From Corsica to the Fourth Rome

News of the change of leadership in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spread throughout the upper classes of Paris and Versailles overnight.

Before this, few could have expected that Count Vergenin, who had been neglected and had been unemployed for several months, would be able to replace the cousin of the Duke of Choiseul and take the Ministry of Foreign Affairs into his own pocket.

Of course, anyone with a little political insight can quickly realize that Count Vergenin, who has no power in the country, will never get the position of foreign minister by virtue of his own power. There must be someone behind this to add fuel to the fire.

Following this clue, someone in the aristocratic circle soon broke the news, saying that they had witnessed Count Vergenin going to the Champs Elysées alone to have a secret meeting with Corsican Prime Minister Laurence Bonaparte before the royal meeting. .

Combined with this news and His Excellency Bonaparte's performance at the Royal Council that day, the nobles already had some doubts about whether Lawrence Bonaparte was the man behind the scenes.

The performance of Count Vergenin after he officially assumed his duties convinced the nobles of their guesses:

It is said that the new foreign minister returned to Paris the day after accepting the king's appointment. The first thing he did was not to go to his department immediately. Instead, he rushed to the Champs Elysées to meet Lawrence again. Bonaparte meets.

In just a few days after taking office, the new Foreign Secretary carried out a thorough personnel purge of the entire department with strong and thunderous measures.

Those close associates of Caesar Gabriel and officials who were clearly affiliated with Choiseul's faction were either expelled from the center of power openly or covertly, or were transferred to some insignificant idle positions, or directly Was dismissed and transferred out of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In just a few days, the Count of Vergequin had almost uprooted the gains of the Duke of Choiseul's decades of work in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Naturally, the political circles did not believe that this political amateur who had just returned to his native land could have such courage and means. Therefore, various rumors and speculations quickly spread inside and outside Paris, doubting Count Vergenin's unswerving personnel decisions this time. The purges were ordered by His Excellency Bonaparte and even by His Majesty the King.

In many versions of rumors and so-called inside information, people all claimed that Count Vergenin was essentially promoting a group of new officials to the top levels of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs based on the list provided by His Excellency Bonaparte.

There were even rumors that a dozen Corsicans had been urgently summoned from the south to Paris by Laurence Bonaparte and given important positions in the French Foreign Ministry.

Combining these rumors and their respective intelligence networks, many nobles and ministers already have a clear understanding in their hearts:

"Just as the Duke of Choiseul controlled the entire Foreign Ministry through César Gabriel, so now Laurence Bonaparte controls the new French Foreign Ministry through Charles Gravier."

His Excellency Bonaparte, who was already deeply favored by the royal family, now actually controls the entire cabinet department. This also makes all the nobles have to admit that this young Corsican has become the most important person in Paris and Versailles who cannot be ignored. one of the forces.

However, in the past few days, there are still only a few visitors coming to the Champs Elysées to congratulate him.

However, this is not because the small nobles and bureaucrats have changed their tendency to follow the crowd, but because the entire upper class has already learned a piece of news:

The real original owner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the powerful Duke Choiseul, was already on his way back to Paris.

People were both curious and worried about how the Duke would react to the betrayal of Laurence Bonaparte, whom he once trusted so much.

May 22, Count Vergenin's third day in charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In the evening, just over two hundred miles away from Paris, in a country palace near Orleans.

This manor palace was originally used by the royal family to rest during their long journeys, so it was abandoned most of the time.

But today, the manor was brightly lit inside and outside, and there were many people moving around.

However, it is not a prince or princess who lives here temporarily, but the prestigious Duke of Choiseul and his luxurious and huge entourage.

As a minister who stood at the apex of power in France, the Duke of Choiseul had long been granted a charter by Louis XV, allowing him to use royal palaces across France for official purposes.

At this moment, the Duke was enjoying a simple but exquisite three-course dinner in his palace chamber.

But the Duke of Choiseul's attention was obviously not on the delicious dishes. He was engrossed in reading a newly presented report in his hand, and at the same time he was distracted by a close entourage reporting to him on the current situation in the Île-de-France.

"In general, the Duke of Orleans, as regent, made no noteworthy actions during this period."

The confidant gave a brief report on the recent political situation in Paris and Versailles, but then he hesitated a bit. After thinking about his words for a while, he spoke again:

"In addition, Your Majesty the Duke, I have just confirmed a piece of bad news about your cousins ​​Caesar Gabriel and Laurence Bonaparte."

Duke Choiseul's eyes were always fixed on the report in his hand, and he stuffed a piece of iced sweet cheese into his mouth absentmindedly, as if he didn't hear it.

It wasn't until he finished reading the report that Duke Choiseul moved his sore neck and suddenly said:

"Gabriel and Lawrence. The king must have started to take action. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should have been taken back by them."

The confidant couldn't help but be surprised, and then he glanced at Duke Choiseul with even more admiration, secretly sighing that this was indeed the chief minister of the current kingdom. With just these two names, he almost knew what happened in Versailles.

