From Corsica to the Fourth Rome

"Oh! My God."

At the center of the whole tea party, King Louis opened his mouth slightly, listening attentively to the secretary's vivid description of everything that happened on the island of Malta, just like sitting in the Royal Opera House and enjoying the epic poem created by Pierre Corneille. The drama is generally fascinating.

When he heard that an entire squadron of the Royal Navy had surrounded the island of Malta and bombed it wildly, even King Louis couldn't help but take a breath, as if he was also on that tragic battlefield, and a heartbeat flashed in his ear. A whizzing cannonball.

Today's King Louis is not like his great-grandfather Louis XIV who has the experience of being a charioteer. The scene of war has always been unfamiliar to the old king, and it also scares him.

Therefore, when Louis XV heard that it was the brave Laurence Bonaparte who took the initiative to go through life and death on the battlefield and dedicated all the honor he had brought to himself at the risk of his life, the old king's heart was filled with excitement. There was a ripple immediately.

After all, it was Lawrence who voluntarily set foot on the battlefield in Malta to fight desperately, but he was just sitting thousands of miles away in the Palace of Versailles, taking all the honors without even giving any instructions to Lawrence.

Until the secretary finished speaking, Louis XV still leaned back in the soft chair with some unfinished content, exhaled a long breath, shook his head and praised:

"What a loyalty, what a bravery. Every time I hear the name Laurence Bonaparte, it's followed by a series of good news. It would be great if he could have been born twenty years earlier. In that case He will definitely become as capable as Choiseul.”

Although these are just sentimental words made by King Louis in excitement, it is enough to show the king's expectations for Laurence Bonaparte.

"So, Your Majesty." The secretary looked at Louis XV hesitantly and asked:

"Have you decided to receive the envoy of the Knights?"

Louis XV did not nod in a hurry. He smiled and pondered for a moment, then looked at Jacques Philippe on the left and asked symbolically:

"Lieutenant General Philip, what do you think?"

Jacques Philippe had been a familiar figure in the court when he was in Austria. He also knew that the king was only asking him symbolically, so he thought for a while and answered as a soldier:

"It all depends on your will, Your Majesty, but accepting the allegiance of the Knights is great news for the French Navy; the Island of Malta, the territory of the Knights, has a large deep-water port, and the geographical location is also excellent. With the Island of Malta as an outpost, we It could even threaten the British route to the East Indies via the Isthmus of Suez."

"Besides." Lieutenant General Jacques Philippe paused and then said:

"The British have obviously been coveting the Island of Malta for a long time, otherwise they would not have taken such huge diplomatic pressure to attack the Knights. If we do not provide protection to the Knights, there is a high probability that the Island of Malta will eventually fall into the hands of the British."

Louis XV listened carefully. Although he didn't care much about military affairs, King Louis was still very happy to make decisions like this that could bring huge benefits to France with just a nod of his head. .

"Very good, Richelieu, what do you think?" After receiving affirmation from Jacques Philippe, Louis XV looked at Duke Richelieu on the right.

Duke Richelieu always maintained a standard smile on his lips. He put down the teacup gently and gracefully and said without thinking:

"I know nothing about this. Your Majesty, if you want professional advice, you may be able to summon the Foreign Secretary to discuss this matter."

"Hahaha, don't be so modest, Richelieu, you were a very good diplomat when you were ambassador to Vienna. When did that happen?" Louis XV joked with a smile.

"Forty-five years ago, Your Majesty, I am already old." Duke Richelieu recalled for a moment and shook his head sadly, as if lamenting the ruthless passage of time.

Although Duke Richelieu did not give Louis XV a positive answer, King Louis still laughed with great satisfaction.

What the king wanted to see was a Duke Richelieu who was uninterested in political affairs and focused on enjoying his old age. Duke Richelieu's words were exactly what Louis XV wanted.

Seeing that the two important ministers around him did not object, Louis XV was also in a happy mood and waved directly to the secretary and said:

"Tell the envoy that I have accepted to be the grand leader of that knightly order, and ask the schedule secretary to arrange the itinerary. I will personally receive the envoy of the knightly order tomorrow."

