Arman told Joseph that his Spartacus was about to be staged in Paris recently.

"What, is your battle song ready?" Joseph asked.

"No." Arman shook his head, "There is still no song that can satisfy people. However, everyone thinks that now is the best time to perform this script. It would be a pity to miss this period. So, let's use Edgar's song for the time being."

Edgar is a young "composer" in the Armand circle. Like later generations, poor young people who drifted in Paris in this era call themselves "composer" not necessarily less than those who call themselves "original musicians" in later generations. Edgar is such a "original musician". Several of his songs are circulating in small bars in the San Antoine district, but writing a battle song for "Spartacus" is still somewhat beyond the ability of this young man.

"Is this the best time?" said Joseph. "It is indeed the case from the perspective of causing a sensation. But at this time, performing this work may bring you danger. Maybe..."

Speaking of this, Joseph stretched out his finger and pointed at it, "Maybe they will throw you into the Bastille for this."

"What's the matter? Then I'm really going to be recorded in history." Aman replied indifferently, "At worst, I can go in and squat for a few years. It's really worth it to use such a price to exchange for the opportunity to be recorded in history!"

Since Armand had such an attitude, and Joseph also knew that even if Armand was really thrown into the Bastille, he would not stay in it for long. Because at the beginning of the French Revolution, the Bastille was conquered. The prisoners who were detained in the Bastille were naturally released. Even if Armand wanted to go into politics in the future, it would be a rare qualification to go to the Bastille.

"Since you said that, I won't advise you." Joseph patted Amang on the shoulder and said, "Anyway, be careful. Well, when will you rehearse? I'll go over and take a look?"

"The day after tomorrow, it will be at the Peterson Theater. It starts at 8 a.m.," Aman replied.

The Peterson Theater is between the St. Antoine District and the Town Hall, not far from the Bastille. The St. Antoine District is where the poor live, and close to the theater there, the conditions are naturally not comparable to those in the rich areas in the west. However, this play by Armand is more suitable for performing in such a place.

"Okay, I will definitely be there when the time comes." Joseph replied.

Two days later, Joseph took Lucien to watch the rehearsal of "Spartacus". The rehearsal went smoothly, including Edgar's battle song, but Armand kept frowning and seemed upset.

"What's wrong, Armand?" said Joseph. "Didn't it go well? The actors performed very well."

"It's good, hell!" said Arman, "If it weren't for the idea you had come up with before, I would have been very satisfied now. But as long as Edgar's song, I always felt...I felt...it was like going to have a big meal, but I found that all the food was not salted. It was simply...it's all your fault, Joseph, hell, if it weren't for you, I would have been as happy as those guys at this time... No, I would have been happier than them. Damn! Damn!"

Arman stomped his feet and said several damns in one breath, then said to Joseph with a bitter face, "Joseph, your help me..."

"What can I do?" Joseph said with wide eyes.

To be fair, Edgar's songs are not bad, with high melody and graceful, but just, just like Armand complained before: "It's a little lighter, and what I need is a roaring Urban cannon, and he only gave me a trumpet."

Amang was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly, "Yes, if there was a way, this one would have had a way for a long time."

Then he turned his head and said jokingly to Lucien on the side: "Lucian, you are learning music too. How great it would be if you could write a good song."

But Lucien actually responded: "Okay, after watching today's rehearsal, I'm just trying to try it."

This answer was a bit beyond Aman's expectations. He was stunned for a moment, and then smiled and said, "Then you have to hurry up. You know, this drama will be staged in half a month."

What Arman didn't expect was that four days later, Joseph suddenly took Lucien to find him.

"Aman, look at this." Joseph handed Arman directly a piece of paper.

Arman took the paper, lowered his head, and looked. Then he began to hum the melody on the paper with his nose. Finally, he raised his head suddenly and grabbed Joseph's sleeve: "Joseph, this, this is great! Where did this come from?"

"The song was written by Lucien," said Joseph, and glanced at Lucien, "I wrote the lyrics. Armand, what do you think?"

"How is it? This is so good! It's as good as it was in my dream. No, it should be said that even in my dream, I have never heard such a song, otherwise I would definitely remember it." Arman was so happy that he couldn't help but dance directly.

"Aman, do you think this song works?" Joseph asked.

