Chapter 1236 Gold Miners

Social Contract Theory once wrote:

Since no one has natural rights over his own kind, and force alone cannot produce power, all legal power in the world must be based on contracts.

Grotis said, "If a person can give up his freedom and become a slave to his master, why can't a nation give up its freedom and submit to a monarch?"

There are several confusions in this simple statement.

To say that a person gives himself to others for no reason, without asking for a penny, is an incredibly absurd act, because no one in their right mind would act so crazy, let alone an entire nation.

Napoleon made France crazy. He would be welcomed everywhere he went. The victories he brought through force gave him prestige, and he also gained power because he held military power.

But this kind of power generated by force and victory is not long-term, and "legitimate" is the key.

The French kings in the Middle Ages relied on the divine right of kings to obtain "legitimacy". Now that divine authority has been overthrown, what should be used to make power "legitimate"?

Pomona felt that thinking about this kind of problem was much more comfortable than meeting Josephine at the Paris Botanical Garden. If in the future, people like Edward Jenner deserved the courtesy of state guests, the First Consul and his wife would certainly have to appear.

However, he is still a small figure who is rejected by the British academic world and is still somewhat unknown. The Bonapartes cannot entertain him with the same standards as they entertained Peter I. Josephine also appeared in casual clothes. Although it was very light, it was still very elegant.

, every step of the way reveals a charming atmosphere.

When Genna was young, he liked to collect a variety of plant and animal specimens. The Paris Botanical Garden had many plants collected from Egypt, which should be considered his favorite.

The Paris Botanical Garden was a royal herbal garden opened by Louis XIII in the 17th century. It was expanded by Louis XIV and extended along the Seine River.

The First Consul said he was resting, but in fact he was also working. There were very few citizens visiting the botanical garden during working days. In addition, due to the "maintenance" notice posted outside, the garden was almost closed, with only a few tourists showing up.

This makes Pomona, a person who shouldn't be there, particularly conspicuous.

Josephine herself wanted to accompany Jenner, but Jenner did not express the unhappiness he had just had in the cafe in front of the lady.

But Josephine brought her daughter Hortense. Different from her mother's kindness and elegance, Hortense showed obvious hostility towards Pomona. Her eyes made her feel uncomfortable, as if she was a monkey.

Hortense was anxious to get rid of the flies flying around in the excrement.

When was the last time Pomona had this look?

She didn't remember it. Professor Sprout had always been a kind teacher, and the students all liked her because she was a short and fat witch who always wore a mud-covered witch robe.

The look in Hortense's eyes made her feel sick to her stomach. She really couldn't imagine that one day she would be despised by her children.

Being in the greenhouse used to be a very comfortable thing, but now it has become so uncomfortable, as if this is God's punishment for her.

She was bored and had nothing to do, and there was a little girl whose eyes she couldn't look directly at, so she started to play with Josephine's outfits.

Josephine's clothes covered the floor very well, with almost no exposure, which was in sharp contrast to the large open-collared dress Pomona wore when she left St. Luke's Palace.

Pomona has no intention of wearing that dress after wearing it once. She still prefers something more conservative, and she has no intention of stealing the spotlight from the First Lady. This is just like a military general with great achievements who is still winning people's hearts.

madness.

Casual attire means you don't have to wear those big prom bustles, which are straight-leg dresses that look a bit like empire-waist skirts.

Her wedding dress was this skirt, and Severus didn't know why he chose this style of skirt to give to her. It seemed that everything was really destined.

"Good afternoon, Miss Georgiana!"

Pomona was startled by the sudden sound.

She turned back to look at the person who spoke, it was Dubois, one of the leaders of the secret police.

He looked nervous, as if he had done something wrong.

"What do you want, Mr. Director?" Pomona asked this secret policeman who was full of business atmosphere.

"I heard that the master went to the city for inspection today." Dubois asked nervously, "Did he say anything?"

Pomona recalled.

"I received a pamphlet rectifying the name of Louis XVI, which is now with the First Consul."

"Is there anything else?"

DuBois seemed concerned with other issues.

"You can tell me directly, I can't guess what you are worried about."

Dubois pinched the beanie in his hand nervously, and after a moment said, "I heard that you passed by a porridge shop."

"Then what?"

"That's under my charge. The master gave us a sum of money to help the poor."

