As the conversation deepened, another drizzle of fog fell on the streets of London.

Through the dense water vapor and the glass windows covered with water droplets, you can only vaguely see the movement of pushing and changing glasses and the corners of the mouth jumping briskly in the small cubicle of the restaurant.

Arthur and Talleyrand were playing cards as they asked, "So, the reason why you were able to make your fortune from the youngest son of an unappreciated aristocratic family was all because of Madame du Barry's support?" How the hell did you capture this lady who had fascinated Louis XV? ”

Although he was sixty years old, Talleyrand still did not change his ambition when he talked about his affairs back then, and the old man seemed to be very proud of his ability to maneuver among many ladies.

"What else can it be? As you can see, handsome looks, elegant manners, and a three-inch tongue that can make ladies dizzy, and I was younger then than I am now. Arthur, my dear little brother, it is not so difficult to get the ladies to dedicate themselves to you, as long as you can analyze them before you act. ”

Arthur threw out a card: "Just as you analyze the Russians?" ”

"Nope."

Talleyrand said solemnly: "I analyze the ladies more carefully than the Russians. The Russians could rely on their high latitudes to attack everywhere in Eurasia, and Madame du Barry also had such a geographical advantage in the upper social circles of France. She knew everyone around the king, and many of the people who could influence France's fate were her relatives, friends, and even suitors. Capturing her heart gave me a much greater sense of accomplishment than conquering Russia. ”

When Agareth heard this, he couldn't help but clutch his stomach and laugh, the sound of his fangs rubbing against each other was like a chainsaw for felling.

Arthur's brows furrowed slightly, he glanced at the Red Devil who did not abide by social etiquette, and asked casually, "What you said is an exaggeration, right?" ”

"I'm not exaggerating."

Talleyrand lit his cigar and took a sip, slowly savoring the afterglow of the smoke in his mouth: "The sense of accomplishment mainly comes from the comparison of the strength of the two sides when achieving the goal. Madame du Barry was the star of Parisian social circles, and at that time, I had nothing but the noble surname 'Perigord'.

Neither my family nor my parents cared about me, and I probably didn't know that the closest I could have been to my father in the first decade or so of my life was at the coronation of Louis XVI. I was the spectator, and he was holding the bottle of holy oil for the new king. Louis XVIII, who was a prince at the time, made fun of me at the coronation and said to the others: 'This guy is at most from the Périgord family, not the Périgord family.' ’”

When Arthur heard this, he couldn't help but sympathize: "Didn't you fight back against him?" If I had been there, I would probably have refuted him. ”

"Then I thank you for your words."

Talleyrand laughed and said, "However, just because he is uneducated does not mean that I am uneducated. And, although his words were unpleasant, they were not all wrong. ”

Speaking of this, Talleyrand also patted his lame leg as if laughing at himself.

"See this? This lame leg has been with me since I was two years old, when I fell from the stairs and my parents didn't know about it until a few months later.

Being lame means I can't be a soldier and I can't be a decent heir to the Périgord family. So, they sent me to a seminary and stripped me of my inheritance by making me a priest. I am indeed proud of the surname Périgord, but I must also admit that for a long time I was not considered a member of the Périgord family.

That's why I want to get ahead more and more. I've always said that although I'm a nobleman, I'm not the same as those lowly nobles. Everything I have is earned by my own efforts, by my hands and my lame legs.

I struggled to find a way to make my fortune until I read Voltaire's book and learned about Voltaire's experience. I was amazed to find that this famous figure in Europe had the same vitriol personality as I did, but he was always able to use his wonderful language to get people to accept this.

When Voltaire was young, he was sent to the Bastille for writing poems satirizing the Duke of Orleans, the Prince Regent, and when he was released, the first thing he said to the regent was: 'I am grateful for His Majesty's hospitality and food and lodging, but next time I will be provided with food and drink, and I beg your Highness not to provide you with any more lodgings!' ’

And his career began with a relationship with Madame de Chadley, and although Voltaire was a little bitter, it did not prevent Madame de Chadley from liking this talented young man. Although the two of them often quarreled, and even deliberately used English to prevent the neighbors from understanding, this did not affect their relationship from beginning to end.

Voltaire also relied on this relationship to rise to the top of the French social circle, and his works and Lisso's mouth soon became widely circulated in Europe. Frederick II of Prussia offered Voltaire an annual salary of 20,000 livres for his phrase that he was neither holy, nor roman, nor imperial.

Later, when he found out that Voltaire was illegally reselling the Prussian national debt, he simply smiled and said, "This philosopher friend of ours really doesn't look like a philosopher when it comes to money." ”

Talleyrand was slightly drunk, and there was a little drunken on his cheeks: "When I discovered Voltaire's experience, I was like a treasure. is also a leader of the Enlightenment, and he is also a prominent figure, why do you prefer to be Rousseau, who lived a difficult life, instead of Voltaire, who lived a happy life? So, from that moment on, I decided to replicate Voltaire's path of success. Of course, I didn't have Voltaire's ability to write literature, so I had to work on it. ”

Arthur added some wine to Talleyrand: "Judging by the results, it is clear that your efforts have been successful. ”

Talleyrand laughed and replied, "No, not only on my part, but also because Madame du Barry was indeed a very charming lady, she was kind and loved to find the joy of life. In a way, her feelings for me were less like a lover's and more like an older woman's concern and curiosity for a reckless imp.

