Chapter 13 chapter eight

The rain still didn't stop. Looking at the rain in Paris in the early morning outside the window, I was so anxious that I couldn't waste the good spring here.So I made up my mind - to swim in Paris in the rain. At 9:00 a.m., I took an umbrella and walked down the building. The fat female administrator had become acquainted with me, and I greeted her with a few new words of French. According to the instructions on the map, I took the subway straight to Place de la Concorde - Concorde Square. Not far from the subway station, I saw the ancient square, silent in the drizzle.Because of the rain, there were not many tourists. I held an umbrella comfortably and strolled in Place de la Concorde, listening to the sound of drizzle hitting the umbrella surface. It would be nice if there were more beauties around me.

Concorde Square was built in the fifteenth year of Louis. During the Great Revolution, it was equivalent to Caishikou in Beijing during the Qing Dynasty. Louis XVI, Queen Mary, Madame Roland and Robespierre all went to the guillotine here.I can't help but think of Mrs. Roland's last words before her execution: "O Liberty, how many crimes have been committed in your name!" Ever since I watched "The Phantom of the Louvre" starring the big beauty Sophie Marceau, I have been yearning for the ancient Egyptian obelisk in the Place de la Concorde - a gift from the Egyptian ruler Muhammad Ali to France in 1831.

The obelisk is really extraordinary, with hieroglyphs praising Ramses II pharaoh engraved all over it.What do these words mean?When I saw this, I thought of parchment scrolls. All ancient texts that we cannot decipher are actually similar to ciphers.In a broad sense, human writing is originally a kind of code symbol, so what secrets are hidden behind these codes?Maybe it wasn't a secret originally, but it became a secret because of the passage of history.Louis IX also went to Egypt and served as a captive there for many years. Has he seen obelisks and pyramids? It was already noon when we left the Place de la Concorde, so we ate something on the side of the road, and then rushed to the window of France - the Champs Elysees (Champs Elysees).

In fact, it is the section of the road from the Concorde Square to the Arc de Triomphe. The literal translation is "Elysee Garden Avenue", but I prefer the name "Champs Elysee", because these four words are too full of classical poetic flavor in Chinese.Finally, when I got to the door of Louis Vuitton, I realized that there was a long line in the rain. Anyway, I don’t buy foreign goods, so I just saw it and said goodbye. When you walk to the west end of the Champs-Elysées, you will see the famous L'arc de Triomphe—the Arc de Triomphe. From here, twelve streets radiate. It is said that the underground is the largest subway conversion hub in Paris.

Coming out of the Arc de Triomphe, while it was still early, I rushed to the Les Invalides in Paris, which is also the burial place of Napoleon. On May 5, 1821, Napoleon Bonaparte died in exile on the island of St. Helena. His body was transported back to China and buried in the Invalides in Paris, accompanied by his comrades in the invincible French Legion. Under the dome of Les Invalides, I accompanied people from all over the world to pay respects to this figure who once shocked Europe.Napoleon's ashes are placed in six coffins made of different materials, surrounded by a red granite pier, and twelve statues of the goddess of victory stand above the sarcophagus, symbolizing the unity of the French people around the great hero.

Coming out of Les Invalides, the rain has almost stopped, and there are many homeless people at the gate. It seems that the world is not equal no matter where you go.Just in time, someone came over from the opposite side and bumped into me head-on. He quickly said, "Excusez moi!" I continued to walk a few steps forward, always feeling something was wrong, then I heard someone shout, I couldn't understand what it was, I saw a man sitting on the side of the road rushing towards the street, bumped into My guy was also running wild. I hurriedly touched my pocket, and sure enough, the wallet was gone. It turned out that the person who bumped into me just now was a thief!I broke out in a cold sweat immediately, and quickly chased forward.And there was also a chase scene in front, the man who bumped into me ran in front, followed by a sloppy man, and I ran at the end.

Finally, I witnessed a scene of the French version of "Brave for Justice". The thief had already been pressed to the ground. "Brave for Justice" scolded him loudly and snatched my wallet from him.At this time, I also ran over, and the "brave man" turned around and stood up, and returned the wallet to my hand. Only then did I see this good man's face clearly. I didn't expect that I knew him. It was the French beggars who gave me a broken umbrella that day under the bridge hole beside the Seine. The world is so small. He also smiled, gesticulating to me in that "unbearable" English, to the effect that he had already seen that the thief had malicious intentions, and the scene of the three hands just caught his attention. He is a promising young man in France. , Naturally, we have to stand up and act bravely to maintain the tourism image of Paris.

Just as he was gesturing like this, the thief had already taken the opportunity to slip away with oil on his feet.But I have already checked my wallet, and there is nothing missing in it, 800 euros in cash plus a credit card, and more importantly, my passport. Holding the hand of this brave young man from France, I really don't know what to say.It is a rare encounter to meet a thief, and it is really fate to meet this hero of the beggar gang who helps and recovers the lost wallet. I stammered and asked him, "what's your name?" He replied, "Jack." The name, pronounced "Jack" in English, is "Jacques" in French, and many French men are called by this name.

