It was already the last day of 1868, the day under the dark clouds was fading, the sky was slowly casting shadows, and in a few hours, it was the New Year.

The whole world seems to be staring with bated breath, waiting for the new year to dawn - even though for the planet it is just another uneventful turnaround of the planet.

At the dining table of a mansion, the owners of the mansion were already seated, as if waiting for dinner time.

Under the painted ceiling, the gilded crystal chandelier illuminates the polished marble floor, the gilded candlesticks are also lit, and the tassels and drapery are everywhere, making the restaurant as extravagant as the palace of the Arabs in One Thousand and One Nights.

Sitting at the table were two women, both looking young and energetic. Moreover, the contours of their faces were very similar and beautiful, they were all wearing white winter dresses, their sitting posture and demeanor were about the same, and with the same brilliant long golden hair, they looked like a pair of sisters.

The servants had been roaming the dining room, placing the prepared meals on the table.

However, unlike her outwardly demure temperament, the taller, older woman looked a little anxious, and from time to time looked at the quartz chiming clock next to the table, as if she was waiting for something.

"You seem to be in a hurry, ma'am." After a moment, the girl sitting across from her laughed slightly. "Are you so worried? Since he said he was coming, he would come. ”

A little ridiculous, which made the lady a little embarrassed. Then she gently adjusted her sitting position to make herself appear more reserved and aloof.

"I wasn't worried that he wouldn't come. My dear. "Her voice has the warmth of an adult, but also a little bit of youthful charm." I'm just worried about the snow going to fall later. Looking at this weather, if it really falls, he will be in trouble on the road. ”

"I hope your concern can be transmitted to his heart in great detail, otherwise I should feel worthless for you, dear lady." The girl was still smiling.

"Alice!" The lady grimaced, as if to reprimand, "Now that it's all here, what do you want to call it like that?" ”

"And what should I call you?" Alice asked with a smile, then reverently stuffed two grapes into her mouth.

Her mother was slightly embarrassed.

"On days like these. Are you still going to be angry with your mother? Alice? Then, as if sadly, she sighed, "I admit that we are all sorry for you, but am I so bad that I can't even get a title?" ”

The sad appearance of her mother made Alice's heart suddenly feel a little compassionate.

yes, how lonely she would have been without me with her......

"Mom, I'd love to call you that...... But......" Alice still couldn't help but be angry, "but you don't treat me as a daughter!" You denied my request. It dampens my enthusiasm and pushes away the love I offer, and then you accuse me of not loving you! God knows how much I love you......"

The mother was slightly stunned, and then she realized that her daughter was angry with herself.

"You...... Are you angry that I didn't approve your request? ”

Alice looked away. No more answers.

The mother quietly looked at her young but beautiful daughter.

Her face, her waist, and her posture are all just like herself. Even that kind of arrogance and stubbornness have been learned.

Ten years ago, young children only knew how to be spoiled. At most, it's just a matter of asking for some toys, but ten years later. The children have grown up, and the reality has sharpened their minions, and now what they want is power, wealth, and a status that ordinary people can't reach......

Yes, her daughter asked her a while ago to participate in the Continental Rail Link project as her assistant.

The Continental Rail Link Project is a recent project for a giant railway line that has been planned by the government in conjunction with the governments of other friendly countries. The idea was indeed huge, from the westernmost point of the European continent, the French port city of Brest, all the way through Europe, through the territories of the Swiss and Austrian empires, all the way to the Turkish Empire, the westernmost point of the European continent, and finally directly to Asia.

Because the starting point is from Brest on the Atlantic coast, passing through Istanbul (also known as Byzantine), the capital of the Turkish Empire, and finally planned to be repaired to Baghdad in the Middle East, this plan is also known as the 3B railway plan.

As one of the directors of the French Railway Federation, the mother knows more than the outside world. Because of the favorable conditions of the European continent's prosperous population and industry, coupled with the friendly relations of the empire with Austria and Turkey, the railway plan from Brest to Byzantium was actually negotiated and construction would soon begin.

The section from Byzantium to Baghdad may take more than ten years to start because of the limitations of natural and industrial conditions, as well as the political misgivings of the Turks.

She also knew that in the planning of some of the top people in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Communications, there has always been a plan to build the railway to Beijing and turn it into a 4B railway. However, the natural conditions for the realization of this idea are too great, the investment and manpower expenditures are astronomical, and the political pressure exerted by Britain and Russia for fear of India and Russia being strategically divided and encircled (in fact, this is the real purpose of building such a railway), so it is not known what will happen in a few decades, and now it can only be regarded as an after-dinner conversation.

Nevertheless, the union of several countries to connect a railway trunk line from the westernmost point of the European continent to the easternmost point will still be a major event that will change the face of Europe and the world - the United States is now building a Pacific Railroad across the American continent, which is also a remarkable project, but after all, the United States is isolated from the outside world and has not had such a great impact on the world.

