Chapter 229 Chameleon Is the Badge of Politics (4K4)

As night falls, Apsley House is brightly lit in London No. 1 today.

Although no one's name in Britain is louder than that of Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, the number of people attending the banquet today was not too large.

Perhaps it was because the number of people invited by the Duke was relatively small, or perhaps everyone was busy drawing a clear line with the former Prime Minister who stepped down because of his opposition to the Parliamentary Reform Bill. In short, compared with the huge banquet hall, the number of people attending the banquet was small. A little deserted.

Arthur stood in front of the window and watched the raindrops that were dyed dark by the night. The finger-sized raindrops shook the street lights.

He watched a lone pedestrian on the road step across the streetlight, his boots stepping into the puddles, splashing mud, and his figure quickly disappeared into the endless rain curtain.

The red devil stood behind Arthur. The red devil whispered: "Arthur, did you see? On a rainy day, even the shadow will be absent. So, if you don't want to be abandoned, please remember to keep walking. In the sunshine.

Why do you need to come into this troubled water? Your reputation with the Whig Party is also on the rise. It will do you no good to have a relationship with Wellington at this time. Doesn't the position of director of the London Police Intelligence Bureau still win your heart? "

When Arthur heard this, he just glanced at the red devil: "I'm just here to have a meal, Agares, why are you so worried?"

"Is that so?" the red devil raised his eyebrows and said: "You have to know that your behavior today may have an impact on your experience in the next ten years. Not everyone has the tolerance to tolerate others, especially for returning after three years of separation. The Whigs in power for ten years.”

Arthur just said: "If you are just seeking a position, you can go all the way to the end. But if you want to accomplish something, you need to balance the relationships between all parties. Britain is not France, so there is no faction. After they step down, they will be crushed to ashes. Even in France, it will not take long for the defeated faction to make a comeback. This time may be ten or twenty years, but it will never be because of what someone says. I don’t like it. Things he doesn’t like will disappear from the world, not even God. God hates demons so much, but Agares, aren’t you still alive and well now?”

When the red devil heard this, he just smiled softly: "Okay, Arthur, since you insist on doing this, I won't advise you. But please be careful, you must not kill yourself. Many people do Because I thought I was omnipotent, when I looked back, I realized that I had reached a situation where I had to die.

You may not believe it, but the greatest love God has for mankind is to give you ignorant bugs the equal right to die. Whether you are the most devout believer or the most deviant atheist, everyone has only one life, and this is very fair. "

After saying this, the red devil turned into a puff of smoke and disappeared into the hall.

When Arthur came to his senses, he lowered his head and realized that the red wine glass in his hand was gone.

He shook his head and said: "I've been talking for a long time, and it's not just to cheat for some food? The Duke of Hell, who commands thirty-one demon legions, can only do so much."

As soon as Arthur finished speaking, Alexandre Dumas, who had been at the dining table looking at the pre-dinner desserts for the guests to satisfy their hunger and boredom, also came around.

Accompanying Alexandre Dumas was Vidocq, whose hands were wrapped in gauze and who had planned to kidnap Alexandre Dumas and return home a few days ago.

Vidocq led Alexandre Dumas to Arthur, lowered his voice and said: "Let's go, I have informed Mr. Talleyrand in advance that he is willing to meet you."

Arthur nodded. He and Vidocq walked together and asked, "Is there anything I should pay attention to in a moment?"

Vidocq thought for a while and said: "Mr. Talleyrand is usually quite easy-going, but there is one thing. He doesn't like others to mention his lame leg. But even if you mention it, as long as you don't use rich attacks Sexual language, but in a joking tone, Mr. Talleyrand usually does not take it to heart. "

Alexandre Dumas curled his lips when he heard this and said: "I guess Louis XVI, Robespierre, Napoleon, and Louis XVIII all thought so at the time."

Vidocq stood outside the door of the entertainment room, holding the doorknob with one hand, and patted Dumas on the shoulder: "Okay, Alexander, it's just a bunch of dead people, what do they do? But you have to understand, Mr. Talleyrand You are still alive now. And I must be fair, you are a young man, so you have not experienced that era. Compared with the people you mentioned, Mr. Talleyrand is obviously much easier to get along with."

