Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Chapter 239 006 Returning to Paris, Where I’m Not Loyal to Anyone

The reason why Solovyov did not let Adela and Belzoni come back together was that he arranged them to stay with Sylvia and her daughter, so that they could be provided with some protection on the road, and he also reserved their wages.

Adela actually didn't care about the wages. She was very happy as long as she had this man who was both her master and her brother around and made sure she had a full meal every time. She didn't even have any other thoughts.

For a man like Belzoni, wages cannot be delayed. Of course, he will also act according to the contract, which is not surprising.

Solovyov himself has now returned to Paris, which looks no different from when he left.

When local Parisians hear about the Russians, they sometimes feel curious about the "cannibals" and express surprise and novelty to show their arrogance.

Even though the play had been performed many times, and many artists from Russia had come to Vienna and Paris to perform it, and many Russian aristocrats had come to Paris, it would not make them put away their arrogance.

Of course, Solovyov had no time to care about them. He chose to go straight back to the embassy, ​​submit a report to Count Morkov, and then return to his apartment at 205 Montmartre Street.

When he came back here, he also saw Pierre had just returned.

"Mikhail, don't use that identity anymore. Everyone knows you are a diplomat, a soldier, and a playwright."

"That identity is just to avoid being too conspicuous when you first come to the salon and causing unnecessary trouble. Pierre, my friend, how have you been these past few months?"

"It's okay, but the prices in Paris have risen sharply. The market seems to be prosperous. But, that's how it is. There are always people who drive up the prices, or..."

"You only see the market, Pierre. I think there are still people operating the flow of funds in Paris, but it is unlikely that your money can be sent from Paris to London with a snap of the fingers, and it is even more difficult to go to Moscow. Look at the distance, I can only say that it is a dream. Maybe the dream will come true one day, but don't copy it, it's not good."

"Do you really think that, I mean, some unrealistic dreams, can come true in the end?"

"Pierre, although I am from Ryazan, I am well-informed in the Moscow market. My family is in this business, helping rich gentlemen manage their property and helping poor gentlemen operate estates to gain property. And your father, Count Bezukhov, Kirill Vladimirovich, who is very respected in Moscow, is the richest man in Moscow. I think his property must be coveted by many people."

But Pierre, surprisingly, did not have such thoughts. He still hoped to be a free man.

"I don't have such an idea, Mikhail, you know. I am an illegitimate child and have no inheritance rights. All I have is my freedom and the annual pension given by my father."

"Then you should have saved some money for yourself, instead of spending it all. Paris is not a good place, nor is Petersburg. If I had not been tied up in my work, and had it not been for the so-called future, I would have wanted to go to Rome. I met my old lover and proposed to her, but she refused. Although I was a little reckless, I thought of this when I met her by chance."

"Why did the girl reject you?"

"Pierre, because of religious beliefs and my future. This kind of thing cannot be told to anyone. You are a sincere and honest person. You can be regarded as a good friend. If you can help others keep secrets, I will also help you keep secrets."

Of course, Solovyov’s technique of pretending to be confused is still very suitable. After all, he will still "selectively forget" things he doesn't want to know.

"Yes, I can help you keep this secret."

"Well, I'll tell you the reason. The reason is religion. She doesn't want to convert, and she doesn't want me to change my faith. Besides, you know, there are some requirements for the religious beliefs of the Guards. That's about it."

"It's a pity, Mikhail."

"It is not easy to find such a girl in Paris, who will consider you. Do you know whose salon I often go to?"

"Of course I know about Madame Recamier's salon. What happened when you went there?"

"Some generals marry wives who look stupid, but are actually very reliable and serve as assistants to their husbands. However, some women are not so suitable as wives."

In fact, what he said was somewhat targeted, but it didn't have much effect.

After all, Andre had just told Pierre not to go, but Pierre still went. This kind of thing was bound to happen to him.

However, this practice of burying piles in advance may be of some use.

If you can't do it well, you can also do it in one step, which is more efficient.

After all, they are not the protagonists, and they don’t even have anything to do with the main “story”, Solovyov himself thinks so.

As for Paris, ah, Paris
"You should go back and rest, Mikhail. You have come all the way here these days, and it must be very tiring."

"Yeah, I need to take a good rest. I'll have to study other things in the next few days."

And Pierre returned to his apartment, and the day passed in this way without incident.

But Pierre was also wondering, Solovyov seldom mentioned issues concerning his personal life, but today he suddenly said this, what was his meaning?
The next morning, Solovyov did not go out either. He stayed in the apartment he rented and did not go out.

He didn't think about his future and what he should do as much as he does now.

For a middle-level military officer, it is indeed a bit of a luxury to want to change anything. He is not the Tsar. Anyone who has such an idea is either opportunistic or has some serious mental illness.

As for the direction of history, the general direction will not undergo any fundamental changes due to the decision-makers of various countries. It is not like opening a console in a game.

Maybe he didn't need to worry about the small goal of making money. He just needed to get a few more shares of the property under Baron Sergei's name, plus the village he got as an officer, which was already a lot.

Next, it is inevitable that he will be involved in more incidents, just like the last time he hit his friendly forces.

He still needs to make some preparations. This period in Paris may be his last peaceful days before the war.

As long as he left Paris, no matter what the reason, he would be caught up in the torrent.

