From Corsica to the Fourth Rome

On January 15, 1771, three days had passed since Lawrence held a charity auction at the Comedy Theater in Paris.

For the past two days, temperatures in areas around Paris have been below freezing for about two-thirds of the day.

Although there are no signs of intensification of wind, frost, rain and snow, citizens with rich life experience can also feel from the sudden drop in temperature that this year's cold wave is coming soon.

In the afternoon, in the slums of the southern part of Paris, there is a shabby pub located deep in the alley.

This is indeed a rather dilapidated tavern. The dilapidated house is like a broken bird's nest. It makes people feel that the builders took all the materials they could find and glued them together to build it.

A stinking ditch outside the tavern seemed to be on purpose, winding around the tavern, so that the drinkers inside could smell the stench of rotting water at any time.

As for the tavern's sign, it was better than nothing. It was just a thin piece of wood hung on a long wooden pole, with a simple drawing of a glass of beer using white lime.

It is conceivable that only poor people who are extremely cash-strapped would patronize such a tavern.

However, in the slums of the South City district of Paris, the most indispensable thing is the poor people. From early morning to midnight, this pub is almost never deserted.

In this cold winter, most poor people do not come here just to numb themselves with alcohol. After all, they do not have the financial resources at all.

The reason why they are willing to sit in this smelly tavern all day is purely because there is free firewood for heating.

They only need to go to the bar and order a glass of whiskey that is obviously watered down, say a few nice words to the fierce bartender, and hand over a tip of two copper coins, and they can stay in the warm tavern all day. It’s much more cost-effective to burn firewood at home.

This can be regarded as one of the survival experiences passed down from generation to generation by the poor at the bottom.

Of course, these poor people will not just sleep to pass the long winter. The tavern is always filled with the bragging and chatter of the drinkers.

Today, the most discussed topic in this tavern is the seven million livres that have not yet been distributed to them:

"What date has it been? Why is there still no movement in that donation?"

"Who knows what we people can do except wait."

"Oh, if it had been a few days later, I would have been frozen into an ice sculpture, and the subsidy would have been thrown into my coffin and buried with me."

"Hey, I don't see that you still have money to buy a coffin."

"I'm just saying something casually. If there was a coffin in front of me, the first thing I would do would be to chop it up and use it as firewood."

The two drinkers grumbled loudly and sipped the strong wine in their glasses very carefully, not daring to take more than one sip.

After all, they don't have the money to buy a second glass. If the glass is empty, unless they pay for a refill, the damn bartender will drive them outside into the ice and snow.

The drinkers at other tables also joined their conversation. After all, the winter subsidy is what they, the lower-class people, are most concerned about:

"Hey! Do you think this money is just a gimmick? Those big shots have no intention of sending this money to us."

"It's hard to say, it's really hard to say. Anyway, I don't really trust the people above. I dare say that even the devils in hell must be wearing dresses and chaps."

"But that's a promise made by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince himself, so there won't be any problems, right?"

"Who knows, if there is really no problem, the money will be delivered to us today. But what happened? We don't know any news now, and there is no mention of the money in today's newspapers. ”

"Well, we can only wait a little longer. Maybe there are some procedures to go through. As you know, the big people above have a lot of red tape."

"Damn it, it's all the damn Du Barry bitch's fault. If she hadn't misappropriated the subsidy money at the beginning, how could we have been in such a miserable state now!"

"That's right! Damn Du Barry bitch!"

This heated topic evolved to the end, whether it was the cynical drinkers or the citizens who still had faith in the royal family and the government, they finally unanimously pointed the finger at the initiator of all this - Madame Du Barry.

If this woman hadn't misappropriated the funds at the beginning, there wouldn't be a lot of things that happened later, and they wouldn't have to huddle in this smelly and crowded tavern to keep warm in the middle of January.

At the beginning, the drinkers were still counting Madame Du Barry's sins one by one with reasonable evidence. By the end, they were simply using the most vicious and obscene curses to curse this vicious woman who took human life lightly.

And just as the tavern was filled with these vulgar insults, the weak wooden door entering the tavern was suddenly pushed open.

There were three people who entered the tavern along with the biting winter wind. They were none other than Lawrence and Grosso and Ya'an who were serving as bodyguards.

However, the three of them were all covered in thick sable robes, covering up all obvious physical features, and their heads were completely covered by pure black hoods. Only the outline of the three people's faces could be vaguely seen.