"Did you embezzle public funds?" Pomona asked bluntly.

"No, no, no..." Dubois waved his hand quickly.

"This is normal. People often misappropriate funds from well-intentioned people in the name of doing charity." Pomona said with a smile, "Are you worried that someone will report you?"

DuBois was covered in sweat and his face was pale. It seemed that Pomona was right.

"I think the First President has more pressing problems to solve than the little public funds you misappropriated, and you still have something to use."

"Oh, thank you, angel of mercy." Dubois grabbed Pomona's hand and kissed it. "Can you tell me, I will do it right away."

Pomona wanted to say go catch those who handed out the brochures.

But the person who handed out the brochure to Pomona at that time was just a tall and thin young man with a malnourished look on his face. He was probably a farmer who had just moved to the city. He didn’t know anything and didn’t recognize the words. He thought he was just picking up a book.

It's a job similar to posting ads, otherwise it wouldn't be posted in the city center.

"Tell me first what you did before?" Pomona asked.

"I used to be a miner," Dubois said, "and then I became an anti-smuggling police officer."

"A miner becomes an anti-smuggling policeman?" Pomona tried to understand the logic.

"Those smugglers were very good at digging tunnels, and once they dug their way into the monastery."

Pomona understood instantly.

"Last time on the carriage you mentioned that the price increase of food was also because of someone smuggling it privately?"

"This...this..."

"Are high-ranking officials involved?" Pomona looked at this little man. He might only have the courage to capture those who directly moved the goods, and did not dare to touch the higher-ups above. This was exactly what Napoleon wanted to do.

Not only is it difficult for the country to make money, but it is also selling food to foreign countries and even enemy countries. Isn't this treason?

Louis XVI was beheaded for this, but it was a pity that the miner did not really understand his thoughts.

Then why can she understand?

"What is Fouche's job?" Pomona asked.

"Catch those who are plotting rebellion."

"You guys have completely different jobs, so why are you so infighting?"

Dubois looked embarrassed, but finally said, "We will set up special correspondents in some places."

"That's what you think." Pomona frowned. Fouche could tell at a glance that he was shrewd and cunning, and he also had a formal official position. He was different from Dubois, a little person who relied on "favor" to get to the position.

If we must distinguish, Fouche is a hypocrite and Dubois is a real villain. Dubois sees things from the perspective of vested interests, while Fouche sees things in the long term and much deeper.

Being busy with internal fighting, there is no time to manage the royalists. If one day the royalists really succeed in restoring their power, Fouche can continue to be a high official and well-paid, while Dubois will suffer the same misfortune as Napoleon loses power.

No wonder Fouche is called a "political tumbler" by historians.

"How did you get discovered by the First Consul?" Pomona asked.

"It was Fouche who introduced me," Dubois said.

"He is your benefactor and yet you are still like this?" Pomona said in disbelief.

DuBois didn't seem to understand what Pomona was talking about.

Pomona understood, this was a group of wolves who didn't even know what repaying a favor was, so no wonder they were so wolf-hearted.

The founders of Rome were two wolf boys. Perhaps it is precisely because of these similar qualities that Napoleon is so like the Roman emperor.

Mistress politics have always been shamed by the people. Josephine expressed her unwillingness to participate in politics in public. In fact, there must be many old aristocrats surrounding her.

During the siege of Toulon, the first thing the Jacobin commanders sent was not to set up defenses, but to clean up the old nobles who might have rebelled. Not all old nobles were so eager for the return of the Bourbon royal family, and not all new nobles were.

All supported Napoleon.

Pomona has passed the age of a little girl who saw her idol screaming. The internal affairs are so chaotic that fighting seems easy.

People are like this. They only want to do something if they find it interesting. If the pain is like doing homework, no one will do it.

Not everyone is a homework-loving weirdo like Hermione Granger.

Politics is about taking advantage of each other, but Pomona doesn't want to do that.

It was very convenient for the Dark Lord to use Fenrir at first, but after his second failure, Fenrir's werewolves became a big problem in the wizarding world. Or maybe like Charles IV of the Holy Roman Empire, he left a golden edict,

This led to the division of the empire.

"Why did the First Consul put you in charge of the porridge shop?" Pomona asked.

"The money was donated personally by the master, and you have to come into contact with many civilians who have lice on their bodies. No one else is willing to do it."
To be continued...