Chapter 31: The Corsican Society Survey and Armand's Script
"How do we determine who our friends are and who our enemies are?" Joseph chuckled. "My brother, you've finally asked a question that's not entirely foolish. Well, Napoleon, think about it. What kind of people desire change in their lives? And what kind of people want to maintain the status quo?"
If it weren't for their previous conversation, Napoleon might have immediately responded, "Those brave, adventurous, and heroic souls want change, while the mediocre, aimless individuals hope to maintain the status quo."
But now, Napoleon had grasped Joseph's line of thinking and wouldn't give such a simple answer. So, after a moment of reflection, he replied, "Those dissatisfied with reality and who believe they should have a larger share wish for revolution, while those content with the current distribution hope to preserve the status quo. Is that what you meant, Joseph?"
"Ah, Napoleon," Joseph smiled, "although I often call you a fool, in reality, you are quite intelligent compared to most. Your thoughts are correct. Well, now you should consider who your allies will be in your revolution and who will be your enemies. I think writing 'The History of Corsica' is not a bad idea."
"What do you mean?" Napoleon asked thoughtfully.
"Writing 'The History of Corsica' will provide you with an opportunity to interact with all layers of Corsican society, from the upper echelons to the common people. Through this, you can conduct a comprehensive survey of Corsica, allowing you to gain a full understanding of the island. My brother, you must understand that without thorough investigation, there can be no accurate judgment, and without judgment, there can be no authority."
Napoleon pondered for a moment and nodded. "Joseph, your point is well taken. I'll get started on this."
"Well, let me tell you," Joseph began, ready to offer some advice on conducting a social survey, but he was interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" Joseph asked while making his way to the door.
"It's me, Armand," came Armand's voice from outside.
Joseph opened the door to find Armand standing there with heavy bags under his eyes, looking like he hadn't slept or had perhaps indulged in too much "Herb's Elixir." He also carried a bag in his hand.
"Armand, come in," Joseph welcomed him, pulling out a chair for him as he said, "My place is a bit messy; I hope you don't mind."
"No problem. My place is messier," Armand replied with a smile. "Do you have any wine here? I'm parched from the journey."
"I'm afraid not," Joseph shook his head with a smile, "you know I don't drink much. I only have water. Is that alright?"
"Damn! Alright, as long as it's a liquid. I knew not to expect much here," Armand said.
"Oh, Napoleon, would you mind getting the water jug?" Joseph turned to Napoleon.
Napoleon fetched the water jug.
Napoleon leaned in to read it alongside Joseph.
Armand, leaning back in his chair, began to playfully engage Louis, who had been rather quiet all this time.
Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a warm glow on Joseph's desk. As time passed, this patch of sunlight crawled across the table like a snail, gradually shifting from one end to the other. By the time Joseph had finished reading the entire script, the sunlight had already moved from one end of the desk to the other.
"So, how is it?" Armand asked eagerly when he saw Joseph put down the manuscript. He had been keeping an eye on Joseph and Napoleon while playfully interacting with Louis.
Joseph, however, remained silent for a moment before letting out a sigh and turning to Napoleon. "Napoleon, I've told you before that even with talent, one must work hard to achieve success. Look at this example before you. This guy named Armand, he's a complete scoundrel, a playboy who's wasting his life away. You see how good this script is, right? That's because you haven't seen the trash he wrote before. Compared to this, everything else he wrote was utter garbage! If this scoundrel were serious and put in effort, he might even catch up to Aeschylus, or even touch the heels of Homer, Euripides, and Sophocles. But this guy spends most of his time drinking and fooling around!... Speaking of drinking, Armand, your script actually makes me want a drink. It's about time for dinner; why don't you treat us, and we can go out for a drink?"
This transition was quite abrupt, catching even Armand off guard. However, he quickly understood that Joseph held his script in high regard.
"Very well, I'll treat," Armand agreed. "We can drink and chat. I know a place where they serve excellent Poitou brandy."
The group left Joseph's home, hailed a horse-drawn carriage, and soon arrived at a tavern called "Lilacs in May." Armand seemed to be a regular there, as he greeted the owner and the considerably larger proprietress with ease. Then he said, "Prepare a quieter spot for us, and bring another round of brandy!"
"Of course, Armand, and your usual spot where you can see the Seine," the landlady called out. The owner personally led them to their table.
As they sat down at the table, Armand said to the owner, "Philip, just bring us something to drink, and I'm not interested in your age-old menu."
The owner complied and left. Soon, a variety of dishes and a bottle of brandy were served.
"Napoleon, you can have a bit of brandy, but not more than one glass. Louis, you can't have any," Joseph instructed his brothers as he poured himself a full glass.
"It's unfortunate to have a big brother," Armand said.
"Armand, there's a major problem with your script, and it's a big one," Joseph stated.
"What problem?" Armand asked anxiously.
"It's too sharp. If you don't make some changes, it will be banned. But if you do make changes, it will lose its powerful impact," Joseph answered.
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