The reason why Robespierre came out to talk to Zhao Xin was because he felt that this tall officer was more of a commander-in-chief than the general sitting in the room. Although he had nothing to do with the battlefield during the entire Revolution,
He can't even shoot a gun well, but after all, he has been in the political circle for more than three years, and he has developed some of the political sensitivity he should have.
Yes, although Zhao Xin tried his best to disguise himself and imitated the words and demeanor of the staff officers in the Northern Navy Staff Headquarters, he was no longer the little bourgeois who worked aimlessly and only focused on the gold mine! We have been together for ten years, and now
What he sees is the whole world, and what he is brewing in his heart is to overthrow the Manchu Qing Dynasty, so as to change the way of life for 300 million people!
So when Zhao Xin's eyes fell on Robespierre, he was like a frightened cat, with the same feeling of hair standing on end again.
It is said that this man had two most important characteristics in his character, which also affected his actions during the French Revolution - suspicion and a brooding over personal grudges.
First of all, it is right to be suspicious. You must know that a political person must be suspicious. They are suspicious of possible dangers every day and guess who is coveting their position. Therefore, the first thing a qualified person in power has to do is to establish a set of
A stable check and balance structure can control internal struggles while also taking care of external matters.
But if a political person has no ambition and puts personal grievances above politics, not to mention not being able to achieve great things, harming others, himself and society is the most terrible thing. There are countless such people in Chinese history, such as Han Xin and Xiang Yu.
Zhao Xin put the cigarette he was holding back into his pocket and replied in English: "I'm sorry, Mr. Robespierre, I don't speak French."
Robespierre was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said in English: "You speak English really well, and I happen to know a little bit, so let's use English?"
"Okay." Zhao Xin raised his eyes and looked at Deng Fei, who was surrounded by parliamentarians, and Jiao Xun, who was chatting animatedly with Condorcet, and could only smile and nodded.
"You are an officer. Can I ask what kind of job you are engaged in?"
"I am a staff officer under General Deng."
"Staff officer? But why do I think you have a commander-in-chief temperament?"
Zhao Xin said without changing his expression: "Maybe it's because I often assist the general in formulating battle plans and pointing out mountains and rivers on maps? The Chinese call this 'talking on paper', which is empty of momentum and lack of foundation."
Robespierre couldn't help laughing and said: "What you said is really interesting. I think you will become an outstanding commander in time!"
Zhao Xin said confidently: "Thank you, I think so too."
During the previous welcome ceremony and meal, Zhao Xin did not see Robespierre very clearly due to the distance. After all, in social situations, if a man stares at another man, he either has some agenda or something.
He just has some kind of special hobby. Zhao Xin didn't want to be misunderstood, so it wasn't until now that he finally saw what this person looked like.
Because of the outdoor light, Robespierre took off his glasses, revealing his huge almond-shaped eyes with green pupils and arched eyebrows; his nose was long but not big, nor tall.
Against the background of the powdered silver-gray wig, it formed an arc exactly with his slightly receding forehead.
He is not short in stature, probably between 1.74 and 1.75. He wears a beautifully embroidered blue striped vest on his upper body, a light yellow and green striped top, and a white and red striped bow tie around his neck.
She was wearing a pair of light-colored knee-length shorts and snow-white stockings. She looked neat and fashionable, and she was meticulously groomed. However, in Zhao Xin's view, this really didn't look like what a politician who talks about the people all day long should do.
of clothing.
By the way, aren't you the spokesperson for "Sans-culottes"?
Robespierre came up and complimented: "I didn't expect that you actually started to build a republican country ten years ago. It's really amazing. I always thought that China was a country where a few people monopolized cultural knowledge.
…..Autocracy.”
"I think what you want to say is actually falling behind, right?"
Zhao Xin slandered, and then he pondered for a moment and asked: "What is the population of France now?"
Robespierre said very proudly: "Well, 25 million! In the whole of Europe, our population is second only to Russia."
"The population of China is 300 million! And the few people you mentioned are almost 15 million."
"So much!" Robespierre clasped his hands together unconsciously, and his neck and shoulders shook like a spasm. His face turned red and he said, "Uh...I'm sorry, this number is too high."
It’s huge, beyond my imagination.”
