Flowers, Swords and France

While the brother and sister were still talking, the quarrels among the descendants of the Duke of Treville were still going on fiercely.

"Are you determined to turn against us?" Because of Charlotte's words, Philip no longer suppressed his anger and asked his sister loudly, "Dad doted on you so much, and he gave you whatever you wanted since you were a child... And this is how you repay us? You also said that we are incompetent... What do you think of your father and us?!"

"You are not incompetent, if you are incompetent, it's fine. You are obviously capable, but because of the pursuit of comfort and enjoyment, you ended up breaking your grandfather's heart. Did I say something wrong?" Charlotte did not give in at all, staring at her brother, "Don't use family affection to pressure me. If I really didn't recognize you, I wouldn't come here to tell you all this!"

"Why, do you still want to threaten us?" Philip stepped forward.

"Threat? Think of it as you like!" Charlotte turned her eyes away from his face and saw her father, "Dad, don't be silent, tell me what you are going to do? If you must turn against each other, it's not my fault!"

Being stared at by Charlotte, the middle-aged man's face became even uglier.

Of course, there was a reason why Charlotte was so rude to him.

Although it was his brother Philip who made the more violent noise just now, his father's ambiguous attitude actually emboldened him.

If he really disliked his son's behavior, he should not remain silent, but should stop his son's actions. However, he did not do it, but just kept silent personally - this was actually a tacit attitude. If Philip really did well, he would quietly collect the benefits and inherit everything from his father as the natural heir; if Philip failed, he could also stay out of it and not fall out with his daughter and son-in-law.

Humph, you can use your son as a gun! Charlotte snorted in her heart.

Philip accused his father of being too weak. Charlotte also agreed with him in her heart.

Just thinking of hiding behind, relying on her son to charge and then reap the benefits, how can it be so cheap.

Charlotte is very angry now. Although she is not surprised that her father and brother have objections. But she never thought that they would forget their vows and plan to overturn her grandfather's will within a few minutes after her grandfather died. Grandpa is very important in her mind, so she regards this performance of her father and brother as an ungrateful betrayal.

In the fierce quarrel, family affection is gradually forgotten, leaving only dissatisfaction and long-lasting resentment. Many families are turning against each other and disintegrating in such quarrels.

At least she still maintains the last bit of rationality, so she hasn't broken down with them.

"Charlotte, don't do this, don't yell at Dad, okay?" The new duke sighed uncomfortably. "If you have anything to say, tell Dad well... Don't do this."

The middle-aged man's slightly pleading words made Charlotte feel a little bit reluctant. After all, Dad has spoiled her for so many years.

"Dad... I don't want this to happen either. Look at what Philip has done. Don't you want to restrain him?"

"Okay, stop arguing and listen to Dad." The middle-aged man forced himself to cheer up and threw the wine glass aside. "Who can be more sad than me to see my children quarreling like this? You... you are all my children, why are you quarreling?"

"Dad, no one wants to quarrel, but we have been forced to this point. Can we just sit and wait for the end of the world to come?" Philip still refused to accept it. "As long as Charlotte still has this attitude, I can't do anything."

"What is my attitude? Please explain it in detail?" Charlotte was angry again.

"Okay, okay, don't say anything, listen to me!" Seeing that his children were about to quarrel again. The middle-aged man quickly reached out to stop them. Then, he glared at his son with a little reproach, "Philip, you are wrong. Your grandfather just passed away and you are making trouble. Isn't this... isn't this a joke?"

Before waiting for his son to reply. He calmed down again and looked at his daughter, "Charlotte, although he was wrong, don't be too angry. After all, it's hard for anyone to be completely calm when encountering such a thing... It's normal for Philip to find it difficult to accept. Please forgive him a little..."

Philip's attitude was just a little wrong?

In this muddy way of handling things, Charlotte discovered her father's subtle bias.

"I also think it's normal for him to make a fuss..." Charlotte sneered and gently shook the will in her hand, "So what do you think should be done with this? Should we just do what he said and destroy it to make our brother happy?"

"What are you talking about, silly child! How can grandpa's will be handled like this!" A trace of embarrassment flashed across the middle-aged man's face, "Of course we still have to listen. But...but, you also saw that if it is handled like this, I'm afraid...I'm afraid Philip will find it difficult to accept it."

