiter glanced at the label on the bottle and asked politely, "Are you sure, sir?" If there are only two people, it is a bit of a waste to open so many drinks. ”

Arthur just smiled and said, "Don't worry, someone will be responsible for the aftermath if you can't finish drinking." ”

The Red Devil leaned down to look at the label on the bottle and muttered, "Johnnie Walker and Chivas Regal?" Scotland's whisky probably doesn't get much better than these two. It tastes better with some black and green tea, but I personally like to add lemon juice and ginger ale, and it would be nice if I could have some ice cubes. However, I don't know if you humans are used to this taste. ”

After that, Agareth's gaze turned to the bottles of wine on the other side: "Huh! Arthur, you kid is really bloody! Hennessy in 1818, and. Is this the royal wine that George IV ordered from Château Hennessy? Although Hennessy is not as good as Dijinzhuang, this special wine should not be cheap, right? ”

Arthur saw that the Red Devil Harazi was about to flow, and took advantage of the waiter's departure to speak to him: "Agares, don't worry, Mr. Talleyrand and I can't drink that much, and the rest is all yours." ”

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw an old lame man with silver and white hair walking towards him with a cane.

Talleyrand glanced at the wine bottle in the waiter's hand and sat down opposite Arthur with a smile: "It seems a bit of a waste to drink these drinks in such an ordinary small restaurant, right?" ”

Arthur laughed and replied, "If a few bottles of wine can make you want to deign to dine in this kind of street restaurant, I think these wines are still worth it." ”

Talleyrand handed the cane to the entourage beside him, picked up the cloth on the table and wiped his hands casually: "It seems that I went to Liverpool to investigate the case this time, and I also made a small fortune by the way!" ”

"You can't say that." Arthur pointed to the corner of the stitch and joked, "Look, I'm not going to be punished right away?" On the contrary, I would like to ask you about this, even if you open it everywhere, the question is, how can you still live to this age? ”

Talleyrand was amused by Arthur, and he replied: "Quite simply, I only take what I can do, whether it is Napoleon or the Bourbons, they hate me and cannot do without me. So, I survived until now, and they all went to the coffin. ”

Arthur looked at the waiter who was pouring wine and asked, "Hmm...... You seem to have a point, but how do you know what's within your reach? ”

Talleyrand put down his meal and said, "Young man, you really have a pretty good question. It does take wisdom to know where the boundaries of your abilities are, and it's a wisdom that most people don't have. ”

Speaking of this, Talleyrand suddenly glanced around: "That boy from the Bonaparte family didn't come with you today, did he?" ”

Arthur shook his head: "No, I left him in Liverpool. ”

"A wise choice."

Talleyrand spoke: "In that case, let me use Napoleon as an example." Many people think that my opposition to Napoleon began in 1808 with a conspiracy to support Murat. But in fact, both I and Fouché had already begun to disagree with him as early as 1803.

At that time, he had just been overwhelmed by the British on the question of Switzerland, and he declared in the presence of all the Swiss: 'I tell you, I would rather sacrifice 100,000 men than allow England to interfere in your internal affairs.' If the British Cabinet says a word for you, then you are all over, and I will merge you with France. If the British court hints a little that they are afraid that I will be your President of the Federation, then I will be your President of the Federation. ’”

When Arthur heard this, he just smiled: "At that time, he was still the first consul of France, right?" He hadn't become emperor yet, so I could understand him when he said that, and he wanted to show the French people that he was a strong leader. Only then will he have the opportunity to go further. ”

Talleyrand took a sip of wine: "Indeed, but it was not only the French people who cheered for Napoleon who felt tough, but also the rest of Europe, especially the British who were targeted by him alone. The settlement of Switzerland was followed by news of the crushing defeat of the French army at Santo Domingo in the West Indies. To make matters worse, the Americans were also fiercely determined to resist the French seizure of Louisiana.

Napoleon feared that if Louisiana was resolutely captured, it would push neutral Americans into the arms of the British. So, he sold Louisiana to the Americans for 4 cents a capameter. But it was a shame for him to leave the Americas so lightly. So, naturally, the setbacks encountered in the Americas had to be recovered elsewhere.

Napoleon's genius lay in the fact that whenever he retreated on one front, he would always launch a brilliant diversionary war on the other side to act as a cover. Only in this way will he be able to capture the imagination of the French and control the turbulent Paris.

