"Those are the bronze horses you mentioned." Amid the cries of seagulls, Gong Saiyi looked at the bronze sculptures above St. Mark's Basilica. "I can almost believe you when you say he didn't want to be emperor. He didn't need victory..."
"What do you think Louis XVI gained from the American Revolutionary War in North America?" Severus suddenly asked.
"Um... colonies?" Gong Saiyi asked.
"Not a single colony France lost in the Seven Years' War was returned after the American Revolutionary War." Severus curled his lips. "Louisiana was reclaimed by Napoleon. In today's history books, the American Revolutionary War has nothing to do with France either, as if Americans won it all by themselves."
Felix Yang focused on licking his ice cream, seemingly indifferent to what the two of them were saying.
"France's military spending in the American Revolutionary War was over thirty times that of America's. France risked everything and made enormous contributions to American independence. Do you know what America did during World War II?" Severus asked again.
Gong Saiyi fell silent.
"America made a fortune during World War II and gained prestige as well. Only then did it sign the Bretton Woods Agreement, tying the dollar to gold and other currencies to the dollar. France paid such a huge price during the American Revolutionary War and gained almost nothing. You could call it a failed investment," Severus said. "Victory without spoils—what do you think ordinary people would think? Napoleon put his spoils on display, using public opinion and tangible objects to build prestige for himself. If someone possessed immense prestige and the ability to maintain it, he could rule the country however he pleased. Take Robespierre, for instance. While his prestige remained intact, he could use the Reign of Terror to execute countless people. But once his