Then, he looked at Charlotte with a sigh, "Charlotte, good girl, I don't think you need to push your brother so hard...I know you haven't had a good relationship since childhood, but...but he is your brother after all, right?"

"I have never forced him, all this is just following grandpa's will!" Charlotte first expressed her righteous stance, and then softened her tone slightly, "Besides, you are all my relatives, how could I Do you hate him? I have forgotten everything about my childhood."

Charlotte's statement made the father and son look at each other.

"Then what are you going to do?" There was some hope on his father's face.

"Grandpa said in his will that he would give you income, but they did not stipulate a specific amount." Charlotte replied calmly, "So, I will do my best to give you grace. I will share most of the income generated every year." For you two, I think it should be enough to support your life."

"You mean, take away the property that I should have received, and then give me a share of the annual income, and then ask me to thank you?" Because the bid was far from what he expected, Philip couldn't bear it. Zhu made a mockery.

"This is grandpa's will. Is there anything wrong with it?" Charlotte asked, "Then what are you going to do? Tear up the will?"

"Don't think that you can do anything just because you have a will! Don't even think about using this to stop me! You have no qualifications!" Philip shouted back.

"Then what qualifies you to stop you?" When this sentence reached their ears, everyone was stunned and then looked towards the door.

"Char..." the middle-aged man exclaimed.

"You guys are making too much noise, and you don't even close the door!" Charles complained softly. Then he walked into the room with his sister and closed the door. "I can hear you clearly in the corridor. God knows what will be said about you outside in a while!"

The three of them suddenly looked embarrassed.

That's right. They quarrel in private, but no one wants to be the laughing stock of others behind their back.

"Charle, you came just in time!" Charlotte suddenly stopped when she was about to tell her husband what was going on.

Because, she found Fran looking at her with ridicule and gloating. It seems to be saying, ‘You do have a good family, now you are embarrassed! ’

I want you to take care of it! Charlotte glared back at her.

However, now is the time to do business, so you can't get angry with her and deal with her later.

"Why did you come now?"

"I was staying with grandpa just now, and I finally waited for him to fall asleep. He was very sad." Charles shook his head, "Hey, if he knew that you two had a huge quarrel not long after his brother died. Then. How sad!"

The embarrassment on the faces of the middle-aged man and Phillip became more and more intense.

"Char, I am also responsible for this. It was me who failed to take care of Philip," the middle-aged man sighed, "Don't worry, we will abide by the will."

"It doesn't make much sense to force you to comply like this." Charles shook his head again, "If I take the property and you are angry, what's the point of that to me? We are a family after all. …”

"Charle..." Charlotte felt something was wrong and quickly grabbed his hand.

Philip's face was filled with joy.

"You...you mean this will needs to be revised?" Even his father-in-law asked with suspicion.

"No, a will is a will. We must abide by it, how can we modify it?!" Charles grabbed his wife's hand tightly, indicating that he would not betray her. "On the contrary, I will help Charlotte. I will execute the will without compromise and fulfill the old man's last wish. Like Charlotte, I will never give in."

"Char!" Charlotte called again, then smiled with satisfaction and leaned closer to him.

"Then...what are you going to do?"

"It depends on how dissatisfied you are. Your Majesty the Duke." Charles bowed slightly to the other party, "If you are willing to listen to my and Charlotte's opinions, then everything will be easy for us to talk about, but you have to talk to us. If we want to fight, okay, Charlotte and I are both very tough-tempered people, and if anyone wants to fight with us, we will fight to the end.”

"Oh! Of course, we don't want to fight, we are all a family, how can we hurt our feelings!" The Duke waved his hand quickly, and then he looked at his son, "right, Philip?"

"Of course, Dad." After hesitating for a moment, Phillip nodded, "Char, just tell me, how do you plan to deal with it?"

He was afraid of his cousin and knew that although he was very humble and gentle on the surface, he was actually much crueler than himself, so his attitude softened a lot and he planned to listen to what he wanted to do. If it was really difficult to accept this arrangement Another attack.

"First of all, I want to make it clear that Charlotte and I are the executors of the will, so we have no need or obligation to make concessions to you. We are just talking about favors now." Charles said slowly, making his own intentions clear first. position, "So, you We can't repay the gambling debts and other debts you owe unconditionally. We can only lend you money. The interest can be waived. You must repay the principal later, and you must leave me an IOU stating the date of repayment. , of course I can extend the time to a few years later..."

