From Corsica to the Fourth Rome

Academician d'Alembert looked down at the paper in his hand. All kinds of thoughts came to his mind at once, and he didn't know what to say.

Just a few days ago, when he read this deviant and nonsense paper, Academician d'Alembert even felt a little angry, because he was ignorant and greedy for fame and fortune like Lawrence Bonaparte. I was very angry about trying to squeeze into the French Academy of Sciences.

At that time, Academician d'Alembert even threatened with several friends that not only would he kick the Corsican out of the academic hall, but he would also remove Academician Lavoisier and Getard from the Louvre who recommended Lawrence. Drive him out of the palace.

As for this worthless paper, he decided to throw it into the furnace immediately after the defense. D'Alembert believed that letting this kind of academic garbage exist in the world was the greatest insult to all scholars.

However, now, after witnessing these two witchcraft-like demonstrations, Academician d'Alembert no longer knows what to say.

The paper that he had regarded as rubbish a few days ago seemed as heavy as gold at the moment. Academician D'Alembert now even had the urge to go to the printing house and make hundreds or thousands of copies of the paper, for the sake of peace. Every scholar of natural philosophy distributes a copy.

At this moment, the audience was also in a state of excitement. These dignitaries no longer cared about etiquette and making a fool of themselves. They all stood up and stretched their necks to see what the pierced cavalry breastplate looked like.

Academician Lavoisier also held up the armor in his hands very proudly, so that everyone could see the achievements of himself and Monsignor Bonaparte. In any case, he was also the co-completer of all these miracles.

Presumably after today's defense, Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier's name will also shock the academic world in France and even Europe along with Laurence Bonaparte.

At the judging table, a committee member racked his brains to recall what he had just seen, but he could not think of a suitable theory to explain this miraculous sight. He had no choice but to look to the respected D'Alembert for help:

"Monsieur d'Alembert, do you see clearly what happened? What on earth is going on?"

The rest of the committee members also cast the same look. Although they had been discussing in groups for a while, they could not even come up with a bold idea, and there was no idea at all.

Looking at the confused and expectant eyes of the review committee members, Academician D'Alembert sighed and handed the paper in his hand to the committee members:

"Perhaps this paper is not just nonsense."

"This!" The committee members couldn't help but look at each other. Could it be that Academician D'Alembert, as the chief reviewer, has acknowledged the authenticity of this academic paper.

However, since the most prestigious Academician d'Alembert said so, the committee members still took Lawrence's paper with doubts, looked at the contents, and fell into deep thought together.

Lawrence on the podium looked at the thoughtful committee members and asked with a smile:

"Gentlemen, do you have any questions? I think my presentation supports my point, if you have actually read my paper."

As Lawrence asked the question, the discussion in the audience gradually subsided. They knew that this defense was about to enter the final stage, and the bet between Lawrence and Madame Du Barry was about to be revealed.

Although in the hearts of the vast majority of the audience, they have awarded the victory of this gamble to Lawrence.

Academician d'Alembert stood up slowly, thought for a moment and asked:

"I just have one question. Those metal piles you made seem to contain some kind of energy, which can be used to emit light and shoot projectiles. What kind of energy is it?"

"This is electricity, sir, flowing electric charge. You should know electric charge, right?" Lawrence replied calmly.

D'Alembert's brows furrowed even more tightly:

"I do know about electric charge but you said that energy is electricity? That seems a bit arbitrary."

Lawrence smiled, brought a Leyden bottle and placed it in front of D'Alembert and all the audience.

He knew that it was normal for D'Alembert to have this doubt. After all, humankind's understanding of electricity had not made any progress for a long time.

It was not until the mid-eighteenth century that the study of electricity was gradually put on the agenda after the invention of the Leyden jar, which could store electrostatic charges.

Nearly twenty years ago, Franklin in North America discovered that thunder and lightning in the sky could actually charge the Leyden jar, and thus conducted the famous kite lightning experiment. This proved that the static electricity generated by thunder and friction in the sky was essentially the same. is a concept.

Therefore, it was difficult for D'Alembert to accept for a while that the energy contained in the metal piles was the same thing as the lightning in the thundercloud and the charge in the Leyden bottle.