And this time, he put the direction of containment along the Nile. He ordered Sebastiani, who had just returned from Egypt, to publish an exaggerated report on the Mediterranean coast, in which he declared that the Muslims of Alexandria, the Christians of Damascus, and the Greeks of Rhodes were very fond of France, and they denounced with great condemnation of General Stewart's treachery and how eager the righteous French government would be able to conquer the eastern Mediterranean and blow the freedom of the Revolution to the coastal countries. ”

When Arthur heard this, he couldn't help but hold his forehead: "So, the Parisians believe it?" ”

"What about Paris? London also believed. ”

Talleyrand savored the aftertaste of the wine with a complicated expression: "Downing Street and the Palace of Westminster have reacted particularly violently. Both your King and your Cabinet and Parliament regard this declaration as a grave provocation by France against Britain.

At that time, the British cabinet of Addington was under attack from Grenville, Wyndham, and Fox, who were staunchly opposed to the expansion of the army, and who were shouting that 'the establishment of a large standing army is a dangerous instrument of power in the hands of the king'.

As a result, as soon as Sebastiani's report in Paris came out, the opposition to the military expansion in Britain disappeared in an instant, and the expansion bill was quickly passed in Parliament, and the number of troops increased from 50,000 to 100,000 at the beginning.

Your ambassador to France, Lord Whitworth, was the first to come to me and lodged a solemn protest. I took great pains to explain to him that Sebastiani's visit to Egypt was purely commercial in nature. But what I never expected was that Napoleon not only did not speak in unison with the Foreign Office, but also said that France had to do it because of Britain's sabotage of the Treaty of Amiens.

In the presence of Lord Whitworth, he said: 'The British garrison left in Alexandria, Egypt, not only failed to protect Egypt, but gave France a pretext to invade Egypt. However, as much as I would love to get this colony, I will not do it. Because I don't think it's worth risking war for this, it seems to me that sooner or later the Ottoman Turkish Empire will fall apart, and Egypt will certainly belong to France. ’”

When Arthur heard this, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows: "I really heard a lot of secrets today, and now I finally know how General Nelson's famous battle of the Nile Estuary was fought." In this regard, Napoleon was really overconfident, which, as you say, perhaps, exceeded the boundaries of his capabilities. ”

"But he didn't realize it."

"He was outraged by the British protest against Sebastiani's report, and he told your ambassador that the only way for Britain to achieve peace was:

First, Britain must recognize France's right to arbitrate in the affairs of all its neighbours, whether Switzerland or Piedmont.

Secondly, Britain could not offer compensation for its losses in the Mediterranean, and there was no room for negotiation in the Maltese question.

Thirdly, Britain must tolerate the formal announcement to it that Britain could not fight France alone. ”

Arthur smiled and asked, "He wouldn't have thought that Britain would agree to these demands, would he?" ”

Talleyrand shrugged his shoulders and said, "Young man, you haven't gotten along with him, so naturally you don't know what kind of person he is. The fact is that the great success has carried him away, from the time he became the first consul until he stepped into the coffin, during which time he felt that he could do anything.

He thinks that Britain will definitely retreat here, just as it had retreated in the Swiss question a few months ago. So, when news of the British military expansion came from across the Channel, Napoleon's first reaction was to summon the British ambassador, Lord Whitworth, and ask him: 'So you are preparing for war?' ’

And when Lord Whitworth denied this, he threatened: 'Why, then, is there such an expansion?' To whom are these precautions addressed? I don't have a single battleship in the ports of France, but if you want to expand your army, I will do it. If you want to fight, I'll accompany you. You can destroy France, but you must not frighten France. ’”

"Wait."

Hearing this, Arthur suddenly raised his hand and interrupted Talleyrand's words: "When I was in college, I used to dig through some historical materials, and if I remember correctly, the expansion of the French army should be ahead of Britain." Even the Cabinet discussed the expansion of the army because our Commissioner in France submitted a State of the Union Address in which he said that France, under Napoleon, had expanded the active army to 480,000 men.

If he really didn't want to fight, he should have given Sebastiani an order and talked openly and honestly with our ambassador about it. But judging by the words that come out of your mouth, it seems that he has no intention of reconciliation at all. And this kind of behavior of questioning others about what they have done does sound very ungraceful. ”

"That's right, but that's politics, that's diplomacy. I've been in this business for decades, and it's never changed. ”

Talleyrand laughed and said, "Young man, you may be very objective, you want to solve problems, and you are very methodical in logic, but you don't know Napoleon, let alone France. Napoleon was always tough on a public level, but in private he would apologize to Lord Whitworth for his faux pas, but on a diplomatic level you wouldn't be able to hear a soft word from his mouth.

