Harry Potter’s Morning Light

   Chapter 2372 The Shadow of the King (Part 2)

   In Homer's epic "The Odyssey", in order to keep Odysseus on the island forever, Calypso intends to give him immortality.

   But Odysseus still intends to go home to see his foreseeable old wife, who has been waiting for him for twenty years.

   A lot of people gathered in this living room, young people and people like Maria Edgeworth, who was in her thirties and an old girl in this day and age.

  Maria Edgeworth was discussing a topic eagerly with another woman, also somewhat elderly, when she saw Georgiana approach, stopped the conversation together, and bowed to her.

   "Good morning, ladies." Georgiana walked over.

   "Good morning." Maria answered with the old girl.

"What are you talking about?"

   "This is Miss Elizabeth Lamont, we are talking about her new book." Maria introduced.

   "What book is so interesting that you even ignored breakfast." Georgiana asked.

   Mrs. Dewodé asked people to set up a table covered with white cloth, with sandwiches, coffee and other buffets placed on it, and guests could chat while drinking coffee.

  Lamont glanced at Edgeworth, who hesitated for a moment and said, "It's a book of conversations, a conversation between an Ionian hat dealer and a sergeant."

   "Oh, what did they talk about?" She just asked casually, thinking they were talking about fashion topics like hats.

   "It's about enclosures, ma'am, but they're living in the 16th century, Queen Elizabeth's time, and what do you think she was encouraging enclosures for?" Edgeworth said.

  Georgianna was too shocked to speak.

"The peasant sees the sheep as the root of all evil, because they add value more than all kinds of food, thereby crowding agriculture out of the countryside. The squires become ranchers, and the yield on the land increases, causing rents to rise, and the peasants have to pay more money to support his family, for which he had to raise the price of his products so that the merchants and hat-makers would spend more money on food. Seeing enclosures like this ruins everyone, because they make the system All have paid a higher price for the possession of their former land, prices of all kinds have risen, plows, rakes and wheelbarrows, shoes, hats, linen and woolen goods, even the best peasants have only a little at the end of the year. Savings, while the land price in the New World is very cheap..."

   "Where's the hat-man? What did he say?" Georgiana interrupted Maria Edgeworth.

"He talked about the mint, and the king made up for her losses by minting coins," Lamont said. "Because His Majesty needed all kinds of cannons, anchors, wire ropes, asphalt, tar, steel, pistols, black powder to arm the navy. , these things he must buy from abroad, the price of which is determined by foreigners, and even ignoring her other expenses, these expenses are still borne by the king and nobles, and she obviously cannot rely on her subjects to pay her taxes alone , the subjects need to have money before she can apportion them to the subjects. If they don't have money, then what to do? Who will buy the hats of this foreign hat merchant? This is undoubtedly a question worth discussing, because the hats are exported in the UK It is made of wool that is processed and sold at a higher price, and the peasant cannot sell his products at a reduced price, unless the plows, carts, and woolen products are cut in price, it is very difficult for him to live.”

   "Who are you?" Georgiana asked Elizabeth Lamont.

"I'm from Aberdeen, Scotland, ma'am, my brother is a member of the House of Commons, and he's very worried about the corn laws." Elizabeth replied, "The price of corn in the United States is significantly lower than that in the United Kingdom, which is exported almost every year, but is very expensive. There are few foreign imports, and the low price of foreign food will make the domestic farmers go bankrupt. Although the grain production in the Baltic Sea has decreased, which has caused soaring food prices and social panic, resistance movements have broken out and foreign food imports have been banned. It may be very contradictory to say that grain Rent has also increased due to rising prices, and most of the land that was turned into pasture not long ago is being replanted with grain again because we no longer rely on wool, but cotton.”

"Her brother is the one who spoke in the House of Commons and asked the United States to pay back its pre-war debts in accordance with the Paris Peace Treaty." Maria Edgeworth said, "The asylum you opened in Paris used to belong to the Church of Scotland. turned into a prison..."

   "Wow." Georgiana exclaimed in disbelief.

   "I didn't ask you to take me in." Elizabeth smiled and said, "There are other Scottish monasteries in continental Europe. I heard that the monasteries in Bavaria are very good at making cheese. I want to visit there on this trip."

   "Which publisher dares to publish your book?" asked Georgiana, she really wanted to meet and see who was so desperate.

   "Do you think France would publish such a book?" Elizabeth asked.

  Georgianna felt like she wanted to say no.

   "America's land is not necessarily cheap." Georgiana said, "For example, Louisiana, a lot of land is very poor, if you want to grow food standards, you need to improve the land, so they also need to invest in costs."

   Both Elizabeth and Mary looked at her in confusion.

   "It's usually very barren land for breeding sheep." Elizabeth thought about it and said, "I have to say that the American food waste is unimaginable in Europe."

   "Developed agriculture at least makes them look tall and strong."

   "Madam." Georgiana turned back and looked at the young man. "The First Governor called you."

   "Have some breakfast." Georgiana looked back at the Corsican dwarf and said to the two of them, "Don't waste the food."

   "What will you do with Kiara." Elizabeth said suddenly.

  Georgianna, who was about to leave, looked at Lamont.

   "She can't go to the Louvre anymore?" Elizabeth continued.