After saying this, Vidocq knocked on the door, then opened the door and introduced: "Your Excellency, Mr. Dumas and Mr. Hastings are here to visit."

Arthur stood at the door and looked inside. He thought that this group of big shots across Europe must be talking about some big deal with a glass of red wine. However, the scene in the entertainment room made him feel a little confused.

He only saw a few old men sitting around the card table playing poker. If it weren't for the luxurious clothes they wore, they would be no different from the old men playing chess he saw in the park in his previous life.

Talleyrand raised his head and glanced, then flicked out a J and said: "Come in and sit down, it's just to cancel a wanted order. What's the big deal? Who hasn't been wanted by the government when they were young? Victoria? Doc, aren’t you and I the same?”

When Vidocq heard this, his old face turned red with embarrassment. He corrected, "Sir, I have long since turned over a new leaf. I am now a good citizen of France."

Talleyrand looked at the card table and said, "Good citizens cannot do the work of a police officer, let alone the security department."

Vidocq was sweating all over his face. He complimented, "Sir, I am not as wise as you, so please don't embarrass me. You can talk slowly with Mr. Dumas and Mr. Hastings."

After speaking, Vidocq closed the door gently and ran outside to smoke.

Talleyrand lost a target and soon turned his attention to Dumas.

He patted the empty stool beside him and said, "Sit down. I know you young people are in good health, but there is no need to show off in front of an old man like me."

Dumas looked a little stubborn. Although he promised Arthur to have a good talk with Talleyrand, he couldn't let go of the knot in his heart when he came to him.

After all, the collapse of the French Republic is inseparable from Talleyrand's contribution.

Of course, the same is true for Napoleon's defeat.

Arthur saw him like this and just shook his head, then pressed his friend to sit on the bench, and he smiled helplessly: "Sir, don't be surprised, French republicans, you should know."

Talleyrand just smiled when he heard this: "Nothing, Alexander's style is just like his father. But I have to say, Alexander, I don't like your father, but I don't hate you for the time being."

Dumas didn't want to talk to Talleyrand, but when he heard this, he couldn't help turning his head and asked: "Why?"

Talleyrand played another pair of 5s: "I have always believed that you can't trust a person who is not a republican before the age of 30, nor should you trust a person who is still a republican after the age of 30. You belong to the former now, and your father belongs to the latter."

Alexander recalled He asked, "Why... why?"

Arthur added on behalf of Talleyrand, "Because those who are not republicans before the age of thirty have no conscience, and those who are still republicans after the age of thirty have no brains."

Talleyrand couldn't help laughing when he heard this. He said to his old friends at the card table, "See, I told you that good citizens can't be good policemen."

Dumas couldn't help frowning and asked Arthur, "Do you have a conscience?"

Arthur didn't say yes or no when he heard this. He just calmly responded, "Alexander, fishing enforcement is my job. Do you want to join Scotland Yard?"

Talleyrand was so amused by them that he even put down the cards in his hand. He said, "Originally, Victor told me that he was in Scotland Yard. When I saw a talented person, the first person I thought of was Fouché, the bastard who had no conscience or feelings. But now it seems that you are completely different from Fouché. If it were Fouché, he would have tied up the fat boy Alexander and made a private deal with us. But it’s good not to be like Fouché. After all, the situation in Britain and France is different. Maybe a guy like you can do better here than him. "

The friends on the side heard the words and said, "Young man, you are so lucky today! Our Mr. Talleyrand has a 100% success rate in predictions so far. He said that Napoleon would fall, and Napoleon fell. He said that Robespierre would not succeed, and Robespierre lost his head. Talleyrand, you were a bishop when you were young, and these things Did God tell you about this?" Talleyrand also joked, "Of course, God told me. You may not know that when they elected me as the bishop, I warned them: You will regret it sooner or later! At that time, everyone thought I was scaring them, but now they know how powerful I am." Friends also joked, "Really? What language do you use when you talk to God?" Talleyrand laughed and said, "Of course it's Spanish. Don't you remember what Charles V said? I speak Spanish to God, Italian to women, French to men, and German to my horse." Arthur heard this and added, "It's not that troublesome to communicate with the devil. Whether it's English, French or German, you just need to speak human language. "

As soon as Arthur said this, he immediately caused another round of laughter.