I've long wondered why this guy has so much support and enthusiasm in France, and the French people don't seem to care that this little man who can fight a war will take everyone to hell. But after the end of the Hundred Days Dynasty, I finally figured this out.

Napoleon knew the character of the French nation very well, and he knew that the main driving force that could propel the nation was 'honor and authority'. His position, power, and political destiny rested on satisfying the vanity of the French.

If he retreated at this time, he would damage the prestige of France and thus jeopardize his position. Thus, even though the British Government had often politely reminded him, and he acknowledged that 'His Majesty the King should retain a part of his occupation as compensation for the great territorial expansion of France on the Continent'.

This promise, however, must be made in secret, in private. On the surface, any concession he made to England would be regarded as a great disgrace to France, and if he accepted England's acquisition of Malta as compensation, he would be the object of ridicule from all of Paris the next day, and his might would be lost. ”

Arthur shook his glass and asked his own question: "Did he do it intentionally or unintentionally?" ”

"Of course it's intentional."

Talleyrand spoke: "Napoleon was very proud of his means, and he once proudly confessed to others the secret of his acquisition of power.

He said: 'I have made the nobles tremble and uneasy when I have satisfied the general public. I ostensibly gave power to the nobles so that they had to take refuge and seek refuge beside me. I also let the people threaten the nobles so that they could not do without me. I will give them status and honor, but only if they accept my affection. My approach has worked in France. Look at the clergy, who every day can't help but become more and more loyal to my government, something they themselves never expected. ’”

Hearing this, Arthur raised his glass and touched it lightly with Talleyrand: "Such an arrogant person, if he is a historical figure, will indeed attract people's affection." But if he's by my side, he's going to be a complete nuisance, and I can't be friends with him. ”

"Really?" Talleyrand smiled and said: "I can see the "Napoleonic Thought" serialized in "The Economist", and the Bonaparte kid next to you may not be much better than Napoleon. ”

"You mean Louie?" Arthur took a sip of wine and looked at the ceiling and said, "If you don't mention it, I haven't found out yet." If he looked at it this way, he did get a glimpse of some of his uncle's essence, but it was still too tender. What's more, he doesn't have this power yet. ”

Talleyrand spoke: "If you had been born in France decades earlier, you would have been on my side. ”

Arthur quipped, "Are you sure I won't be shot by Fouche?" ”

"Of course not." Talleyrand also joked: "Because Fouché is also on our side, otherwise why do you think I would know that Napoleon said this?" ”

Arthur asked, "The reason for his dissatisfaction with Napoleon was also because of Sebastiani's report?" ”

Talleyrand nodded: "His reaction is even more fierce than mine. I am simply telling Napoleon that the crisis could have been resolved peacefully if the First Consul had given his brother Joseph and his foreign minister greater powers.

Fouché, on the other hand, warned Napoleon directly in the Senate: 'You yourself are the product of the revolution, like all of us, and the war has left everything uncertain. People want you to trust in the revolutionary principles of other countries, and they are flattering you. And the result of our revolution has almost wiped out all these revolutionary principles! ’

And Napoleon's brother, Joseph, who now lives in the Regency Crescent, put it more bluntly: 'He has once again dragged Europe into the blood of war!' He could have avoided this war, and it would not have happened if he hadn't sent his Sebastiani on that intolerable trip! ’”

Hearing this, Arthur leaned forward slightly: "In fact, Napoleon's war behavior not only had a major impact on France, but he also sent the Whigs of Britain to the grave. At that time, the Whigs were hyping up what a magnanimous man Napoleon was, and that France would not pose a threat to Britain, but as soon as the war between Egypt and the Mediterranean began, the Whigs' faces were swollen by the slap from Paris.

In the three decades since, they have not been in power again, and it was only last year that they finally relented. And the anti-British propaganda in Paris promoted the war with Britain - it was an attempt by the British to subvert the republican principles of France, which also made all the British politicians of that generation branded themselves with strong anti-French views. This influence continues to this day, represented by the current Foreign Secretary of Britain, Viscount Palmerston. ”

"Of course I do."