Zhao Xin changed his tone, half self-effacing and half complimentary: "But you are right. Indeed, 15 million is really too little for 300 million, only accounting for 5%. So from this point of view
To us, our road to the Republic is still very long. It is just the beginning, and it is far less than your country’s achievements. I heard in Le Havre that the day of the attack on the Tuileries Palace on August 10th
, the Paris Commune mobilized 20,000 people!”
After hearing this, Robespierre immediately showed a solemn expression and said in a deep voice: "That was a great day. The people of Paris set a great example. The people of all France stood up at the same moment. In the process
"The solemn attitude of the French people is as glorious as their motives and goals."
Well, Mirabeau, who has passed away, said of Robespierre three years ago: "This man has a great future because he really believes what he says."
While chatting, Zhao Xin always felt that something was missing, so he unconsciously took out his cigarette and lit it. He deliberately went around to the leeward side of the room to prevent the smoke from reaching Robespierre.
But he didn't expect that the other party looked at the lit cigarette in his hand curiously, and suddenly said: "Is this a new type of tobacco? Give me one too."
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Zhao Xin then introduced the cigarettes, and took out a lighter to help the other party light it. Feeling the soft taste of the cigarettes, Robespierre thought it was very good.
I couldn't help but narrow my eyes. You must know that in these days, Europeans smoked pipes, which were much more choking than cigarettes. Whenever the Jacobin Club held a meeting, the room looked like a chimney.
In another time and space, the Chinese have a saying - tobacco is a bridge of communication between men, and this time and space is no exception. As the two smoked and drank red wine, the conversation gradually opened up. But most of the time it was Luo
Bospierre was talking, and Zhao Xin was the listener.
"...I am very convinced that the republican spirit is a kind of virtue, a love for the motherland, and a noble quality of sacrificing private interests for the public good. In the current France, the enemy of the republic is egocentrism.
, are ambitious corruptors. There are many cunning liars and political hooligans mixed among the people, who have betrayed the trust of the people. The only way out for revolutionaries is to continue revolution and make revolution even harder. Only in this way can they defeat the counterrevolutionaries.
Consolidate and develop the achievements of the revolution.”
"I think tyranny is more terrifying than anarchy! As a legislator, he needs to have extraordinary wisdom and be able to understand all human passions, while he can remain calm and work tirelessly for the benefit of others...
.”
“Like Rousseau’s ‘enlightened and fearless philosopher’?”
On the way to France, Zhao Xin flipped through "The Social Contract" and his words made Robespierre look surprised.
"You have actually read Rousseau's book? I can't believe that... We must show no mercy to the crimes of those in power, sympathize with the poor and weak, and respect the people."
Zhao Xin has no interest in this cliche. This is a self-portrait - self-bragging at its best! This guy firmly believes that he is closer to the ideal legislator described by Rousseau than others. But he still pretends to be one.
He looks like a good listener, occasionally asking a question and making the other person talk endlessly.
Robespierre spoke very slowly, and the pauses between each sentence were so long that every time he stopped to sip wine or smoke a cigarette, Zhao Xin thought he was finished. But in fact, this was
I just looked around and then added a word or two to the already long sentence.
However, what made Zhao Xin feel a little awkward was that although Robespierre spoke eloquently, he never looked directly at him and always blinked. This made him feel that the person in front of him was a person with a deep heart.
Only yourself, no one else's guy.
Just like the "godfather" of the First French Republic, when Robespierre believed that revolution was the only way to a better society, he was the only representative of France's true and thorough revolutionaries who made it clear to Zhao Xin
Afterwards, he was suddenly startled and thought to himself: Why did I talk so much to an Oriental person I met for the first time?
Just when he was about to ask Zhao Xin about the weight of public interests and personal interests, Madame Roland, the core figure of the Girondins, came out of the room and asked Zhao Xin what he said in the carriage.
Zhao Xin immediately felt as if he had been granted amnesty, and he immediately started chatting enthusiastically with him. Robespierre was very bored and wanted to interrupt but couldn't. He had to shake his neck and shoulders, just like a cat shaking its fur.
Same, he went back to the house.
Mrs. Roland did not come to Zhao Xin to talk about literature. Her husband De La Salle is the current Minister of the Interior, and relief for people's livelihood and maintenance of public order are one of his main responsibilities. She heard from her husband that there may be people on board Chinese ships.
He had a lot of wheat, so he took the opportunity to discuss literature to get closer to Zhao Xin.
