Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 565 No conspiracy is the biggest conspiracy!

Sir Charles Warren patiently began to explain: “Jean-Pierre Rouvier was an accountant, and his employer was Armand de Villemorian.”

Lionel was stunned. Armand de Villemorian? He had never heard of that name before and had no idea who it was.

"Armand de Villemorian? And who is he?"

"A French banker, or rather, a former banker. He was previously one of the directors of the 'United Corporation'."

United Corporation? Finally, a familiar name appears. The "pension crisis" that erupted this April was triggered by the bankruptcy of this large investment bank.

That crisis caused immense losses to countless members of the French middle class, and made Lionel and his novel "The Sun Also Rises" scapegoats.

"Armand de Villemorian came to London before the bankruptcy of the United Corporation. Just last month, the French government froze and seized all his assets in France on charges of 'financial fraud'."

Jean-Pierre Rouvier, his accountant, who had previously served as audit manager at the 'United Corporation,' was also wanted by the French government and would face trial upon his return to France.

Lionel: "..." When did the French government become so efficient? Is Villemohrian a scapegoat they found?
He asked, "Where is Villemorian now? In London?"

Charles Warren shook his head: "He left Britain a few days before the attack, possibly to Brussels or Italy."

Mr. Sorel, in Armand de Villemouri's eyes, you are more than just a writer. You are an 'instigator,' a 'troublemaker.'

Without you, public anger might not have been so intense, the government investigation might not have been so rigorous, and he might have been able to save his property.

After Jean-Pierre Rouvier-Armand de Villemotli's assets were seized, he, the accountant, officially lost his job.

We found less than £5 in cash and some useless accounting documents in his place. The landlord said he was a month behind on rent.

Lionel listened quietly. If Sir Charles Warren wasn't lying, then his assassination might indeed have nothing to do with the British government.

Sir Charles Warren sighed: "Jean-Pierre Rouvier may have been instructed by Villemorian, but during interrogation he said that he wanted to do it himself."

My people only asked this far. The Ministry of the Interior said the case 'involves diplomacy.' The French government might request the extradition of Jean-Pierre Rouvier.

Lionel looked at the thick gauze and bandages on his leg and had never found it so absurd, yet it seemed so reasonable.

He asked Charles Warren, "So there's nothing I can do now?"

Charles Warren said, "You need to recover. There are twelve police officers on duty outside in shifts. No one can come in except for the doctor and your family and friends."

Then he stood up: “Mr. Sorel, I know you want to ask more. But that’s all I know. The Ministry of the Interior has blocked the news, and there’s nothing I can do.”

Lionel nodded. "Thank you for telling me all this."

Sir Charles Warren gave a wry smile: "There's nothing to thank me for. It happened in my jurisdiction, and it's my fault. I'm just glad you're alright."

He walked to the door, then turned back: "Get some rest. Your health is the most important thing."

Sir Charles Warren left the ward.

Lionel lay alone in bed, staring at the ceiling.

Armand de Villemorian… Jean-Pierre François Damien Rouvier… United Corporation… Pension Crisis…

Sir Charles Warren's answer was simple, without any political intrigue, yet it contained a logic more plausible than any political conspiracy.

Without "The Old Man and the Sea," those who suffered losses in the "pension crisis" would not have turned their anger on bankers, nor would they have taken to the streets.

If the French government had not initiated the "witness" action, it would have most likely treated the occupation of the Bank of France as a riot and suppressed it, rather than appeasing it.

The end result was that the government established a special committee with a name so long that even the author himself couldn't remember it, to hold the "United Corporation" accountable.

Then, the committee got a taste of success—those directors who had fled abroad had no grounds to defend themselves, so their assets…

Throughout history and across cultures, confiscating property has always been a political activity welcomed by the masses. Therefore, to some extent, it's not unreasonable for some people to take their anger out on me.

He thought London's troubles stemmed from 1984 and the lawsuit. But now it seems there were even earlier enemies who came to England from France.

The door opened, and Sophie and Alice came in carrying a tray with some food on it; Zola and Maupassant also finished their cigarettes and returned to the ward.

Sophie placed the tray on the bedside table: "The doctor said you can have some soup." She carefully helped Lionel sit up, placing a pillow behind his back.

Alice ladled out a small bowl of soup, blew on it to cool it down with a spoon, and brought it to Lionel's lips.

The soup is a popular British "beef tea," made by mincing high-quality beef rump, adding salt and cold water, simmering it, and then straining out the clear broth. It tastes quite good.

After taking a sip, Lionel asked, "What happened while I was unconscious?"

Zola got up and took a stack of newspapers, turning to one of them: "Queen Victoria and Prime Minister Gladstone both came to the hospital, and both were there immediately."

But you were probably still in surgery at the time, and they issued a statement to reporters outside the hospital, saying that any assassination attempt was intolerable.

They all promised to find out the truth and severely punish the murderer… but interestingly, the Queen and her Prime Minister did not meet.

Lionel scoffed, neither confirming nor denying this political charade, and then asked, "What's the media saying these past two days?"

