Human dimension reduction

The Royal Opera House of Paris is located on the banks of the Seine River. This wide river flows down from the plateau and is embraced by the gorgeous art capital. There are row upon row of stone palaces and high-rise buildings on both sides. The royal building was later used as an opera performance venue by Charles III, who loved opera art. After his death, the Fontainebleau Palace was contributed by his successor and officially changed its name to the Royal Opera House of Paris.

After the extravagant Louis XII succeeded to the throne, he made great efforts to renovate and decorate the opera house, making the already magnificent opera house even more gorgeous and flamboyant. The wall facing the Seine River was completely carved. In the shape of a flower window, the transparent glass window is painted with a statue of the Virgin Mary and little angels holding flowers.

When night falls, the opera house is lit with lights, and the deliberately polished glass will reflect the light, pass through the flower window, and illuminate another water palace on the dark Seine River, which is set against the upper and lower sides, like a fairyland.

Thanks to the general sound insulation effect of buildings in this era, the structure of the opera house can also amplify the sound effect. Idle Parisian citizens often take a walk along the Seine River in the evening, waiting to hear the sounds of nature from the opera house.

The sky had not yet darkened, and there were already carriages coming on the specially widened road in front of the Opera House. The servants in tuxedos stood on their toes, waiting arrogantly and humbly at the door to receive these distinguished guests.

The aristocratic women who tied their slender waists with corsets and opened their huge skirts with panniers wore long silk gloves and held folding fans in their hands. Wearing gorgeous and exaggerated hair accessories, in order to support these one-foot-high hairstyles, petite women have to stand tall and straighten their chests, raise their heads, and wear a reserved smile on their faces with heavy makeup. Hold the hand of the male companion next to you.

The entourage kicked and beat the poor people who were trying to surround them by the roadside, so as not to frighten the fragile ladies by these ragged and ugly guys. The ladies followed the guide without turning their eyes and walked into the theater. I covered my nose with the fan, as if I could smell the rancid smell from the beggars from such a long distance.

The male companions beside them also thoughtfully blocked those unsightly crowds. The glittering gold sleeves and the clothes inlaid with silver threads were shining brightly. After Paris, the crazy mood of drinking now and now detonated the whole city. Even men began to wear colorful costumes, decorated themselves with sleeves woven with gold and silver silk, fluffy hems covered with lace, and wore wigs with flamboyant clothes. Jewelry and even huge flowers, trying to wear women's loose dresses, the absurd and corrupt strange things in the upper class are endless, to the point where historians are amazed.

The heavy door of the Opera House, which requires four people to push open, is facing a huge marble staircase. The elegant spiral staircase is enough for ten people to walk side by side. The towering dome-shaped top is hung with a four-ton branch chandelier. The bright lights illuminated the entire hall brilliantly.

The four walls and pillars are covered with various sculptures, paintings, and tapestries. The entire rest hall follows the grand and spacious style of the royal palace. With the countless treasures in it, this hall is like an exquisite jewelry box. Opening it can attract everyone's amazement.

The Paris Opera House is not only a place to watch operas, but also a place for the nobles to socialize and play. Before the opening time of the opera, people found their own places to start chatting. Free in the crowd, the freshly picked flowers are still covered with dew, and the fragrance of the flowers is mixed with the smell of powder and perfume, and the whole hall is shrouded in a luxurious atmosphere.

Groups of men and women laughed and chattered. The unmarried girls were still shy and shy, but the ladies did not hide their bold expressions at all. They covered half of their faces with folding fans implicitly and frivolously, revealing a pair of eyes to look at the men around them. , From time to time, I whispered a few words with the female companion beside me, and let out a secret laugh.

"I heard that the barbarian is also a child of a minor nobleman. It's just that his family was down and couldn't afford to support him, and he didn't receive a good education, so he was allowed to do such terrible things against the heavenly father."

The elderly noble lady fanned a hand fan woven from peacock feathers, and told her companions the news she had received from home.

"What? But he still did such a thing... Listen to their slogans! How rude and rude! When I first heard it, I fainted."

Another noble lady spoke in a high-pitched voice, while shaking her head, the realistic fruit basket shape on the two-foot-tall bun was shaking, and the apple and grape bun was dangling. expression.

"But... if this is the case, will His Majesty grant him a title again and restore the glory of his ancestors? Paris is the capital of the world, and I can't imagine her becoming a place where those lowly and despicable people wantonly run wild. I can't stand it Died of depression."

The woman sitting on the soft chair quickly shook her fan, pursed her lips, imagined the scene, and got goose bumps all over her body.

"My God, do I want to enjoy operas with those commoner women who can't even understand Latin? They can't even read propaganda posters!" She complained loudly.