Zhao Xin had only heard of Mrs. Roland before, but had not read her biography. After chatting with her, he was surprised to find that this woman was really not simple. She actually had a special office in the Ministry of Interior responsible for guiding public opinion.
Spreading political ideals, she wrote most of her husband's political articles.
Good guy! No wonder this woman lost her head!
Although the famous "beauty" in front of him was already 38 years old, Zhao Xin always felt that he owed something because he had stolen someone else's famous saying. So he simply spoke up about the food issue.
"Yes, ma'am. We still have eight thousand pounds of wheat on board, which was previously used as ballast."
"This is the first time I've heard of wheat being used as ballast. Are you not afraid of wheat sprouting?"
"Our ships are made of steel, so there is no need to worry about waterproofing. In addition, wheat is also our largest domestically produced agricultural product."
"A ship made of steel is really a miracle! If I have the opportunity, I will definitely go and visit it." Mrs. Roland smiled and then changed the topic: "If our government wants to buy this batch of wheat, what are your plans?
At what price will it be sold?”
Zhao Xindao: "Actually...according to General Deng's wishes, this batch of wheat will be donated to your country for free. How about using this grain as a bridge to promote Sino-French friendship?"
Mrs. Roland's eyes shone with surprise, and she unconsciously grasped Zhao Xin's hand to express her gratitude. Her hand was not big, but her fingers were slender and felt very soft. Because the two of them were a little close, a feeling of
The faint scent of jasmine finally penetrated Zhao Xin's nasal cavity...
When they returned to their residence at night, both Zhao Xin and Deng Fei were too tired to speak. After washing, they fell asleep. On the contrary, Jiao Xun and Huang Chengji looked like they still had something to say. The two of them chatted with Condorcet.
They were very good, and Condorcet also invited them to visit his home the day after tomorrow, when several former academicians of the Royal Academy of Sciences would also come.
When he got up for breakfast at noon the next day, the housekeeper Buwei handed Zhao Xin two invitations and a letter, saying that someone had sent them in the morning. Zhao Xin opened them and saw that the invitations were from the British Ambassador and the American Ambassador.
The letter is from Mrs. Roland, inviting Deng Fei to a dinner party; the letter is from Mrs. Roland, inviting him to attend the salon held at home the day after tomorrow.
This chapter is not over, please click on the next page to continue reading! Zhao Xin asked Bu Wei to send all the invitations to Deng Fei, and he would deal with it. Then he went to the study and wrote two letters respectively. One was in Chinese
, was written to his own people who stayed on the Thor, telling them that people from the French Ministry of the Interior would come to pick up the food. After seeing the letter, he gave them all the three and a half tons of wheat in the cargo hold.
Then, he wrote a reply to Mrs. Roland in English. The first was to express his gratitude and that he would attend the salon on time; the other was to tell the other party that he could send someone to Le Havre to pick up the food, but he would need to bring another copy.
The Chinese letter was used as proof. After he finished writing the letter and sealed it with wax, he asked the housekeeper Buwei to deliver the letter to Mrs. Roland's house.
Basically everyone from the National Convention has met, and today he will concentrate on studying how to rescue Louis XVI or his son and take him away safely.
It is not a problem for the people from the special operations battalion to infiltrate the Temple Tower. Those National Guardsmen are like a dish in front of the Northern Navy. The key is how to take the people out of Paris and even bring them to the ship outside the port of Le Havre.
At first, he thought very simply. Use a rubber speedboat to go west along the Seine River. The National Guard along the way would definitely not be able to react. But at noon, after De Guigne sent someone to send a map of France, he read this
Only then did I realize that it wouldn’t work. It was true that the Seine River flows westward into the sea, but the river’s twists and turns were so dramatic that if I had the time, I could take someone on a horse-drawn carriage and go back and forth between Le Havre and Paris!
Take it away in a hidden carriage? That's not possible. If something happens to the temple tower, the Chinese will leave. Even a fool knows there's something fishy here.
Zhao Xin thought about it and finally decided to take a risk. He told Elu that he would have to leave for a while and might not come back until tomorrow, so don't make a fuss. He asked the other two people to guard the door of his bedroom, waiting for the cloth
When Wei comes back, he and other servants must not be allowed in and just say that he is writing something.
When everything was ready, Zhao Xin changed into casual clothes from another time and space, quietly slipped to the first floor, and disappeared in the blink of an eye when no one was around.