Although both Jacques and I can't bear to "listen" in English, we seem to be able to understand each other's meaning very quickly.Jacques said another incomprehensible English, meaning that I still remember meeting you by the Seine, and now we are good friends. That's how I made friends with a French gang of beggars. I originally wanted to thank him and took out a euro bill from my wallet, but he smiled and refused to accept it. He is really the French version of Lei Feng! After experiencing this thrilling scene, I left the Les Invalides in Paris, and became extremely cautious, covering my pockets tightly so that the gentlemen on the beam could not get their hands on them.

I still took the subway back to the University of Voltaire, and finally got a seat. I stared around intently, looking at the person next to me who might be a thief. Suddenly, my mobile phone rang, and the number displayed on the screen was actually Lin Hai's number. Why did he call me? Is he in danger? Although it was an expensive international call, I answered the call without hesitation. Sure enough, it was Lin Hai's voice. He seemed very nervous from thousands of miles away, but his voice was very soft, as if he deliberately lowered his voice, and it was even more difficult to hear clearly in the Paris subway.I could only ask loudly: "Hey, Lin Hai, I have received your E-mail, and I know what happened to you. Now I live at the University of Voltaire in Paris, and I have given the parchment to Professor Orléans , They attach great importance to the contents of the sheepskin and are in the process of deciphering the text, so don't worry."