"What? Gambling debt?" Both father and daughter were shocked.

"Okay, no wonder you are jumping up and down like this, it turns out it's because of this!" Charlotte shouted, "Dad gives you so much money every year, and you can still owe a lot of debt... You are such a spendthrift!"

"You...you actually investigated me secretly!" Philip's face suddenly lost color, "You...you are so deliberate?"

"Deliberate? No...why should I be so deliberate against you?" Charles shook his head, "This news was told to me by others. I know a lot of people, and a lot of people want to please me, so they told me some news. If this is not true, you can deny it."

'I know a lot of people. And a lot of people want to please me,', this implicit threat made Philip even more shaken. Moreover, what Charles said was indeed true, which made his position suddenly become much weaker.

"Okay, I owe some money, but who doesn't feel this way now? What's the big deal!" He didn't dare to deny it after all. So he avoided the main point, "Besides, debt is debt, inheritance is inheritance, these are two different things!"

"Yes, these are two different things, but do you want us to help you pay off your debt?" Charles remained calm and looked at his cousin with a smile, "Or should we just delay it and no one can get the money. Wait for the creditor to come to your door first?"

Philip was speechless.

Because of Charles's accumulated prestige, his attitude was much better just now, but now he couldn't stand it anymore.

But just when he was about to say something, his father interrupted him.

"Okay, I have to thank you for this, Charles. But you can't help him pay off the debt for nothing, you still have to collect interest, and the family has to settle the accounts!"

"Dad!" Philip was anxious, but his father ignored him completely, obviously very angry at his absurdity.

"Forget the interest, it's meaningless." Charles still insisted on his opinion. "In addition, Philip is right. Debts are debts. You should pay back the debt the Duke mentioned."

"Hmm?" The middle-aged man was a little confused and didn't understand what he meant.

"Just now I heard your father say that the Bourbon family has deposited a large amount of property with you. Since we have promised to repay the debt, we should fulfill our promise. Charlotte and I will raise enough funds as soon as possible to offset the debt. Then, you will manage this wealth and choose an appropriate time to return it to the Bourbon family."

The Duke finally realized it.

Charles meant that the debt would be transferred to their hands, and then they could use the gap between repayments to make money. If they could delay it for several years, they would definitely be able to make a lot of money from this money. The longer they could delay it, the better.

They could even... swallow it directly. Anyway, it seems that the Bourbon family will not come back, so what can they do to themselves?

"This money must be paid back!" Charlotte seemed to have seen through her father's thoughts and shouted directly, "You can only use it to earn interest. We will have to pay it back in a few years, at most a few years. This is grandpa's promise, and you must abide by it. Aren't a few years enough for you to save money?"

The middle-aged man frowned, and from the expression of his daughter, she was serious.

What are the father and daughter trying to do? It's just a waste king, what's there to be nostalgic about, it's really inexplicable.

"Okay, I promise you, I will pay it back." After sighing, he muttered again. "I didn't expect that the biggest Napoleon member's family would have a good royalist!"

This sarcasm made Charlotte blush slightly, and she glared at Charles, making Charles smile awkwardly.

"Well, since you agree to this condition, we will raise enough money to give it to you as soon as possible." Charles continued, "Before repaying the Bourbon family, the income generated by this money will be at your disposal, and you can choose to give it to anyone. This is your right. How about it, do you agree or not?"

"Are there any other conditions?" The Duke asked hopefully.

"There are no conditions." Charles shook his head, "I think we have worked hard enough to bridge the rift, and we have done enough in terms of human relations. If you want to ask for more, we will be in a difficult situation."

"Can the income from those lands be transferred to Philip after my death?" The Duke still asked unwillingly.

"No, no!" Before Charles could say anything, Charlotte flatly refused. "We must abide by the conditions that Grandpa said, and we must not make any discounts, otherwise what's the point!"

If Philip had not been so fierce just now and was a little more submissive, Charlotte might have considered it, but now, she would never give her brother a break.

"It seems that I don't have the leeway to refuse..." The Duke sighed again.

