Flowers, Swords and France

As the sun showed its grandeur from the morning glow, the city finally came out of the foggy and rainy weather a while ago. The colorful clouds were constantly changing their shapes and colors. The beautiful morning glow was like a blooming flower, quietly coming to this world and then releasing its charm.

Standing by the window and gazing at the distant sky, the bright red and golden colors in the sky were intersecting, which was extremely spectacular. The blue brick and stone buildings in the city were also dyed golden. Pigeons were tumbling around between the sky and the earth. It seemed like a living painting wherever you looked.

"It's so beautiful!"

Looking at this scene, Fran couldn't help but secretly admire it.

Although she has lived in this city and this mansion for many years, whenever she encounters such a beautiful scenery, the artist's senses hidden in her body still make her indulge in this beautiful scenery mixed with grandeur and tenderness.

Along with this beautiful scenery is the fragrance that comes from the bottle in front of her. This small glass bottle is very delicate, and each smooth surface sparkles in the sun, like a diamond jewelry. The pink liquid in the glass bottle is the source of the fragrance.

While looking at the scenery in the distance, Fran carefully picked up the small bottle filled with flower essential oil, carefully dripped a few drops of the flower essential oil into the copper basin next to her, then put her hands in the basin and soaked them for a while, then used her hands to apply water on her face, and then closed her eyes slightly facing the red morning sun.

After being touched with water, the wind kept blowing on her face, making her already very delicate face look even whiter and more tender.

She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of the fragrance and the breeze soaking into her body.

Originally, she didn't like to wear makeup, and always liked simple makeup, but since a year or two ago, she found that she could already feel the traces of her youth gradually fading, so in order to retain the appearance and freshness of her girlhood, she began to pay attention to taking care of herself, and she would do this carefully every morning after waking up.

Of course, compared with the people of the same age she knew, her appearance was still something to be proud of. Those young ladies either had already entered the social world, worn out their skin in the social life of day and night, and let their youth wither in the indulgence of sensuality; or they had already married and even had children, and no longer had the heart to take care of themselves carefully - but she was still so beautiful, enough to amaze everyone who first met her.

But she rarely showed up in public, and even thought that the less people thought about her, the better - there was only one reason for doing so.

As if she had thought of something, Fran suddenly opened her eyes and looked out the window. Her eyes were very hidden, but the expectation and anxiety in them were all there, but to her disappointment, the street was still quiet and there was no movement.

She couldn't help but look at the clock next to her again, confirming the arrival of the agreed time again, and then closed her eyes again and applied the water soaked with semen again.

Originally, this mansion was very quiet and sparsely populated. Today, Marshal Treville was away on business, so it seemed even more lonely. She could not hear anything upstairs, and no one would disturb her.

But at this moment, suddenly the neighing of a horse sounded again on the street in the distance. Fran suddenly opened her eyes, stood up, and looked carefully at the oncoming carriage.

After confirming the identity of the owner of the carriage, she was overjoyed, and then suddenly picked up the silk scarf next to her, quickly wiped the water on her face, and then immediately turned around and ran out of the room.

The sound of footsteps kept ringing on the stairs, which was not like her usual self.

Just as Charles passed through the front yard and came to the living room of the mansion, his sister just ran down from upstairs and came to meet him.

When she found her brother in person, she did not slow down, but continued to run towards him.

Charles was stunned for a moment, then immediately smiled, opened his hands, and caught Fran who was rushing towards him.

"Sir, you are finally here!" She pressed her face against his chest and closed her eyes slightly. In addition to her immense joy, she could not help but also bring some anger. "I missed you so much!"

"I miss you too." Charles replied. "But there is no way..."

"Okay, okay, I know you have something to do, anyway, you say that to everyone!" Fran looked up and looked at him dissatisfied, but her hands were tightly. "God knows what you are busy with in a place like Fontainebleau..."

"I really didn't do anything." Charles replied with a wry smile, and then patted her back. "Okay, it's not good if people see it..."