I remember she once asked me, 'Why are you always sullen, is it bad luck or are you humble?' ’

I told her, 'It's easier to find a woman in Paris than a convent.' ’

She may have been moved by my depression, or she liked my Voltaire answer. So it didn't take long for her to help me get a position as bishop of the monastery. A good salary and a lot of free time give me the opportunity to get away from boring and useless mundane tasks and have more time to devote to social situations.

It was through this bishop that I was able to attend large social banquets and meet many people who would help me in the future. I even had the privilege of getting acquainted with Monsieur Voltaire himself, who had returned to Paris to spend his old age, from whom I learned a lot about witty words.

The only regret is that I was not able to protect my lucky starting point, Madame du Barry, during the Revolution. She was naïve and kind, but lacked an understanding of politics and human nature, which led to her eventual guillotine of the Revolution. ”

Arthur smiled and asked, "You seem to miss that old time." ”

Talleyrand put one hand on the back of his chair and shook his glass slightly: "A young man like you will never be able to understand this kind of thought. It seems to me that people who did not live near 1789 do not know what the joy of life really means. At that time, many of the traditions of old Europe were still preserved, and the Great Revolution that came later buried them all.

The people of that time still had the orthodox aristocratic demeanor, and the so-called politicians of later times, except for hooligans, ruffians, thieves, robbers, and fraudsters, I can no longer find any other adjectives in them. In fact, many of them did do that work. ”

When Arthur heard this, he suddenly remembered something, and he read word by word: "If I had been born twenty years earlier, then I would have been a true old monarchist, living my life in peace." If I had been born twenty years later, I would have been a staunch uponto of the new idea, vowing to create a new era. Regrettably, I was born in a time when the old and the new are intertwined, so I can only stand here and hold on to the iron wheel of the world, so that the European continent will not fall into another catastrophe of derailment. ”

When Talleyrand heard this, his eyes lit up, and he shook the wine glass.

He was silent for a while, and then smiled with relief: "Boy, if you were born in France more than half a century ago, you would definitely be the second Voltaire. But looking back, there was nothing wrong with being born in England half a century later, and being your Arthur Hastings.

Like you said, at least you can be a committed champion of the new idea without any burden, vowing to create a new era.

Call...... Maybe I'm really old and always like to talk about what I don't have. The older I get, the more nostalgic I like to be nostalgic for the past, and it seems that I really can't keep up with the footsteps of young people. Of course, I'm not interested in continuing to be in the company of thieves, robbers, and fraudsters.

You can solve the problem with a few witty words with the nobles, but you have to use a knife to deal with these hooligan ruffians. So, leave it to an energetic young man like you. ”

Saying this, Talleyrand slowly stood up and took off his coat from the coat rack, and while buttoning his hat, he said: "I will send someone to bring you what you want the next day." But be careful, figure out where your strategic boundaries are before you get started. You're still young, and you're not at the end of your rope, and you don't have to fight for your life until you have to.

Boy, I have to say, you're in luck. With your identity, if you were born twenty years ago, you would never have had a chance to climb to where you are now, let alone go further. But now times have changed, and the entry threshold for the upper class has been lowered from the youngest son of an aristocratic family who is not valued to an aspiring young man like you. ”

Arthur stood up and took off his hat and thanked him: "Fortunately, although I didn't meet Voltaire, I did get three or two words of guidance from you. ”

Hearing this, Talleyrand only laughed a few times, and the old man winked playfully and said, "Young man, it doesn't work for others to put a high hat on me. But this time with the exception, it is the greatest compliment to be considered to be alongside Voltaire in the art of the tongue. ”

With that, the old lame man pushed open the door of the cubicle with his cane and walked out.

He was clearly in a good mood, as could be seen from the tune he hummed.

"Plaisir D'Amour", also known as "The Joy of Love".

This short, catchy, elegant, and light secular romance was very popular in 18th-century France.

Arthur poured a cup of tea, looked out the window at the drizzle, reminisced about this exotic song from Paris, and couldn't help but raise his fingertips and tap the table to the rhythm.

It was as if he could glimpse the last century from these short notes.

You can smell the aroma of wheat waves in the French rice fields, and you can see the sparkling waves on the banks of the Seine in the evening sunset.

France, what kind of country is that?

What kind of city is Paris?

Alexandre Dumas's homeland, his birthplace.

There are also Balzac, Hugo and other bright stars.

If you have the chance, maybe you should visit there and do a trip?