"If you must go against us, then... sometimes we have no choice." Charles replied with sarcasm, "Of course, this will not benefit us at all. So I personally don't want it to happen."

Hearing his meaningful answer, his father-in-law couldn't help but smile bitterly, "Come on, you still have to say so many clichés in front of relatives. I really admire you! Have you learned stupidity from those people in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, just saying clichés?!"

After laughing for a while, he sighed, "Okay, okay. Let's do as you say!"

For him, such conditions are already acceptable. After all, his father left him a fixed land income, and now he has a large sum of money that will be left in his hands. Even if it is regretful, he can bear it.

"Dad! Dad!" Seeing that he was betrayed, Philip shouted anxiously, "You can't do this!"

"What can't I do?" The middle-aged man frowned, "I am the new Duke. What right do you have to question my decision? Well, I'm going to put you in solitary confinement. You reflect on yourself! Look at you, how ridiculous you are? You squandered all the money I gave you, and you still owed debts privately!"

When Charles and Charlotte heard that he was going to put their son in solitary confinement, they understood that he really intended to fulfill the agreement, so they didn't plan to let their son make trouble.

"Dad, thank you!" Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief and looked at her father with gratitude, "You are still thinking about the family after all!"

If her father really wanted to resist to the end, although she was not afraid. But I'm afraid he would be heartbroken. The current result is the most ideal for her.

"Hey, we parents all love our children. But the children only have their own home in their eyes!" The Duke just sighed.

"Someone come?!" Then, he was going to call the servants to arrest Philip and put him in solitary confinement.

To be honest, he was not very angry with his son. For aristocrats, living a dissolute life and being heavily in debt were nothing. It was just a normal thing. He was just afraid that his son would not fulfill his promise and go out to cause trouble, so he locked him up at home for a while. He would let him out after everything was settled.

The original text is available at Six # 9 @Books/Bar!

"Wait."

Just when Philip was full of despair, Charles suddenly reached out to stop the servants. "I have something to say."

"What else do you want to do?" The Duke was a little surprised, but he still waved his hand to call the servants away.

"Don't just make Philip angry. In fact, I can understand Philip's feelings." Charles sighed, as if he was a little sad, "Who can be calm when encountering such a thing? Besides, he does have reason to be angry."

"Charles...?" Now even Charlotte didn't know what was going on.

"Although the will cannot be compromised, I think some compensation can be made." Charles nodded, "I can give Philip a chance to fulfill his wish."

"What?" Philip's heart skipped a beat.

"I'll tell you something, don't tell anyone now." Charles lowered his voice, "Mr. President will soon be crowned emperor, and the Republic will be over."

Everyone knew the news, so Charles continued to explain, "As part of the imperial policy, he will turn to cooperate with the church and support the Catholic Church. So...so in the past few years, he will consider returning some church assets that have been impacted by the times to the church. But...after so many years, many things have changed beyond recognition, so they need to be audited...in order to determine which ones need to be returned to the church and how much to return."

The issue of the church and church property has been a huge political issue in France since the Great Revolution.

After the outbreak of the Great Revolution, the Republican government vigorously promoted anti-church ideas, massacred and expelled monks, and confiscated a large amount of church land and wealth to ease the government's financial crisis; in the Napoleonic Empire, the emperor cooperated with the church again, and then in the Bourbon Restoration era, many church assets were returned. But after the establishment of the July Monarchy, because they were usurpers, they had a lot of conflicts with the church, and the Second Republic was the same. So in the past twenty years, the church's assets have suffered huge losses.

Until Louis-Bonaparte usurped power and planned to seek orthodoxy from the Catholic Church like his uncle, the balance was back again... and this, as usual, will become a feast of wealth.

"Philip, if you can agree, you can become one of the inspectors, and I can let you go to several wealthy provinces for inspection," Charles said his plan. "I have served the president for so long, he will be willing to give me this convenience."

The father and son looked at each other.

This is indeed a great temptation!

During the inspection. He has plenty of ways to put the church's assets into his own pocket, and then take the opportunity to make a fortune like everyone else.

"What do you think? Philip?" Charles looked at his cousin, "Will you listen to me?"

Philip was still hesitating, but he was not disgusted. It was obvious that he was just a little overwhelmed by this sudden good news.