Although the rebels had already stationed outside Paris, these naive ladies didn't think that they would encounter any bad things as nobles. No matter which king it is, it depends on the nobles to maintain its rule. Does the new king expect those mud-legged people who can't even read letters to help him with official duties?The big deal is to pay some money for peace, and no one will be stupid enough to slaughter nobles.

Compared with them, the gentlemen's territory is more silent. They exchanged glances and inquired about how much others have paid, hoping to seek greater benefits from it—at least to preserve the resources that can make the family comeback.

"I heard that old fox Lauder sneaked out yesterday, carrying a large box of jewelry, and part of his wife's dowry in it. You are a villain who knows how to do things!"

Someone gave a low pooh.

"A big box? Who saw it?"

More people are still concerned about this issue, how much money will it cost to buy the lives of the whole family and future official career in front of the new owner?

"The guard at the gate of Paris was a former subordinate of mine. He said that the box weighed at least three hundred pounds. Damn it, he didn't even think to come over and tell me!"

Three hundred pounds of jewels and gold...

Many people frowned, that barbarian is really greedy, the price of jewelry is hard to estimate, three hundred pounds of jewelry gold is enough to empty the entire net worth of a well-to-do middle-class nobleman.

Especially since this price has been known by most people now, it will definitely rise again after that...

What a mouthful!No wonder Lauder didn't tell you anything!

The men secretly slandered in their hearts, raised their hands to clink their glasses, and together angrily condemned Sir Lauder who was not righteous enough.

And while they were making small calculations, a low-key and luxurious two-horse carriage stopped at the side entrance of the opera house. The operator of the opera house with a lamp bent over and heard a heavy sigh. In front of him, in his field of vision was a pair of snow-white pointed boots, all of which were embroidered with gorgeous jewels.

"Thank you for coming, Your Majesty." The operator bent his waist a little deeper, and the envoys opened the side door, which was not much inferior to the main entrance, to welcome the king inside, and led him through another door and walked in. In the hundreds of meters long corridor, the wall lamps along the road illuminate the mirrors and paintings on the wall. Although it is a closed corridor, it is also as bright as daytime.

The opera house covers a vast area, with more than 1000 rooms with different purposes, more than 20 doors and hundreds of secret passages leading to various places. It is said that there is an artificial lake underneath that covers half of Paris. , This artificial lake needs to change the water once, and even the Seine River will swell during the few days when the water is changed.

The operator brought the king to the door of a room, and respectfully stretched out his hand to open the door for the king. The king's entourage first entered and began to check and search carefully.

Seeing those attendants who were so meticulous that they even turned over the decorative flowerpots, and even groped the cushions of the soft chairs inch by inch, checking for sharp hidden weapons inside, the smile on the operator's face became a little stiff, and he tried to pick it up. A face that has been trampled on repeatedly: "Your Majesty, this is your exclusive box, the key is only kept in my hand, and it will never be opened to others except when you are here."

"Sir, thank you very much for your respect for the king, but we all know that there are many villains who are not facing the king with the feeling of revering their father, so the necessary vigilance is indispensable." The king who is inseparable from the king The secretary answered the other party for the king in a calm voice.

Seeing that the king had never said a word, the Sir knew what he meant, and secretly spurned the king's behavior of being greedy for life and fearing death--even though he was so afraid of death, he sneaked out to watch the opera... Ha!Go to the opera!Who doesn't know who he came to see!Lustful, slutty, stupid guy!

After the entourage finished checking, they quickly and quietly exited the room, and the king stepped in.

The boxes of the opera house are semi-open. The side facing the stage is only equipped with railings to prevent people from falling. The two sides are still like normal rooms. You can’t see the next door, which protects the privacy of the guests. The fully open front But he can clearly see the stage in his eyes.

On the empty stage on the first floor, the scarlet curtain was closed tightly, and the seats that could accommodate hundreds of people were empty. The golden and red interlaced design was full of magnificence and luxury.

The low railing in front of the bench was decorated with waterfall-like flower branches, and the bright and abundant flowers bloomed all over the ground. The king bent down and picked a well-bloomed Josephine rose and twirled it in his hand. The line of sight always falls on the scarlet curtain that has not yet been opened.

The 30-year-old Louis XIII is in the prime of life, with the typical deep outline of Gallic men, dark blue eyes, and dark brown curly hair shawl. Unfortunately, he is fat, 1.8 meters tall, weighing more than 200 pounds, and lacks exercise. The fat meat had a stronger visual impact than the actual weight, and the red belt bound his waist. Every breath of the king put great pressure on this poor belt.

But ignoring the astonishing weight, the king himself is actually quite good-looking. The portrait of his youth is still hanging in the corridor of the Palace of Versailles. The young man on it can be said to be handsome and handsome.

I don't know what pressure life has put on him, but it turned him into this abruptly.

The king lay down on the peacock blue gold-coated silver chaise longue, and the secretary put down a bouquet of light purple roses on the small round table beside him. Come out of the crystal decanter and goblet.

