Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 216 Public Opinion Turns Twist! (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Albert de Rohan returned home in a daze, hesitated for a moment, and then went into his father's study.

Count Rohan was signing documents when he saw the man's distraught appearance and merely raised an eyelid.

The count's tone was calm and unwavering: "Have all the manuscripts been submitted?" His indifference was as if yesterday's outburst of rage had never occurred.

Albert whispered, "I've voted, Father."

He hesitated for a moment, but then mustered up his courage and repeated almost verbatim what Lionel had said in the coffee shop.

As he spoke, he carefully observed his father's reaction.

The count's hand paused only slightly as he signed the document before resuming writing, showing no surprise on his face.

After Albert finished speaking, a long silence fell over the study, broken only by the scratching of a quill pen across the paper.

Finally, the count put down his pen, looked up, and looked at his son.

He spoke slowly: "Albert, remember what I said today—"

No matter what happens in the future, whether the Roon family and Lionel Sorel are on the same side, or even if one day we become enemies and completely break up, you must do your best to maintain your personal friendship with him.

Unless he betrays you first!

Albert looked at his father in shock: "Why...why, Father?"

Count Rohan's gaze became somewhat distant: "Because his value goes far beyond a few novels; you'll understand later..."

In short, one should never become an enemy of someone like Lionel, even if one cannot be an ally.

Maintaining a private channel of communication is always beneficial, you understand?

Albert nodded as if he understood, vaguely sensing that his father and Lionel seemed to be on the same level that he could not fully comprehend.

He suddenly remembered Lionel's words and couldn't help but ask, "Father, why doesn't Lionel come directly to you?"

The count said calmly, "Of course he can't come to me directly. If he did come to me in person, what would that mean?"
This means he actively dragged me into this crazy plan, making us accomplices, which I cannot accept.

But he needs my tacit approval, and at the same time doesn't want to be too closely tied to me...

Therefore, this can only be an 'accident,' an exchange that occurred 'within the family.'

He cleverly used our father-son relationship to accomplish a highly effective and low-risk information transmission.

Albert, do you understand now?
It's not that he doesn't trust me; quite the opposite, it's a sign of his extreme clarity and maturity.

He knows where the boundaries of profit lie, and he also knows how to operate safely.

This sense of proportion is far superior to that of those fools who only talk about loyalty or betrayal.

Albert stood there dumbfounded, feeling as if all the social etiquette and political common sense he had learned over the past twenty years had been completely overturned and reshaped on this day.

He felt like a baby who had just learned to walk, watching in bewilderment as two giants played chess using a language and rules he couldn't fully comprehend.

On one side is a far-sighted father, and on the other side is a seemingly calm and gentle friend.

And he—Albert de Rohan—became an unwitting pawn in their game.

For the first time, he felt so clearly that there were too many dark and intricate undercurrents hidden beneath the surface of this world.

Albert's face was full of confusion and exhaustion: "I...I feel like my brain isn't working properly anymore, Father."

Count Rohan, unusually, did not reprimand him. Instead, he stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder, and softened his tone: "Take your time learning, Albert."

Realizing that your brain isn't up to par is the beginning of progress. Remember what I and Lionel said; it will benefit you in the future.

Now, go out. I have a lot of things to take care of.

Albert left the study as instructed, then leaned against the cold wall of the corridor and let out a long sigh.

He felt he needed a strong drink to process everything that had happened in just one day.

— While Albert was still in a daze, the "bombshells" he had sent out began to explode in major Parisian newspapers.

First, Le Debat published the anonymous letter about "Lionard's work becoming a French diplomatic gift" in a less prominent section of the newspaper Le Debat.

Although the editing was relatively careful, the content itself was horrifying enough.

Following this, The Times reported in an even more eye-catching way the bizarre revelation by a "court lady-in-waiting" that Lionel was the "Tsar's literary advisor."

Then, several smaller tabloids, known for their sensationalism, went wild!

They recklessly used the largest font size and the most exaggerated headlines to report the most absurd news:
Breaking news! Sorel's image may be printed on new stamps! — The Joker

"Insider news: Lionel Sorel nominated as a lifetime member of the French Academy!" — Les Echos

"Rewriting the Bible? Archbishop Gibbon secretly meets with Sorel!" — The New Noise

Finally, this rumor angered the archbishop, who had just eased tensions with the conservatives, so much so that he smashed his coffee cup.

If the initial rumor in Le Gaul that "four articles were selected" was somewhat credible, then the subsequent explosion of rumors completely stunned Parisian readers.

In taverns, salons, and public carriages, people held various versions of newspapers, looked at each other, and then burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! Look at this! The Tsar's literary advisor? Is he going to write harem novels for the Turkish Sultan?"

"A harem novel about the Sultan? I'd rather he help 'An Honest Parisian' continue writing *Decadent City*! I'm really looking forward to the other two!"

"Printing stamps? Is his profile going to replace Mariana's portrait on banknotes next?"

"Lifetime academicians? Hahaha, those old fogies at the French Academy are probably going to have a collective stroke!"

"They're insane! They're all insane! These newspapers will make up any nonsense they can think of just to boost sales!"

The public's emotions quickly shifted from initial shock and anger to a sense of schadenfreude and mockery.

They no longer believe any reports about Lionel Sorel and the French Reader, whether good or bad.

All related news was labeled as "absurd" and "unbelievable".

The initial rumor that seemed most credible—that three or four articles were selected—collapsed amidst this collective ridicule.

It was no longer seen as a "scandal" that needed to be taken seriously, but rather as a ridiculous beginning, a source of jokes proving that all the media were making things up.

"I knew it! How could a young man have three or four articles published? It turns out that the whole thing was just the Gaulish newspaper spreading rumors!"

"Le Gaul is getting more and more despicable! They've lost all sense of shame just to sell their newspaper!"

"They're the source of all this rumors! They've wasted my time!"

The anger quickly turned to Le Gaul, the newspaper that had initially ignited the incident.

Readers felt their intelligence and compassion had been insulted, and wrote letters to condemn the behavior, with some even threatening to unsubscribe.

Mr. Artuel Meyer, editor of Le Gaul, was now really panicked.

He originally only wanted to seize the initiative in public opinion, but he didn't expect things to develop to such a completely out-of-control point.

He tried to defend himself, claiming that he was also a "victim" and that what was published was a "letter from a reader".

But by this point, no one believed him anymore.

In any case, all the anonymous submissions have been lost to history, and the image of Le Gaul as the instigator has been deeply ingrained in people's minds.

Protesters gathered outside the newspaper office, and sales of Le Gaul began to decline.

Just when this media storm was completely overturned and the public needed a new outlet for their emotions, Le Parisien seized the opportunity and made its move!

On a Sunday morning, Le Parisien devoted its entire front page to an editorial personally signed by its editor-in-chief, Paul Pigut, with a striking title:
Why are Lionel Sorel's works excluded from this anthology? — Questioning the prejudice and cowardice behind the rumors

(End of this chapter)