When I spoke loudly, I caught the attention of other people in the subway car. They watched me silently, and they seemed to be very curious about Chinese. Lin Hai tremblingly said on the other end of the phone: "It's good that you are fine, I have been worried about you and the sheepskin. Let me tell you one more thing - Nostradamus may have found me, and he will probably kill me mine." I finally heard the last sentence clearly. Usually I would never be surprised when I make a phone call, but at this moment I couldn't help but shouted: "What nonsense are you talking about!" "I'm not talking nonsense! Now Margaret is under my attic, and I have almost sealed up the old house. The ghost is really coming." "Is this what you told me when you made an international call worth tens of dollars?" "No, I want to tell you about my new discovery. My grandfather once studied in Paris, France in the 1930s, probably studying fine arts. I think this may have something to do with the origin of the parchment. Can you help me in Paris? Shall I check it out?" This new discovery is indeed useful. I hurriedly and calmly asked: "Lin Hai, what's your grandfather's name? Which school did he study in Paris?" "My grandfather's name is Lin Danqing, and Danqing is Chinese ink painting. I only know that he studied in Paris, France in the 1930s, but I don't know the details, and I don't even know what school he went to." "Oh my God, what kind of investigation is this?" Lin Hai's tone was quite helpless: "I don't know, but since you are in Paris, I can only ask you for help." "Well, your business is my business, and I will do my best." "Thank you, if I live till tomorrow morning. Goodbye!" After answering the long-distance call from the motherland, I sat on the subway seat and took a few deep breaths, only to realize that the people around me were staring at me. Maybe it was because my loud Chinese was frightening them?I can only say a few times apologetically: "Excusez moi!" At this time the subway has arrived at the station, I rushed out of the car door and ran to the ground quickly.It is now 5:30 in Paris time, and the time difference between China and France is seven hours. So Lin Hai called at 12:30 in the middle of the night. What happened to him?Do you have to call in the middle of the night, or do you have to take care of my jet lag? When I returned to Voltaire University, it was almost dark, but I saw a bald man standing at the gate of the school waving to me from a distance. It turned out to be Yu Li. He twitched his lips and said, "I know you're not used to French food. Come to my house and eat Chinese food." I finally had a chance to fill my "Chinese stomach", and I eagerly followed him into the Renault.Less than ten minutes after driving out, the car stopped at a dormitory building. Yu Li said that this was the graduate student building of Voltaire University, and he was the only Chinese in the whole building. Yu Li lives in a spacious room on the third floor, which is 70 to 80 square meters with two bedrooms and one living room, which is really enviable.There was a large kitchen in the house, which looked clean and apparently seldom fired.There were already washed vegetables on the cooking table, Yu Li asked me to rest beside him, and started to stir-fry by himself. While cooking, he sighed about the bitter experience—it turned out that what he told us at the beginning was all bragging, why he found a job as soon as he arrived in France, and worked in a trading company with a weekly salary of 2,000 euros. Girlfriend, it is nothing at all.Now he finally admitted that in his first year in France, he stayed in school during the day and went to Chinese restaurants to cook at night, and suffered a lot.Later, he joined Professor Orleans' school and was highly valued by the professor. He finally received the research allowance from the school. The professor has funding for research projects every year. Yu Li got a lot of benefits from the professor, and finally bought it in the past two years. used car. In fact, it is not easy for Yuli. His parents are both engaged in academic research, so it is reasonable to say that they are also from a scholarly family.Yu Li often boasted that he was gifted when he was a child. He could recite 300 Tang poems at the age of eight. His parents taught him several foreign languages ​​since he was a child.In his freshman year, his father went abroad as a visiting scholar for a year. I don’t know what subject he encountered there, and he devoted himself to the research. As a result, he went crazy, went crazy after returning home, and soon had a car accident and his wife. died together. Yu Li's cooking was very fast, and he quickly finished four dishes and one soup, which was already very difficult for the two of us.After eating this rare Chinese meal, Yu Li's expression suddenly became serious, and with his shaved bald head, he looked a little bit of the charm of the underworld.After a long silence, he finally spoke: "I told you in the past that my father once went abroad as a visiting scholar for a year." "Could he be a visiting scholar in France?" "That's right, and it's the University of Voltaire, and the subject he's researching is 'The Mystery of Louis IX'!" Yu Li suddenly became a little excited, straightened up and said quietly, "There are almost no one in China who studies this subject, only My father was very interested in this. He studied at the University of Voltaire in Paris for a year and worked with Professor Orléans. When my father first came to France, he came into contact with many mysterious materials and immediately devoted himself to it. I don't know why he has such passion, it seems that he has changed suddenly, and I can hardly hear the voice on the phone." "You once said that your father went off the rails abroad." Yu Li said in a daze: "Yes, in the process of researching 'The Mystery of Louis IX', he seemed to be fascinated by something and finally lost his mind - he claimed that he was in the corridor of the History Department of the University of Voltaire , saw the ghost of Louis IX, and often played chess with the great prophet Nostradamus. Of course, no one believed his words, and everyone thought he was insane, so they sent him back to China for treatment. " "Many people died mysteriously because of the research on the 'Louis IX mystery'. Could it be that your father is also among them?" "Yes, my father died in a car accident with my mother less than a month after returning to China. In the past, I couldn't understand it, and I could only blame it on the injustice of fate. But since I came to France, in Professor Orleans studied the 'Mystery of Louis IX' and discovered this terrible secret. I am sure that my father died because of the 'Mystery of Louis IX'!" I took a deep breath: "Since this is the case, why do you continue? Aren't you afraid of repeating the mistakes of your father?" "I was also afraid at the beginning, and I hesitated for a long time. But I think this is my father's unfinished will. In the dark, there must be some kind of power manipulating these mysterious events. I have the responsibility to keep these secrets Dig it out and find out what was the force that killed my father!" "Once something is personal, it becomes very troublesome!" When I said this sentence, I suddenly thought of Lin Hai and his Margaret. "No, this is not just a personal emotion. The most important thing is that ever since I studied under Professor Orleans, I have discovered that the 'Louis IX Mystery' may have great value, which is far beyond what we currently have. imagination." "The big secret?" "Yes!" Yu Li said in a very affirmative tone, which made me unable to believe it. He said tremblingly, "I believe that my father will never die in vain. His death is of great significance. He is to decipher the most important thing about human beings." I died for a mystery, and I also died for the future survival of mankind. I must inherit my father's behest and complete his unfinished business, which is the best consolation for his spirit in heaven." I couldn't refute his words, so I could only sit silently for a while, until Yu Li gradually regained his composure.The corners of his eyes seemed to sparkle, and he shook his head and said softly, "I'm sorry, maybe I was too happy tonight, and said these things that shouldn't be said." "Why shouldn't you say it?" He smiled bitterly: "Don't worry about it, I will tell you the reason, but not now!" After a short pause, I suddenly remembered the call I received from Lin Hai in the subway today.I immediately asked, "Yu Li, can you check someone for me?" "Say it." I wrote down the name "Lin Danqing" on the paper, and said, "This person studied in Paris in the 1930s and studied fine arts." "Only this?" "Yes, I don't know much about Lin Danqing, and I don't even know which school he went to." Yu Li shook his head: "The possibility of finding out is extremely slim. In the 1920s and 1930s, thousands of Chinese youths went to France to work and study, and many of them later became the founders of New China. They stayed in France. The only thing I downloaded was the student status file. If you don’t know the name of the school you’re attending, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack if you want to find someone out of so many people.” "You're right, and I know there's little hope, but this person may be important..." Now I am very hesitant, should I tell the reason? Yu Li found something in my embarrassed eyes, and said loudly: "Tell me if you have anything, I will do everything I can to help you, if you still regard me as a good friend." Hearing this sentence, I was really embarrassed to hide it anymore, so I told everything about Lin Hai in one go - from Lin Hai's first visit to the art museum, to the accidental discovery of the parchment, to Lin Hai's rescue of the painting in the oil painting. Margaret received death threats from Nostradamus until she received an overseas call today. When I finished talking about these things, I felt that I was talking about the outline of a thriller and suspense novel, and it would probably be good to make it into a Hollywood movie. After hearing this, Yu Li was also taken aback. He stood up and took a few steps, then looked at the dark night in Paris outside the window, and something flashed in his eyes. He bit his lips and said, "It's really incredible, but I'd rather believe it's true. Tomorrow I'll take you to the university library, and we'll look up the details of Margaret in history." "Well, these two things must be linked together." We chatted for a while, until after 10 o'clock in the evening, I knew that he might have a night life, so I took the initiative to say goodbye and go back. Yu Li drove me back to the University of Voltaire, and the car parked under the history department building. I didn't let him see me off, and climbed up to the terrifying top floor alone. Finally back in my guest room, listening to the footsteps of the ghosts in the 19th century, I seem to be able to see the face of Margaret in the distance...