Chapter 1202: The Ship of Theseus (Part 2)

Fate is half the master of our actions, but it leaves the other half, or nearly the half, at our disposal.

- Machiavelli, The Prince

Almost every girl will encounter such a problem, how to dress up to make herself the focus of attention, stand out from the many young and beautiful same-sex people, and get the attention of her "target".

This "target" can be your sweetheart, or it can be "materials worth marrying" such as emperors, kings, princes, dukes, rich bachelors, etc.

It is undoubtedly unwise to marry a young man who has no material foundation, only good words or good looks for the sake of love. There are many other girls who hold the same idea. Even if they don't think so, they will be persuaded by their parents and relatives. In this way, these successful men will have many, many female suitors around them, and they don't have to spend as much time chasing women as those men who have not yet had a successful career.

In the Cinderella story, the one who dances with the prince will definitely be the protagonist of the ball. In order to fight for this position, the girls will not only intrigue, but also "self-mutilate" their bodies. The damage to the body caused by tights is no less than cutting off their toes, and it may even be greater. It is enough to be a It is a murder tool, perhaps it is because of it that it is so difficult for noble women to bear children.

Josephine was a woman during the Bourbon dynasty. She was fine when she was young, but when she got older, the damage to her body for the sake of beauty appeared. In the birth contest in the Bible, Jacob initially preferred the young and beautiful Rachel to the old and ugly Leah. But Leah was able to have children, but Rachel was not, and his love gradually turned towards Leah.

Participating in this kind of "competition" will make some people very unhappy, but some people enjoy it. Anyway, as long as Napoleon has a child, she may replace Josephine and become the wife of the first ruling , what an easy shortcut.

Normally, Pomona would not want to go into this muddy water, but the problem is that her body doesn't belong to her now.

Hathor found in her velvet pocket the gown given to her by the Grand Duke of Lorraine in Vienna the last time she took the European train. It has been improved by a talented fashion designer in Venice and has become the same as that of the 18th century. The dresses are somewhat similar, yet so different.

The imperial era began after Napoleon proclaimed himself emperor in 1804. At that time, women's skirts began to become high-waisted. Judging from the dresses of the women at the scene, the era of this dance venue should be before Napoleon proclaimed himself emperor. If the women's clothing in the imperial period was "light", then the women's clothing of the Bourbon dynasty was "heavy", which was as heavy and cumbersome as a tank. The kind of tutu skirt, dancing will look very elegant.

As for who will wash the dress after it gets dirty, the girls at the ball will not think about it, anyway, they will not wash it. Su said that a girl's hand is another face of a woman. If it is for washing What to do if the clothes get thicker.

Pomona never dreamed that she would compete with young girls at her age, and luckily they didn't use a time-turner to go back two hundred years ago.

"Did these people on the dance floor ever exist?" asked Pomona's soul in the depths of her consciousness.

"The card represents the vitality and vitality of a person, and the ba is the personality and behavior of a person. The 'shadow' is originally accompanied by the body of a living person, but it can exist independently after death. I remember that the paintings of your wizard century are dynamic. They are all the 'shadows' left by the people in the portraits after their death. These "shadows" are not as good as when they were alive, half of them. I can't take away Bonaparte's soul, but I can leave his 'shadow' ’, his shadow doesn’t need to be stored in the painting, and everyone else is a living ghost.” Hathor said, maybe because he disliked the color of the golden dress that he didn’t like, Hathor changed it to red "When Cleopatra met Caesar for the first time, it is said that she was wrapped in a blanket. At that time, she was still a girl. Even though her behavior was reckless, almost no different from an assassin, Caesar still found it very interesting. The opposite sex will always be particularly tolerant towards the opposite sex, just like men are easy to forgive women, and women are easy to forgive gay men, oh, the wizard who made a speech in the grave and the headmaster of Hogwarts are lovers?"

"It's not the black-haired headmaster, but the white-haired and bearded one. Also, do you know Legilimency?" Pomona asked helplessly.

"Now our thinking is connected, I can detect what you think, I am sorry that Dumbledore is dead, you are wondering why his portrait has not moved, right?" Hathor asked.

Pomona stared at the phoenix, which couldn't help at all.

"The shadow accompanies the living person's body, maybe it is trapped on his body by something, and can't move freely, as long as the thing is removed, it can return to the portrait." Hathor sorted He touched the chest of the skirt and pulled it down. "Oh, your body is really heavy."

"Are you saying I'm fat?" Pomona yelled angrily.

"I haven't had this physical feeling in a long time," Hathor said cheerfully.

"Do you want to take my body?" Pomona asked.

"He's not such a terrible devil, I'll borrow it and I'll return it to you." Hathor said softly.

Pomona secretly prayed to God, hoping that he would strike a thunderbolt to kill the evildoer.

"Since Napoleon is only a shadow, why do you dance with a living body?" asked Pomona.

"I told you, shadows accompany the body of a living person. Matter is a substance, the thing itself, and form is an abstraction. The two are not in one-to-one correspondence. Just like my grandfather's old axe, the blade was changed three times, and the handle It was changed four times, but the ax is still the same old ax."

"You can go on and on, I understand," Pomona said.

As long as he can not dance with Napoleon, Hathor can even listen to the god Pomona.

"I won't tell you anymore." Hathor complained coquettishly, "Apart from your lover, have you ever dated any other man?"

"You're a nightmare," Pomona wailed.

Time will make people forget many things, such as the debts others owe you, or the feeling of hating someone, but only embarrassing moments will pop up in your mind from time to time, and then let you relive the feeling of "painful".

Pomona really wants to pretend she doesn't know anything, the problem is that she can see what's happening, like a third person,

The first ruler was surrounded by many men, who were talking in low voices, when the well-dressed "Pomona" appeared, they stepped aside tactfully and gave her their place.

