Harry Potter’s Morning Light

   Chapter 2232 Flower War (one hundred and forty-one)

Another name for Ostend in Dutch is Ostend, which is different from the Dover that I passed by before. There is a flat river here, not to mention mountains, not even a mound, and the chalk cliffs have disappeared, replaced by golden colors beach. According to legend, around the 4th century, Vikings began to invade this area, and the flat golden sandy beach of Ostend is suitable for their pirate ships to land.

  This is a city without walls, from the boat you can see the palace built by the Austrians. Legend has it that Bruges was not a seaport city when the city walls were built in 1128. In 1134 there was a sudden torrential rain, which washed out a river and formed a canal from Ostend to Bruges, and then Bruges became the "Venice of the North".

  The Venetians built the palace with the most beautiful side facing the canal, as did the palace in Ostend. On the side facing the sea, next to the beach, every few meters stood a guard of honor in a gorgeous uniform. The boat did not stop, but continued onward until it reached the mouth of the canal. The cavalry honor guard has been prepared on the dock on the west bank of the canal. They have formed a formation on the road, and it is also a cordon, separating the citizens and making a way. Here you can see Ostend's "central axis", it On both sides are St. Peter's Church and the City Hall resembling Notre Dame de Paris, and at the back is a large square. Along this "central axis" until the end is the Royal Palace they just saw on the boat.

After they disembarked along the railed and ribbon-decorated stairs, the military band played, then Oudinot, the cavalry chief of Bruges, saluted Bonaparte, then Bonaparte mounted, Georgiana and Edge Voss got into a fancy carriage, and they were escorted by cavalry through the city.

Citizens on both sides of the street waved the red, white and blue French flags. The first Belgium is not yet independent, and the second Austria has ceded Belgium to France through a peace treaty. It can be seen from their flag-waving movements and the expressions on their faces. I didn't see how excited I was.

  Austria also has the East India Company, its headquarters is in Ostend, but it has no sense of existence in the shadow of the British East India Company, and since its establishment, it has been jointly suppressed by the British and French East India Companies.

   In fact, there is still a voice in French public opinion. The Treaty of Campo Formio did not bring much benefit to France, because Britain did not lose its colonies, and even if France got Belgium, it was a "mud-footed giant".

   Of course, this cannot be said to Napoleon "now", otherwise it would be over without a teapot, and he could roar for half an hour in a loud voice.

  The sound of horseshoes stepping on the stone-paved streets is pleasant to the ears of the victors, but like a death knell to the vanquished. The clock towers in the city are ringing, and the melodious bell should be heard far away, as if London across the channel can hear it.

The first palace after passing through the fenced courtyard is the Palace of Nerva, which is Athena in Greek mythology. There is a gilded sculpture of her at the door. She holds a spear in her right hand and Victoria, the goddess of victory in her left. With a pair of wings, it looks like an angel.

It is best to go to Ostend in summer. The cold wind from the North Sea is so cold that this palace is designed in the style of a summer palace, but it does not have the huge geometric gardens like Versailles, or Schönbrunn Palace. In such a dense forest, the left and right wings of the Nerva Palace are full of greenhouses. These two green corridors wrap the Neptune courtyard, which is the main palace. However, there is no Neptune sculpture in the courtyard. The entrance to the palace has a whole area. The mural on the wall depicts Neptune fighting a sea monster with a trident.

   Edgeworth was amazed at the decorations in the palace, and Georgiana had to slump to avoid making a fuss.

When she put away her luggage, Bonaparte went out again. This time, the cavalry took him to see the ancient battlefield. From 1602 to 1604, there was a "siege of Ostend" here. A human-controlled fortress, it is said that 100,000 people were killed or wounded in the siege. The Spanish destroyed everything after taking the city, but the foundations of the fort remained, just east of the canal.

She didn't go out with him, but stayed in the palace and recruited Matilda. She hadn't had time since last night. Only then did she know that Matilda did not take a boat, but a carriage. Coming overland to avoid seasickness again, not yet. But she didn't have time for long when the daughter-in-law of the Duke of Leoncourt came in to report that the ladies of Ostend had prepared a welcome party, which was held in the Opera House of the Palace of Jupiter behind.

  Georgiana called Bertin in again, and began to comb her hair and dress up. She was almost done by the time the sun went down and Bonaparte was back, and they went to the Opera before dinner. The theater was packed, and thunderous applause broke out as soon as Napoleon appeared.

The emperor and the queen do not sit in the same box. They sit in the two positions closest to the stage. As for the center of the auditorium, it is too far away from the stage. They are all staring at the stage in front, who will look back at the middle position?

   The Queen's box is currently empty, and Georgiana sits with Edgeworth in the Emperor's box, which is spacious enough to have room even if they are far away from Bonaparte.

This time it was British soprano Elizabeth Billington, but Georgiana wondered how many people were watching Billington, who sat stiff and "enjoyed" being watched by thousands, even as they held down The "hum" sound almost overshadowed the soprano.

   Bonaparte left at half-time and Georgiana had to stay to "socialize". Fortunately, Edgeworth wasn't just an old Irish dancer around the table, he was very personable and blocked most of the problems for Georgiana.

   Jefferson may have been pro-French in the past, because there was no king in France, but the United States needed to buy New Orleans, the seaport, from which three-eighths of the goods of the United States had to go out.

  If the United Kingdom "really" intends to use the West Indies as a supply base for development in South America, British warships will often appear in the West Indies colonies such as Cuba and Barbados, which indirectly can be regarded as a blockade of the United States' export to the sea.

   So Jefferson has gone from friend of France to 'enemy' and former President John Adams, who once thought a war was needed to unite, has become pro-French.

  Politicians are like that. Richard Edgeworth is a member of the Irish Parliament. He can be said to be the most satisfied guardian of Georgiana so far.

   After the entertainment, Georgiana returned to Neptune Palace. Before returning to the room, she heard news from Di Roque that Napoleon was ill. He left early to see a doctor. She couldn't see it in the theater before.

   He had been eating seafood at the beach, and he had no dinner tonight. He had a stomach attack, and there was no major problem. After taking the medicine, he rested.

   The more Dilok said it lightly, the more she wanted to see it, but was stopped by the guards.

   "If you really wish him well, go to church and pray for him." Di Roque said, "What else can you do? Save him with magic?"

  Georgianna was speechless.

  Lord North once asked the British Minister of Magic to treat George III's illness, and then the news leaked, affecting his political career, but these are not the point.

   You can't cast curses on Muggles, so is it a violation of international secrecy laws to use healing magic on Muggles?

  Napoleon was once a historical figure to her, living in books and portraits, which she never imagined.

  Life is so fragile, so she keeps a turtle, at least it has a long lifespan and she doesn't have to witness its death.

   Lily and James Potter's epitaphs say that the last enemy to be defeated is death.

  How to defeat death?

   (end of this chapter)