Lawrence didn't waste any time. He directly displayed an uncharged Leyden jar with a closed parietal lobe in front of everyone, and then lightly touched the iron ball on the top of the Leyden jar with the wire of the voltaic pile.

Under D'Alembert's blank gaze, the parietal lobes of the Leyden jar opened in mutual repulsion the moment they came into contact with the wire.

This indicates that the Leyden jar has been charged.

This little experiment is far less eye-catching than the two demos just now, and most viewers don't even know what's going on.

But in the eyes of d'Alembert and the more than 20 natural philosophers, the open parietal lobe in the Leyden bottle was much more shocking than the glowing glass ball and the penetrated breastplate.

This only means one fact - the energy in the stacked metal pile is essentially the charge in the Leyden jar, and it is also the thunder out there.

"Oh My God"

Academician d'Alembert stared straight at the Leyden bottle and felt his head explode. Countless thoughts were rushing through his brain, as if many unrelated concepts were connected to each other:

"Flowing Charge Current Magnetism. Luminescence Electricity and Magnetism"

He seemed to see a door to a new world exploding in front of his eyes. Behind the door was an endless wilderness that few people had set foot on, a new mountain in the field of natural philosophy.

And the Laurence Bonaparte in front of him was already standing at the end of the wasteland and on the top of the mountain before people opened the door.

Academician d'Alembert can be sure that this Corsican's research on electricity has surpassed scholars in France and even Europe.

When he thought of this founder-level figure actually standing in front of him to accept an impeachment defense, Academician D'Alembert instantly felt his face burning hot, and he felt endless shame in his heart.

"Ahem" Lawrence looked at D'Alembert, who was obviously distracted, and asked softly:

"Do you have any other questions to ask?"

Academician d'Alembert, who woke up, just raised his head and glanced at the charged Leyden bottle again, and said nothing for a long time.

The committee member next to him thought that their chief judge had forgotten the content of the question, and quickly thrust the long list of questions into D'Alembert's hands.

However, under the surprised gazes of all the judges and the audience, Academician d'Alembert crumpled up the list in his hand without even looking at it, and immediately threw it on the ground like waste paper.

The committee member on the side was startled and asked in a shocked voice:

"Mr. d'Alembert! What are you doing? There are still many questions behind you."

"Let's not show off our ignorance in front of a master."

D'Alembert shook his head, then slowly bowed down and said in a heavy tone:

"Your Excellency Bonaparte, the entire French Academy is extremely honored to have a scholar like you. I also apologize for holding this stupid defense meeting for you. Please accept my apology."

At this moment, Academician d'Alembert no longer wanted to stay in this auditorium for one more second. He just wanted to return to the research room immediately with Lawrence's paper, and then replicate every word, sentence, and phenomenon on it with his own hands. Carve it once.

The presiding judge's words immediately caused an uproar in the auditorium. It was the first time in an impeachment defense that the audience saw a superior presiding officer bowing and apologizing to the person being tried.

Those committee members who were familiar with D'Alembert were even more astonished. In their impression, Academician D'Alembert was completely arrogant and arrogant. They did not expect that he would actually confront a twenty-year-old in an academic defense. The 6-year-old yellow-haired boy leaned over and apologized.

On the marble stand, Louis XV also watched with interest as D'Alembert bowed respectfully to Lawrence. Unexpectedly, even these old-fashioned academics were also sincerely convinced by Lawrence.

Especially for a scholar like d'Alembert, he did not bow to Lawrence because of his power and reputation. There was only one reason why he could lower his high head voluntarily - he had been completely attracted by the Corsican. I was impressed by theories and experiments, and vaguely predicted the amazing changes these theories would bring to the world.

As for Madame Du Barry next to the king, her already fair cheeks were now as pale as lime, with no trace of blood visible.

She didn't understand, and couldn't understand it at all.

Didn’t you say that the Corsican’s paper was a complete mess and made no sense? !

Why, why did he go up and do a few tricks and make that referee Beiyan surrender? !

"What top scholars from the French Academy of Sciences! A bunch of trash!"

Madame Du Barry clenched her fists and stared viciously at D'Alembert in the audience. If she had not been next to His Majesty the King, she would have rushed up to point to D'Alembert's nose and cursed him.

Louis XV seemed to feel the trembling of Madame Du Barry's body, and gave Madam a meaningful look: "Oh? My dear Jeanne, are you feeling unwell?"