"Why do you care so much in your own home!" Fran didn't mean to let go of her hand, "Aren't we always like this at home?"

"Okay, okay, don't we have guests today?" In desperation, Charles had to pat a few more times gently, "It's not very decent to let the guests see us like this... Is he here?"

When she heard about the guests, Fran finally let go of her hand, then stood next to her brother and looked outside.

"This is the time I agreed with him. I don't want you to wait for him. He should be here soon..."

Just as she finished her voice, there was a commotion outside, and then the concierge sent word that today's guests had arrived.

"Mr. Pasteur has arrived, will you receive him now?" After receiving the news, Fran asked Charles.

"Then let him come to see me now." Charles said while gently adjusting his clothes to maintain his usual well-dressed image.

He didn't want to damage his image in front of a great scientist like Louis Pasteur who was destined to become famous all over the world because of a small oversight.

Although she didn't understand why her brother was suddenly so solemn, Fran still ordered the concierge to bring Mr. Pasteur over.

Louis Pasteur came to the reception room immediately. He was also dressed in formal attire and had the demeanor of a young intellectual. He looked humble, gentle and decent.

Because he was informed yesterday that his benefactor, His Excellency the Minister de Treville, had returned from Fontainebleau, and that he would receive him today. So he put on what he thought was the most solemn and appropriate attire, dressed up carefully with the help of his wife early in the morning, and then came to Marshal Treville's house before the appointed time.

He had heard that His Excellency Minister Treville had his own mansion outside the city, so he didn't quite understand why His Excellency the Minister wanted to meet him here, but this was a small matter to him.

As soon as he arrived in the reception room, he immediately saw the blond young man standing next to Miss Treville. Although he looked very young, in today's environment it was impossible for him to have another identity, so he immediately Bowed to the young man.

"Your Excellency, nice to meet you!"

In terms of personality, Louis Pasteur can be regarded as a person who is not keen on fame and fortune and devotes himself to the study of science. However, nowadays, he is not a very well-known person. In addition, he needs Charles very much now. He provided help, so his respectful attitude towards Ciel was not surprising.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Pasteur." Charles replied kindly, then walked up to him and stretched out his hand, "You are as personable as I thought."

Louis Pasteur was stunned for a moment, and then immediately stretched out his hand to hold the other person's hand, "You are more magnanimous than I thought, Your Excellency!"

"I have always respected knowledgeable people." Charles smiled and led him to the sofa, and then the two of them sat down together. Fran didn't say anything and sat next to Charles. down.

As soon as they sat down, someone brought coffee over, and Charles raised his head and looked at the other person, "Basically, my sister has made it clear to you, right? She didn't make you unhappy, right?"

"How could it be? Your sister is very kind to me, which makes me flattered." Louis Pasteur quickly replied, "She also said some things that I can't believe - to be honest, I'm still a little helpless now. Believe it, it feels like you are suddenly living in a dream.”

"What are the things that you find unbelievable?" Charles asked with a smile.

"She said that you plan to hire me as a consultant for the Treville family business, and also plan to build a large laboratory and let me be the director of the laboratory..." Louis Pasteur tried to suppress the nervousness in his heart. She whispered, "And she said that you are willing to solve any problems in life and academic research for me, as long as I can produce enough results in return... These things make me doubt that I am dreaming."

"You are not dreaming, sir." Charles couldn't help but chuckle, "This is indeed what I want her to tell you, and according to her report, you have already agreed to our conditions, is that right?"

"That's true, but even now, I still don't quite understand why fate suddenly favored me..." Louis Pasteur glanced at Charles and Fran uneasily, "I have already stayed in Strasbourg. It’s been a few years, and I really don’t know how my name fell into your ears.”

"Mr. Pasteur, although you are not too famous yet, your excellent mind and tireless enthusiasm for research have left a deep impression on many people, although I don't know much about academic research. , but when I was determined to build a laboratory worthy of France, many such people recommended you to me." Charles replied with a smile, "So you see, you can be valued by so many people. , there is no doubt about your ability to me.”