The tavern instantly became quiet, and everyone looked cautiously at Lawrence and his party at the door.

The people who gather in this tavern are basically residents living nearby. There are very few unfamiliar faces, let alone three mysterious people dressed in strange clothes.

However, although the drinkers knew nothing about the identities of these three people, they could also see that the mink robes worn by the three people were not something that poor people were qualified to wear. These were definitely three wealthy owners. .

For a time, dozens of pairs of fiery eyes focused on the three Lawrences.

Lawrence calmly glanced around the smelly tavern, winked at Grosso, and closed the wooden door behind him.

Grosso also took a step forward with understanding, cleared his throat, and asked loudly:

"We are here to find a man. His name is Oga Kumas. If he can take us to him, we will be paid ten livres."

I heard that they would be paid ten livres for showing them the way, and the drinkers confirmed that these must be wealthy patrons.

However, they had never heard of the name Grosso mentioned. The drinkers looked at each other, but found that no one had heard of a man named Oga Kumas in the vicinity.

"It doesn't look like it's around here." Grosso glanced at the confused drinkers and whispered to Lawrence.

Lawrence frowned slightly, stroked his chin and said:

"Ask more, it should be nearby."

"Okay, but I don't think it's necessary for you to take action on such a small matter." Grosso shrugged and said casually:

"It's just the leader of a big gang. It's not enough to just send a random person to contact him."

"This is not a trivial matter, Grosso, it is related to my entire overall plan; and I don't want too many people to know about it, otherwise I will directly ask Lieutenant General Philip to bring that man to me. ”

Lawrence smiled bitterly and shook his head:

"In addition, I have met that Oga Kumas. Only if I come in person can I make him willing to do an important thing for me that is on thin ice."

"That's it"

Grosso nodded slowly, then glanced at the drinkers who still had no reaction, and said with a little disappointment:

"It seems these people really don't know. Let's go and ask somewhere else."

Just as Lawrence and the three were about to leave the tavern to conduct further investigation, they suddenly heard a powerful and deep voice coming from an inconspicuous corner of the tavern:

"Are you looking for Oga Kumas? I can show you the way."

The person who stood up following the voice was a strong man nearly six feet tall.

He was not as sallow and malnourished as other poor people. This man's face was full of flesh. He wore a raw wolf skin for warmth on his shoulders, and there were a few frightening blood streaks hanging from the end of the fur.

There is also an unsheathed short knife on his waist. Judging from the dense dents on the short knife, this knife is not a decoration used to scare people.

Judging from this man's appearance and dress, he almost has his identity as a robber and ruffian written on his face.

Sure enough, as the robber stood up, there was no sound of chatter in the tavern. The drinkers all looked at the strong man in awe and kept their mouths shut obediently.

It can be seen that this strong man is quite respected around here. Everyone knows that he is a fierce and extremely difficult character, and he has more than one life on his hands.

Lawrence narrowed his eyes and looked at the robber, nodded and said:

"Very well. Please lead the way, sir; Grosso, pay him ten livres."

Grosso frowned and wanted to say something, but still did not question Lawrence's decision. He took out ten silver coins from his wallet and slapped them on the table in front of him.

The robber drank the last sip of whiskey in the glass with an expressionless expression, swept the silver coins off the table, then shook his head and left the tavern with Lawrence and the others.

Others in the tavern looked at the backs of the three Lawrences, and couldn't help but cast sympathetic and pitiful glances, acknowledging that there would be three more nameless corpses on the streets nearby tonight.

The four of them walked through the intricate alleys in silence.

And when the four of them turned into a lonely alley, Lawrence suddenly ordered Grosso in Italian:

"Tie this man up."

The robber walking at the forefront subconsciously turned his head, and what caught his eye was Grosso's casserole-sized fist.

"Ahhhhh!"

Suddenly a heavy punch hit his forehead. The robber screamed and staggered backwards, covering his forehead.

Grosso stepped forward and pushed him face down on the ground. At the same time, he pressed his legs with his knees to prevent him from getting up. Finally, he neatly tied the robber's hands behind his back. behind.

After some smooth operations, the strong man immediately lost any ability to move and could only twist and struggle on the ground in panic.

Lawrence sighed slightly, squatted in front of him and asked:

"You do know Oga Kumas, right?"