"What? You don't dare?" Charles laughed rather sarcastically, "Sixty years ago, our grandfathers fled France in a hurry. They had nothing, honor. Money, title... all gone, everything was buried in the storm! Miserable, right? It was really unlucky, but they did not despair, nor did they complain about the world. Instead, they gritted their teeth and endured all the pain, found ways to make a living, became an excellent shoemaker, and supported themselves and their families! Humph, now. You who have enjoyed all the glory and wealth think that the word shoemaker is shameful, but I think it sounds great! Without their brothers as shoemakers, can we still exist? No, absolutely impossible!

What happened next? They went through life and death, braved the hail of bullets on the battlefield and politics, and walked step by step, endured, and endured...until they achieved everything they have now! Yes, our grandparents. They once had nothing, but after hard work, they regained everything they had lost, and even gained more than they lost... What did they rely on? They relied on their own hands. And fearless courage! They came through with such courage, so... so they left us these! "

Charles raised his hand, waved it heavily, and showed off the luxurious Duke's mansion, "But... but now, their grandchildren are obviously tens of thousands of times better off. But they have lost this courage? Obviously They have the opportunity in front of them, but they dare not go forward? Bah... Bah! How can such a person be worthy of being their grandson? How dare he share the same surname with them? Philip, tell me, are you worthy? ? "Do you deserve it?"

"That's enough! Damn it, stop talking!" Philip, who was moved by Charles's words, shouted loudly, "I promise you! That's it! I will let you know that in fact, the Treville family is more than You are talented on your own, so stop acting like this!”

"That's good." Charles smiled, "Then, let's write the IOU. I'll keep the same conditions as before - you only need to pay back the principal in a few years, without interest. I believe that as long as you do it seriously , repayment will never be a problem for you.”

"Of course, of course! Damn it!" Philip cursed as he rummaged for paper and pen from his father's desk.

His cousin has made it very clear that if he continues to hold on, everyone will fall out and see who can outsmart whom, and he has no confidence that he can win against his cousin in the current political environment.

Now that he has given these compensation measures, it is better than getting nothing at all.

As long as I build a large fortune for myself, why should I worry about being manipulated by Charlotte at will? He thought to himself.

Finally solved it... Ciel breathed a sigh of relief.

Although there are more concessions, it is better than splitting the family apart and making people laugh.

"Ciel..." While he was still thinking, Charlotte shouted.

"Huh?" Charles stopped thinking, then turned to look at his wife.

Then, he saw Charlotte's red face and some tears in her eyes.

"Thank you." She suddenly hugged her husband tightly and kissed his cheek.

Yes, if you don’t have a husband to back you up, what will happen even if you have a will?

"We...we must not let down the old man's expectations, and we must carry forward this family, okay?"

"Okay, I'll help you." Charles hugged his wife and patted her back.

………………………………

It was late at night, and the dispute between the Treville family finally ended with the conditions proposed by Charles.

Charles, who was still staying at the Duke of Treville's residence, looked at the servants running around downstairs and suddenly found that he had nothing to do for the time being.

The funeral had been arranged in an orderly manner according to previous preparations. He only needed to attend at the scheduled time, and Charlotte was coaxed to sleep by him saying "pregnant women should not stay up late."

However, although he seemed calm on the surface, the turmoil after the Duke's death had already brought a lot of feelings to him.

Hey, no matter what kind of hero he is. After passing away, you still have to live in strife and find no peace!

I wonder what will happen when I die? Are the children also arguing endlessly?

Although this thought was too unlucky, he still couldn't help but think about it.

"Sir...Sir...you really did it!" At this moment, someone suddenly hugged his back.

"Hey! What are you doing where so many people can see it?" Charles was surprised. He turned around and scolded his sister.

"So what if I saw it?" Fran didn't care, "Who can prevent a younger sister from getting close to her older brother?"

Ciel sighed, not knowing what to do with her for a moment.

"Did you...did you plan to do this from the beginning?"

"I have some ideas, but most of them are just playing by chance." Charles shook his head, "It's just like playing chess. You have to judge the situation to decide how to move. By the way, what do you think of my arrangement? "

"Okay, okay, but aren't you too lenient to Philip?" Fran opened her eyes wide, "I don't think Philip is the kind of person who repays kindness or is easily satisfied. He was forced to The situation has agreed to your terms, but I guess he may still be aggrieved in the future... You have to be careful with him."

