I am aging gracefully in the world of famous books

After the Earl of Leicester's ball, the days returned to calm.

This morning, Pei Xiang was sitting in the dining room having breakfast, and the housekeeper brought the newspapers of the day and put them by her hand.

"Is there anything new?" Pei Xiang put down the knife and fork in his hand, picked up a newspaper and started reading.

Bernard walked into the restaurant, and answered while tidying up his cufflinks:

"What's new, it's not just the clichés and criticisms. If you read the articles written by these official mouthpieces, you might as well read the most popular tabloids. Maybe you can find something interesting."

Pei Xiang gave him a blunt look:

"One of the most interesting things in the popular tabloids is how the American descendant of the French aristocrat hangs out with Judge Albert's charming wife every day, while his poor fiancée is left alone.

Well, I might as well read the clichés of the MPs instead of seeing the love-hate relationships that have been conjured up in confusion. "

Bernard shrugged innocently, sat down opposite Pei Xiang, and also picked up a newspaper to read.

"Huh? Mr. Roebuck is dead!" Pei Xiang glanced at an obituary and cried out in surprise.

Bernard on the opposite side also showed an unexpected expression:

"How did he die? Didn't we just meet him a few days ago? I even talked to him the night the Earl of Leicester held a ball."

Pei Xiang glanced at Bernard, but didn't see any flaws in his expression.

——If it wasn't for me, I would have known that Mr. Roebuck, who died unexpectedly, was a member of Bernard's organization, and it was one of his shields.At this moment, I really feel that this is just an unfortunate piece of ordinary social news, which has nothing to do with anyone in this room.

— But actually?

Mr. Roebuck was briefly entangled by Mrs. Albert on the night of the ball, and he was one of the key figures for Pei Xiang to verify his conjecture.

Sure enough, less than five days before the end of the ball, something happened to Mr. Roebuck.

——I just don’t know whether it was Mrs. Albert who did it, or Bernard directed and acted on his own, and then planted it on Mrs. Albert.

——Given that he went out frequently these days and met and dated Mrs. Albert, it was really hard to tell.

——However, it doesn't matter who moved the hand, the important thing is that this person is dead, and my guess has been confirmed again:

That is, Bernard belongs to a third party, and he was indeed misleading me before, making me think that he was a hidden admirer of Napoleon.

"It says that Mr. Roebuck ran about drunkenly, leaving the coachman and servants behind, and then accidentally fell into the Thames, where he choked to death."

Pei Xiang handed Bernard the newspaper in his hand, and picked up another tabloid to read it himself.

Sure enough, compared with the dry, cold and serious publications, the reports in these tabloids are full of tricks.

They claim Mr Roebuck was confronted by a gypsy witch after he emerged from the brothel on the night of the accident.

Then, he was bewitched and felt that he was Poseidon, the king of the sea, and the Thames in front of him was the sea area he commanded. Under the control of evil witchcraft, he happily jumped into the river, ready to rule his kingdom. Ocean World.

"A woman waking up at night said she heard the drunken Mr. Roebuck yelling about Poseidon and your Majesty, and then he plunged into the icy river and drowned unfortunately."

Pei Xiang read out the report in the tabloid softly, then shook his head and sighed:

"Bernard, these tabloids are just trying to please the public, and they are not worth wasting time to read. Listen, they actually arranged Mr. Roebuck's death in this way. Um, Poseidon? This imagination is enough."

Bernard took the newspaper out of Pei Xiang's hand, and said with an unchanged smile:

"Since it's all nonsense, don't read it. Such reports are indeed absurd. You are a good girl, so you should read more serious articles."

Pei Xiang snorted and said, "Are you kidding me for being prudish? Don't you remember that I made a living by making up stories for these tabloids?"

"Oh, when I let you read it, you disliked making up the content on it, and you were dissatisfied if you were not allowed to read it, Lucy, you have such a temper!"

The two exchanged a few words, and passed the breakfast in a friendly manner, as if Mr. Roebuck, who was drunk and drowned, had little to do with them. death of a person.

The next day, Pei Xiang saw another report on the anecdote and strange events section of a tabloid.It is said that a nobleman from Holland and his maid both died in love. When they were found by the butler, they died naked in the wine cellar, with blood flowing all over the floor.

Of course, other newspapers quickly refuted the rumors, claiming that the previous reports about the Dutch nobleman were not true, and that the nobleman did not die, but disappeared with his maid.

"Missing?" Pei Xiang smiled lightly and flicked the paper in his hand, a thought flashed in his eyes.