"You! How dare you attack me?!" the robber roared with a ferocious face. He originally wanted to lead these three innocent and foolish sheep into the trap, but he didn't expect that he would become their prey instead.

Lawrence was too lazy to talk nonsense and said to Ya'an neatly:

"gun."

After taking the loaded pistol from Ya'an, Lawrence pressed the muzzle of the gun directly to the center of the strong man's head, and placed his index finger lightly on the trigger.

Sure enough, feeling the cold touch of the gun barrel, the robber calmed down instantly. He swallowed hard and gritted his teeth and said:

"I know the man you're talking about, Oga Kumas and I work for him."

Lawrence then raised the muzzle of the gun a few centimeters and said with a smile:

"Isn't this much simpler? Are you working for the King of Beggars?"

There was a sudden shock in the robber's eyes. You must know that in the underground world of Paris, the identity of the King of Beggars has always been a great secret.

Those who know the name Oga Koumas know that he is the King of Beggars, and conversely, those who know the King of Beggars also know that the gang leader’s name is Oga Koumas.

He himself was able to know the true identity of the King of Beggars because he was considered a junior high-ranking member of the gang.

But the young man in front of him was able to reveal this little-known secret calmly and calmly. The robber immediately became extremely afraid of this young man's identity.

Looking at the muzzle of the gun hanging above his head, the robber did not dare to hide anything and said repeatedly:

"Yes, yes, I serve the King of Beggars, Oga Kumas."

Grosso glanced at Lawrence in surprise: "Did you just know that this man works for the King of Beggars?"

"This large area of ​​the city is the territory of the King of Beggars. If he dares to blatantly do evil here, he must have a background. Okay, let him get up."

Lawrence smiled at Grosso and then handed the pistol to Yaan.

Grosso then stood up from the robber's legs and pulled him up, but did not release his hands that were tied behind his back.

"Now, take me to see the King of Beggars. I can be considered an old friend of his. Don't play any more tricks."

Lawrence said coldly, and at the same time ordered Ya'an:

"Yan, put the gun on his waist and pull the trigger as soon as I give the order."

The robber felt the muzzle of the gun against his waist, and his face was even more bitter. He could only grit his teeth, nodded and agreed to Lawrence's request, turned around and led the three Lawrences in the opposite direction.

After another complicated walk, the robber stopped in front of an inconspicuous shack.

Even though it was dark, there was still no light in this shack. It looked like it had been abandoned for a long time and no one had lived in it for many years. There was a large area of ​​charred black on the outer wall of the house, which felt like it had been hit by a fire.

There were not many people coming and going around here, but the robber carefully looked around to make sure there was no one else before leading Lawrence and others into the shack.

The house was also in a mess, with all kinds of garbage dumped on the ground wantonly. There were even traces of a bonfire on the floor of the main living room. It seemed that this shack had been chosen as a temporary residence by many homeless people.

The robber came to a corner of the shed with ease and struggled to kick open the heavy wooden boxes placed here, revealing a trap door underneath, but it looked no different from the entrance to the basement of an ordinary home.

The group of people arrived at the basement of the shack. The inside was almost as messy as the one above, and all valuable things had long been plundered by the wanderers coming and going.

The robber finally stopped in front of an empty, dusty locker, and then used all his strength to knock the locker aside with his body.

Hidden behind the ordinary wooden cabinet was a deep and winding tunnel.

Lawrence sniffed and smelled the smell of rotten water coming from the tunnel. It seemed that this tunnel led directly to the Paris sewers, and the King of Beggars' lair was hidden somewhere in the sewers.

After passing through this dark tunnel, several people came directly to an empty stone cave.

Darkness shrouded the underground palace, with only weak lights and dim candles illuminating the towering stone walls.

A damp smell filled the air, along with the smell of dirt and rot. Countless moss also grew in the damp and stinking air, covering the floors and walls here.

The cave is surrounded by intricate pipes and caves extending in all directions. It seems that there are thousands of ways to lead from the bustling world above to this underground maze full of crime and darkness.

Further inside, the central area of ​​the cave is a spacious hall.

Faint lights flickered on the four walls of the hall. These lights flickered like will-o'-the-wisps in the darkness.

In the corner of the hall, an old iron stove is burning with a blazing flame, bringing a touch of warmth to this cold and humid world; this is also where gang members trade items, play cards and gamble, and the ground is covered with cigarette butts and discarded papers. .

As soon as Lawrence and his party emerged from the hole, they heard a messy and heavy footsteps approaching quickly.

