From Corsica to the Fourth Rome

May 26, the second day after Lawrence arrived in Paris.

It has to be said that the mansion where Duke Choiseul and Lawrence stayed temporarily was indeed extremely luxurious, and the servants in the mansion also received very good education and training.

In the early morning, when Lawrence had just climbed out of bed and was getting ready to get dressed, several maids who had been waiting outside the door for a long time heard the commotion inside and walked straight in. They helped Lawrence get dressed as usual.

However, this kind of meticulous and even excessive service made Lawrence smile bitterly. He almost endured the discomfort and accepted the service of these maids.

No wonder some people say that the most direct way to distinguish aristocratic women from poor women is to observe their reactions to being served by servants when they get up early to get dressed. In this case, those who can accept service with peace of mind are undoubtedly aristocratic women who have been accustomed to it since childhood.

"His grandma's. It really shocked me so early in the morning."

At the breakfast table, Grosso stuffed a piece of white bread with butter into his mouth. Apparently he was frightened by the maids' meticulous care and said inarticulately:

"I thought it was French girls who were coming to throw themselves into my arms. I was still wondering where I got so much charm."

The two young people, Ya'an and Anna, also nodded shyly in agreement. They had never been treated like this in Ajaccio.

Upon seeing this, Lund, the aide-de-camp of the Duke of Choiseul, could only smile helplessly and patiently explained:

"This is why Your Majesty the Duke insists on preserving this tradition. You cannot enjoy such meticulous service in most noble manors or mansions."

Lawrence listened silently. Although the Duke of Choiseul was quite radical in politics, he still retained many traditional aristocratic habits in his personal life.

While everyone was having breakfast, the housekeeper of the mansion, an old man in black dress, walked in with steady steps.

Although the old butler is gray-haired, he still looks energetic, and everything from his clothes to his hair and beard is meticulously cared for. Lund said that he has served this mansion for more than forty years.

"Good morning, M. Bonaparte."

The old butler bowed appropriately and said in a calm voice:

"Here are some of your letters. Do you want to read them now or send them to the study first?"

"Some letters? Who sent them?"

Lawrence asked in confusion. He had only just arrived in Paris and was unfamiliar with the place. How could he receive a bunch of letters early the next morning?

The old housekeeper did not look at the envelope in his hand, but held his head high and recited:

"These are all letters of visit, from Sir Ewing, Baron Darnell, and Mr. Kersk from the Platinum Flower Chamber of Commerce."

Lawrence listened to the old butler skillfully pronounce a series of names of low-ranking nobles and petty bourgeois businessmen, and quickly realized what they wanted to do.

Yesterday, I returned to Paris with the Duke of Choiseul, and even stayed at the Duke of Choiseul's residence. This matter must have spread quickly in some circles in Paris.

For these small aristocrats and small businessmen who are eager to improve their status, being able to climb into the lap of Duke Choiseul is undoubtedly the most convenient shortcut. In their eyes, Lawrence, who has received such courtesy from Duke Choiseul, may can help them get online.

After guessing the thoughts of these visitors, Lawrence could only helplessly smile twice. After all, the Duke of Choiseul gave him such treatment purely because he was the head of a country in his status.

In addition, Louis XV was also very happy because of the crown that Lawrence prepared to present during this period, which made the Duke of Choiseul have such a friendly attitude towards Lawrence.

Lawrence knew very well that he had almost no personal relationship with the Duke of Choiseul, and the actual status gap between the two was quite large. Those who wanted to ask him to be the matchmaker would probably be disappointed.

But how to deal with the influx of visitors gave Lawrence a headache.

Lund, who was on the side, was also good at observing people's emotions. After seeing Lawrence's slightly bitter expression, he quickly suggested:

"If you don't want to meet these people, just send them a unified rejection letter, and the servants in the mansion will help you. Of course, I personally suggest that you put these letters aside for a while, and don't rush reject."

Lawrence nodded understandingly, understanding what Lund meant. After all, he never knew that one day he would need the assistance of one of them.

"Okay, please help me store these letters and make a unified rejection in two weeks."

Lawrence ordered the old butler, taking the envelope from his hand and reading it casually.

However, one name quickly caught Lawrence's attention.

"Wait, this letter needs to be taken out separately."

Lawrence was flipping through it casually when he suddenly picked out a rather ordinary envelope inside, looked at the signature on the envelope carefully, and then handed the letter to the old housekeeper with some surprise and said:

"I need you to help me draft a reply saying I'll see him in the afternoon in three days, right here."

"oh?"

Lund stood up a little surprised when he heard Lawrence's instructions, walked over to the old housekeeper and looked at the name on the envelope.

He also knew that Lawrence was a complete newcomer, so he was very curious to see why Lawrence accepted this letter of visit.

"Well, a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences in Paris?"

Lund was not familiar with the name on the signature, but he was still very familiar with the title.

The Royal Academy of Sciences in Paris is located on the banks of the Seine, across from the Louvre. It was formerly a society in the Royal Library. It was later renamed the Royal Academy of Sciences after receiving funding from Louis XIV.

This prestigious and powerful society was also the predecessor of the French Academy of Sciences, and the fact that this visitor could become a member undoubtedly illustrates his attainments in the field of natural philosophy.

However, Lund was still a little surprised as to why Lawrence would specifically accept a visit from this person. From the perspective of a political figure like him, even a scholar of the Royal Academy of Sciences had the same status as the previous series of petty nobles and petty bourgeoisie.

"You want to meet a scholar, okay, but I have to warn you."

Lund thought that Lawrence valued the man's status as a scholar, so he reminded him with some prejudice and kindness:

"Not every academician of the Academy of Sciences can be called a scholar. Some of them have very poor knowledge and very bulging wallets. God knows how they got into that position. There is almost no drop of ink written by these people in the articles they publish. of."

Lawrence just nodded carelessly, smiled and said:

"Maybe, but I know this name. He is not that kind of person."

"That's right. I'm sorry, Mr. Bonaparte. I was worrying too much."

Lund nodded in realization, bowed slightly apologetically, and at the same time glanced at the name on the envelope:

Antoine Laurent Lavoisier