"Of course, of course. Nothing can be better than this." Amang replied with a sarcastic brow.

"But Armand, if you want to use this song, I have a request," said Joseph.

"Tell me, my friend. Now you let me run naked on the street or give me my chaste butt, I promise you!" Amanha replied with a smile.

"Stop talking nonsense, I've taken the kids all the time!" said Joseph.

"Okay, my friend, tell me what you ask."

"Don't tell anyone else that the song is the lyricist and the songwriter is Lucien," said Joseph.

Armand could understand Joseph's request. He didn't care about being arrested in Bastille, but this did not mean that Joseph didn't care. He was arrested in Bastille, it was just his own business, but Joseph still had two underage younger brothers. If he entered Bastille, what should his younger brother do? Besides, he knew that at least he felt that this was what he thought, that was that Joseph's life goal was mainly in science, and he did not want other things to interfere with his research too much. As for Lucien, he was very talented, but after all, he was still a child under fifteen years old at this time. Such a possibility of entering the Bastille could naturally not involve him.

"No problem. I promise you with my personality that if you do not get your consent, I will not say even at the end of the judgment." Arman said very seriously.

"My friend, there's no need to be so serious." Joseph smiled, "I just want to avoid unnecessary trouble."

"I know." said Amang, "I'm not afraid to enter Bastille, but I don't want to see any friend in Bastille."

Armand did not immediately take the song for the troupe to rehearse, because if he did this, even if he didn't say who the author was, he might have immediately had a new song based on his just meeting Joseph and Lucien, and thus guessed the possible author of this song. Armand was actually a careful person.

It was not until two days later that Aman took out the song and asked the troupe to try to use it. This time the effect was said to be very good, but Aman was still not satisfied. It is said that he felt that some lines now do not seem to be called this song, and many places still need to be modified. The actors also put forward a lot of opinions on the stage and performance. So Aman became busy again.

Another week later, Armand came again to invite Joseph and Lucien to visit the rehearsal of his drama. However, this time, Joseph was going on a business trip, so only Lucien and Armand went to see the rehearsal together. A few days later, when Joseph returned to Paris, Armand's rehearsal had been basically completed. At least, according to Lucien's view, this drama "is no worse than those of Molière's works."

But Armand still seemed to be unsatisfied. He was now staying in the theater all day long, hesitating about some insignificant things, and his cheekbones were much higher. Joseph knew that this guy was stubborn and had a problem with his mentality. If he was asked to continue like this, it would be bad, and he would have seriously ill after the successful performance, or even "summoned by the Lord". Ah, no, considering the implicit satire of Christianity in his works, how could he be "summoned by the Lord"? It must have been "summoned by the Lord" by the devil.

However, Joseph did not want to see Armand fall on the stage where he ended after his premiere. Although this seems very beautiful, it is not the time for Armand to fall.

Joseph knew that the so-called "problems" that trouble Aman now were not really big problems, and no matter what decision he made, there would be no big difference. It was just that he was so stubborn that he could not make a choice.

"Aman, have you ever heard of such a story? There was a man putting two piles of exactly the same forage on the left and right sides of a donkey, at the same distance. Then guess how the donkey was?" Joseph said on Aman's shoulder.

"I know, the donkey finally stood in the middle and starved to death. Joseph, you are such a bad guy. You actually compared me to that stupid donkey! But are you really sure the forage on both sides are exactly the same?"

"Donkey! If it weren't exactly the same, would you hesitate for so long?"

"Of course it's not exactly the same, there are some differences between them. I just don't know which one is better."

"That's so simple." Joseph said, taking out a silver coin with irregular shape (Ancient Roman silver coins were made of silver coins, and generally speaking, they were not in a circle) and said, "Judge it with this. Look. This side is the statue of Bacchus, and this side is a bunch of grapes. My friend, you know that the art of tragedy comes from the sacrifices of this god. Let Him help us make judgments. You throw the silver coin. If the avatar is facing up, even the God of Bacchus also agrees with this practice. If the grape is facing up, then He is denying this practice. What do you think?"

Bacchus is the Roman name of Dionysus, the god of wine in Greek mythology. His clergy does not include art, but considering that ancient Greek tragic art originated from sacrificial activities to him, it is still appropriate for Joseph to ask him to make a judgment.
Chapter completed!