Flowers, Swords and France

After watching the countess leave, Andre took Fran and Mary upstairs and walked towards his father's study. Compared with when he was in front of his mother just now, Andre was obviously a little uneasy. It was obvious that his father had an important position in his heart and cast a heavy shadow on him.

In silence, the three people came to the door of the study together, and then Andre knocked on the door carefully, and then took them in without waiting for a response from inside.

As soon as they entered, they both saw the burly, fat old man behind the desk in the study.

Because of his figure and round face, he looks very gentle. Wearing a black coat, a gray vest, and gray hair, he looks like a standard grandfather image in novels. It can even be said that there is some Honest.

However, compared to his gentle appearance, his eyes were much sharper and his brows were slightly wrinkled, as if he was deeply worried, which also gave him a bit more power and wisdom.

"Dad!" Andre said to him cautiously, "I'm back..."

Then, he pointed to the two women next to him, "This is Mademoiselle de Treville, the biological sister of His Excellency the Minister, and the other is her good friend Mademoiselle de Leolan."

"Mr. Earl, it's an honor to visit you." Fran saluted him quickly.

"Miss de Treville, welcome to Russia." After hearing his son's introduction, the old man immediately stood up and said hello to Fran, "I'm really sorry that you have to work so hard because of our fault. trip……"

When he stood up, Fran found that he was bigger than she had imagined, casting a shadow on her like a giant bear, which made her a little scared, but his words were smooth and fluent. The French made her feel a little more intimate.

"You don't need to apologize to me. I came here on my own initiative." Fran quickly comforted the other party, "I am very happy that you gave me such an opportunity to travel abroad. After all, I have been to many places before, but Russia is the only place where I can travel abroad." Never been here.”

"Then, we finally found a way to compensate you." The count smiled kindly, "We can at least try to make you enjoy a pleasant trip to Russia - do our best."

"I'm just afraid that you and your family are so enthusiastic that I feel ashamed and can't bear it." Fran also laughed.

In the exchange of smiles, the strangeness between the two people also disappeared a lot, and Fran also felt a lot more relaxed.

"How old are you this year?" The count suddenly asked an off-topic question. "You look very young - and so does your brother, of course."

"I will be twenty years old this year." Fran replied slightly embarrassed. "Actually, it's not that small anymore."

"Aren't you still young at twenty? I still don't understand anything at your age?!" The count laughed, as if recalling the deeds of his youth, "You and my youngest child Natasha It’s really interesting to think that they are the same size. I think you will have more things in common because she likes French things... Oh, please sit down!”

The youngest child? Wouldn't that be born around the age of fifty? Fran suddenly felt something strange.

But it makes sense to think about it. The count and his wife seem to have a good relationship and have many children. It is normal for them to have a baby daughter when they are close to fifty years old - there are many such examples in other places.

Not sure if it was an illusion, Fran found that when Count Bezukhov mentioned her youngest daughter, Andre's face suddenly became a little nervous, as if he was worried about something.

"It can be seen that you are not used to accepting such secret missions," the count said very gently after asking them to sit down. "So I think I must try to eliminate your nervousness so that you can work without any pressure. Enjoy your trip to Russia and come back with a great experience.”

"I... I was really not able to serve the family business before. After all, I was young..." Fran replied with some embarrassment, "However, although I have no experience, I may not be able to deal with it as appropriately as others, but I Please believe me, because I am cautious and know what is best for the family. I will do my best to do it better and will not act out of emotion. "

"Look, what a decent thing to say! Although you are young, you are cute enough." The Earl still smiled, then turned to look at Andre next to him, "If only everyone was like you and understood what is important to the family. It’s beneficial, and you just have to keep doing it.”

Andre lowered his head, as if feeling a little guilty under his father's accusation.

"Mr. Earl, now that we are here, you should tell us your purpose of summoning us here, right?" After the initial greetings were over, Fran decided to go straight to the topic, "I think since you are so impatient and keep it secret, then... It should be something extremely important.”

"It is indeed an extremely important matter." The Earl nodded and became serious. "To be precise, it is a large amount of documents and information. These things are extremely confidential, so I think I can only hand them over to you personally. ”

"Documents and information?" Fran and Mary looked at each other, both of them a little shocked. "What is it about?"

"I think your brother should have told you my identity, right?" The Earl did not answer directly, but asked Fran, "So you should know the seriousness and seriousness of the problem."

