The Shadow of Great Britain
Chapter 296 - 296 193 The Chameleon is the Emblem of Politics 4K4_2

296: Chapter 193: The Chameleon is the Emblem of Politics (4K4)_2 296: Chapter 193: The Chameleon is the Emblem of Politics (4K4)_2 Talleyrand looked up, then tossed out a Jack and said, “Come in and have a seat.

It’s just the cancellation of a warrant, what’s the big deal?

Who hasn’t been wanted by the government in their youth?

Victor, wasn’t it the same with you and me?”

Upon hearing this, Victor, with his embarrassed old face turning red, corrected, “Your Excellency, I have long since repented and am now a good citizen of France.”

While glancing at the card table, Talleyrand continued, “A good citizen makes a poor policeman, let alone work in the Security Department.”

Victor, sweating profusely, complimented, “Your Excellency, I am not as wise as you, so please don’t make it difficult for me.

You can talk with Mr.

Dumas and Mr.

Hastings at your leisure.”

Having said that, Victor gently closed the door and then ran outside to smoke.

With Victor gone, Talleyrand quickly shifted his gaze to Great Dumas.

He patted the empty stool beside him, “Take a seat.

I know you young folks are healthy, but there’s no need to flaunt it in front of an old man like me.”

Great Dumas seemed reluctant, though he had promised Arthur to have a serious talk with Talleyrand.

But as it came down to it, his heart just couldn’t let go.

After all, the collapse of the French Republic owed much to Talleyrand.

And of course, Napoleon’s downfall as well.

Seeing his demeanor, Arthur just shook his head, then sat his friend down on the stool, saying helplessly with a smile, “Your Excellency, please don’t mind.

He’s a French Republican, as you might know.”

Talleyrand just smiled, “No worries, Alexander acts just like his father.

But I must say, Alexander, I didn’t like your father, but I don’t dislike you yet.”

Great Dumas initially didn’t want to speak with Talleyrand, but upon hearing this, he couldn’t help but turn around and ask, “Why?”

Talleyrand then played a pair of fives, “I’ve always believed one shouldn’t trust someone who wasn’t a republican by 30, nor should they trust someone who is still a republican after 30.

You belong to the former, while your father belonged to the latter.”

Mulling over these words, Alexander asked, “Why is that?”

Arthur added for Talleyrand, “Because anyone who isn’t a republican before thirty has no heart, and anyone who is still a republican after thirty has no brain.”

Upon hearing that, Talleyrand couldn’t help but laugh out loud, addressing his old friends around the table, “See, I told you, a good citizen can’t make a good policeman.”

Hearing this, Great Dumas couldn’t help but frown and asked Arthur, “So, do you have a heart?”

Arthur, neither affirming nor denying, simply retorted, “Alexander, fishing law enforcement is my job.

Would you like to join Scotland Yard?”

Talleyrand, amused by their exchange, put down the poker hand and said, “When Victor mentioned he had discovered a talent at Scotland Yard, my first thought was of that soulless and heartless bastard Fouché, but now it seems you are nothing like Fouché.

If it were him, he probably would’ve kidnapped young Alexander here and traded him with us behind the scenes.

It’s good to be not like Fouché, after all, Britain and France are different; you might even fare better here than he did.”

The friends around teased, “Young man, you are really lucky today!

Up to now, Mr.

Talleyrand’s predictions have a success rate of a hundred percent.

He said Napoleon would fall, and Napoleon fell; he said Robespierre wouldn’t make it, and sure enough, Robespierre lost his head.

Talleyrand, were you a bishop in your youth, and did God tell you these things?”

Talleyrand joked back, “Of course, it was God who told me.

You probably don’t know, but when they elected me as Dean, I warned them: ‘You will regret this!’ Back then, everyone thought I was scaring them, now they know better.”

The friends joked back, “Is that so?

Then what language did you use when you spoke with God?”

Talleyrand laughed heartily, “Of course, it was Spanish.

Don’t you remember the saying of Charles V?

‘I speak Spanish to God, Italian to women, French to men, and German to my horse.'”

Upon hearing this, Arthur added, “Communicating with the Devil isn’t that troublesome; whether it’s English, French, or German, you just have to speak human language.”

The moment Arthur spoke, it caused another round of hearty laughter.

Although Arthur didn’t understand why they laughed as he was merely stating a fact, it always ended up being taken as a joke.

Leaning against the card table and munching on jelly beans, Agares chimed in, “You don’t necessarily have to speak human language, I can communicate with monkeys just fine.

That is, if you admit you’re a monkey.”

Arthur glanced at him, about to speak, when Great Dumas, sitting next to him, couldn’t hold back anymore.

He said, “I have a question.”

Talleyrand raised an eyebrow, “Go ahead, since I agreed to see you, I’m not afraid to discuss anything.

My whole life has been full of issues, and I’m not troubled by adding yours.

But let me guess, you’re probably asking why I betrayed Napoleon or why I turned against the Republic?

I’ve talked about these so much that my mouth is nearly peeling.

Which one are you going to ask about?”