But he didn't expect that someone sent another invitation in the afternoon. Madame Recamier would return to Paris in a few days, and she would hold a salon in the salon on Mont Blanc Avenue.

He also heard that Napoleon's sister, Madame Pauline Leclerc, the young widow, would also return to Paris soon.

He had heard of this lady's name a long time ago. She was still in mourning for her husband, so nothing should happen, right?

Solovyov knew almost nothing about Polina's style of doing things. She even had a bit of contempt for such basic wedding and funeral etiquette, which was not what he expected.

Of course, in the first few months, Polina was not necessarily so unbridled because her husband had died, but as time passed, no one knew what she would do.

As for Madame Récamier, by the time that she was read the script in Lyon, Soloviev had already developed a strong self-control after meeting so many beautiful girls at the court in Petersburg.

Otherwise, it would be easy for him to fall for such a fragrant beauty.

However, the biggest characteristic of the Parisian social scene is that it is not very loyal. There are always all kinds of gossip and on-site accidents. Mrs. Recamier is an exception. She still prefers to keep some distance, although she is very coquettish and her limbs are as fresh, plump and healthy as painted marble statues.
The same is generally true of some other ladies' salons. These literary salons often involve heated discussions and involve politics.

As for which type of salon Solovyov likes more, he probably prefers those art salons of painting and sculpture.

Especially the painter's own exhibition hall. Although Madame Le Brun went to London, she still strongly funded her son-in-law to open a new gallery. This lady earned a lot of money in St. Petersburg. She arranged everything clearly, including her daughter's dowry, the money for hiring a nanny for her granddaughter, the high-end apartment in Paris, and the rent of the gallery.

What's more, Mr. Gailan himself is very talented. In addition to exhibiting his mother-in-law's paintings, he also set up two special spaces, one for displaying his own works, and the other for Julie's parent-child paintings.

When Solovyov came to their place, he also met Mr. Le Brun for the first time. As a painter and art connoisseur who had served the French royal family for generations, it was a miracle that his head was still on his neck.

Many people related to the French royal family eventually had their heads separated from their bodies. Even in the most violent stage, death sentences were almost announced indiscriminately, completely violating the original spirit of the law.

However, the French's ignorance of the law and the British's lack of morality are two different concepts, but there is no essential difference between knowingly breaking the law and being immoral.

"Hello, sir. I think this is the first time we meet."

"Of course, Major from Petersburg, eh? You look very much like my brother-in-law, but you are more handsome than he is. He was not like that when he was your age."

"Maybe it's because it's so cold where we are."

"So, your visit here should also be related to the artwork, right?"

"I once asked Madam to help me sell some paintings."

"I know about this and have already sold it. The value is higher than you expected. If you need to withdraw this money, you will need a check from a large bank in Paris. I will help you get it when the time comes. The total price is 6 francs. After all, they are all counterfeits. You knew it at the time."

Yes, Mrs. Lebrun is still very honest with her customers, but it's hard to say about Mr. Lebrun.

However, he was very happy about cashing out the money and commission, after all, he was helping his only daughter.

"Is Julie still in her area?"

"Yes, my wife is so cute, I really need to cherish her."

Mr. Galen has recently grown a beard, which makes him look more dignified.

"Can I go see her?"

"Of course, but she has been sitting on the couch all the time. She was a playful girl in Petersburg, and having a baby in her belly has restricted her freedom. But we have been together for a long time, and we really love each other. She just has a childish temper and can't change. But it's better this way, our love can last longer."

As for Julie's small gallery and her studio, they are all displays of parent-child paintings. Although she is childish, she has inherited some talent from her mother and is particularly good at capturing the interaction between mother and children.

Although her painting skills still need to be refined and she is still far from being as good as her mother and husband, this order is enough for her to support herself.

"Julie, your paintings are very interesting. They all show mothers and children. But the costumes are a little different."

"After all, this is Paris. I can't move around easily now, so I won't show you around one by one."

"Just think of it as coming here to chat with you. I'm not too familiar with your husband, and he's entertaining guests with your father."

Julie's belly was not as big this time as it was in St. Petersburg. She also knew the hardships of being a mother, and Madame Lebrun's preference for her seemed to be the result of all the attention being placed on Julie after the death of her child.

“But I don’t know either. I just…”

Of course, Julie now realized that Solovyov was no longer the little officer in the palace, and she could not always treat him as a "best friend".

"Forget it, you should have a good rest. I may have to trouble you to do something in the future. In a few days, Prince Borghese's housekeeper and her daughter will come to Paris. I originally wanted to entrust the lady, but she went to London, not Paris. She won't come too early. Julie, did the doctor tell you about the due date?"

"Probably in May. I don't like using the Republican calendar. It's really hard to get used to it. I don't know when I'll have to change back to it."

This "silly lady" was right about this. If Napoleon wanted to become emperor, the calendar would have to be changed back from the French Republican calendar. It was very troublesome to explain all these things. When Mr. Guerin went to see a doctor, the doctor also said that the old calendar was used. The immigrants returning from overseas were particularly unaccustomed to this system.

"That's good. You can still take a break until summer. That young lady wants to paint a parent-child painting with her daughter. I believe you."

Of course, Julie, the young wife, also liked francs to some extent. She was also happy to have orders, at least she was not completely dependent on her parents and husband for support, and it also proved her ability.

However, she is only talented in family painting, and is average in other aspects.

(End of this chapter)