Of course, the premise is not to run into thieves, robbers, hooligans, ruffians. However, Mr. Vidocq can be excluded from this for the time being, after all, he still has to exchange police experience with him.

Just as Arthur was wandering the seas and his thoughts drifted across the English Channel.

The door to the cubicle was pushed open again.

Before you see him, you hear his voice first.

"Arthur, my brother, you're finally back from Liverpool! You have no idea how rude those monkeys in the House of Commons are to offend the proud and distinguished Mr. Benjamin Disraeli! ”

Still in a classic red dress, green vest, yellow breeches and stockings, Disraeli threw his cane around the corner of the room, took off his coat and hat, and prepared to pour bitter water on Arthur.

Who knows, Arthur took the first step to speak: "Benjamin, you don't need to introduce the specific situation to me, the newspapers are all over the place." I gotta admit, you did, and your debut in the lower yard did explode. ”

"You saw it all?" Disraeli snapped his hat on the table and scolded, "Those guys are really uneducated, I ......"

Arthur calmly took a sip of tea and replied lightly: "Benjamin, what kind of madness did you have?" If the legislators were educated, how could they elect the legislators? Have you forgotten? The House of Commons is a place dedicated to the export of hateful views and personal attacks on British scoundrels, which is an important part of Britain's use to mediate social conflicts. ”

Disraeli exclaimed, "Can't you just let these scoundrels out?" ”

"Let it go?"

Arthur put down his teacup and said, "Benjamin, do you think London is very safe?" As a Superintendent of Scotland Yard, I must inform you that the officers are not prepared to welcome in open arms more than six hundred scoundrels with judicial immunity. If you have to let them out, I suggest you go to Regent's Park and contact London Zoo, they are the experts in this regard. ”

"Alas......" Disraeli sighed, his arms raised to the ceiling and shouted, "Oh my God! Did I put so much thought into it just to sit in the lower house and quarrel with these scoundrels? ”

In response to Mr. Disraeli's complaints, Arthur simply commented: "If you don't want to do that, you can go to court and quarrel with another gang of scoundrels." The London District Prosecutor's Office is about to be formed, and if I'm lucky enough to be a part of it, I'm sure I'll need to recruit some direct prosecutors. Benjamin, if I'm not mistaken, you shouldn't have been revoked from practicing law, right? ”

"Lawyer? Forget it, I'm long gone. ”

With that, Disraeli dragged out of his chair and sat down with a big grin, but before he could sit down, he found the bottle on the table.

Mr. Councillor lowered his head and squinted, and suddenly exclaimed, "Hennessy's.? When have you ever drunk something so high-end? ”

Arthur picked up the tablecloth and wiped his mouth: "If I were alone, I would definitely not drink such a high-end drink." But since it was a meal with Mr. Parliamentarian, it naturally had to match the high standards of the Councillor. ”

Hearing this, Disraeli showed a meaningful smile at Arthur: "It seems that this trip to Liverpool has tired you a lot?" ”

"Where is the joy and bitterness of doing things for the country and the government?"

Arthur spoke: "From the moment I joined Scotland Yard, I knew I was going to dedicate my life to this ordinary and great cause. ”

Disraeli poured a glass of wine and tasted it: "If I had your ability to open your eyes and tell nonsense, I wouldn't have gotten into trouble with them when I gave a speech in the House of Commons." ”

Seeing that the atmosphere was similar, Arthur nodded at Disraeli lightly: "Then again, has your work in the council been going well recently?" Did Sir Peel ask you to submit any motions? ”

"Hmm...... Well, the bill must have been submitted. But I've only been in parliament for a short time, so most of my time is spent studying. And, you are a little mistaken, Sir Peel is the leader of the party, but that doesn't mean I have to listen to him, the Tory relationship is much more complicated than you might think. ”

Arthur leaned over and asked, "What do you mean by that?" ”

Leaning back in his chair, Disraeli said, "In short, the Tories have actually split into four factions. They are the liberals who uphold the political views of the late former Prime Minister Sir Canning, the moderates led by Sir Peel, the conservatives led by the Duke of Wellington, and the extremists led by the Duke of Newcastle and the former Lord Chancellor Elden.

And now, most of the liberals have actually fallen for the Whigs. Most of the remaining small groups did not listen to Sir Peel, but voted freely according to their own political opinions. As for the extremists, although they still obey Sir Peel's call on the surface, as long as the Duke of Newcastle and others make a slight look, they can immediately give you a 180-degree change.

So, in fact, at the moment Sir Peel is able to mobilize only the moderates and the conservatives of the Duke of Wellington. And I was elected because of the help of the Earl of Lindherset, so I naturally had to respect his opinion in most cases. If the Earl of Lindherset and Sir Peel disagree, then I can only apologize to Sir Peel. ”

When Arthur heard this, he turned to ask, "What about ...... Have you submitted the bill that you intended to submit to the House of Commons to impeach Viscount Palmerston for his position on the Polish question? ”

(End of chapter)