"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, aimles...
2023-10-26 23:04:42 +0000 UTC
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Nitroglycerin, in the original course of history, was invented by the Italian chemist Sobrero in 1846. However, the raw materials for its production, such as glycerin, nitric acid, and sulfuric acid, had already existed. At this point in time, producing nitroglycerin was no longer a significant technological challenge. In fact, the manufacturing process of nitroglycerin wasn't too difficult; it mainly required maintaining a low temperature throughout the preparation.
2023-10-26 22:08:51 +0000 UTC
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After leaving the Academy, Lavoisier didn't head home but instead took a carriage out of Paris towards one of the Duke of Orleans' estates. A few days ago, he had borrowed a piece of land from the Duke for his new scientific experiments.
Perhaps it was due to the king's long struggle to have a son (Queen Marie Antoinette gave birth to her first child eleven years after marrying him), which had led many of the king's close noble relatives to believe that he might beco...
2023-10-26 22:08:42 +0000 UTC
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The design of the Fort of Calais and its associated calculations were not particularly difficult, and Montreuil had entrusted this task to Joseph more as a means for him to earn some extra money. However, Montreuil soon realized that Joseph was gaining much more than just a few coins from this endeavor.
One day in July, while Montreuil was on a business trip to Nice, he received a thick letter from Joseph. The envelope was hefty and, had it not been sent through mili...
2023-10-26 22:07:18 +0000 UTC
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The fortress commander, Colonel Antoine de Verluf, was a tall man in his forties. He was quite pleased with Joseph's visit.
"Ah, Mr. Bonaparte, I thought you'd take a few more days to get here," Commander Verluf said. "I didn't expect you so soon. Well, do you need some rest?"
"Thank you, but I don't need it," Joseph replied. "In fact, I arrived last night. It was quite late when I got here, so I rested at the inn. I don't need more rest now."
"Youth is s...
2023-10-26 22:07:05 +0000 UTC
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In that summer, Napoleon smoothly passed his graduation exam and successfully graduated from the Military Academy. He was assigned to the Raphaël Legion and received the rank of Second Lieutenant in the artillery. On the day he left Paris, Joseph went to the stagecoach station to bid him farewell. Napoleon was dressed in a new gray-blue military uniform, a sword hanging at his waist, looking exceptionally spirited, except for being a bit short.
"You look quite like ...
2023-10-26 22:06:57 +0000 UTC
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"Hey, Napoleon, aren't you supposed to be good at math? How come you couldn't solve a single problem today?" On the way to the library, a classmate caught up with Napoleon from behind, playfully shouting at him.
Napoleon furrowed his brow but remained silent. His companion beside him, however, responded with irritation, "Bonnav, those problems were really tough. I dare say, even if Mr. Joseph explained them at the end, you still wouldn't have been able to do them. Be...
2023-10-26 22:06:20 +0000 UTC
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After the recent experiment, Joseph's days returned to being both fulfilling and boring. His daily routine now revolved around studying the mathematics of this era. This was twofold: to avoid accidentally introducing futuristic concepts into the curriculum due to insufficient knowledge of the era's math and to prepare for future teaching.
Amid this busy schedule, winter gradually passed. The past winter had been cold and dry, with not a single snowfall, which was not...
2023-10-26 22:05:18 +0000 UTC
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A few days later, on a sunny morning, Joseph once again donned his formal attire, while Napoleon wore his military uniform. They boarded a light two-wheeled carriage bound for the Bertonne Castle on the outskirts of Paris, where they were set to participate in an experiment to measure the speed of light.
The Bertonne Castle was an estate belonging to the House of Orléans, perched atop a small hill. It was originally a military fortress built in the 12th century but ...
2023-10-26 22:05:03 +0000 UTC
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"Arrogance! Such a cursed arrogance," Joseph exclaimed. It was evident that Armand understood Joseph's words.
"Perhaps it's not just arrogance," Joseph pondered, "but rather a disconnect—the divide between the upper and lower classes. The French people are filled with anger towards the upper class, but the upper class may not even be aware of it, or they simply don't feel it. The king and queen are surrounded by sycophantic courtiers, living in a world far removed ...
2023-10-26 22:04:54 +0000 UTC
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Joseph followed Armand into his family's courtyard and up the steps. He noticed that Armand's house was a typical Rococo-style building. The walls were adorned with various ornate carvings, decorated with gold and various other colors of paint. Such a building must have once been filled with extravagant grandeur, but now, the golden and colorful paint had weathered and peeled, leaving the entire facade mottled and faded.