Watching the press secretary trotting away from the back garden, Louis XV's cheerful smile still lingered on, and he kept mumbling:

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, dear Lawrence, it's so rare to meet such a minister. He seems to have come out of a fairy tale. Appointing him as August's first attendant is really a right decision."

The Duke of Richelieu on the side naturally heard the king's murmurings, but he didn't say anything. The Duke, who was well versed in human nature, could see at a glance why King Louis was so happy with the title of Grand Master. .

It can be said that Lawrence used the same trick twice to make King Louis happy.

The first time was when he bowed his head to Louis XV as the Governor of Corsica, and when he bowed his head to another ruler as a ruler, this naturally made Louis XV extremely excited.

And this time it was the same, Lawrence also satisfied the vanity of Louis XV; the Knights Hospitallers did not choose Carlos III of Spain, nor Maria Theresa of Austria, nor George III of Britain, but Surrendering to him, Louis XV, could not help but give King Louis a sense of elation and transcendence from other kings.

Not to mention how much strategic benefit it would bring to France after acquiring the island of Malta, the territory of the Knights.

Louis XV picked up the tea cup, drank the strong tea in it, and exhaled happily:

"I really want the brave and loyal Lawrence to appear here now, oh, no, before that I have to think carefully about how to reward this outstanding minister."

"Grandpa!" Prince Louis suddenly spoke. He showed a rare sly smile and said clearly:

"Last time you asked Lawrence to return to Corsica and make him prepare for the coronation ceremony. I don't think he will be able to return to Versailles for a while."

"Oh?" Louis XV looked at his direct grandson in surprise.

As an old king who has been in charge of France for sixty-five years, the Crown Prince's speech skills still seemed very immature in front of him. Louis XV immediately knew that the Crown Prince was hinting that he was summoning Lawrence back to Paris.

What surprised the king was that the crown prince had always been honest and honest in the past, but he didn't expect that he now knew some ways of the world.

"It seems that I learned it from Lawrence. This is really a good thing. As a future king, it is not good if you don't know how to maneuver."

Louis XV secretly thought, not only did he not feel disgusted, but he also appreciated the changes in the crown prince and said even more happily:

"Ah, I remember, yes, I sent him back to Corsica to get ready."

And Louis XV did not forget that the reason why he asked Lawrence to return to Corsica and the Duke of Choiseul to Dijon was to prevent them from taking advantage of the time when Duke Richelieu was under house arrest in the Palace of Versailles. Further strengthen Choiseul's group's control over the political situation to achieve checks and balances between the two factions.

In the view of Louis XV, it would be fine if Lawrence took this opportunity to strengthen his political presence in Paris. He had no political foundation in France and relied entirely on the support of Duke Choiseul.

But if Choiseul, who was already at the height of his power, was allowed to completely control the palace, Louis XV himself would feel a little scared. After all, Duke Choiseul had threatened and intimidated the king more than once.

Now that several months have passed, the political situation in Paris and Versailles is not as tense as it was when Count Falcone was just arrested and Duke Richelieu was just put under house arrest. It seems that at least Lawrence can return to There is no problem in Paris, and Choiseul can continue to keep him in Dijon.

Moreover, Lawrence had made such a great contribution this time. If King Louis continued to leave him in the cold in the wild land of Corsica, this would not be the way a king should treat his subjects.

After considering these points, Louis XV nodded to himself, looked at the crown prince with a kind smile, and said:

"However, I think with Lawrence's talent, he should be fully prepared. Let's go, someone!"

Louis XV summoned an envoy and ordered:

"Send an order now to Bonaparte, Governor of Corsica, telling him to return to Paris as soon as he is ready to lead the Corsican people to surrender to me."

After hearing the king's order, not only Prince Louis, but also Jacques Philippe couldn't help but smile. He also wanted to see this talented young man again before leaving Paris.

Moreover, in Jacques Philippe's view, although the king has not summoned his brother, the Duke of Choiseul, to return to Paris, Lawrence is undoubtedly a figure who is firmly on his side. With him in Paris, the whole Choiseul crisis can be avoided. Vaser's faction will be left leaderless due to his departure.

Even Crown Princess Marie couldn't help but cover her mouth with a handkerchief and smile. Since the hunting at the Duke of Choiseul's estate that day ended, the Crown Princess also admired the heroic Governor of Corsica, especially After learning that the two had a common enemy - Madame Du Barry, Crown Princess Mary also looked forward to the next meeting with Lawrence.

