The Fox of France

"Hey, Napoleon, aren't you supposed to be good at math? How come you couldn't solve a single problem today?" On the way to the library, a classmate caught up with Napoleon from behind, playfully shouting at him.

Napoleon furrowed his brow but remained silent. His companion beside him, however, responded with irritation, "Bonnav, those problems were really tough. I dare say, even if Mr. Joseph explained them at the end, you still wouldn't have been able to do them. Because you can't even understand the questions!"

"Well, what's your point? I've never bragged about being good at math," Bonnav chuckled, "We have military geometry class in a couple of days; let's see if our math genius can solve a single problem then!"

As Bonnav laughed, he took a different path, as students like him, aspiring nobles, wouldn't usually spend their time in the library studying after classes.

"Napoleon, you don't have to pay them any mind. They are just incompetent and need..." Napoleon's companion gazed at Bonnav walking away in the distance and continued.

"Andersen, I don't really care about them. It's you, you got too worked up," Napoleon replied, "If a dog is barking at you, what do you do? You either ignore it or pick up a big stick and beat it soundly. Right? But what did you do just now? You were actually trying to outshout a dog, which is..."

"You make a valid point," Andersen scratched his head, "If I had a big stick in my hand, I would have given it a whack without a second thought. But the problem is, I don't have a big enough stick. You see, even though he's a vicious dog, he's a titled dog, and I... the stick in his hand is bigger than mine. If I charge at him, I'd probably lose to that vicious dog, and that would be humiliating. So, I chose to exchange harsh words."

"My brother once said," Napoleon mused and furrowed his brow slightly, "Don't argue with a fool because they will drag you down to their level and beat you with their experience in foolishness. Even though that guy is a jerk, he had a point."

Napoleon couldn't help grinding his teeth.

Indeed, Joseph was a real jerk. During class, he used the pretext of assessing everyone's current math level to present a series of questions. Then, he "randomly called on students" to answer them. The initial questions were quite straightforward, and even the dullest students didn't make mistakes. But at the end, Joseph introduced a tricky problem. It wasn't that hard, but it contained a subtle trap within its conditions and some misleading language. When Napoleon was called up, he overthought the problem under the pressure and failed to solve it within the given time. Joseph then politely sent him back to his seat and promptly demonstrated the correct solution in a straightforward manner, making even the dull students feel as if they could have solved it themselves ("I understand it as soon as I hear it, I can do it as soon as I see it, but I get it wrong as soon as I try it" is a common feeling for mediocre students when faced with many math problems).

Just before the end of the class, Joseph presented another problem, claiming it was a test of their grasp of the day's lesson. He used the excuse that Napoleon was the "only one who couldn't solve the previous problem" to call him to the front again. This time, the problem was genuinely challenging, and Napoleon failed to solve it by the time the class ended (and with just two or three minutes remaining, how could he possibly have solved it?).

"This guy is a real jerk! I have to study hard so that he can't be so smug anymore!" Napoleon whispered to himself.

As the two continued their conversation, they entered the library.

While it was still daylight, they borrowed two books from the library and headed to the reading room. To ensure the safety of the books, the library strictly prohibited candles. So, once darkness fell, the library became inaccessible (in an era before electric lighting, most libraries around the world operated this way). However, the reading room at the Paris Military Academy provided free lighting – students with ID cards could request a white wax candle mounted on an iron candlestick, making it usable at night.

Napoleon and Andersen took candles and proceeded to the reading room, intending to find a well-lit spot near a window to read. After all, a single candle's duration was quite limited.

At that moment, a person sitting at a table near a large French window suddenly raised their head and called out to them, "Napoleon, come over here!"

Napoleon looked in the direction and saw Joseph smiling at him.

"Joseph, hello," Andersen greeted politely with a bow.

"Andersen, did you understand everything I taught today?" Joseph asked with a smile.

"At first, I thought I did, but when I saw the last problem, I felt completely lost. Even now, I have no clue about that one," Andersen replied.

"Mastering the basic knowledge and being able to apply it practically are two different things," Joseph nodded. He then turned to Napoleon and asked, "Napoleon, have you figured out how to solve that problem now?"

"I know how to solve it now," Napoleon replied, somewhat defiantly. "In fact, with a bit more time back then, I could have solved it."

"The speed at which you solve problems is also an indicator of your grasp of the subject," Joseph remarked.

"So, for the same problem, your speed is only two-thirds of Mr. Monge's?" Napoleon couldn't help but comment.

This response caught Joseph off guard. He frowned and said, "In terms of calculations, Mr. Monge is indeed far superior to me. However, in my opinion, my calculation speed is sufficient for my research. But, Napoleon, if you want to graduate early, your problem-solving skills are not up to par yet."

"Napoleon, do you want to graduate early?" Andersen asked in surprise.

"Yes, my family is going through financial difficulties, and they need me to start earning money as soon as possible," Napoleon explained. "I also want to enter the military sooner rather than spend my days with the Parisian nobility."

"I agree with your perspective, but I won't go easy on you in my subject. If you truly want to graduate early, you should meet the standards of a real graduate," Joseph emphasized.

Napoleon understood that Joseph's notion of a "real graduate" excluded not only those from noble families seeking a veneer of education but also many ordinary graduates. The "real graduate" probably referred to an "outstanding graduate." This high demand didn't breed resentment in Napoleon because, in his view, meeting these standards was only natural.

"Napoleon, if you want to graduate early, you must excel," Joseph continued. "I've heard about your plan, so I've prepared a set of practice problems for you."

As he spoke, Joseph reached into a bag nearby and pulled out a small notebook, handing it to Napoleon.

"Work on it diligently," Joseph said before lowering his head to continue reading.

The days that followed were relatively peaceful. Joseph either gave lectures or worked on his own research and studies. Occasionally, he corresponded with Monge, Laplace, and others about mathematical problems and published several papers. Furthermore, having resolved his own financial difficulties, Joseph brought his younger brother Lucien to Paris and enrolled him in the school.

As for Napoleon, he had already requested to take the early graduation exam, and he was now immersed in intense studying.

The days passed quietly, with the goddess of spring's hemline swaying, and not a single decent spring rain showering down. Following the dry spring, a dry summer descended upon the city of Paris.

The price of bread in Paris had increased again, rising by a quarter compared to the end of the previous year.

This price hike was within Joseph's means, but it posed a serious threat to the common people. In this era, Parisians didn't have the habit of frequently taking to the streets in protests. Some who couldn't find a way to survive in Paris left for the countryside, or even chose to seek opportunities in America. Others who couldn't make ends meet through honest means turned to more illicit ways of life, such as theft or even robbery.

However, these issues didn't affect Joseph; he rarely left the school, and the hands of these thieves couldn't reach him. In fact, both thieves and robbers could only truly harm those living at the lowest echelons of society. As for the upper class, let alone the high-ranking nobility, even the so-called "middle class" wasn't easy prey. This was one of the reasons why some modern-day leftists continue to downplay the various problems resulting from declining social order and maintain their high-minded stance.