——In the past few days, there have been several reports of death and disappearance. Although the truth and falsehood are uncertain, after careful investigation, some clues can still be deduced.

——Among these people, several of them are the restorationists of the royalist party that I guessed before, including the two pawn shields, and they all belong to the same faction.

——I don't know the other people, but what's interesting is that the missing Dutch nobleman once had an affair with Mrs. Albert, so if you think about it, he is not unrelated.

——The Dutchman... is very likely to belong to Mrs. Albert's side.

Up to now, Pei Xiang is almost sure of some of her previous guesses. The two forces did fight. As for Bernard's role in it?

Pei Xiang held his face in his hands and thought about it seriously. You can call him a multi-faceted spy if it sounds good, or a shit-stirring stick if it sounds bad.

——I have to give a push to make Bernard stop as soon as possible and leave England. Of course, I will never expose his third-party hidden identity, but I can express some opinions along his mind and catalyze it .

—Since he wants me to think that he is loyal to Napoleon, then I am sure of it!

In the evening, Pei Xiang waited until Bernard, who came back late, said that he wanted to discuss something with him.

"Bernard, recently, you and Mrs. Albert have been getting too close."

Bernard handed the cane to the butler, raised his eyebrows and smiled at Pei Xiang:

"Why, dear, are you jealous?"

Pei Xiang showed disgust and ridicule in his eyes, and waved his hands again and again: "Know yourself, know yourself, Bernard, don't let me make the expression of disgust more obvious."

"Lucy, you're really going to break my heart."

The handsome man pretended to hold his chest and leaned back on the chair:

"If it wasn't because my fiancée disliked me every day, how could I miss Yingying Yanyan outside?"

Pei Xiang was too lazy to chat with Bernard, so she glanced at the butler and signaled him to take the servants out of the living room, leaving space for the two of them to talk about things.

When only Pei Xiang and Bernard were left in the living room, the blonde girl suddenly threw a straight ball:

"Bernard, let me guess that Mrs. Albert is the spy of His Majesty the Emperor Napoleon, right?"

Bernard froze for a moment, raised his eyebrows high, and then looked at Pei Xiang with a smile:

"What are you talking about, Lucy, Mrs. Albert is a spy? Is that what you think, well, it may be true, because you are always so clever."

Pei Xiang squinted at him: "It's not that I'm smart, but that you've done it so obviously that I can't even pretend not to know.

People outside think you are a sentimental flashy kid who is attracted by the plump and mature Mrs. Albert, but I know you better. How can I believe this reason?

After much deliberation, I can only assume that there is something wrong with Mrs. Albert's identity. In addition to your refusal to welcome you on the night of the ball, I have this guess. I guess Mrs. Albert is the one who was sent to find Bo Seidon's spies. "

Bernard sat down diagonally across from Pei Xiang, stretched his long legs relaxedly, poured himself a glass of wine, looked at Pei Xiang with a smile, and waited for her next words.

Seeing that Bernard did not directly deny his guess, but assumed such an inscrutable posture, Pei Xiang felt affirmed and further confirmed Mrs. Albert's identity as a spy.

Of course, on the bright side, Pei Xiang's eyes hesitated for a moment, as if he was shaken by Bernard's reaction.

"Bernard, I know that you have never planned to completely hide it from me. Whether it is your usual speech, the books that are often read in the study, or the occasional evaluation of some current political affairs, I can feel that you Tribute to His Majesty Napoleon.

Although... well, you and I said that we hope to live freely after breaking away from the old shackles, but we all know how much water is in these words.

Bernard, to be honest, you have not deliberately concealed your true thoughts from me, so I just want to talk openly and honestly today. "

Bernard licked the wine stains on his lips, and said lazily:

"Lucy, I've been thinking, when are you going to tell me about these things, or are you going to keep pretending to be confused? I didn't expect you to be so impatient.

Let me think about it, why are you in such a hurry to have a showdown with me?Of course, I'm self-aware, and it's definitely not because I got closer to Mrs. Albert.

So tell me, Lucy, what would make a sane woman change her ways?Is it because of feelings?Because of a handsome, wealthy English man who has feelings for you? "

Pei Xiang didn't answer this question directly. She also poured herself a glass of wine, raised her glass to Bernard, and took a sip.

"It doesn't matter why I changed, Bernard. What matters is the way we work together from now on."

"Appreciate further details."

"Bernard, since you admire Napoleon, and now you deliberately approach his spies, can I think that your preparations are almost complete, and you want to change your identity and position?"

