Victor Hugo in front of Xiang Ying is already a nearly seventy-year-old man. This man witnessed the rise and collapse of the entire Napoleon III Empire, and even the previous turmoil in Paris had been coldly watched.

This is a morally pure European writer. His writings are full of compassion for the weak and ruthless ridicule for the exploiters, and even compassion for the alien race.

For Xiao Letian, "Les Miserables" and "Notre Dame" are both iconic symbols of the old man, but what I remember more vividly is Hugo's condemnation of the atrocities of the British and French coalition forces burning the Old Summer Palace.

"Letter to Captain Butler from the British and French Allied Forces Expedition to China" is still very familiar to Chinese people in the 21st century. This letter was once selected into textbooks as a junior high school textbook, and the letter was full of condemnation of the British and French Allied Forces.

One day, two robbers from Europe broke into the Old Summer Palace. One robbed the property, and the other robbed set fire. It seemed that after winning, they could steal. They carried out a large-scale robbery on the Old Summer Palace, and the stolen goods were evenly divided by the two winners.

In the past, they did what they did with the Parthenon, and now they did with the Old Summer Palace. The difference is that they did it more thoroughly and beautifully, and it disappeared.

We add together the treasures of all European cathedrals, perhaps not as good as this amazing and magnificent museum in the East. There are not only artistic treasures, but also a large pile of gold and silver products.

Great achievements! Great harvest! Two winners, one filled with their waist bags, which was visible, and the other filled with boxes. They returned to Europe with their hands and smiled. This is the story of these two robbers.

We Europeans are civilized people, and Chinese people are barbarians in our eyes. This is what civilization does to barbarism.

The two robbers who will be subject to historical sanctions, one is called France and the other is called England. However, I want to protest, thank you for giving me such a chance to protest. The crimes of those who rule people are not the fault of those who rule people; the government sometimes is a robber, and the people will never be a robber.

France swallowed half of the stolen goods of this victory. Today, the Empire naively thought that it was the real owner and exhibited the magnificent rags of the Old Summer Palace. I hope that one day, the liberated clean France will return this spoil to the looted China, and that is the real owner.

Those who are familiar with the history of the Old Summer Palace are probably familiar with these famous quotes. They come from this letter from Victor Hugo.

However, this letter was not made public at the end of the 19th century, because Britain and France also wanted to be respected. This letter was only included in Mr. Hugo's collection, and only a few people learned about it.

Today, Xiang Ying suddenly said this, which made the old man a little confused. "Sorry, sir! What did you say? Have you ever read my private letter?"

"Or, Captain Butler made the letter public?"

Xiang Ying's face turned slightly red. He couldn't say that the CIA European branch secretly sent someone to steal the original from you, so he had to hit him with a sloppy eye.

"I also overheard a professor in Berlin mentioning that he once recorded some famous quotes from you, including this letter... Thank you very much for condemning the atrocities of the Old Summer Palace. You are my eternal friend of the Chinese nation!"

Xiang Ying quickly got around this topic and started talking about Mr.’s health. “Did you just return to China? You have not returned home for 20 years in exile in Europe. It must have been very hard…”

"Haha... It's not as serious as you said. I have always settled in major European cities. My royalties are still very generous. It's a bit sad to miss homesick, and there is no hard work..."

“I live in Brussels most of the time, where the climate is pleasant…”

"Brussels? Then why did you come to Biarritz? This is the far south of France..."

"It's not my damn rheumatic legs. Biarritz has the best sea baths in France. You can try it when you have time. The mineral-filled sea sand and mud, soaking the whole body is very effective for some skeletal and muscle diseases..."

The old man pointed at the sea and the sky, "Look at the beautiful scenery here. I dare to assert that this will be the most famous tourist capital in France in the future. If there are two travel destinations in life, you cannot make a choice, then listen to me... Choose this place and you will never disappoint you!"

"If you are interested, you can buy some land here now, and there will definitely be very good prospects in the future!"

Xiang Ying and Hugo were walking on the beach, followed by the translator and accompanying officials. Xiang Ying had no problem with basic French exchanges, but some uncommon words still need to be translated.

From the scenery here, one old and one young talked about the ancient whaling industry, and the marine climate of the Atlantic Ocean, the legendary Zhiyuan battleship, and Hugo's literary creation highlights... If the topic does not touch on current affairs, you will really think that this is the grandparents who are leisurely spending time.

Unfortunately, the word leisure has no chance for them. Soon the greetings of the two led to the situation in front of them. Mr. Hugo was already past the age of politeness. He said openly, "When will the Head of State be returning to China? Is this war over?"

Xiang Ying's face filled with smiles gradually sinks, "When will we return to China, the decision is not in our hands, but in the hands of the French government!"

"There is no final agreement in the war, how can we leave?"

"Why don't you leave? You have shown your military power to the whole world. You have proved that you cannot bully. Isn't that enough? What are you waiting for? Waiting to share the flesh and blood of France with the hungry Prussian wolf?" The great writer was a little angry.

Xiang Ying stopped and looked at the old man calmly, "Sir, you seem to have made the wrong order! This war has never been initiated by us, but by France!"

"From the moment Napoleon III illegally imprisoned my Chinese head of state, this has been a declaration of war!"

"But just when we remain restrained, what did France do? While the head of state is not in Asia, organize an expeditionary force to attack Ryukyu! This is a factual declaration of war..."

"France has never talked to us about the armistice agreement since then! We have been in a state of war. Do you not understand at all?"

"You have taken the war, and you have refused to truce the war! How do we Chinese choose?"

"We are not cowardly and incompetent Qing Dynasty. When facing foreign masters, we only know how to bow down... The Chinese people will always be friends with good wine when they come, and jackals with hunting rifles when they come!"
Chapter completed!