Of course he wouldn't say that I knew your name because of records from later generations, so he simply gave it to "the strong recommendation of some academic colleagues."

However, this reason did not convince Louis Pasteur.

He has been immersed in this field for so many years, and naturally knows that what everyone desires most is an unconditional large donation and the best research conditions - and what Minister Treville has provided is such a condition, he cannot imagine that he Who among my colleagues would think of recommending themselves when faced with such favorable conditions, instead of trying to find ways to enjoy all these benefits on their own?

However, he could also see that the minister was very secretive about this and did not want to talk more, so he had to hide this doubt in his heart and no longer ask the minister - no matter what the reason was for his favoring of him. , all the conditions he provided have enough power to impress themselves.

"Okay, let's not talk about such meaningless things..." Charles ignored the other party's hesitation and went straight to the point, "Mr. Pasteur, whether you have any doubts or not, I still want to tell you that you are here We are at the top of the candidate list. As long as you are willing to accept my appointment, you will definitely become our scientific consultant. There is no doubt that I will not joke with millions of dollars."

"Millions!" Louis Pasteur couldn't help but repeat.

Although he is not a person who loves money, this large amount of money is still noteworthy for him.

"If everything goes well for you, you will be able to get more funds in the future...Really, I can promise you that as long as your knowledge and achievements are worthy, funds will not be a problem." Charles solemnly said again He made a promise to the other party, "So, do you agree?"

"That's right, Your Excellency!" Louis Pasteur straightened up immediately, "Since you are willing to provide me with such generous terms, then I think I have no reason to refuse at all - it can even be said that I think anyone There is no reason to refuse, as long as he wants to achieve academic success. Your Excellency, I am very grateful for your trust in me and I will serve you wholeheartedly.”

"It doesn't have to be so serious, sir." Charles looked calm and calm, "In the Middle Ages, my ancestors hired alchemists and astrologers, hoping to rely on them to gain wealth and gain guidance on destiny. But it is no longer the Middle Ages. Although it may be a little similar in nature, you are a free man and you do not owe us anything. This is a cooperative state, and there is no question of who works for whom. "

"I'm glad I'm a little more reliable than the alchemist!" Louis Pasteur couldn't help but laugh after hearing this metaphor. "They may not be able to make gold from mercury, but I can definitely help you in it." Find the crystallization of wisdom in the ocean of science!”

Read the original text in Liu#9@书/吧!

"It's great that you have such confidence." Charles spread his hands, "You have already moved your family here, right?"

"Yes, thanks to your care, I have rented the house and my wife has come over." Louis Pasteur nodded.

"It's great to be able to settle in so quickly." Seeing everything going so smoothly, Charles was also very happy, "Then why don't you go to Giverny with me later? The construction of the laboratory will not work without taking your opinions into consideration. "

"Yes, no problem. You and I also hope that the laboratory can be settled as soon as possible." Louis Pasteur agreed at first, and then became a little hesitant, "However, you need to confirm the positioning of the laboratory. After all, This is related to who I need to recruit to assist in my research... Sir, you previously wanted me to study how to prevent and treat typhoid fever, so do you want me to continue studying microbiology? "

"Microbiology and epidemic research are of course very important and cannot be given up, but this is a temporary expedient for us..." Charles gave the other party a strange answer, "This kind of infectious disease research is suitable for military needs. It is developed to reduce the casualties caused by epidemics when our troops are on the battlefield, so it will not be your constant research object."

"Huh?" Louis Pasteur didn't quite understand.

"You don't quite understand. This is normal. I can't tell you too many things." Charles still had a mysterious smile. "Anyway, you know that after studying how to prevent and control diseases in the army, you can turn to Let’s study other problems.”

"Like what?" Louis Pasteur asked.