Armand noticed Joseph observing the wall and s...
2023-10-26 22:04:45 +0000 UTC
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During dinner, Joseph told Napoleon that in nine days, he would be participating in an experiment to measure the speed of light at the French Academy of Sciences. He invited Napoleon to join him and see the world if he was interested.
Napoleon's face showed indifference, but Joseph could sense some excitement in his eyes. His words were just a façade. While Napoleon contemplated the invitation, Joseph quickly helped himself to more meat.
After bidding farewell...
2023-10-26 21:52:19 +0000 UTC
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The next day, even before the sun had risen, Joseph had already developed the habit of waking up early. In this age, there was no internet, no video games, not even electric lights. Most ordinary households couldn't afford candles or oil lamps, so the evenings were pitch dark. In his previous life, Joseph was used to staying up past eleven, but now he had adopted the habit of going to bed and rising early. In fact, most people in this era followed a similar routine.
...
2023-10-26 21:51:52 +0000 UTC
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Joseph knew that Cullen was quite skeptical about what he called "geometric drawing," and perhaps the true pioneer of "geometric drawing" was Montgri, who, being a child prodigy himself, was less doubtful about others of his age creating similar techniques.
In his previous life, Joseph had indeed studied geometric drawing. He believed that over hundreds of years of development, the geometric drawing of the future would certainly have seen more progress compared to wh...
2023-10-26 21:51:25 +0000 UTC
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Joseph couldn't contain his excitement as he greeted them one by one. But when he faced Laplace, he couldn't help but clench his fist discreetly and mentally berate himself – just like modern-day science students facing difficult questions on an exam paper. They'd gaze out the window in frustration and make a wish upon a passing shooting star.
Years ago, Joseph never had the chance to berate Laplace, but now that this troublesome fellow stood before him, Joseph cou...
2023-10-26 21:51:17 +0000 UTC
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"At least for now, I haven't found any mathematical issues. His mathematical tools are quite impressive," Laplace said. "It's just that explaining light with waves still has some unexplained phenomena, like what properties the ether must possess to transmit waves as fast as light. And if he interprets light as a transverse wave, why aren't there longitudinal waves in the ether?"
"Ah, my friend, you have too many questions, and I don't think we'll see answers to any o...
2023-10-26 21:51:06 +0000 UTC
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Joseph didn't worry too much about winning or losing the bet with Napoleon. In his past life, he had seen movies about Napoleon submitting an article to the French Academy of Sciences. It seemed that Napoleon had written an article analyzing social issues, but it had disappeared without a trace. So Joseph felt reasonably confident that he wouldn't lose this bet.
However, preparing this paper required careful attention. In a normal research endeavor, experiments would...
2023-10-26 21:50:58 +0000 UTC
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"Well, my dear brother, since you've made such a judgment, you must have further plans, right? The French Revolution is a significant event, and I can't believe you intend to sit idly by. You must have more plans in mind," Napoleon inquired.
"This is a French affair," Joseph replied. "I don't want to get deeply involved. I plan to seize some advantages opportunistically. Do you understand what a revolution signifies?"
"Massive internal strife, much like what ha...
2023-10-26 21:48:53 +0000 UTC
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In terms of latitude alone, Paris was actually a bit further north than Harbin. But thanks to the influence of the North Atlantic Current, the winter here was quite mild. Even at the end of November, the sunlight in Paris still felt warm and inviting.
Joseph walked along the leaf-strewn streets, with a small figure trailing behind him.
"Napoleon, your idea is intriguing. However, I don't think your actions will have much effect, and in fact, they might lead to ...
2023-10-26 21:48:04 +0000 UTC
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On a Sunday afternoon, just after lunch, Armand took Joseph to a café near the Archbishop's Palace. The Archbishop's Palace was the private domain of the Duke of Orleans, a high-ranking noble, and the eldest son of the Duke, who also happened to be named Joseph, had transformed the palace's corridors into various shops and cafes. Since these places were the private domains of the nobility, the royal police had no jurisdiction here, making it a haven for ordinary citizens ...
2023-10-26 21:47:54 +0000 UTC
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Joseph's life had indeed become as challenging as Armand had predicted. He survived on nothing but black bread and cold water, enduring this harsh existence for approximately two months. During this time, Joseph managed to transform his physique into something resembling a twig.