As for the expensive drinks prepared in the box, they took them away without any hassle. The jazz who saw this scene dared not speak out. After they went out, he left obediently and closed the door for the king.

Louis XIII threw away the Josephine rose in his hand, fiddled with the lavender flowers on the table with his thick fingers, and said to the secretary standing behind him: "Dear Francis, please sit down too, this row of them "Salome" is definitely a classic of the year."

Possessing a peerless beauty, Princess Salome struggled to deal with her ulterior stepfather King Herod and countless admirers, maintaining her dignity as a virgin until King Herod tore off the mask of her loving father, Confess to her ungodly love.

The man in royal robes opened his arms: "Salome, Salome, my daughter, dance for me, I will give anything for it!"

"Give me everything! By my life, my god, my throne, I will give you everything you want, pearls from the dead sea, frankincense and myrrh from the east, golden apples that grow on the branches , even half of my kingdom!"

"God, look at her, she is silvery moonlight, soft butterflies, cold white snow, isn't she the queen I've been waiting for for years? I'm about to suffocate from the heat, take off my cloak , I want to drink this handful of cold snow! Fiery red rose, she pierced my heart with her thorns, a king's heart! Without the love of roses, how can I survive this death!"

The actor's singing was full of fiery emotions, and there is no more sincere and hot confession than this one. King Herod's love is thick and real. The passionate wind music is higher and higher, and the violin plays a sharp and piercing solo uniquely, pushing the atmosphere of depressive fear to a climax.

All the audience can meet the tragic fate of the girl, and they couldn't help but clenched their hands, and raised their hearts for what happened to Salome.

On one side of the stage, Princess Salome stepped out of the curtain lightly like a little bird.

When she raised her cheeks and looked over with those blue eyes that seemed to be filled with tears all the time, everyone seemed to be embraced by the god of love.

What a pure and beautiful girl!

She is like a handful of moonlight, a handful of white snow, like the thinnest wings of a butterfly. Her bright blond hair flows down her thin back. The white skirt draws circles on the dark coffee-colored stage. With the crown resting gently on her head, her beauty is undeniable, but after a long look at it, it is full of frightening charm.

Like the dead moonlight, the melting white snow, and the torn wings, her beauty is strange and mysterious, pure and strange, which makes people want to take her as their own, tear and destroy her.

"God..."

I don't know who made a sign of the cross on his heart, and whispered the name of the god in a low voice, but even such a devout believer couldn't take the realization away from Salome for a moment.

Facing such a beauty, everyone understood where Herod's paranoid love came from.

"Ah! Salome! Salome!"

King Herod was still chanting his stepdaughter's name in a low, painful, and frenzied manner. The background music became more and more depressing, and Salome, who was dancing alone, was the little eye of the typhoon in the storm. The strong wind hovered around her, coveting her beauty and trying to destroy her, while she meditated in the wind pitifully and desperately.

"Salome! Dance for me!"

King Herod made her final request, and Salome, who heard her stepfather's voice at this moment, stopped her solo dance and cast a glance towards the throne.

It seems that there is nothing in this glance, and it seems to have infinite charm.

The audience's breathing froze for a moment, and even the ladies, who were women, trembled at the girl's dazzling beauty.

In the short silence, there was a muffled muffled sound, the solid ground under his feet shook faintly, and the thick and closed door made a loud bang bang bang bang bang, accompanied by increasingly clear shouts and roars, this sudden chaos caused Everyone woke up from the wonderful music, and an unspeakable fear crawled up their backs like caterpillars.

"……Thirteen……"

Vague and high-pitched voices came in through the oak doors one after another. There were dozens of doors equidistantly distributed in the rotunda. The nobles stood up in panic and stared at the crumbling doors. The women who were usually so delicate that they would faint At this moment, they quickly grabbed the arm of the male companion beside them, and looked ahead vigilantly.

No one paid attention to everything on the stage, even the magnificent music stopped, and there was only a lonely solo dance left under the lights.

"Your Majesty! Please follow me to leave the secret passage. The rebels have internal responses and they have entered Paris! And they have learned of your movements and are surrounding the Opera House!"

A servant in disheveled clothes pushed open the door and hurriedly reported to his master.

The hand of Louis XIII touching the rose in the vase suddenly tightened, and he pinched a fresh and beautiful flower from the branch, kneading it into a ball of rotten sticky juice in the palm of his hand.

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Give me a crown of gold,

Give me a dress of jewels!

The artist adorns my skirt with blue and crystal,

The poet sings of my wreath with a thousand words of pomp,

I am profligate, arrogant, dissolute,

I am naive, innocent and passionate.

they are shouting,

Praise Paris!

Praise Paris!

people from other lands,

stop

Come into my arms--

Or, let me go to your heart!

——"The Book of Truth Eunuch One"