I want to do such a big project. The manpower, material and technical resources required were staggering, and the Grand Banker Duchess Carnicht was naturally involved in the crowd of money - and her daughter Liana. also as her assistant, began to be active in this money-driven political and business arena. Just like her mother.

Seeing this, Alice recently begged her mother to participate as her agent, but her mother politely refused on the grounds of being young, so she has been a little angry with her mother lately.

"Don't worry, child, you are still young, I think you should enjoy your youth more, there are so many interesting things you haven't experienced......" With an inexplicable feeling, the mother persuaded the child. I'm already old, and everything I have in the future can only be entrusted to you, so why should you worry? ”

"But no one else waited!" Alice interrupted her mother, "You didn't see it, that Liana wasn't much older than me, and she was already on that program with her mother, and God knows what kind of experience she could get from it!" How could I let her get away with it so easily? ”

"She's older than you, and she's your sister, so what's wrong with letting her do it?" Mother was still a little unimpressed.

"She's a madman. You know, she was brought up by her mother, and since her mother was a madman, she must be a madman. There can be no mistakes. With a straightforward air, Alice coldly judged her sister, "She's the same as her mother." It's dangerous, I know. She has always been pretentious, and thinks that we brothers and sisters are only worthy of being her minions. So, if ...... If I'm as hedonistic as you wish, sooner or later Clovis and I will be at her mercy! No, it won't work! She is just a wild seed born of a moment of pleasure, and I, I am the crystallization of your father's love, the crystallization of pure blood! How can I lose to a wild seed? ”

"......" Mother was speechless.

She knew her daughter too well to see that with her character, she would never compromise until she had achieved her goal—just as she had done with her brother.

Perhaps because of the frustrations she suffered since childhood, she redoubled her pride in her bloodline, and in this way compensated for her psychological shortcomings and trauma. This pride in her pedigree also turned into a fanaticism for the interests of the Tréville family - but "interests" in her mind.

"Well, since you have to insist, then I'll say yes." Finally, the mother sighed, "But you have to promise me a few conditions." ”

"Tell me, I'll listen!" Seeing her mother's relaxed attitude, Alice was overjoyed.

"First, your participation in it can only be secret, you can't show your face and show off to the outside world, especially you can't use the power of me and your father to bully others, since you don't understand anything, then you should study hard.

Second, you have to remember that you are begging to get involved, and since you have been allowed to come in, I will never allow you to feel bored and want to leave, you have to be conscious.

Third, I don't care what you think of Lola and Liana, you are never allowed to show it in the business, and you are not allowed to affect the completion of the transaction because of anger with her or other people. Since I can do this with Lola, you have to do it too. The mother raised her head and said her request in a calm manner, "This is not only a request, but also an order, which must be followed as long as you participate, understand?!" ”

"No problem, I promise you! Don't worry, I'll follow all your teachings, just as ......I have always done," Alice stuffed herself with a few more purple grapes with her slender white hands, and the bright red grape juice also flowed down her tender lips, "I will definitely help you and Dad make this railway, and as many people will die!" ”

"It's good to have determination and ambition, but ......," the mother frowned slightly, "you sometimes just talk too much, that's not how we talked back then." ”

"I am the child of you and my father, and I should carry everything you have and fight for you to the end, isn't it a matter of course? You were able to study with peace of mind, but now the situation is different. Alice did not back down, "I have learned a lot from your experience, and one of the most precious points is that as long as you have a goal, you must stick to it until you achieve it, and you are not afraid to sacrifice others and yourself, and overcome all difficulties." Besides. Without your persistence and determination, would there still be me in the world? ”

looked at her daughter's stubborn and unyielding appearance. The mother was a little helpless at first, and then smiled bitterly.

It's my daughter after all...... She thought bitterly but comfortingly.

That's when it happened. Suddenly there was a clattering sound from the huge glass window.

Mother and daughter looked at the window at the same time, and then saw that the snow was slowly falling outside the window.

"Ahh The mother cried out worriedly. "It won't be delayed, will it?"

"Why don't we go out and have a look?" Alice was also a little worried.

"Okay." Mother nodded.

Just as the two of them got up to leave the restaurant, they suddenly heard a commotion coming from outside the door, and it was getting closer and closer to them.

The mother and daughter glanced at each other, with surprise in their eyes at the same time, and then slowly sat down at the same time.

The commotion soon stopped, and the door to the dining room was pushed open by the servants.

Then. The Prince of Potsdam, dressed in civilian clothes and wearing a black bow tie, appeared at the door. Although his attitude was calm and gentle, all the light seemed to gather on him in an instant.

He smiled and looked at the mother and daughter sitting at the dining table.

How beautiful!