"Well... my brother has already told me that you are his collaborator, and you are a... a revolutionary party, a revolutionary party that wants to overthrow the current Russian government." Fran replied cautiously. "And you and he have a consensus on defeating the tsar, so now both parties are cooperating."

"Your brother's description is very brief, but also very accurate." Count Bezukhov nodded enthusiastically, as if he was not disturbed at all. "Yes, I am a revolutionary party who wants to overthrow the Tsar. , so that Russia and Russians can be liberated. So, do your best. Working hard to destabilize and collapse the tsarist political system is the direction I am committed to, and it can even be said to be my goal for decades. And with my wealth and the power of my comrades, we will also. A lot of information inside the tsarist government can be obtained, even top-secret information."

Then, he suddenly lowered his voice, "These materials are the intelligence we have obtained so far. They include diplomatic files and secret reports from diplomats, as well as internal government documents, and even documents approved by the Tsar himself. Some of them are originals. Some are copied from different sources, but will prove beyond a doubt that the tsarist government was in effect throughout Europe. They conduct diplomatic intrigues, bribe officials of other countries, and stir up discord between countries. At the same time, they are also plotting wars, trying to undermine peace and put Russia above European countries, as long as these information and these plans of aggression are made public. , then the tsarist government will inevitably fall into great diplomatic passivity, and at the same time, it will also allow European countries to see the danger of Russia clearly."

Although his tone was very calm, both Fran and Mary were shocked - although they all knew that Count Bezukhov's call for people would be related to the Tsarist government, they really didn't expect that what he wanted to show was actually Such an important thing.

This is unquestionable betrayal.

But the count's narrative continued, "At the same time, there is also information about the military mobilization of the tsarist government, from the allocation of troops to the mobilization of generals, as well as the production status and transportation conditions of arms, almost every general and every unit We will record all the information. From these documents, I think you can find the outline of their entire military plan, as well as the weaknesses of the Tsarist army... So, Miss Treville, you should understand why we are so serious. Bar?"

"Oh my God!" Fran couldn't help but exclaimed when she heard this, "Do you want Europe to go to war with Russia, and then let Russia be defeated miserably in future wars?"

She looked at the count again, feeling that she could hardly understand the kind, humble old man before her.

Why would anyone do this?

"Yes, that's what I hope. The more miserably Russia loses in this war in the future, the better, and the more simply the better. A quick operation can save our nation a century of pain and suffering." However, In the face of her questions, Count Bezukhov seemed calm and composed, without any guilt at all, "I spent so much time and collected so much intelligence and documents just to achieve this goal."

Fran didn't know what to ask, but like Mary, she couldn't understand the count's thoughts.

"You...you want to take advantage of the motherland's tragic defeat to achieve your own political goals, right?"

"Yes, as long as Russia is defeated miserably in the war, the myth of the Tsar will go bankrupt, and the enslavement, destruction, viciousness and cruelty he brought to Russia will be revealed in detail in front of the people, and his reactionary army will definitely suffer. The damage is profound, and that will be the best opportunity to end this brutal regime!" Pierre Bezukhov! Jue replied enthusiastically, "I love my motherland, but the current Russia is the motherland of the Tsar and his group of cruel favors and friends. It is not my motherland, nor the motherland of the Russian people. I have no obligation to love such a country. On the contrary, Any upright Russian should find a way to end it as soon as possible, no matter what!"

"But under the rule of the Tsar, you... you are one of the biggest rich men in Russia." Fran pointed out this fact carefully, "If there is violent turmoil in Russia, then you... then you may suffer huge losses. "

"Yes, I am one of the richest men in Russia and have been for decades. When my father, Count Kirill Vladimirovich Bezukhov, passed away, he left me With a property of several million rubles and 40,000 serfs, after half a century of management - oh, I can't say how hard I worked - my wealth has become three times this amount." Count El-Bezukhov whispered in a tone that was not ostentatious. "You see, it is always easier for rich people to become richer than for others."

"Forty thousand!" Fran and Mary exclaimed at the same time, and then looked at each other in surprise.

One person... has 40,000 serfs who can be commanded and commanded at will. Even for nobles like them, it is a bit unimaginable - not to mention, this number has now expanded several times.

Doesn't that mean that the earl has hundreds of thousands of serfs under his command? One person is legally the owner of hundreds of thousands of people?

"It's unbelievable!" Fran sighed in a low voice, "God, there is such a thing in modern times."

