Chapter 1454 “Celebrating the New Life”

In the Tarn-Garonne department in southeastern France, there is a city called Saint-Antonin. This small city is located on the edge of the Cavese Mountains, and the limestone basin forms a steep canyon washed by two rivers.

This city was once prosperous. In the 13th century, it was one of the important cities at the Champagne Fair. The calves raised in Saint-Antonin and its surrounding suburbs are still hot sellers at the fair, and it is also

Paper production, woolen industry, printing and dyeing factories and tanneries are all traces of its glorious past.

However, with the cancellation of the Nantes Amnesty, this Protestant stronghold was severely damaged. The people in the city began to be self-sufficient, and used barter to replace money, and lived a life of peace and harmony.

Life.

The miller takes a commission from the wheat sent by the customer, and the blacksmith makes an ax in exchange for the customer working in the grape fields for a day. Poultry, vegetables, and fruits are also produced locally, and walnuts can be pressed for oil. In other words, this is a factory.

It is a city that is difficult to defend, so it is called the "Never Surrender" city in Tarn Garonne Province.

There were very few roads in the countryside around Saint-Antonin, and travelers often encountered difficulties and accidents on the way. Therefore, for centuries, the monastery would ring a bell every day to attract the attention of those who were lost.

But the city is rich in jute and pigment crops, especially woad. Due to sanctions, its price has soared, almost equaling the price of silver of the same weight. This was a big temptation for some robbers, so a group of robbers disguised themselves as

Merchants transporting grain entered the city.

There are seven bakeries in the city, with only 800 customers coming to buy bread. The wheat they use comes from nearby rural areas.

The bakery clerks all knew the people who usually came to deliver flour to the bakery. Faced with these unexpected strangers, the bakery clerk did not welcome them, but closed the store door. But by this time it was too late.

The beggars and refugees hiding outside the city began to attack the city. The guards wanted to close the city gate, but were stopped by the "grain merchants" who had sneaked into the city in advance.

After carrying out the robbery, these robbers did not occupy this easily defended and difficult-to-attack city and dominate the mountain. Instead, they broke into pieces and disappeared into thousands of nearby villages. The residents of Saint-Antonin closed the city.

The door seems to have entered a wartime state.

The "Articles of Organization" supplemented by Napoleon's political and religious agreement stated that the interests of 700,000 Protestants and 55,000 Jews in the country should be protected, and "dealing with" the city became a topic that Napoleon handed over to the generals for discussion.

"I would rather go to that damn place than to Antwerp." General Lannes said. "I don't understand the navy, and I don't want to give a statue to Bonaparte. Who wants to see his naked body?"

Georgiana looked at Mrs. Larner, who was smiling politely and thoughtfully at Georgiana.

The new "palace rules" do not prohibit the female family members from visiting the palace without their husbands.

In her hand was a letter written by the mayor of Brussels. The letter mentioned the former mayor of Antwerp who was dismissed for smuggling crimes and apologized for condoning smuggling, but he hoped to send a mayor who understands maritime and civil affairs.

For this reason, he also gave Georgiana an oil painting and a purple rose named Bishop Richelieu.

The painting he sent was by Jan Stern. The content of the painting was to celebrate the birth of a new baby. It looked extremely serious. Everyone in the painting was wearing clothes.

But the content of this painting is obviously very vulgar. The old man with white beard and hair holding a baby in the painting, accepting congratulations from others is not the father of the child. He is holding the baby stiffly. What should women know? The look on his face

With an ambiguous smile, the young man who was standing at the door and about to leave raised two fingers and pointed them at the child's head. This does not mean "rabbit ears", but antlers. The meaning is very expressive.

It is clear that he is the father of the child.

She didn't know whether the mayor of Brussels meant to humiliate her, or whether he didn't understand oil painting. Anyway, she didn't intend to keep this painting, nor did she intend to intercede for Lannes. Antwerp was a military port, and Napoleon would not let anyone who couldn't trust it guard it.

Seriously, she even felt that the reason why Rana came back so anxiously was to see his wife.

Bonaparte was right, if a person is too honest with her, it will not be a good thing to tell her the truth.

Later, she asked Matilda to ask Canova, the sculptor on the first floor, to come upstairs to help General Lannes design the Apollo statue in Antwerp Port. After Matilda went downstairs, Mrs. Lannes asked Michelle to go upstairs.

What's going on? Georgiana told her that something had happened at home and the girl was on vacation. General Lannes spoke again.

"Is it because of Saint-Domingue? I heard that young Rochambeau also went there."

Georgiana nodded.

"During the War of Independence, the French general that the British respected most was his father Rochambeau," said Lannes, "even though he was not a kind person to prisoners."

Georgiana was stunned for a moment.

"The Continental Army only wiped out a British transport team in the Great Victory of Yorktown. The main force was the King's Guards commanded by old Rochambeau. I heard that they used Indian equipment and instructors."

Georgiana's eyes widened.

"You don't believe it, right?" Rana sneered, "Indians are considered barbaric and backward in the eyes of many people. How could they become French army instructors?"

"This is indeed difficult to accept." Georgiana murmured, "No wonder young Rochambeau is so good at jungle warfare."

"In New York, a company of the King's Guard once blocked a regiment in the Scottish Highlands alone. On average, one soldier had to face 100 British troops, but we were still the victors." Rana said with great determination, "I do not agree with the withdrawal of troops. If we withdraw our troops

It was the failure of the second expedition."