Although Arthur didn't know why these people were laughing, he was just stating a fact, but it was always taken as a joke.

Agares, who was leaning on the card table in the entertainment room and eating candy beans, heard this and just said: "It's okay if you don't speak human language. I can still communicate with monkeys. I mean, if you are willing to admit that you are a monkey. "

Arthur glanced at him and was about to speak, but Dumas, who was sitting next to him, finally couldn't hold it back.

He said: "I want to ask a question. "

Talleyrand raised his eyebrows and said: "Go ahead, since I am willing to see you, I am not afraid to talk to you about problems. I have problems everywhere in my life, and you are not the only one. However, I guess what you want to ask is nothing more than those few, why did I betray Napoleon, or why did I rebel against the Republic? These things, my mouth is actually about to peel, which one do you want to ask? "

"If you are willing to answer, I am willing to listen to both. "

Talleyrand put one hand on the card table and sighed: "Originally, I wanted to say something happy at today's banquet. But since you insist on listening, I will tell you.

Regarding the Republic, I had already expressed it in 1792 - the old belief in monarchy collapsed, but the new idea of ​​freedom was not widely accepted. I saw that France would fall into a sea of ​​blood, that would be a country without justice. , only the age of violent beasts.

Facts have also proved my opinion. I can say to you very seriously that the reason why you can stand in front of me is because the person sitting in front of you is Talleyrand. If it were Robespierre sitting here right now, your head would have moved by now. "

Alexandre Dumas frowned and said: "I am a republican."

"Oh, really?"

Talleyrand smiled and said: "Dandon, Marat, Brissot, Hébert, Desmoulins, etc., these people are all republicans, and even Robespierre himself was sent to the guillotine. You Do you dislike me because I object to their indiscriminate killing?"

When Alexandre Dumas heard this, he held it in for a long time and finally said: "I think with your ability, you may be able to correct them."

Talleyrand just shook his head: "Maybe you still overestimate me. I always feel that when making a choice and taking sides, we must first understand whether the side that suits us is enough for us to win. There is no such guarantee. It was crazy to go in. At that time, it was clear that everyone was going crazy, and no matter which side you participated in, you were destroying yourself.”

"So that's why you went abroad during that time?"

"certainly."

"Then how do you explain your betrayal of Napoleon later?"

When Talleyrand heard this, he just said: "I did not betray Napoleon, but Napoleon betrayed France. I warned him not to launch an expedition against Russia, but he insisted on doing so and brought the entire French nation to Destruction. In this case, is there any problem with me finding a way out for all the people of France in advance?

Napoleon left France with hordes of orphans and widows, collapsed national finances, and a stagnant domestic economy. But I at least obtained surrender conditions for France at the Congress of Vienna that included no ceding of territory, no indemnities, and no return of the spoils previously plundered. I didn't want to ask for credit like this, but Alexander, if you insist on saying how much benefit Napoleon brought to France, I don't agree.

But you're a young man, so I don't blame you because you didn't live through that turbulent period. In the past half century, I have seen too many people who claim to be able to save France. But have you really thought about what they ultimately brought to France?

During those thirty years, everything was filled with capriciousness, and there were many moral principles everywhere, but behind those moral principles was a life of cruel killings that could not be seen to the end. The people who starve to death are left unattended, the families of fallen soldiers do not receive pensions, the streets of the city are covered with weeds, and there are always wars but no one truly wins.

During those thirty years, France was always saved by various people for various reasons. I have long been used to it. But fortunately, that era has passed. However, Alexander, your next sentence is very important. You'd better think about it carefully before answering. Are you going to tell me that you're going to be next? "