"Yes, it is tragic that there are still such myths in modern times." The old man sighed, "It can even be said to be a shame, a shame for the entire Russian nation! Just because of such a fact, this country should be punished by God and then destroyed as soon as possible!"

The original text can be read in Liu # 9 @shu/ba!

"But you...but you curse serfdom, but you own so many serfs..." Fran asked in a low voice, "Isn't this contradictory?"

"Yes, it's contradictory, Miss. It can even be said to be ironic, because I am also one of the bloodsuckers lying on the heads of the people." Count Bezukhov nodded, "But there is no way. In order to achieve my dream career, I must accumulate property and resources. In order to liberate them, I must enslave them like everyone else - if I liberate them myself for conscience, then I will go bankrupt and they can only continue to be serfs in the hands of others, and nothing can be changed in the end. At least in my territory, their living conditions will be much better... Miss, I am not defending myself. I was born in sin and have been living in sin. I have this awareness. But it is precisely because this sin does not continue from generation to generation that I am determined to overthrow the Tsar and the entire system he represents, so that the nation can be liberated and revived."

"Like the revolutionary era in our country?" Fran asked in a low voice. "Well... there will be a lot of bloodshed, and even His Majesty the King will die..."

"Yes, we just want a revolution, to make the Tsar responsible for everything he did. For the motherland and to get rid of the terrible and meaningless, the British fought with the king and chopped off the king's head, and you French also sent the king to the guillotine, you all succeeded... In this case, why can't we Russians follow suit once? The gentlemen of Britain and France always tremble at our ideas, as if they have never done such things themselves!" The count sneered, then waved his hand heavily, "It is better to lose one head than countless heads. Besides, Nicholas owes us a blood debt. When he first ascended the throne, he arrested and killed many of my friends. I will never have the slightest mercy on him."

"I understand..." Fran finally understood what the other party meant.

It seems that, as in the previous impression, this count is indeed a very idealist activist. And his courage is really scary.

"Miss, you will stay here as a guest during this period." After a moment of silence, the Count seemed to have recovered from his excitement. "We are now compiling these materials. Some documents have not yet been sent from Ukraine and the Caucasus. When everything is ready, we will give them to you, and then you can send them to France. Everything will be done. You have made great contributions to France and the new Russia."

Flan felt a little uneasy. She did not expect that she would be in such an important position unintentionally.

But she knew that no matter whether the Count's behavior was right or not, no matter whether his ideas were just or evil, her primary task was to complete her brother's instructions.

As for the Russians, let them deal with it themselves.

"Okay, I will find a way to make everything go well." She agreed.

Seeing her cooperation, the Count was relieved and looked at her with a smile.

At this moment, a sharp laugh suddenly came from downstairs, as if someone saw something extremely interesting, or as if someone was shouting for help. The sound was crisp and sharp, making people feel a little creepy.

After hearing this sound, the faces of the count and Andre became ugly.

"What happened?" Fran asked uneasily.

"When women show their true colors, selfishness, vanity, stupidity, insignificance-this is the common characteristic of women. Look at the women in the upper class, they seem to have something, but nothing, nothing, nothing!" Count Pierre Bezukhov suddenly said in a completely different exaggerated tone from usual. "When my friend said this, I still remember it clearly. Now it has been almost fifty years. My God... time flies!"

The count's words really hurt Fran. She didn't understand why the other party suddenly said such a thing.

"Dad, is this what the Duke Andrei Bolkonsky said?" Andrei Bezukhov suddenly asked, "Why did he say such harsh words?"

"He had just gotten married at that time and was tired of marriage." Count Bezukhov sighed, his expression showing his old age, "Although what he said was a bit extreme, sometimes I really think that what he said makes sense. Once any man is obsessed with women, he will not be able to accomplish great things! And any woman is not suitable to participate in great things!"

"I think I cannot agree with you, sir." Fran's face sank, "You are a prejudice!"

"I would rather this is a prejudice!" The count sighed, then stood up and left the study, "See you at dinner, miss."

"What's wrong with your father! Why did he say such a thing!" After he left, Fran glared at Andrei.

"I'm sorry, he wasn't talking about you, but my sister... well, Natasha." Andre looked at her a little embarrassed, "Please forgive me, Daddy was just too angry and too sad, so he said something he didn't want to say... After all, she was his favorite youngest daughter, and she made Daddy very sad."

After hearing this explanation, Fran finally felt better, but she was still a little curious.

"What did she do wrong?"

Andre hesitated for a moment, and finally sighed.

"She...she fell in love with our Crown Prince."(~^~)