The Duke of Richelieu still looked calm at all times, as if he didn't understand the king's words. He didn't have any emotional changes at all because of Louis XV's order, as if he was really a villager who knew nothing about politics. The same as the old man.

"Well, today is such a good day. I got such good news at the end of the tea party."

Louis XV stretched out comfortably, stood up, put the mink fur shawl hanging on the chair on his body, and announced the end of the tea party:

"Everyone can leave. General Philippe, I will probably not see you for a long time after you leave Paris this time. I hope you have all the best in Lorraine; Richelieu, old friend, please wait a moment, my people I'll take you back to your place."

Soon, several people who attended the tea party left the back garden of the Palace of Versailles under the guidance of attentive and meticulous waiters, especially the Duke of Richelieu. All the attendants and maids around him who were under round-the-clock surveillance were directly arranged by His Majesty the King.

After watching everyone leave, Louis XV slowly lowered his smile.

He looked at the calm Grand Canal alone, holding his forehead in thought.

This king who indulged in luxurious palace life rarely showed such a cautious look.

"Your Majesty, the wind has picked up. It's better to go back to the palace." An attendant warned carefully, listening to the rustling of leaves from the garden.

Louis XV still did not wake up from his meditative state. It was not until the slightly cold autumn wind made His Majesty the King shiver that he suddenly shook his head, stood up and ordered:

"The Marquis de Maupe is in Versailles, right? I want to see him now."

Just over twenty minutes later, Justice Maupe, who received an urgent summons from the king, hurried to the Palace of Versailles.

Because the summons was so sudden, Justice Maupe didn't even have time to put on his wig. He simply changed into a duplex Clark dress and rushed to the King's Suite on the east side of the Palace of Versailles.

On one side of the pure white long table, Louis XV seemed to still be thinking about what he had been thinking in the back garden. It was not until he saw Justice Maupe entering the room respectfully that he came back to his senses and greeted Justice Maupe casually. sit down:

"Ah, Marquis Maup, you are here, please sit down."

Justice Maupe had rarely seen Louis XV look so serious, so he quickly and gracefully sat diagonally opposite the king without speaking rashly, waiting for His Majesty the King to take the initiative to ask questions.

"Ahem, Mope, have you heard what happened on the island of Malta?" Louis XV asked first.

"Island of Malta." Justice Mopp hesitated for a moment, then nodded truthfully.

The King's speed in getting news has always been slow in the Palace of Versailles. After all, the servants need to ensure that the news is true and accurate before they dare to report it to His Majesty the King. Before that, Justice Maupp had heard a lot of rumors about the Knights Hospitallers. .

"Very good." Louis XV also nodded lightly, and then sighed, not at all as happy as he was in the back garden just now:

"Our dear Governor Bonaparte has done another great service, which is really a good thing. But, alas, how should I reward him for the great service he has done for me?"

When he received the news from the Knights Hospitaller, Justice Maupp predicted that the young Governor Bonaparte would definitely be able to use this credit to be prestigious in front of the king for a while.

However, he did not expect that His Majesty the King would be so entangled and difficult on the issue of rewards.

After all, in Justice Maupe's view, Louis XV, as a king, had numerous ways of awarding him rewards. Whether it was through ennoblement or promotion, Laurence could definitely get a reward that was commensurate with his merits and that was enough to make him proud. A huge reward that everyone thought was reasonable.

"Could it be that"

Justice Maupe did not answer the king rashly. He knew that Louis XV had been sitting on this throne for fifty-five years and did not even know how to reward meritorious officials.

In other words, what Louis XV was really struggling with was the impact of the reward given to Lawrence.

"That Corsican boy is far from having the sense of crisis to make His Majesty the King successful... This means"

A flash of inspiration suddenly flashed in Justice Maupe's mind, and he immediately knew what King Louis was worried about at this moment, so he coughed twice and said in a deep and tentative voice:

"Your Majesty, I think you should be more cautious on this issue. After all, Laurence Bonaparte is very close to the Duke of Choiseul."

Louis XV slowly raised his head to look at Marquis de Maupe, and a smile finally appeared on his worried face:

"Mopu, you are so smart."