"For example, agricultural issues." Charles immediately replied, "I hope you can try to study how to solve plant diseases and how to promote high yields. These problems have been plaguing farmers since thousands of years ago, and they have been unable to escape poverty. If we can solve these problems, then they have a chance. I am getting rich, and as a minister of the empire, as a person supported by them with taxes and votes, I think I have an obligation to fund similar research. I also hope that you can help me... Yes, after the research on that topic is completed. , you can turn to research in this area, and you can even start preparations now, what do you think?”

When Charles said these words, Louis Pasteur couldn't help being surprised. He looked at Charles blankly.

He had heard about the reputation of this young minister for a long time, but he really didn't expect that the other party would actually say such things.

These imperial dignitaries are all extremely wealthy, but would anyone actually pay attention to the people and be prepared to solve these problems for them?

"Sir, are you serious?" After a moment, he couldn't help but ask.

"Is there anything more serious than a million francs?" Charles asked with a smile.

"I...I understand, Your Excellency." Louis Pasteur was deeply moved and immediately stood up and bowed to Charles again, "I will use all my talents to help you achieve this ambition!"

Before, he was respectful because he was a little afraid of the other party's power, but now, he is somewhat respectful to the minister.

"I only hope that your talent can make all this happen smoothly." Ciel also stood up and extended his hand to the other party again.

…………………………

After meeting with the Minister and receiving his instructions and promise, Louis Pasteur left Marshal Treville's house with a sudden sense of peace of mind. The words of the Minister made him no longer have any uneasiness. , On the contrary, he is confidently preparing to do great things in this new world in order to repay the trust of the other party.

After he left, Fran, who had been sitting silently next to Charles, finally spoke.

"Sir, why do you let him do these things? I thought you had other plans for calling him here..."

"Aren't these things great enough?" Charles asked, "Helping millions of people in crisis is a great merit. God will be moved."

"Huh?" Fran looked at her brother with wide eyes.

She didn't believe that her brother was such a devout believer.

Although she would support him no matter what he did, she still wanted to find out what her brother was thinking, because she stubbornly believed that she should not be confused at all about what her brother did.

"It's for you, silly boy." Charles suddenly sighed.

"For...me?" Fran was even more confused.

"Yes, if this gentleman can really come up with some results that will be remembered for generations to come - I firmly believe that he will be able to do it - then the people who help him will definitely be able to benefit from it, and the people who promote his results will also be able to do it. You will be remembered for what you are." He looked at his sister, but whispered, "I no longer care about reputation. There are thousands of people who hate me, but you are different... you can be respected by people as Mr. Pasteur's sponsor." Although you may not understand it now, I believe you will understand it in a few years.”

"Really..." Fran said in confusion, "That means you plan to let me... be his sponsor?"

"Yes, that's it, you can only do it, because only you can make people believe in your sincerity... Once people believe in your good reputation, they will not believe that you will do bad things, or they will think that even if you do Nothing bad is done intentionally... They just like to be preconceptions, as long as there is something If such a concept enters their minds, they will never be able to change it." Charles came to his right hand, held up Fran's temples, and stroked her smooth hair lovingly, "I think, if this is the case, There won’t be so many people coming to curse you... Then I won’t have to burden you with guilt, right?”

"Why do you need to do this? What kind of reputation is there to care about?" Ciel's words greatly touched Fran. "I am willing to stand with you forever, even in hell!"

Suddenly, she heard something else from her brother's smile. "I see……"

In that case, no one will spread rumors about us among the people - at least there will be a lot less.

Just like Lady Adelaide at that time, didn’t she always have a good reputation? Even though everyone cursed the king as a usurper, no one cursed her.

After thinking about it, Fran's nose felt sour and she almost shed tears.

Then he jumped directly into Ciel's arms.

"I understand, sir! Thank you! I love you too!"

Her face, which had just been smeared with perfume, was smooth and white, but also had a light fragrance. This fragrance went straight to Charles's nose, making people want to touch it.

"Silly boy."

Charles lowered his head and kissed her cheek. (~^~)