"Happy New Year, two beauties, I hope you didn't wait too long."

The mother quietly looked at the prince, who had not been menstruating for months, and suddenly felt her eyes sour.

"We didn't wait long, sir. You may be seated. ”

Seeing that there seemed to be some sadness between the two middle-aged people, Alice suddenly chuckled. Relax the mood again.

"Yes, we haven't been talking about you for too long, and we're not worried about you being late. Especially ma'am, I haven't been talking to you, Your Royal Highness. Of course. Happy New Year to you as well. ”

"Oh? That really saddened me. Charles couldn't help but laugh, "What a clever child! ”

"Alright. Don't say it! The mother cried out in embarrassment, "Sit down quickly." We'll have dinner early, and you'll be hungry along the way. ”

"There's no hurry." The prince was still smiling, and he walked over to Alice's side.

Then, he took a small box from his body and gently handed it to her. "Before eating, allow me to present this beautiful lady with a New Year's gift......"

"Gifts?" Alice took the small box curiously, and then gently opened it. "Yikes!"

She exclaimed.

Because, inside this box is a huge diamond, so big that people even suspect that there is something wrong with their eyes.

Under her gaze, the diamond lay quietly on the velvet, emitting a pale blue glow, like the turquoise waters of a lake.

With such parents, she has naturally been accustomed to all kinds of wealth since she was a child, but when she encounters such treasures, she still can't help but feel excited-who can resist this kind of light?

"You...... You mean to give it to me? ”

"If you're willing to take it, then it's yours." The prince shrugged, "Do you want it?" ”

"Yes!" At an indiscernible speed, Alice took the box into her arms, and then kept staring at the diamond, "How beautiful! ”

"If you like it." Seeing Alice so happy, the prince was also very happy, and gently stroked his daughter's silky hair.

"What a beautiful diamond!" Compared to Alice's jubilation, her mother, who was accustomed to seeing the world, was just as fascinated, but after all, much calmer, "it...... It can't be nameless. Don't...... Could it be the diamond that the Sun King was once proud of? ”

"Yes." Charles nodded. "I paid a lot of money to get it back."

"But...... It's not lucky, is it, Bourbons...... The Bourbons ...... "Mother hesitated, apparently remembering some legend.

"Bourbon didn't die because of a jewel, and it won't be if we were defeated." The prince suddenly raised his head a little haughtily, "The Trevills don't care about any curses, they follow the rules. So, my daughter can fiddle with it to her heart's content......"

"You're right, Dad! We don't need to care about the legends! We can defend ourselves in God's place! At that moment, Alice also jumped and cheered.

Then, suddenly, she stood up. Kissed her father on the cheek.

"Dad, thank you for the gift you gave me...... I'm going to make it into a pendant. Wear it on your body, I want to wear your love on my body all the time! ”

"Trust me. You'll be stunningly more beautiful then. The prince playfully bowed to his daughter, "God will be tempted by you." ”

Looking at the smiling faces of the father and daughter, the mother, who wanted to say something more, stopped talking and laughed the same.

Then, dinner began, but although there were many dishes, the three of them kept talking and laughing, so they didn't move much.

"Your daughter has grown up. Mr. As she spoke, the mother conveyed her daughter's request just now, "Alice is pestering me all day long, and I must do her errand......"

"Errands? But she's still so young! The Prince was a little shocked.

"I'm not too young, Dad!" Alice immediately protested, "I can bear so much, so much, so much care and preference from you...... And some proof has to be made. I have to tell myself that I deserve your preference! ”

"But ......" the prince was still a little hesitant.

"Okay, it's nothing, just follow me. No problem. At this time, the mother spoke for her daughter, "She has to do something when she grows up anyway." It's no ...... to study early."

Seeing that the mother and daughter seemed to have reached a tacit understanding, the prince blinked. In the end, I had to agree. "Okay...... Now that you've all discussed it, what more can I say? But. Alice, you're weak, don't overwork yourself at all......"

"Well, I will, thank you, Dad!" Alice cheered and kissed her father's face again.

"Well, in that case...... There's a gift I was going to give you later, but now I'll give it to you in advance......" After a moment of silence, the father pinched his daughter's face dotingly, "Today will definitely be your happiest day!" ”

"What? What else? Alice's eyes widened.

"It's shares." The prince shrugged his shoulders, "Suez shares, to be exact." ”

"Suez? Is it the canal? Before Alice could react, her mother exclaimed, "Is that the canal that connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea?" ”

"Yes, it's the canal." The Prince nodded.

"Ready to start? It's strange, I haven't heard from me before......" She was still a little confused.

Just a few years ago, the French government had obtained a concession from the rulers of Egypt to build a canal on the Isthmus of Suez to connect the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea, which would undoubtedly be a world-changing project.