Bernard's eyes flickered, and he said ambiguously: "Maybe, Lucy, there are some things...you need to make a careful decision."

Pei Xiang smiled slightly, not paying attention to the other party's vague words:

"According to our previous agreement, if you plan to leave completely, you will feign death and get away. After changing your appearance, you will use your new identity to serve that heroic Majesty, and at the same time, the cooperation between us is over.

I originally thought that the end of the cooperation was still far away, so I was not in a hurry to clarify these things with you.

But recently, Bernard, did you realize that His Majesty is in a bad situation, so you have sped up the arrangement, contacted Mrs. Albert frequently, and planned to rush back to France as soon as possible to serve him? "

These words made Bernard sit up straight, and the relaxed expression on his face gradually dissipated:

"Lucy, do you think His Majesty is in a bad situation? Where did you come to this conclusion?"

——Because I know that in the upcoming Franco-Russian war, you France will be defeated. I know the outcome in advance, and combined with other information, I can naturally evaluate some useful things.

Pei Xiang's thoughts turned, but she didn't show any clues on her face. She looked at Bernard with some confusion, and asked with a frown:

"Isn't it a hint from your various performances?

I read from the documents in your study that His Majesty has already planned to recruit an army to conquer Russia.

However, we have also analyzed before that the current France is no longer the France of a few years ago.

The domestic war weariness is very strong, the economy is sluggish, the source of troops is exhausted, and there are constant resistance in various places. If a new round of war is launched at this time, it may not be able to continue the extraordinary achievements of General Bonaparte.

The most important thing is that Russia has not been injured in these years. They have a large population and a sparsely populated area. The climate is not the same as that of France. It is conceivable that the outcome of the war will not be optimistic.

Bernard, aren't you worried about that Majesty because of these unfavorable factors? "

Bernard touched his chin and looked at Pei Xiang thoughtfully:

"It turns out that you look at the problem from this perspective, Lucy, do you think His Majesty Napoleon will suffer in the upcoming Franco-Russian war?"

Pei Xiang waved his hands again and again: "That's not what I think, Bernard, I haven't had the foresight yet, um, I can arbitrarily analyze and predict the outcome of wars between nations.

Hey, you're misinterpreting my meaning, I'm clearly thinking this way because of your actions.Besides, I just admit that this is my wise prediction, can you believe it? "

At the end, Pei Xiang chuckled, as if he thought Bernard's idea was funny.

Bernard couldn't help laughing too.

He thought about it, and felt that his solemn attitude just now was indeed a bit of a fuss.Although Lucy is smart, calm and quick-witted, it is manifested in daily life. How could she predict such a major event as a national war at will.

What's more, the information on the current situation in France that she has access to is what she wants to see.Under such a premise, she really cannot analyze the problem from an objective perspective.

——It is very likely that she can make such an inference at this time, just like what she herself said, it was summed up from the misleading information I passed on, so there is nothing surprising about it.

"Haha, Lucy, don't be so serious, I was just joking."

Bernard smiled heartily, but weighed Pei Xiang's words "by mistake" several times in his heart. He suddenly found that although the cause of this analysis was wrong, the conclusion was still very valuable for reference.

——As Lucy said, in any case, Napoleon is facing more and more difficulties and more and more resistance. Perhaps, I should really take advantage of his campaign against Russia and return to Paris quietly. Accumulate strength for future development.

——As for the old aristocratic forces and Napoleon's minions here, the speed of cleaning can be accelerated.

——Also, I have returned to China, and Lucy has to make good arrangements here. Whether she wants to go back to the United States or stay in England, I can't let her go completely. After all, she has helped me a lot in the past few years .

——Besides, she is smart and grateful. Just look at her attitude towards Fitzwilliam Darcy. If she treats her well, she will definitely remember it in her heart. There is always nothing wrong with such a person.

——After I leave, she will definitely encounter some minor troubles. At that time, I will not rush to arrange for someone to solve it for her. I can help her after she feels troublesome.

Here, after Pei Xiang successfully planted the "seed" in Bernard's heart, he stopped talking about it.She didn't seem to realize that her words had greatly inspired the other party, and instead got tangled up in other things.

"Bernard, you have been in contact with Mrs. Albert a lot, and there must be gossip outside. At this time, if I don't have some special reactions, it will look very strange."

Bernard raised his eyebrows: "What are you going to do?"

"Do you remember, Bernard? At first, when we appeared in social situations in London, we said that we would find my relatives."