   "Yes, she can continue to work at the Louvre in the future." Georgiana looked at Lamont and replied, "I won't bury talents because of some gossip."

   Then she turned and followed the young man to Bonaparte's side.

Looking at him, Georgiana thought of Prince Eugen, whose mother was Louis XIV's "first love", but he did not get any favor for it. The depressed teenager left France and volunteered to participate in the Siege of Vienna. Later, he participated in the Spanish War of the Throne that broke out in Italy, and France lost Italy.

   At that time she was still "Linda Smith" and went to Europe with Mr. Smith on her honeymoon. Like most "people of insight", she opposed aggression and expansion.

  The vast territory means resources, even Siberia has wood, fur. But Machiavelli also believes that even a republic on orbit will inevitably cause a lot of damage due to the use of foreign troops, just like the situation in which Rome and Hannibal occupied Capua. If Capua is farther away from Rome, Sparta Here's where the uprising took place. This place of pleasure is enough to deceive the military’s will to fight. Rome in Hannibal’s time was not as corrupt as in the later period, so Machiavelli thought that if Capua was farther away from Rome, the bad habits of the soldiers here would be difficult to correct, or Rome might be If the republic is tainted with vices through communication, and if there are signs of corruption, the gains from conquests will be meaningless, and even the Roman republic will be destroyed.

  Occupy foreign lands, foreign customs enter Rome's chest, frugality and other very good virtues have since given way, and drunkenness has taken root, and they can make the conqueror unconquered.

   Like Antony who surrendered to Cleopatra's charm and Egyptian court life.

   She walked over and touched his arm lightly. The woolen uniform was a bit thorny to the touch, not as smooth as purple silk.

   "Come on," said Bonaparte to Georgiana, smiling.

"where to?"

He pulled out the hand she was touching, and in turn helped her out of the living room, and came to the garden outside, where a group of people stood, some of whom knew at first glance that they were civilians living in distress, and behind Standing French soldiers wearing very tall hats to make themselves look tall.

   "Mercy!" Before she could get close, one of the young men shouted at Georgiana.

   "Please let us go!" A thin woman beside him also cried.

   This scene made her unbearable, and she looked at Bonaparte.

   He looked at her calmly.

   "This...this is..."

   "Didn't you say that as long as you get married, you don't have to do military service." He said calmly with his hands behind his back, "Both of them are painters, and they used to live in abandoned houses in the forest."

   She was a little unresponsive.

"Will you marry him? Emily, as long as you marry Quincy, you won't have to hide from XZ, and Quincy won't have to do military service, but you can't continue to live where you were before." Bonaparte said. The two said loudly.

   Not only Georgiana, but also Emily and Quincy were stunned.

   "Will you marry him? Emily," Bonaparte asked again.

  Emily hesitated.

   But Quincy didn't beg her, or rather begged Emily to say yes in order to save her life.

  Georgianna pulled a diamond ring from her hand and threw it to Quincy.

   "Whoever proposes will not give you a ring." Georgiana said, meeting Quincy's eyes.

   Quincy did not immediately pick up the ring on the grass. At this time, Father Gregoire came out of the crowd of onlookers. He picked up the ring and handed it to Quincy.

"Today we gather in front of God and the guests to witness the holy wedding of the couple, which is a precious treasure left by God since the creation of the world. Therefore, it is not allowed to enter at will, but to be respectful and solemn." Gregory "If anyone knows of any reason why this marriage can't be made, please speak up, or keep silent forever," Watts said.

  Gregoire paused deliberately, but no one spoke, and then he added, "I command you, before the Lord, to confess any reason that prevents your union."

   "I have nothing." Quincy looked at Emily and said, "But my love for you will never change."

   "How about you?" Gregoire asked Emily.

   Her eyes were full of tears, and she looked at the people around her in despair.

   "Will you accept him as your rightful husband, and accept the decree of God to live with him in a holy marriage covenant?" asked Gregoire.

  Emily covered her mouth and cried.

   "I'm going to open an art gallery in Mechelen, where Quincy can work," said Georgiana.

   Now Emily nodded, and Quincy held her tightly with her arms outstretched.

   There was warm applause from all around.

   "Where do you plan to build an art gallery?" Bonaparte asked amid the applause of the crowd.

   "Would you mind if I use a portion of the Louvre's 'stock'?" she asked rhetorically.

   "No!" He immediately rejected.

   "What about the replicas?" She asked again, "I was asked what to do with Kiara just now. I asked her to come back to work and continue to reproduce the paintings."

   He smiled contortedly.

   She didn't pinch him again, although she really wanted to.

   At this moment, Quincy let go of Emily and put the ring that Georgiana gave her on Emily's hand.

   She looked at the young man and woman who were kissing in front of everyone, and her heart suddenly became sour.

   "If you like that ring, I will give you another of the same," said Bonaparte.

   She didn't want to talk to him at all, turned and left.

   Why didn't she think of it? This place is perfect for a wedding, just need to move the buffet out. Although it was a bit cold and not as warm as May for rose blooms, it was full of Belgian rhododendrons. This flower blooms all year round, including the denbattelaer forest where Georgiana visited before and the greenhouse in Antwerp, and they look just as beautiful.

   (end of this chapter)