I saw a thin young man and a group of subordinates with swords coming quickly to surround the exit of the cave.

The thin young man at the head seemed to recognize the robber, but he was extremely wary of the Lawrence and the three people behind him. He personally held a flintlock gun, stared at the Lawrence and the three of them very carefully, and asked :

"Old Wolf? Why are you back today? Who are these people behind you?!"

The gang members who followed him also pulled out daggers and daggers with ferocious looks, and their eyes when looking at Lawrence were full of vigilance and evil.

This is the base camp of the King of Beggars, the palace of the Paris underground world. No outsider should be able to touch this place.

Seeing the thin young man, the robber's ashen face instantly regained some life, and he shouted excitedly:

"Chief! Help me, these people kidnapped and held me hostage, let me bring them here!"

After saying that, he did not forget to turn to Lawrence and gritted his teeth and threatened:

"Okay, kid, don't you want to see the King of Beggars? This is the one. If you know what's going on, let me go quickly. There are hundreds of us in the entire sewer!"

Upon hearing the bandit's call for help, the dozen or so people surrounding the cave entrance were even more shocked. Then they tightened their grip on the weapons in their hands and slowly approached Lawrence and the others.

They simply couldn't believe that someone dared to go to the Beggar King's lair to cause trouble. This was not the way to seek death.

Lawrence chuckled and looked at the thin young man, confirming that he was the Oga Kumas he was looking for.

Looking at the menacing gangsters who were approaching and looking fierce, Lawrence ordered without caring:

"Yan, let him go."

After receiving the order, Ya'an raised the muzzle of his gun without hesitation and pushed the robber in front of him out.

The robber who survived the robbery hurriedly ran to Oga Kumas and shouted in a tearful voice:

"Chief! These damn things are completely contemptuous of your authority. They even threatened me to reveal the location of the headquarters to them. They can't be allowed to live!"

The gang members also looked up at Oga with ferocious faces, indicating that they also supported the idea of ​​not leaving anyone alive.

Although the robber is not a core member of the gang, he is still a prominent figure. If the news of his being kidnapped and held hostage spreads, where will the reputation of the entire gang go? It is estimated that many people will be angry with the King of Beggars. The dominance of the Paris underworld was questioned.

As the king of beggars, Oga Kumas did not give the order immediately. He looked at Lawrence cautiously, always feeling that this figure seemed familiar, so he took the initiative to put down the musket in his hand and said tentatively:

"Sir, I don't know who you are, but you kidnapped and held my subordinates hostage, and also broke into my territory without authorization. Such provocation is intolerable to us. If you don't have a suitable explanation, please Leave your life here."

"As expected of a moderate member of the gang, his polite words are not like the beggar king in people's minds."

Lawrence smiled and shook his head, and took the initiative to walk to the center of the group of gangsters, allowing them to surround him with swords, and then said with a smile:

"But you are wrong about one thing, Mr. King of Beggars, you know who I am."

After saying that, Lawrence took the initiative to take off the hood on his head, revealing his delicate cheeks and brilliant blond hair.

"Do I need to remind you again? The last time we met was in a certain Duke's basement."

Looking at Lawrence's face and hearing those familiar words, Oga Kumas was stunned for a moment. He didn't even hold the musket in his hand firmly, and just let the iron guy hit the ground heavily. .

When the dozen gangsters saw the leader's dejected look, they immediately lost their composure. You must know that their leader had never been so out of his mind when he led the crowd to resist the attack of the Paris city defense troops a few months ago.

"Everyone!"

Oga Kumas suddenly came back to his senses, his brows filled with panic, and he screamed:

"Put away all the weapons and scatter them aside!"

The gang members looked at Oga in bewilderment, and the robber's face was full of disbelief. They had no idea who could make the king of the underground world lose his temper like this, but they still put away their swords obediently and retreated. To the side.

"You you. You."

A thin layer of sweat appeared on Oga Koumas's forehead. He stared at Lawrence in confusion and could not look away for a long time. His mouth was wide open, but he could not speak incoherently for a long time:

"You are. Bo."

"Shh, you don't have to tell me my real name. It's enough for you to know."

Lawrence stepped forward slowly, put his index finger lightly on his lips and said:

"Mr. Oga Kumas, I once told you that I would let you escape from the sinking world of the underground world and see the sunshine of the above-ground world; and now, I am here."