"Of course I remember, and didn't we look for it? Unfortunately, the relatives on the mother's side of the Gray sisters have all moved out of London, and we have not found those relatives who may exist."

Pei Xiang nodded: "Yes, since the search for relatives has come to an end, then we, no, to be precise, for Miss Lucy Wilkes, what reason do we have to stay in England? ?

Especially, um, this situation.You see, my fiancé is about to change his mind and is fascinated by an English woman. I should be in a hurry to return to the United States. Only in this way can we separate you from Mrs. Albert and save my happy future. "

Bernard frowned: "I haven't dealt with the matter here, I can't leave now."

"Of course I know you can't leave, so this is the main reason I'm looking for you tonight.

Anyway, Bernard, I'm going to make it look like I'm going to leave England, but there must be a reasonable excuse why we can't leave at once. "

"What reason do you think of?"

"Bernard, do you still remember the factories and shops I invested in in the United States? Maybe, I can use the name of purchasing goods to delay the time.

Starting tomorrow, I will let out the wind that we are planning to leave London, and at the same time be beating gongs and drums to contact manufacturers and middlemen in England to purchase and order some goods in large quantities. "

Bernard thinks this idea is good, because once the purchase of goods starts, there will be various reasons to delay the time to leave.

When doing business, who knows what strange mistakes will happen to suppliers or transportation teams. Sometimes a small mistake can stop everyone's itinerary.

"Okay, you can do it. Is there enough funds for the purchase? If not, I will take my account first."

"Nature is not enough, not only your account must be used, but also your commercial agent must be borrowed."

Pei Xiang showed a mischievous smile: "Don't forget, Bernard, I am your fiancée, a lady, how can I do business in person?

I must play the role of a good wife and take care of these trivial matters for you when you 'have no heart' to pay attention to your own property and business.

Of course, Bernard, we have agreed in advance that I borrowed your funds to order the goods, mainly to help you delay the time, so if the goods go wrong due to some irresistible factors and you lose money, I will not responsible for compensation. "

Bernard humbly asked: "What is an irresistible factor?"

"For example, natural disasters, such as the outbreak of war, the goods are destroyed, or confiscated by the government and the army. In this case, all your principal will be lost. If such an accident occurs, don't ask me to settle accounts, because I'm too busy."

This preoccupied attitude is really in line with Pei Xiang's character that always likes to make money and save money. Not only did Bernard not feel that such conditions were rogue, but he felt more at ease. He laughed and promised:

"Okay, if I lose, I'll count. If I win, you give me the capital, and the profit is all your own."

Pei Xiang's eyes immediately became bright: "What about the interest on the borrowed principal?"

"I won't charge you interest, okay?"

"It shouldn't have been accepted in the first place. I'm doing something for you."

Bernard showed a dumbfounding expression, and asked worriedly: "What are you going to buy? Ship all of them to the United States?"

"I haven't decided whether to buy exquisite handcrafted luxury goods or basic materials such as medicine and cotton cloth. You know, as long as these two types of goods can be successfully shipped back to the United States, there will be no compensation."

Bernard felt that Pei Xiang's plan was very comprehensive, so he naturally agreed to her proposal and let her do it without having to reply to him.

And most of his own attention was focused on the analysis of the war situation that Pei Xiang had just "mistakenly hit".

He is now in a hurry to go back to his study, planning to analyze the future situation in France.

—Perhaps, this is really an excellent time!

After the two settled the matter, they went about their own affairs, not mentioning Bernard's itinerary, only talking about Pei Xiang.

After she got Bernard's authorization, she started to get busy. She spent half of her energy on seeing, inspecting and ordering goods every day, and the other half on attending various banquets and parties, and Make as many contacts as possible.

On this day, Pei Xiang met Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley at a salon.

"Miss Wilkes, I heard that you plan to return to the United States in the near future?"

"Yeah, the matter of coming here to find blood relatives has been resolved, and I miss my hometown a little bit."

Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley looked at each other. Both of them had heard the rumors between Mr. Bernard and Mrs. Albert, and felt that Pei Xiang's plan was very wise.

"Is there a time fixed? I really miss you, Miss Wilkes, and every time I think of parting from my friends, I feel miserable."

Pei Xiang patted Miss Bingley's hand and explained with a smile:

"According to my original idea, I was planning to set off as soon as possible, but the property under Bernard's name still needs to be well managed. The agent reported that it would take some time to acquire some goods recently.