"Joseph, there's a theater troupe preparing a comedy called 'The Island Governor.' It's adapted from 'Don Quixote.' I think your current physique is perfect for playing the role of Don Quixot...
2023-10-26 21:47:48 +0000 UTC
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The Bonaparte family was a very traditional Corsican family. This meant that in their household, women didn't meddle in affairs much. Letizia was a good wife and a good mother, always enduring even the toughest times silently. But she was also a very traditional Corsican woman, and when it came to making decisions, she remained silent.
So, after Carlo's death, almost all decisions in the family were left to Joseph. Whenever his younger siblings had questions for thei...
2023-10-26 12:49:45 +0000 UTC
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Shortly after this conversation, Armand handed over two scripts, Shakespeare's "Timon of Athens" and Milton's "Samson Agonistes," along with various poems and other materials to Joseph.
"These have been piling up in my place for the past two years, almost half a year... You know, I don't have that much time to work on these. Anyway, it's been delayed, so take your time. They're in no rush on that end." Armand told Joseph after giving him the materials. Joseph had jus...
2023-10-26 12:49:31 +0000 UTC
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"What is this?" Joseph furrowed his brow and asked. When it came to unknown substances, Joseph didn't have much of an appetite for trying them. It was clear that he wasn't one to indulge in extravagant feasts, even before his time-traveling adventures.
"Let me tell you, this crystalline liquid is the ambrosia that the Goddess of Youth, Hebe, served to Zeus, the Thunder God, during their time. It's the divine nectar bestowed upon His followers by the Muse. Try it; it ...
2023-10-26 12:49:19 +0000 UTC
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In the days that followed, their routine remained the same. They would buy two coach tickets, travel for a day to a town closer to Paris, rest in a monastery (or a hotel if necessary), and then buy another coach ticket. It was on the evening of the tenth day when Alphonso and Joseph finally reached the capital of France, Paris.
The coach traversed dusty streets and came to a halt on a street called Rue des Neiges, which lay on the outskirts of Paris. On one side of t...
2023-10-26 12:49:06 +0000 UTC
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In the late afternoon, at nearly seven o'clock, the stagecoach arrived in Avignon. The distance from Marseille to Paris was almost two to three hundred "lieues" (a traditional French unit of length, approximately four kilometers per lieue), clearly not a journey the stagecoach could complete in a short time. In fact, there was no direct stagecoach from Marseille to Paris. Passengers heading to Paris typically had to change coaches at various stops.
In the twilight, t...
2023-10-26 12:48:35 +0000 UTC
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Louis the Great School not only offered prestigious scholarships but also had a well-earned reputation for high-quality education. Its origins could be traced back to 1563 when it was known as the "Clément School," a church school under the Jesuits. The school's practice of offering completely free education to day students drew the ire of the University of Paris right from its inception.
For over two centuries, Louis the Great School engaged in a relentless struggl...
2023-10-26 12:48:20 +0000 UTC
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Mr. Fauve recovered quickly from his seasickness, as one would expect after a good night's sleep. Such maladies fade after a restful night. So, early the next morning, they continued their journey after a full day of jolting in a four-wheeled carriage, the group finally arrived at the important town of Marseille in the south of France.
The two Joseph brothers were enrolled in a noble school in Marseille, Otton Middle School, to study the French language. This was a s...
2023-10-26 12:48:04 +0000 UTC
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Joseph and his younger brother, Napoleon, sailed for a day on a two-masted ship called the "Autumn Narcissus" in the calm waters of the Mediterranean. Early the next morning, they arrived at the port of Toulon in the south of France.
Toulon was France's largest naval port, home to its most crucial shipyards, and more than half of the navy's warships were stationed there. The commercial docks where ships docked were close to the naval port. Standing on the deck of the...
2023-10-26 12:47:21 +0000 UTC
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Just as Joseph had expected, he indeed found Napoleon in that cave. When he discovered Napoleon, the troublemaker was sitting on a rock, gazing out at the mist-covered sea.
"Hey, my foolish brother, what are you doing here?" Joseph called out.
"Nothing," Napoleon lazily stood up. "I was thinking I should leave a book in this cave for the future, so I'll have something to do when I come here. Anyway, Joseph, I think there shouldn't be any big trouble now, right?...
2023-10-26 12:45:39 +0000 UTC
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