"It's ready to start, but it's not us, it's the British who will take the lead." The Prince patiently explained, "We have been making a bit of a big move lately, and the nerves of our British friends are a little sensitive, so for the sake of the present peace in Europe, I am prepared to make some compromises with Britain." As part of the general compromise, France would withdraw from the dispute over the Suez Canal, and I would transfer the rights I had already acquired to Britain - that is, the Suez Canal would be built and operated by the British, with control over it. ”

"That is, as a condition for tolerating our communication with Europe on land, the British demanded the enjoyment of this artery of the world?" The other party quickly understood what he meant.

"That's it." "Diplomacy is a compromise - at least some compromise must be sought before we are ready for a showdown. Anyway, we don't have a fleet that can compete with the Royal Navy, and even if we have the right to operate Suez, it is nothing, so it is better to trade with the British, and the operation on the mainland is the right ......"

"You do what you want, I have no opinion." Mother nodded, indicating that she fully agreed with the Prince's arrangement, "But what do you mean by shares?" ”

"Of course I can't give it all to the British?" "When the time comes, the construction and operation of the Suez Canal will be handled by a dedicated international company, and the British will of course take the lead, but some of the shares will be held by foreigners...... Well, I mean, it's for our people, it's what we deserve, and the English gentlemen don't mind if we have some shares that don't affect the right to operate. As for the shares, I will let a French bank hold them, and the shareholders of this French bank will be some of my loyal subordinates. That's what politics is all about, and I have to make my party members feel like they have a future with me, both politically and financially. As for the rest, I'll make another arrangement......"

"And you, are you going to give these to Alice?" Mother finally understood the prince's arrangement.

As a canal connecting the three continents, it is conceivable that the future status of the Suez Canal will be at least for the foreseeable future, and this matter will be a sea of money rolling in this matter, and the prince intends to give some of it to Alice......

The mother and daughter glanced at each other.

"No way!" Before Alice could say anything, her mother categorically rejected Charles' suggestion

"Huh?" The prince was a little stunned.

"You love her very much, and that's true—but the rules can't be broken, and since she's your daughter and a member of this great family, she's obliged to be like everyone else," the mother looked at the prince gravely, "and I know that you have a special preference for her, and it's enough to have such a heart, and you don't need to make any special arrangements." ”

"But ......," the prince wanted to say.

"Dad, don't say it, I really don't need this gift. You can either give it to the rest of your subordinates, or you can put it in the name of your family's foundation......" Alice also spoke, "I really ...... Enough has been taken from you. ”

Then, suddenly, she hugged her father, who was still sitting in his chair, and looked at him with loving eyes.

"Thank you, you've given me such a valuable gift, I ...... I am very grateful to you. Do you really ...... You really don't have to feel any guilt about me, you've given me enough to stop trying to make it up to me. Yes, to be born as your daughter, I am grateful to God, I ...... I will not breathe until the last breath of my life, too...... I will never blame you and your mother, so please do what your mother says, please! ”

Listening to his daughter's deep confession, the prince's originally resolute and calm face suddenly twitched slightly, and even tears flashed slightly in his eyes, he stretched out his hand to touch his daughter's face again, but the trembling hand finally put it down, and took his daughter into his arms.

"I'm sorry...... I'm sorry...... Alice, good daughter. ”

"That's it! What do you want to make this New Year? Seeing that the father and daughter were about to cry, the mother, who was also sour in her heart, suddenly slapped the table heavily, waking them all up from her excitement, "What did you stir up a good dinner?" ”

"I'm sorry." After a moment of silence, the prince smiled apologetically, and gently returned his daughter to her seat.

"Sir, you're going back later, aren't you?" After eating for a while, my mother asked again.

"Yes." The prince lowered his gaze, looking even more apologetic.

Every year on the New Year, the prince holds a large banquet and gathers a large number of party members to discuss various matters, and this year is no exception.

"Nothing, how could I blame you?" Mother shook her head, "I'm just, begging you to give me some more time...... Someone you can trust will come and paint a picture for us, and I hope you will be able to spend a little longer. ”

"Painter?"

"yes, I've sponsored so many painters, I have to get them something in return, don't they?" Mother said it as a matter of course.

"Okay, you have to draw!" Alice cried out like a child, shaking her father's hand. "I'm going to put the gem you gave me on my chest, it's going to be beautiful!"

The schedule is indeed very tight, but in front of the expectant eyes of the mother and daughter, what is it?

The prince laughed.

"Okay, as long as you want." (To be continued.) )

PS: There was a problem in the previous chapter.

"The Blue Danube" is not a work of the 1850s, and I apologize to the reader for forgetting to write this paragraph......

Also, niche books are just works for self-entertainment, and there are no achievements that don't stand in anyone's way, don't read it if you don't like it, thank you for reporting it......