When it comes to the interests of his own nation, even the most upright old man has to lose face and argue. Of course Victor Hugo knew that everything Xiang Ying said was an irrefutable rule in international law, but he really couldn't bear to watch. His own country bleeds.
"Compensation? How much compensation do you want? As far as I know, you have obtained countless antiques and cultural relics from Paris. Are these priceless treasures just disappearing?"
"I once condemned the atrocities committed by the British and French forces, but what about what you are doing now? What is the difference between you and those invaders?"
Xiang Ying was amused when she saw the old man blowing his beard and staring, "Sir, you have really been away from home for too long and you don't know the real situation!"
"We did purchase a lot of antiques and cultural relics in Paris, but please remember that it was purchasing, not robbing!"
"Paris is no longer what it was when you left. This war has severely damaged the entire city's economy. All industries have been shut down, and all citizens in the city are unemployed..."
"In order to survive, people can do any bad thing, and stealing is just the lightest of all crimes... Compared with the bread on the plates of my wife and children, the conscience guilt caused by stealing can almost be ignored. zero!"
"If we don't buy these stolen goods, others will buy them. Moreover, European antique dealers are better than us at taking advantage of the situation. If we can exchange two loaves of bread here, they will only give half at most..."
"You actually say that the sale of stolen goods is so just. You really impress me!" the old man said angrily.
"No, no, no, no... you are a great writer whom I respect very much. Can you please stop being so emotional? Selling stolen goods sounds ugly, but it is reasonable and there is no way around it!"
"A very important point is that this sale of stolen goods is the return of cultural relics to our Chinese nation. Those summer palace cultural relics that were stolen by robbers were partially returned in this sale of stolen goods. These are the treasures of our nation. Shouldn't they be returned? ?"
"War always destroys more than it builds. You may not know that the Vendôme Column has been pushed down by your Paris Commune. If we hadn't taken action in time, those bronze metals would have melted into cannons!"
"What? The Vendôme Column was destroyed? Why didn't the newspapers report it?" Mr. Hugo said in shock.
"What is there to report? That is just a part of the destroyed cultural relics in Paris. How many sculptures built by the Bonaparte Empire in Paris were destroyed? It is impossible to count..."
"In this context, isn't it a lucky thing that cultural relics are handed over to our strong hands for protection? Don't be so extreme. Art has no nationality. As long as it can be passed down, no matter which museum it is placed in It’s not there!”
Xiang Ying didn't dare to continue with this topic at all. Now Hugo didn't know about the robbery in the Tuileries Palace. If he knew about it, the old man would have to fight hard.
An old man in his seventies is still a world-class writer. If a person like this hits you, you can't even fight back!
Fortunately, the news of the destruction of the Vendôme Column left Mr. Hugo in a daze, which gave Xiang Ying the opportunity to change the subject.
"How could the Column of Vendôme be destroyed? God, how could this be done?"
The Vendôme Column is a commemorative column built by unanimous vote of Parliament to commemorate the victory of Napoleon at the Battle of Austerlitz.
During France's heyday, a total of 1,250 enemy cannons captured in previous battles were melted into metal and then cast!
The column is 44 meters high and 3.6 meters in diameter. The column is surrounded from top to bottom by 22 bronze reliefs made by 32 artists, depicting the deeds of Napoleon's forty-five campaigns. There are trophy reliefs carved around the base of the column. The corner of the column is decorated with an eagle, and there is a bronze statue of Napoleon I on the top, wearing the laurel crown of the Roman emperor, holding a scepter in one hand and a golden ball in the other, showing the ambition to conquer Europe and dominate the world.
Although Hugo was very disgusted with Napoleon III, and finally even forced the French Emperor to exile him, Hugo still respected Napoleon, the God of War.
Any historical figure should be divided into two parts. The wrong things he did should not be whitewashed, and the merits should certainly not be discredited!
The God of War is the God of War. He led France to victory. No one can take away this credit. Besides, the Vendôme Column was built with the unanimous vote of the Parliament, and it was not built arbitrarily by the emperor. This means that the monument was built with the consent of all French people. !
What is your Paris Commune? You said destroy it? In the end, you sold the residue to the Chinese. This is a waste of money. You are all crazy!
The old man was a little nervous. When the seventy-year-old man heard the news, he couldn't accept it. The attendants of the Queen's Villa quickly brought two beach chairs and invited the distinguished guests to sit down and rest.
The moment he sat down, Hugo grabbed Xiang Ying's wrist and asked in a low voice, "You have been in contact with those people in the Paris Commune. What do you think of those people?"
"When it comes to the commune movement, I need your Chinese people's judgment...Don't you have a saying that bystanders are clear?"
Xiang Ying heard that as long as you don't talk about the cultural relics in the Louvre, everything else will be easy to deal with. "Sir, with all due respect... I'm afraid it will be difficult for this commune to be integrated into your French politics..."
Hugo sighed, "Yes, I have always felt that Blanqui and others are too extreme in what they do... It's not that they speak badly for the bottom workers, but they should clearly distinguish the time and place. When the whole of France is united to resist foreign enemies, They actually started various riots to restrain their efforts..."
Xiang Ying smiled bitterly and said, "You...you seem to have forgotten that I am also one of the foreign enemies in your mouth!"
The old man looked at the sea with deep eyes, "Yeah...how did the situation develop like this? It would be great if you were not the enemy, how much I yearn for the splendid culture of the mysterious East!"
"Such a long-standing ancient country...should not be the enemy of France!"
After all, this is a man of letters, full of compassion and romanticism, but his ability to solve practical problems is almost zero!
They are born to shout and protest... rather than to solve problems, but the world still needs such people!
These people have a reputation! Reputation is so outrageous that sometimes even money has to give in!
Xiang Ying said sincerely, "After this war is over, come to China! Go and see with your own eyes that ancient country with long civilization!"
"Now is the time. On the one hand, you can see how ignorant and backward China was under the rule of the Qing Dynasty, and on the other hand, you can see how the new Chinese race is prosperous!"
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see two landscapes of civilization at one glance!”
The great writer's eyes lit up, "Really? I really want to go. I really hope my body can withstand the bumps of the voyage..."
"It doesn't matter. I can apply to the head of state to ask you to take our Zhiyuan battleship to Asia... When sailing on the sea, the larger the tonnage of the ship, the more stable it will be!"
"China needs to open its eyes to see the world, but the world should also open its eyes to see China! Asia welcomes you!"
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