Chapter 3194 The Flashing Mosaic (2)

 What kind of queen does everyone like?

 Everyone has his own answer to this question, but it is also possible that the queen that everyone likes is not satisfied with the emperor himself. The emperor was satisfied, but not everyone was satisfied.

 However, this is the emperor's will, even if all he hears on the racing track are boos.

It has been pointed out from a long time ago that the Ministry of Magic does not seem to be subject to any formal supervision and restrictions. This was especially evident when Umbridge served as the senior investigator of Hogwarts. With Fudge's authorization, she could do whatever she wanted and "correct" anything she found objectionable.

 What she often talks about is "I am maintaining order", but in fact the order is getting worse and worse.

Umbridge seems to be issuing educational orders and doing something "legally" that she feels is rectifying, but her approach is actually no different from the French king before the Revolution. He can issue orders as he pleases, but cannot guarantee these. The decree is obeyed.

If you look carefully at the education order she issued, you will find that it is stamped with her own private seal, except that there is a mark representing the Ministry of Magic above her name.

The French Chancellor of the Seal is in charge of the king's private seal, which is called the "Administrative Seal". It is different from the signet ring worn on the little finger. The seal is more complex and has more details, which can avoid forgery. It also has greater power to exercise and can be stamped on formal decrees and documents conferring titles. The seal ring is more suitable as a status symbol.

What Umbridge often says is, "I'll get in touch with the Minister of Magic right away, and he will definitely agree with me." During the Revolution, people spread word of mouth that it was impossible to imprison someone in the Bastille with a note, but the King's Secret Code did exist, such as Cardinal Rohan in the "Necklace Incident". The one who was exiled by Mi Zha.

Generally speaking, a secret letter is an arrest warrant issued by the king without going through legal procedures. When Bernadotte was carrying out the suppression order in the west, a secret letter was placed on Napoleon's desk, and then he was transferred back. Through Joseph and him The wife's relationship narrowly escaped disaster.

Umbridge was kidnapped by centaurs. The Ministry of Magic could not rescue her through the centaurs' office, so Dumbledore was asked to send someone to rescue her. Pomona wouldn't go, and neither would Hagrid. In the end, it was Grapeland who went.

Such a political system can operate underground entirely because wizards do not care about politics. The basis of Voldemort's authority is his unchecked indulgence of personal desires. He kills people based on anger or whim, and punishes randomly and capriciously, even among the Death Eaters. Not everyone followed him out of loyalty, Severus said, "not everyone wanted him to win."

According to the provisions of the 1799 Constitution, Napoleon had a lot of power. Although the separation of powers was in name only, he was still subject to constitutional review.

Sieyes set the minimum age limit for entering the Senate at 40 years old. Napoleon was 31 when he became First Consul. Many of his followers were at this age. They would not be eligible to enter the Senate until Napoleon's 10-year term expired. , the question is who can tell what the situation will be like then.

 From the beginning of the Revolution to the promulgation of the Constitution in 1799, France did not have a constitutional review system, and the United States had it in 1787. This is the United States’ unique contribution to constitutionalism.

　　It feels very unfree to set up an inspector for oneself, and the king who insists on absolute monarchy feels the same way. If the Louvre's exhibits were from the olden days, the king could do with them as he pleased, as if he were completely free from the constraints of the state budget.

Even if the money and spoils were "earned" by Napoleon, they had already quarreled over the budget of the Canal Saint-Martin last year. She had already expected that if the Louvre's collection was touched, even if it was "not that good" there would be objections. "The Wedding in Ghana" is not as famous as the "Mona Lisa", so the French had tried their best to keep it. .

But now the director of the Louvre is Denon. Not only was he appointed by Napoleon, he also went to Egypt with him. This time he brought the paintings from Paris to Compiègne for auction. There will be no performances in the theater in the afternoon. , the stage will be changed to an auction house.

  Talleyrand, unlike Napoleon, was a true chameleon. In 1797, he was only acting Minister of the Navy. He braved the sweltering heat and visited Madame de Staël and Barras eight times in a row to get the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs.

After being expelled from Paris, Madame de Staël appealed to the foreign minister, who was "extremely prestigious" among the German princes. He asked Madame de Staël for an astronomical bribe.

Even if Madame de Staël's family really ran a bank, she couldn't bear it. Similarly, the earrings he gave to Georgiana could not be afforded by a Titian painting even without an auction.

 But he was really "poor" to decorate his new house. Seeing that Georgiana's residence was so damaged, he took the opportunity to discuss the decoration with her.

"What style do you like? Neoclassicism? Rococo?" Talleyrand asked in fluent English.

"I'm thinking of a Byzantine style." Georgiana said, holding up the glass shards in her hands. "I want to use a mosaic."

"Well, this is a unique idea... I think many people will ask you this question, how are you going to answer it?" Talleyrand asked.

Talleyrand once told Parliament that "the issuance of banknotes in this way will inevitably be impacted, and the monetary system will immediately collapse."

When Newton was working at the Royal Mint, he only focused on efficiency issues, that is, how to create new silver coins more quickly and efficiently. However, he was not responsible for recovering the silver coins. The person responsible for recovering the silver coins was Montague, the finance minister. The man who introduced Newton to the mint.