Although those dancing guests are already ghosts, the real Pomona can still feel the sharp edge.

Hathor bowed his knees gracefully to the First Consul, and then looked up at the Corsican who was not very short.

"I remember you." Napoleon held a glass of champagne in his hand and said with a smile in heavily accented French, "We met at the Tuileries Palace. You are a 'prophet'."

"I have brought you a new prophecy, First Consul," Hathor said. "Do you want to hear it?"

"You can say it here and let everyone see if it is correct." Napoleon said loudly on purpose, as if intending to embarrass her.

"I heard that you like to read The Prince, so do you agree with Machiavelli's statement?"

"Which one?" said Napoleon, laughing, as if expecting her to make a fool of himself.

"Machiavelli believed that the Medes became submissive and cowardly because of the long-term peace, which eventually led to the demise of Medes by Persia. Do you think so?" Hathor asked provocatively.

Napoleon looked at the people around him. They all lowered their heads subconsciously, not daring to look into the eyes of the first ruler of the French Republic.

"Then do you agree? The lady in red." Napoleon turned his gaze to Pomona.

"Of course not." Hathor immediately said, "The Medes didn't really become as docile as sheep. They were still brave and tenacious, but they forgot the skills of war and fighting. This is what made them lose to the Persians." The reason for this is that their little cleverness in plotting and scheming cannot cope with the situation at that time, and war requires real wisdom."

"Are you flattering me?" asked Napoleon.

"I thought that a man needs to flatter a woman by flattering her in order to invite her to dance. Are you waiting for me to invite you to dance? Your Excellency the Consul?"

There were quite a few exclamations around.

Napoleon looked a little displeased. As a soldier who had been on the battlefield, his eyes were full of murderous looks, and he looked very scary.

But no matter how scary those eyes are, they are not as deadly as the basilisk. One look will kill you.

Hathor looked at him fearlessly, and Pomona was not guilty at all, so the lion that growled in a low voice, as if it was about to jump over and bite her throat at any time, quieted down, and began to evaluate her cautiously. , as if guessing why this creature that it could bite to death dared to stand in front of him so boldly.

"You can tell me about what you've seen in Egypt later while we're dancing," Hathor said. "I'd love to hear it."

Napoleon handed the wine glass in his hand to the adjutant, and then looked her up and down.

"You want to waltz with me?" asked Napoleon.

'No, I don't want to at all. ’ Pomona wailed in the depths of her soul.

"Would you?" Hathor asked. "It's a fashionable dance."

"In your eyes, I'm the kind of person who doesn't understand the past?" asked Napoleon.

"No one has ever seen you dance the waltz, Consul, but I think with your current status, no one would dare to laugh at you even if you can't dance, are you right?" Hathor said loudly to the people around him .

The people around were extremely embarrassed and didn't know what to say at this time.

Napoleon smiled contemptuously, walked to Pomona's side, and curled his arms, as if this was an invitation to dance.

Hathor took his arm unceremoniously, and the two walked to the dance floor together.

The dance music was only half played, the musicians hastily stopped the original music, and the dancers also dispersed. They formed a circle and watched the "shadow" of the first ruler of France dance with a foreign woman.

"What's your name?" Napoleon asked, staring into her eyes after taking her hand and arranging for the waltz.

"You've already given me a name. I'm the woman in red," said Hathor, laughing cheerfully. "Like Rosie, it's meant to be someone with red hair."

"What is this redness on you?" asked Napoleon.

Hathor tilted his head slightly in surprise.

"I didn't expect a soldier to be interested in fashion."

"This is Paris," said Napoleon. "I don't want to be told that I have no taste."

"You can call it Egyptian red, and the Pharaoh's head crown in Lower Egypt is the same color as it." Hathor said in a sleepy tone.

"No! Don't seduce him!" cried Pomona.

It's a pity that her roar was not heard, because the orchestra began to play the waltz at this time.

Napoleon danced well enough, though not gracefully, a little stiffly, but not so completely dominated by his partner as Harry was.

During the spin, Pomona looked at the people in gorgeous evening gowns, as if she had returned to Malfoy Manor.

"You just said that you have a new prophecy, and now you can tell me?" Napoleon asked.

"Tell me, what is your impression of Egypt?" Hathor asked without answering.

"Why?"

"I'll tell you only if you satisfy me."

Napoleon laughed, "What if my answer doesn't satisfy you?"

"I know about your latest law," Hathor said. "Do you think that by making divorce more difficult, girls will not easily find an unsuitable man to marry for a comfortable life?"

"Do you have another opinion?"

"If a woman doesn't even have a place to shelter from the wind and rain, that's a joke." Hathor said, "You may understand human nature very well, but you don't understand women."

"Would you concubine with a married man for a residence?" Napoleon asked angrily.

"If even survival is a problem, what other options do you think we have?" Hathor asked, "I thought you would understand, because you are also the kind of person, as long as you can survive, it doesn't matter what other people do. "

Napoleon looked shocked.

"This is what you said to me in court that day, you gave me a choice, whether to choose happiness or the truth, I chose the truth, you told me, for a person like you who grew up on the battlefield, a hundred The lives of ten thousand people are insignificant, compared with the life and death of a million people and shooting civilians, who is more immoral for a woman to live with a married man?"

"You...you are..." Napoleon gritted his teeth, with a ferocious expression as if he wanted to strangle her to death.

"If you don't satisfy me, I can make you sad too, so say something nice, Napoleon." Hathor smiled sweetly "This is our first dance, don't ruin it. "

Regarding the sentence about the Medes mentioned in the Theory of the Monarch, Napoleon's comment was "呵", an onomatopoeia, which almost killed me laughing, hahaha