Chapter 3203 The Flashing Mosaic (11)

In addition to the reservoir known as the "Underground Cistern", Justinian also prepared more than ten similar reservoirs and grain storage points in the city. However, famine still occurred.

Bread needs to be baked before it can be eaten. When there are more dead people than living people, the survivors are either busy burying the dead or don't know how to bake bread. In this case, even if there are enough food reserves, it will not be able to supply all the people. The people of the city need it.

 It takes a while for bread to ferment. If you bake it before it is fully fermented, the taste will be much worse. Not everyone knows how to ferment.

However, pasta is not such a cooking method. The poet Horace, who lived in the first century BC, brought back a dish from his hometown, which was cooked with leeks and chickpeas and noodles cut into strips. This was recorded in Marco Polo's travels in the 4th century. It inspired the chefs at that time to try making noodles with flour.

 But few modern people know that ancient wheat was completely different from today’s wheat, just like watermelon, which is completely different from its earliest days.

From a biological perspective, ancient wheat had only 14 chromosomes, while current wheat has 42 chromosomes.

 For chefs, a lot of ingredients have to be added to achieve the relatively smooth taste that Marco Polo said.

　　At that time, there was a plague and an earthquake. Who would be in the mood to do these things?

French aristocrats were still in the salon when the whole people were famine, holding glasses of wine to sympathize with the plight of the poor.

 Shakespeare wrote in "Love's Labour's Labour": The honor which all kings pursue is forever recorded on our tombstones, and makes us gain immortal glory in the shame of death.

 Death is shameful and unfortunate, and the living feel deep sympathy for the deceased, but this sympathy does not make people feel warm and considerate.

Malthusians believe that the poor deserve all this, and even sympathy is omitted.

Robespierre got it when he said in his speech that "This is a country that has substituted virtue for selfishness, made integrity the center of honour, substituted principle for habit, duty for etiquette, contempt for vice for the contempt of walkers." resonated with many.

 Virtue without terror is weak, and then the reign of terror begins.

Given Georgiana's courage, the most she dared to do was stay away from people during the Reign of Terror and live in isolation. Even abroad was not peaceful.

Now that there is peace in the country, Napoleon has set a final deadline for his return to the country. This time, many exiles came to visit Belgium and planned to follow him back.

It was Josephine who was supposed to receive them, but Josephine did not come, so the task of receiving them was left to the La Rochefoucauld family.

 When she walked into the room, she could still smell a burnt smell that hadn't dissipated.

There was a nobleman. Although he did not wear any clan emblem or anything to mark his status, his noble status could be seen at a glance from where he stood. The Venus in the Louvre actually has "flaws" such as neck lines and accessory **** if you look carefully, but she is better in proportion.

Even if you ignore his height, Bonaparte's body proportions are not so perfect. When he is thin, his head appears larger.

However, the figure of their family is very stable. The nobleman in front of him is probably in his thirties. He is wearing a black coat that is popular among literati nowadays. He does not wear a wig, boots and gray breeches. He only has the upper part of his left little finger. There is a gold ring.

He stood among the "ruins". Although the "ruins" were painted with golden wallpaper, they still looked so luxurious.

“This is Count Nicolas de Saint-Brechamp, who is about to take charge of the National Archives.” Francis introduced.

 “Nice to meet you, madam.” Saint-Brochan bowed to her humbly.

At this moment Georgiana suddenly understood why Bonaparte liked ruin paintings.

"It's an honor to meet you too." Georgiana raised her hand and asked the other party to kiss her hand.

"This room used to be the queen's small drawing room, and it is the same as the one in the Tuileries Palace." Talleyrand said from the side, "Are you satisfied?"

 Georgiana regained consciousness and took her hand back.

The Tuileries Palace is gone in the 20th century. It was burned down in 1870. After all, in order to meet the construction deadline, Napoleon asked carpenters to repair it. Later, its fire spread to the Grand Gallery of the Louvre. If the fire spread at that time If so, Hubert Robert's paintings would not be "imaginary".

"You can decorate this room and the next room as you like, there is no need to destroy it." Talleyrand continued, "This is the rule of the palace."

 She frowned at him.

"That's what you said. No one but Josephine can live in the First Consul's bedroom." Talleyrand said indifferently.

Georgiana glanced at Saint-Bréchamp, feeling extremely embarrassed, and quickly came to the room next to the small living room. It was a "blue" room. Since the price of indigo has skyrocketed, it has become a luxury item and girls are wearing it. Now the mattress, sofa and curtains are all in this color.

There is also a large oil painting on the wall depicting Poseidon driving a chariot in the waves. It turns out that there was a large mirror in the room full of flowers. There was originally a painting there, but it "missed" later.

The room did not surprise or excite her, but reminded her of Josephine and her daughter Hortense, whom she had married to Louis in order to save her marriage.

The coat of arms of the French Crown Prince is a dolphin, and the people in the oil paintings on the wall pulling Poseidon's carriage are all dolphins.

“Who will live in this room if I don’t destroy the original room?” asked Georgiana.

“I don’t know, the president just told us to get ready,” Francis said.

“This place originally belonged to Madame Pompidou.” Talleyrand held his lame leg aside and said, “Look, there’s a bathtub.”

 Georgiana's face was so hot that she looked at the other three people as if they thought all this was natural.

“I remember that the palace had not been repaired when Louis XV died,” said Georgiana.

“Would you like it if I said this was the room Madame du Barry gave her?” Talleyrand asked.

 Georgiana shook her head and continued walking forward, no one stopped her.

 When she arrived next door, a group of women seemed to have been waiting for a long time, curtseying to her.

"This is the guest room." Talleyrand limped over and pointed with his crutch, "That big sofa is the queen's seat."

 She looked in the direction he pointed, and there was indeed a large sofa that could seat 5 people. The rest of the seats were small benches. None of these ladies sat on them, but each of them occupied a seat.

 “Where did the old people sit?” Georgiana asked Talleyrand in a low voice.

 “What do you think?” Talleyrand asked.

 Looking at the big sofa, she suddenly understood what Hathor meant by "the sofa represents a curse".

When Bonaparte was in Egypt, he told "Cleopatra" that as long as she could have children, he would divorce her and marry her when he returned. Then the French girl who walked through the Sahara Desert like the male soldiers became Agree to him.

 What he wants is a boy. You can’t have one, so give up.

So Georgiana walked to the big sofa and sat down, but she did not sit in the middle position, as if there was someone sitting there.

 “Please have a seat,” Francis said to the women.

 Then the ladies sat down.

Talleyrand looked at her and sighed silently.

 “What are you doing?” Georgiana looked ahead expressionlessly.

 “Can’t you sit upright?” Talleyrand asked.

"For you, it is noon, but for me, the darkness is more solemn." Georgiana said, looking at the women.

Talleyrand looked at her in surprise.

 “Introduce them to me,” said Georgiana to Frances.

Then Francis began to read the names of the women, just like Minerva holding a sorting ceremony. The difference was that he did not take a list or a sorting hat.

Nietzsche’s “Noonday and Eternity”.

Euripides, companion of Bacchus

　　

　　

 (End of this chapter)