"You really..." Charles shook his head, "He is my cousin after all. I can't just take away everything from him and give him nothing, right? This is too unkind. "

"Why are you talking favors to such a person?" Fran was still a little dissatisfied with Phillip. "Look at his attitude towards you! There is no respect at all! Even if he is a cousin, he shouldn't treat you like this. Who does he think he is!"

"Okay. Don't be angry. I don't even take it seriously." Charles shook his head. "There are countless people in France who hate me and gnash their teeth. If I am angry about this kind of thing, I have other things to do." Can it be done? Sometimes we have to compromise with the situation to avoid ruining the overall situation. After all, what’s the point of holding all the money in my hands like a miser?”

"But...but..." Fran was still a little unhappy. "You have helped him make a lot of money now. If he wants to confront you in the future, won't it be more difficult? Don't talk about family affection or something. Some people are not as easy to talk to as we are. You said that we can't pin our hopes on the kindness of others. This kind of thing is too unreliable."

Charles looked at Fran silently. Until she thought she had said something wrong, he finally smiled slightly, "You are right, in fact, I should be on guard. But do you really think I don't consider anything?"

"Ah?" Fran opened her eyes wide, "You...you have an arrangement?"

"Yes," Charles shrugged, "Otherwise, there are so many positions inside and outside the government that can make a lot of money. Why should I give this to him specially? He will definitely offend the church. At that time, even if he wants to deal with us, he can't find anyone to support him."

Fran thought carefully.

"No wonder!" After a moment, she finally understood.

Auditing church assets is certainly a lucrative job, but it is also easy to anger some people. If it is a person who behaves in a restrained manner, it is fine. With Philippe de Treville's character, he will definitely try every means to squeeze money after arriving at the place, without any scruples.

The church has always been a supporter of the orthodox faction. After he offended it, coupled with the matter of withholding the debts of the Bourbon royal family, it will definitely offend people greatly. Since he can no longer follow the route of the Bonaparte family, then offending the church and the Bourbon royal family at the same time is tantamount to sentencing him to political death.

Without the help of political forces, even if Charles loses power, he will not be able to overturn the case, and no one will speak for him.

Therefore, as long as he agrees to Charles's conditions, everything will become a foregone conclusion.

"So that's how it is! So that's how it is!" Fran suddenly realized, "Now that he has accepted what you handed him, he has fallen into your hands. As long as he is obedient in the future, he can continue to live a rich life. If he is dissatisfied with you and wants to break his oath and seek a political future, you can always destroy him... right?"

"That's basically it..." Charles hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded, "But I don't want this to happen. I still need subordinates. If he is willing to work for me, I will not treat him unfairly."

"You... You are so awesome! Brother!" Fran's eyes were filled with excitement and admiration, and even her face flushed, "Some people are ambitious, they don't obey anyone, they think they are the majesty, but... they are burned, melted, manipulated, and kneaded by you... In the end, they find that they are just, and only a piece of wax in your hand!"

[In French, sire and cire are homophones, this is a pun. 】

When she heard her brother talk about these arrangements, she didn't think it was excessive, but it was a bit like being eager to do something big.

But Charles was not as happy as she was.

Although I am not a good person, at least in this matter, I am not a big villain, I am the one who is right, okay! How come I seem to be a big bad guy who robs by trickery? He sighed in his heart.

He looked at his sister carefully.

Golden hair, blue eyes, white face, everything has not changed, just like the past.

Considering the increasingly tall chest, it can even be said to be more beautiful.

However, even so, the angel no longer exists after all. She has grown up and has her own mind, her own values, and even her own ability to act.

Although it is very regrettable, we can only admit the reality.

"Remember, you must remember this! We are not the Bolkiah family. We must not harm our family members unless we are absolutely helpless. Do you understand?!" Because he felt a little uneasy, he specifically reminded his sister, "Otherwise, what's the point of us living?"

"I will remember it, believe me! I can remember every word you say." Fran agreed.

Then, in a moment of silence, she suddenly hugged her brother's waist and kissed his cheek before he could react.

"Hey!!" After Charles reacted, he broke free from her embrace, and Fran chuckled and turned around and ran.

"I'm going to take a break!"(~^~)