"I hope to retain some humanity," Georgiana said firmly. "I heard what they did in Santo Domingo."

Rana said nothing.

"I heard Talleyrand say that the general signed the "Pact of State and Religion" because he had a second blister on his shoulder." Rana said after a long time, "This time he planned to withdraw the troops because of the psoriasis on his chest."

"You think this is superstitious?"

"No one will worship a merciful loser. A man is born to enjoy all the splendor of life. He should drive a chariot and triumph like a winner."

"You have to pay attention to public opinion."

Rana didn't care.

"You called me, madam?" Canova appeared at the door at this time.

Georgiana looked at the unruly Lana and felt that it was best for him not to have anything to do with this artist from Rome.

"How is my sculpture done?" Georgiana asked with a smile.

"It is now in the Sculpture Room of the Louvre." Canova said politely.

After Easter Mass, Georgiana "lost her usefulness" and moved out of the Louvre and returned to the town of Sèvres.

But Lannes, a confidant of Napoleon, still came to find her, thus defeating Bonaparte's purpose.

People can't live with their true faces, they have to put on a carefully carved mask, so that they can be lovable, just like the boots on men's feet, even if they are wearing stockings, as long as they are not exposed, they will not arouse the disgust of the common people.

Already.

As for the old nobles who had participated in the rituals of the old dynasty, even though they knew that Bonaparte almost copied the rituals of Versailles, they had lost the right to speak, and even if they ridiculed and ridiculed the people, they would not listen to them.

"Thank you, go and do your work." Georgiana managed to deal with it and said with a smile to Canova. After this "modern Michelangelo" left, Georgiana immediately looked at Lana with a different look.

"What Napoleon needs is a tragic victory!" She slapped the armrest of the chair in anger.

Rana stared at her.

"Every good thing that happens will be smeared by jealousy, let alone something like this." She went to the next door, found a letter from the desk, and then returned to the interview room. "This was written to me by a patrol officer.

, he is now in Avignon, and the lady who saved his father with a glass of blood wine now lives there, and many people want to visit her."

Rana took the letter and began to read it.

"Your generals can cope with the rapid changes on the battlefield, but they are helpless against rumors. In Italy before, you not only used the swords in your hands to clear the way, but also used propaganda and public opinion."

Georgiana felt a little emotional, that was not what was written in American history textbooks.

Louis XVI sent troops to help the Americans win the War of Independence. What benefits did the French gain from this?

Some people say that if a marriage does not have a grand beginning, it is destined to have a miserable ending. For this reason, people never save money on weddings. No matter how expensive a blue wedding dress is, people will buy it.

Wedding dresses are "necessities" for weddings, just like food. It is precisely because they are necessary that they are sold at high prices, and there is no need to worry that they will suddenly plummet like tulips in the Netherlands.

Unless Napoleon lifts the sanctions against the United States.

The United Kingdom definitely hopes that the sanctions will continue so that British tobacco merchants can monopolize the price of tobacco leaves. Invisibly, France has provoked relations between Britain and the United States, although her initial goal was India.

Spain also had tobacco companies, but their merchant ships could not go to the colonies to bring tobacco back to Europe.

In Adam Smith's "The Wealth of Nations", Britain allowed the colonies to produce pig iron and iron bars on the one hand, but absolutely prohibited the establishment of steel mills and iron works on the other. In order to encourage this "manufacturing industry" in the Americas, Britain allowed iron bars and iron bars to be produced in the colonies. Pig iron was imported without tariffs, just like the tariff policy now allowed by Napoleon.

Why doesn't Piedmont follow the example of Houvral's ships and bring some raw silk with them when transporting grain, so that they can be exempted from customs duties?

"I heard from my father that the First Consul and the Second Consul tried to legislate to unify the weights and measures of the country." Perhaps because she was too quiet, Mrs. Lannes said, "Can you tell me what the purpose of this is?"

Georgiana didn't want to say it at first, but she liked Madame Lannes very much.

"This is to facilitate future grain trade at the provincial level." Georgiana said, "There are 10 base volumes of setirs in the national capacity unit. What is the capacity unit in Belgium?"

Lana, who was reading the letter, turned his attention to Georgiana.

"You have a lot on your plate in Antwerp, or would you rather be ambassador to Portugal?"

"What's the news from Portugal?" asked Madame Lannes.

"I don't know about this. I only know that none of the British newspapers have published the war situation in Saint-Domingue. It may have something to do with Tobago."

The two beautiful newlyweds looked at her in confusion.

"Go back and think about it slowly, the next guest is coming." Georgiana said tiredly, "Pay attention to public opinion and don't just focus on victory."

Rana and his wife looked at each other, put down the letter in their hands, saluted and left the waiting room.

"Do you understand what I just said?" Georgiana asked Matilda.

"I don't understand." Matilda shook her head, "Where is Tobago?"

Georgiana did not explain it to her.

With the steel trade, Portugal, which had been abandoned by Britain, became important again. They could import iron ore from South America, process it into iron bars in Portugal, and then import it to Britain tax-free, and of course important silver.

"Go and invite the next guest." Georgiana said to Matilda. She wanted to see what news William Pitt's teacher brought her this time.
Chapter completed!