"There are indeed some. Your Majesty may have caught a cold." Madame Du Barry forced a smile on her face. Every second in this auditorium made her feel on pins and needles:

"I want to go back to the Tuileries first, where it's warmer."

The corners of the king's mouth raised slightly, as if he had already seen through Madame Du Barry's little thoughts:

"Ah, no problem, dear Jeanne, take care of yourself."

Before Madame Du Barry could get up, Louis XV suddenly raised his hand and placed it on her half-exposed shoulders. This strong and powerful hand slowly slid down and brushed across Madame Du Barry's soft breasts. , playing with the diamond necklace decorated with tassels on the chest.

"However, Jeanne, as a witness to your bet with Lawrence, I seem to have to hand over this necklace to him."

Louis XV held the necklace and said softly.

Even in front of His Majesty the King, Madame Du Barry could not control her emotions. She clenched her teeth so hard that even King Louis could hear the friction and collision of her teeth.

When she dressed up and went out today, Madame Du Barry also specially ordered her servants to wear this priceless necklace for herself, in order to severely humiliate the damn Corsican in this must-win bet, so that Everyone saw that the Corsican had no ability to take anything from him.

However, even in the most absurd dream, Madame Du Barry never thought that she would lose completely in this way.

The twenty-two diamonds on the necklace appear more crystal clear than usual under the light of incandescent bulbs. Even in Madame Du Barry's collection, this necklace is a treasure that she can't put down.

She had not suffered such a setback since becoming the king's mistress.

Everyone in the court was extremely respectful to her. Even the Duke of Richelieu and the Duke of Aiguillon, who were once powerful dukes who were like gods in her eyes, had to speak softly when talking to her.

But now, she had to humiliate herself and give up her most cherished necklace to the Corsican. To be honest, Madame Du Barry would rather throw this necklace into the manure pit than give it to Lawrence.

Madame Du Barry, who was on the verge of collapse, glanced at the smiling His Majesty the King. After all, she still did not lose her mind. She gritted her teeth and took off the diamond necklace and threw it into the hands of Louis XV.

"Then, Your Majesty, I will take my leave now."

The sun sets in the west, the bright moon rises in the east, and the time soon comes to night.

This much-anticipated academic defense in the Louvre finally came to an end with Academician D’Alembert’s unprecedented bow and apology.

After all the judges of the Academy of Sciences left the venue, most of the audience in the auditorium still did not leave. They cheered loudly and wanted Laurence Bonaparte to demonstrate the miracle again. Even the king himself They all excitedly joined in the cheers and boos.

Lawrence reluctantly complied with everyone's wishes and once again demonstrated for them the process of lighting an incandescent light bulb and shooting a breastplate with a steel ball. He also added a few small experiments prepared in advance, such as demonstrating the use of electrified wires to interfere with the direction of the compass. wait.

Although in several subsequent demonstrations, Lawrence's simple electromagnetic gun failed to completely penetrate the breastplate, when the audience looked at the raindrop-like dents on the breastplate, they were completely convinced of Bonaparte. Your ability.

At that time, Academician D'Alembert, who was being interviewed by a newspaper reporter at the entrance of the Louvre, when he heard that His Excellency Bonaparte was conducting a new experimental demonstration, he immediately abandoned the reporter who asked the question and ran away without looking back. I returned to the synagogue just to see the miraculous phenomenon again with my own eyes.

As for another important figure in this defense - Madame Du Barry, in the face of that unprecedented magical demonstration, the audience almost forgot the existence of this bet, and did not even notice Madame Du Barry's early exit. .

It was not until Louis XV personally handed the dazzling diamond necklace to Lawrence that people remembered that Bonaparte was also the final winner of this gamble.

"This kid, I really don't know when he hid this skill. Could it be that he really learned this in college? Oh, come on, I won't believe that kind of nonsense."

Lieutenant General Jacques Philippe looked at the diamond necklace in Lawrence's hand, finally breathed a sigh of relief, and laughed and cursed to himself.

However, just winning this bet cannot make Lieutenant General Philip completely relieved. There is still a question in his heart that cannot be said in public:

"However, Laurence Bonaparte, now that you have obtained the diamond necklace you mentioned, how are you going to kill Madame Du Barry?"