Talleyrand took a sip of wine: "Many of the words of that era are not true, but what makes me feel the most coke is that Napoleon was accusing Britain of conspiring to subvert the republican system the year before, and he became emperor the next year." Because of this, not only the Whigs' faces were swollen, but even the artists who cheered for Napoleon fell into the gutter. Therefore, this world is like this, don't take everything too seriously, it is all according to your own needs. ”

When Arthur heard this, he just smiled and replied, "You're right, but don't take it seriously if I have nothing to do with it." But since you're willing to take time out of your busy schedule to have dinner with me, you can't tell me nothing, right? ”

Talleyrand tied a napkin and slowly cut the veal steak in front of him: "Young man, I've already given you a lot." I'm not Napoleon, and I don't eat on approval ratings, and I have no reason to do such a thing. Napoleon would have bribed the Irish to assassinate the Crown of England, but I wouldn't do that stupid thing. ”

Arthur asked, "Can you tell me more about Mr. Valewski?" I have to be honest with you that the investigation into the Liverpool shootings was not entirely dominated by Scotland Yard. The parliament also has a special committee to investigate the case, and the clues left by those killers are so obvious that they will always be found on his head in the end. ”

"Huh?" Talleyrand raised his head slightly, looked at Arthur and said with a smile: "He is worthy of being the most promising police officer in Scotland Yard, and he is about to catch up with Vidocq's speed in handling cases." Valewski, how did you come up with that name? I remember that Prince Caltoryski must have sent someone to clean up Mr. Kolvaczyk's house! ”

It was not the first time that Arthur, the name Prince of Czartoryski had been heard, and he was the interim president of the Polish rebellious government, the leader of the Polish exiles in London, and at the same time one of the co-founders of the Friends of Polish Literature in Britain.

When Arthur agreed to publish Polish literature in The British, he wrote a letter of thanks to the editorial office.

Arthur never imagined that he would be involved in the assassination.

Seeing Arthur's silence, Talleyrand immediately added: "But don't worry, the assassin was not assigned by Prince Chartorysky, and he asked people to empty the house to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings. After all, Korvachik had been Walewski's secretary during his lifetime, and if his identity was discovered, it would not only be detrimental to Poland, but would also further affect Anglo-French relations. ”

"It seems that in addition to Scotland Yard and Parliament, Polish exiles and the French embassy were also interested in this case? In that case, you may know the whereabouts of Mrs. Korvacik? ”

"It's a pity. We only found a few of his children, and as for his wife, we don't know where she went. ”

Talleyrand spoke: "Young man, you must understand that France today is no longer the France of Napoleon, and of course we want to maintain France's position on the European continent, but we will not be outside the whole framework as before.

I expressed my opinion to Napoleon a long time ago, and this opinion has not changed to this day. France is big enough, and every future expansion, no matter how brilliant the victory, will always lose more than it gains. France's goal is to maintain the existing borders and the existing peace, and the size of France is determined not by the strength of France, nor by the ambition of politicians, but by the realities of Europe.

Our current government, of course, is interested in Poland, but that is done within the framework of the existing order based on the whole of Europe. If France had really been interested in land, we would not have allowed Prince Leopold, who had lived in England for so long, to be King of Belgium last year.

If France does not seek Belgium, how can it seek to master Poland? We just can't get used to the Russians' desire to upset the European balance by taking Poland for themselves.

When Napoleon invaded Spain in 1808, the Russian ambassador to Paris, Mr. Tolstoy, exclaimed: 'Napoleon seems to want to destroy all the old monarchs and swallow up every land he can swallow. What an unprincipled, greedy devil he is! ’

Today, however, France has abandoned the Napoleonic expansionist practices, and the Russians have picked it up again. Arthur, I don't talk to you about freedom, democracy, and anything like that, I just want to tell you that it is in Britain's interest to speak out for Poland.

Nicholas I was not the same as his brother Alexander I, and in this respect Prince Chartorysky, with whom they had both worked, had a strong say.

If you talk to His Excellency the Prince, you will hear from his mouth: 'It seems to me that Alexander I's heart was indeed full of great ideals for the common good, of generous thoughts and feelings, and of the desire to sacrifice a part of the royal power for the sake of all this. However, these are only the dreams of young people, not the determined will of adults. His Majesty likes the freedom of superficial sets as much as he likes to watch a play. It was enough to see a semblance of a free government in the empire to satisfy his vanity and make him happy. However, he does not expect these things to become a real reality. He would gladly allow everyone to be free, but only if everyone voluntarily did exactly what the emperor wanted. ’”

When Arthur heard this, he pinched his chin and asked, "If Alexander I was already so bad, then what kind of person was Nicholas I?" ”

"Do you need to talk about that?" Talleyrand slipped a piece of veal and put it in his mouth: "He didn't want to see even a superficial freedom." ”

(End of chapter)