 To issue new gold francs, the old ones must be recovered, even if these famous paintings cannot be sold for 100 million copies.

The trouble is how to prevent these famous paintings from being ruined, or as long as there is a shortage of money, the Ministry of Finance will focus on the "gold mine" of the Louvre.

“Do you think that replicas are works of art?” Georgiana said in French. “I know that most people will think that ‘fake’ is fake, even a 5-year-old child knows this.”

“Why do you think reproductions are works of art?” Talleyrand asked.

She remembered a painting she saw in a Venetian church. The original was stolen, and the priest of the church hung an identical one. There was a note next to it, "explaining" the reason for hanging the copy.

The Ten Commandments of Moses include the prohibition against stealing. As long as you don’t have the intention, no matter how valuable something is, it will not be stolen in public.

On the contrary, if you focus on how to steal, no matter how complicated the secret passage is, the Egyptian "archaeologists" will even use explosives. Forbidden fruit does not make people bad, but gives people the possibility of becoming bad. Augustine said that human free will can also do good. If a person wants to do good but is prevented, then he is not free.

 How could this happen?

If there is a well-matched love, then there is a well-matched friendship, or it is for benefit, anyway, it is not simply giving.

If you need help at Hogwarts, just ask and someone will always answer.

"Have you ever seen a painter paint?" Georgiana asked. "I have seen that some painters will ask assistants to mix colors. Michelangelo did it himself when he painted the Sistine ceiling painting, but he mixed colors himself. drawn."

“I’ve seen it,” Talleyrand said. “I probably understand what you mean.”

"No, you don't understand. Our sense of seeing a painting changes because we know it is a forgery. We examine the painting carefully, looking for flaws, but if someone tells the viewer "People, that's actually true, how do you think people will react when they see the painting?" Georgiana asked.

"They will say, 'You are a liar,'" Talleyrand said vividly.

"Some things may look real, but they may also be fake. It is impossible to distinguish the two. No one would suspect that the earrings worn by Josephine were fake, but if a thief took them Should one of them be replaced with glass that is the same as gem cutting? Why would he do this if he has such skills?" Georgiana asked.

Talleyrand seemed confused by her.

"Have you studied in seminary? What do you think of Plato's 'realism'?" Georgiana asked.

“I think most people would rather believe something simpler.” Talleyrand said helplessly, “What you said is too complicated.”

“If a certain knowledge or opinion I have is specious, that is, I doubt it, it may be wrong. In this case, I might as well declare it wrong immediately and reject it. This is the methodology of Descartes. . Interestingly, I always thought Descartes was a mathematician and forgot that he was a philosopher. Just like Pascal, I thought he was a physicist. He said, because you have believed since you were a child that when you open a box, there is nothing inside. If it is empty, you believe that vacuum exists. This is an illusion of the senses, which is then reinforced by customs and needs science to correct. People in school tell you that vacuum does not exist, destroying your common sense. Common sense is originally so Understand this clearly, and now need correction to return to your original nature, who deceived you?" asked Georgiana.

“It’s a good thing you’re not my professor,” Talleyrand said with a smile, “otherwise it would be hard for me not to beat you.”

 “I am a woman,” said Georgiana.

"In your sculpture, Hercules has already attacked the goddess of fate." Talleyrand thought for a moment. "I remember that there was a Hercules Room in the Palace of Versailles. The ceiling painting is of the gods welcoming Hercules to Olin. Paz.”

 “And what?” asked Georgiana.

"How about we put that sculpture there? If you are sure that you want to change the house into a Byzantine style." Talleyrand said, looking around.

 “I haven’t decided yet,” said Georgiana.

"I can't think of any reason to refuse you. Believe me, I am good at persuading people." Talleyrand said.

"The First Consul said that the revolution is over, but the change is not yet. A state of extreme despair may save us, because we realize that either we make changes or never stay the same, and we have no choice but to watch ourselves hit the bottom. How can you still Remember how you got the post of Foreign Minister?" Georgiana asked.

“That was not the most desperate time for me,” Talleyrand said with a smile.

"I'm not talking to you about despair. We try to get peace by desperately overcoming all obstacles, but when we overcome the obstacles, peace becomes unbearable." Georgiana said, "This is what Pascal said."

Talleyrand looked at her with interest.

 She had heard about Talleyrand's "hobbies", but the look in his eyes at the moment was not "that kind of interest".

“You can compliment me without using rhetoric. If you think I need correction, you can tell me directly. Have you seen Rembrandt’s Bathsheba?” she asked.

"You seem to like asking questions." Talleyrand said with a sneer, "Just like the teacher."

“An overly real body destroys the harmonious beauty pursued during the Renaissance. No matter how ugly the reality is, it is still real.”

“You women always say that.” Talleyrand shook his head. “I won’t be fooled anymore.”

Before she could ask, there were footsteps outside, and soon Bougainville appeared.

 “The auction is about to begin,” said the captain.

“Let’s go,” said Talleyrand, and he and her left the room, which was once filled with flowers.

 (End of this chapter)