Also, when I come to England, I have to bring back some exquisite and precious gifts for relatives and friends. Therefore, although I have made the decision to leave, I still need a lot of preparation time. "

Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley immediately showed joyful expressions, expressing repeatedly that they hoped that Pei Xiang would choose the gifts carefully, stay for a while longer, and not bid farewell to everyone in a hurry.

"And, Miss Wilkes, I don't think some things are bad enough," Mrs. Hurst pointed out cryptically.

"You see, Mr. Bernard trusts you so much. He asks you to assist his career, help him deal with industrial matters, and meet and negotiate with his agent. This is the way a man values ​​a woman. Other benefits, in In my opinion, it's all fake."

Miss Bingley agreed with her sister, and complained quietly:

"Now in England, how many gentlemen don't want women to intervene in property and money matters. They even have full power to take over their wives' dowry, and they are only willing to send some sewing money on time. Miss Wilkes, you meet so trusting you My fiancé is lucky."

Pei Xiang thanked the two ladies for their comfort and persuasion, but she didn't want to talk about Bernard with them anymore, so she changed a new topic:

"How is Mr. Bingley? Haven't seen him for some time."

Speaking of her brother, Miss Bingley's face was a little stiff, and Mrs. Hurst's expression was not at ease.

Pei Xiang was puzzled: "What's the matter?"

"Well, it's still because of that Miss Bennet."

Miss Bingley said unhappily: "Miss Wilkes, do you remember? Last time we had dinner together, Mr. Darcy said that he thought Miss Bennet had a special affection for Charles."

Pei Xiang nodded, expressing that he remembered it.

"This point of view encouraged Charles, who later returned alone to Netherfield Hall to see Miss Bennet again.

Unexpectedly, people from the Bennet family told Charles that Miss Jane Bennet had come to London with her uncle and aunt, and she left just a week after Christmas, and happened to miss it with Charles. "

"So, Mr. Bingley missed out? However, Mr. Bingley can ask Miss Bingley to send an invitation to Miss Bennet who is temporarily living in London, so that we can meet each other."

Mrs. Hurst showed a mocking smile:

"Miss Wilkes, you know, although I don't like Miss Bennet's mother and sisters, I don't have much opinion on Miss Bennet herself. If she comes to Bingley's house as a guest, she will definitely get Sincerely welcome.

Unfortunately, Caroline and I have had to put up with Mrs. Bennet's ignorance since our new association with Miss Bennet. "

Pei Xiang showed doubts: "Mrs. Bennet also came to London?"

Miss Bingley said angrily:

"Yes, she came back with Charles. The lady, oh, she seemed afraid that when Charles returned to London, she would forget Miss Bennet, and shouted that she missed her brother's children and didn't want to stay in the house. Longborn is gone.

She, she just returned to London in Charles's carriage with her second daughter.

Huh, she is good at calculating, because in the same carriage, Charles must send the mother and daughter Bennet to the door of relatives.

No, she finally let her eldest daughter see Charles. This is the first time I have seen such a cunning way of rushing to marry her daughter. "

Pei Xiang handed Miss Bingley a cup of sweet scented tea to calm her down.

Mrs. Hurst shook her fan and extended an invitation to Pei Xiang:

"Miss Wilkes, you don't know the Bennets, do you?

It just so happens that they are going to visit Bingley's house tomorrow night. You and Mr. Bernard will also do you a favor. Come to Bingley's house for a light meal and make some new friends along the way.

To tell the truth, although Mrs. Bennet always said something inappropriate, her two eldest daughters were very good. "

—to meet Miss Elizabeth Bennet?

The author has something to say: Today's update, what a treat!

To explain the issue of Bernard's identity in the previous chapter:

Bernard's public identity: French-American, of noble descent.

The first layer of hidden identity: Royalist elements, support the restoration of the French feudal dynasty, this is the position of the Bernard family.

The second layer of hidden identity: explain to Pei Xiang that he wants to break away from the constraints of the family and become a free man, but he also hinted to Pei Xiang that he worships Napoleon and works for Napoleon, which explains some of his behaviors, which Pei Xiang thought before He was a Napoleon personality admirer.

The third layer of hidden identity: He belongs to a third-party force, also wants to revive France, and is hostile to the above two forces.

Pei Xiang originally believed in the second layer of identity, but at the ball, he found that the arrangement made by Bernard would endanger the people on Napoleon's side, and combined with the previous things, he became suspicious.

In this chapter, Pei Xiang is basically sure that Bernard is a third party.

Well, that's pretty much it.

Then, the two wars involved in the article: June 1812, the Russo-French War (Great Patriotic War); June 6, the Anglo-American War (Second American War of Independence).