Zola flipped through the newspaper again: "There are all sorts of opinions. The Times called it a 'lone wolf attack,' possibly a hate crime against your work."

The Guardian suggested it was a political assassination related to the indictment. French newspapers went so far as to say it was a conspiracy by the British government, which angered people in Paris.

Charles Ducrec took a hard line this time, sending people to pressure the British Foreign Office to extradite the murderer to France for trial.

Lionel closed his eyes. He could picture the scene—diplomatic notes, newspaper debates, public outrage…everyone was using this opportunity to put on an act.

Maupassant hesitated for a moment before saying, "A lot of people are gathering outside the hospital, mostly workers. The police are maintaining order, but the crowd is only growing." Lionel knew who they were, but remained silent. He felt tired, and his wound began to ache again.

"Go to sleep," Sophie said softly, helping him lie down. "The doctor said you need to rest."

Lionel nodded. He was indeed tired.

Sophie sat on the edge of the bed, holding his hand. Alice sat quietly on a chair by the wall, keeping watch.

Zola and Maupassant exchanged a glance and then left the room together.

Lionel closed his eyes, took a deep breath, forced himself to relax, and temporarily put aside all speculation about conspiracy and scheming.

He needs to recover quickly and live a healthy life so that he can have the opportunity to do other things.

The sky outside the window gradually darkened. Evening comes early in London; it was only four o'clock in the afternoon when it started to get dark.

The ward was quiet, with only the soft breathing of Sophie and Alice.

Lionel finally fell asleep.

----------------

In the interrogation room at the base of the White Tower in the Tower of London, two people sit around a long table.

On the left is Edgar Winslop, Permanent Under-Secretary of the Interior, and on the right is Hugh Monteford, Judicial Envoy of the Privy Council.

The two men had been sitting there for two hours, with the interrogation records from the past two days laid out in front of them, and neither of them had said a word.

Question: "Say it again, who ordered you to fire the gun?"

Answer: "Nobody's here. I have to do it myself."

Question: "Why?"

A: “I hate him. Lionel Sorel made me lose my job, made me a wanted criminal, and made me lose everything. I want him dead.”

Q: "How did you know he was outside the courthouse?"

A: "It was in the newspapers. All the newspapers said that the Central Criminal Court would hold a hearing on November 25th. I went to see it, there were a lot of people, I squeezed to the front and waited for him to come out."

Question: "Where did the gun come from?"

A: "Brought from Paris...for self-defense."

...]

The following pages contain similar questions and answers, repeated over and over. Records of torture are also written in the margins—whipping, waterboarding, continuous interrogation without sleep.

But Jean-Pierre François Damien Rouvier's testimony remained unchanged.

After a long pause, Hugh Montford spoke first: "Do you believe it?"

Winslop shook his head: "Whether you believe it or not is not important. What matters is whether others believe it or not."

Hugh Montford picked up the notebook and flipped through it: "What he said makes sense. It's personal hatred, revenge for financial ruin and being wanted by the authorities."

Winslop shook his head: "The media won't believe it. They'll say it's a story the government made up to cover up a political conspiracy."

Hugh Montford sighed: "The French government is even less likely to believe it. Paris will feel insulted by this conclusion."

Winthrop continued, "And the common people won't believe it either; they'll feel fooled."

Hugh Montford tried to find a solution: "Hand over? Hand Jean-Pierre over to France? He and Sorel are both French."

Winslop waved his hand: "No. The shooting happened on British soil, British police officers were injured, and civilians were killed or wounded. This is now a case on British soil."

If we hand the murderer over to France, public opinion will say the government is weak, afraid to even try violent crimes committed within its own borders—what is Your Majesty's stance?

Hugh Montford closed his eyes in anguish: "His Majesty wants results. Results that uphold the dignity of the monarchy and quell public opinion at home."

Winslop sneered: "The cabinet wants the same thing, except it wants to uphold the dignity of the government—either way, a miracle is needed now!"

Hugh Montford stood up and walked to the door, then turned back and said, "There will be no miracles. There are no winners in this. The Queen, the Cabinet... I'm afraid they won't survive this."

After saying that, he opened the door and walked out, leaving Winslop alone in the interrogation room.

Winslop looked at the documents on the table—an accountant, unemployed and wanted in England, who shot at what he considered his enemy.

Simple, direct, and without conspiracy. But it is precisely this "lack of conspiracy" that has become the biggest conspiracy.

He stood up, left the interrogation room, and walked down the corridor, thinking about Hugh Montford's words—"There are no winners in this."

Is that really the case? Of course, both the Queen and the Cabinet lost, and public opinion will overwhelmingly criticize the former for being rude and the latter for being incompetent.

But what about the French writer lying in the hospital? He has become a symbol, an object of public sympathy, and a lawsuit against him is no longer possible.

The real priority is to get this Frenchman back to Paris as soon as possible to continue being a writer, instead of causing trouble in London.

The empire has many things to do and can no longer focus all its attention on a single writer.

Winslop glanced back at the Tower of London, then boarded the carriage.

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(End of this chapter)