The Shadow of Great Britain

Napoleon, who had always considered himself a liberator, had by this time become an invader trampling the sovereignty of European countries, while the French, who had always pursued natural boundaries, had by now advanced deeper into the heart of the continent. The interest of France demanded that the powers stop Napoleon, demanding them to unite, to build a dam and oppose his insatiable ambition. Thus, from 1813 onward, Napoleon's career was no longer the career of France.

——Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

Satirical cartoon "The Six-Faced Man: Talleyrand"

For a British guest, it always came as a surprise to learn that public officials working in the judiciary would live in places like Rue de Foix.

In Britain, judges are always held in high esteem. Over 100 years ago, judges enjoyed an annual salary of over 1000 pounds, and this has never changed since. Yet, it is not the high income that makes judges most enviable; people are most enthralled by the power they wield.

Every judge is the supreme ruler of his court, and one word can decide the life and death of others, and even when the king comes to court, he does not always get to flaunt his might.

With the halo of wealth and status, all professions related to law naturally became valuable; even if you are not a judge, but like Dickens once was, merely a court clerk, such a profession is still considered quite respectable.

Thus, unwittingly, almost all Britons naturally assume that judges, lawyers, and all law-related professions ought to reside in upscale neighborhoods, living a high-class life served by numerous servants.

In fact, for most French judges, the situation is the same.

But, Mr. Dubris was, by coincidence, an exceptional anomaly.

Actually, when this gentleman just graduated from Sorbonne University, he had a bright future ahead of him. It was during the imperial period, many old nobles serving in the judiciary either were executed or fled abroad during the Great Revolution, so when Napoleon conducted judicial reforms, Dubris immediately became one of the earliest prosecutors in the Paris High Court upon graduation, and he was the youngest among them.

As a Sorbonne graduate striving for excellence with outstanding academic achievements, Mr. Dubris, though young, was knowledgeable enough in the field of law to be deemed erudite, hence even directly holding such an important position, his knowledge sufficed for the role.

But what was puzzling was that Dubris served as a prosecutor in the Paris High Court for eight years, while colleagues who joined at the same time were promoted one after another, yet Dubris's position remained unchanged, and his superiors showed no intention of promoting him.

Fortunately, the taciturn Mr. Dubris wasn't very fond of official rank; even without the temptation of high officials' rich pay, he remained diligent in his work.

Although his dedicated attitude earned him a good reputation in the Paris judiciary, when Mr. Dubris reached his tenth year of service, during a personnel adjustment, he was transferred from the Paris High Court to the civil court of the Twelfth District.

Before long, another shocking news spread among the Paris legal industry, for Dubris was not only transferred, but his position was also downgraded from prosecutor to assistant prosecutor.

A righteous man being treated with such injustice naturally had some hidden circumstances.

The greatest hidden circumstance was that though Mr. Dubris could skillfully recite any provision in the "Napoleonic Code," he did not know how to be crafty, scheme, nor how to build relationships with department heads.

If the entire Paris judiciary were filled with people like Mr. Dubris, perhaps he wouldn't be so thoroughly targeted.

But when everyone was scrambling for interests, rushing to give gifts and pledge allegiance to department heads, Dubris's behavior of never visiting the Minister of Justice or the High Chancellor was seen as highly disrespectful.

Therefore, whenever a rule needed changing or personnel adjustments were made, department heads would always reduce Dubris' rank.

From the central high court to the local civil court, from prosecutor to assistant prosecutor. If rules allowed, perhaps officials would even want to demote such a judge to a bailiff, running errands in the rain to deliver court summonses and escorting criminals.

But as Arthur understood, there are things in this world termed "a blessing in disguise."

Although Dubris was oppressed during the imperial period, when Napoleon's empire crumbled, those officials who had abused their power for personal gain during the imperial period all suffered misfortune.

And Dubris, due to his lower position, coupled with his long-standing oppression and reputation for fairness and integrity, these elements instantaneously made him a favorite in the judiciary during the Restoration period.

He was not only reinstated in the high court, but his position was also restored, and further advanced to an assistant judge.

However, as the Bourbon Dynasty's rule of the Restoration period lengthened, Mr. Dubris's exemplary role gradually faded with time.

The new High Chancellor and Minister of Justice also disliked this subordinate akin to a Puritan, but they couldn't be too ruthless with him, so they simply avoided him, finding an excuse to transfer him back to the civil court of the Twelfth District to serve as a judge.