"I'm afraid that's the case, according to the news coming from Paris."

The cronies hurriedly informed the Duke of Choiseul of all the changes that had occurred in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the past few days, from the initial dismissal of Gabriel on the spot at the Royal Council to the subsequent uprooting of members of the Choiseul faction from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. .

"Oh, that's how it is"

Duke Choiseul listened quietly, without any emotion during the whole process, but always smiling lightly, as if he was listening to a folk tale that happened in a foreign country and had nothing to do with him.

It wasn't until the confidant finished telling the story that Duke Choiseul shook his head slightly and commented with a smile:

"Laurence Bonaparte, this young man really has some tricks up his sleeve."

"this"

The confidants couldn't understand Duke Choiseul's reaction, and after hesitating for a long time, he still advised:

"Your Majesty, Paris and Versailles are currently discussing Laurence Bonaparte's betrayal of you. If we don't launch a counterattack against this traitor as soon as possible, I'm afraid it will have a serious impact on the prestige and stability of the entire faction."

"No need, this is not a betrayal. He and I have always cooperated for profit." Duke Choiseul smiled lightly:

"And he probably couldn't help himself this time. There must be more pressure from His Majesty the King than from me. Well, just think of it as a favor from me this time. He did a great job on Malta Island. I I have to thank him for winning the heart of the Mediterranean for France.”

The confidant nodded in understanding: "What do you mean?"

Duke Choiseul put down his silver fork, picked up the report at hand and glanced at it for a few times, then stood up and said in a deep voice:

"His Majesty the King has openly revealed his wariness against us. Under such circumstances, it is not appropriate to make more enemies; besides, Laurence Bonaparte still has value, and he will not and does not dare to break up with me yet. Before completely draining his use value, let’s continue to maintain this fragile friendship. As for Gabriel’s matter, I will pretend that he has never been involved.”

"But!" Although he understood that in this situation, all forces that could be united should be united, the confidant still sighed with great reluctance:

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the result of your decades of management. I am really unwilling to let them give it to you in just these few days."

"It's just a small setback. I will still control the Kingdom's foreign policy in a short period of time; and you have to remember that if our ambition lies in the entire Kingdom of France, the entire European continent, and even the entire world, then this The gains and losses of the ministry are nothing to worry about.”

Duke Choiseul smiled openly and relaxedly, threw the report he just couldn't put down to this close entourage, and walked out with a confident smile:

"Besides, our real opportunity will come soon. By then, what I want to regain is not just the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

Watching the Duke of Choiseul walk out of the dormitory, the confidant glanced doubtfully at the title of the report in his hand - "Top Secret of the Ministry of War: Report on the Situation in Southern Italy and the Western Mediterranean and Analysis of the Possibility of Civil War in the Kingdom of Naples"

Two days later, on May 24, Duke Choiseul officially returned to Versailles with his large entourage in a very high-profile manner.

The Duke's nominal reason for returning to Île-de-France this time was to attend the coronation ceremony of Louis XV as the chief minister of France.

The ceremony for Louis XV's coronation as King of Corsica, originally scheduled for late spring, was postponed several times due to His Majesty's illness, and was finally scheduled to be officially held at the Palace of Versailles in early June.

Many outsiders have speculated that this coronation ceremony will most likely be the last large-scale event held by His Majesty the King in his life. Its scale will definitely be unprecedentedly grand, and it is estimated to be even more extravagant than the wedding ceremony of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess. times.

The number of participants alone is enough to give an idea of ​​the scale of this event.

In the past few weeks, not only gentlemen and celebrities from around the Île-de-France have received invitations, but also noble families from various places have been coming to Versailles. Almost every day, one can see luxury motorcades coming from far away. The road winds slowly into the heart of the kingdom.

And perhaps because of His Majesty's intention, the Duke of Choiseul was the last batch of nobles to rush back to Versailles.

When the Duke's massive entourage returned to the manor, His Majesty the King was very rare and did not personally welcome the return of his apparent right-hand man as usual. He did not even send an envoy to greet him.

You know, even if an ordinary count comes to Versailles, the king's court will follow the etiquette and send a courtier to welcome him.

This abnormality, coupled with the incident of Caesar Gabriel being removed from office and imprisoned a few days ago, immediately made the nobles who were immersed in the atmosphere of the celebration sober up a little, and could vaguely smell the faint smell of gunpowder that permeated the Palace of Versailles.

On the night of May 24, as the top dignitaries of the entire kingdom gathered in Versailles for the rare occasion, Louis XV also took advantage of the opportunity and held a large dinner in the Hall of Mirrors.

At about seven o'clock in the evening, the kingdom's top politicians, various ladies and ladies, well-known scholars in the art and academic circles, and ambassadors from several important countries all gathered in the brightly lit hall. In the Hall of Mirrors, enjoy the most luxurious banquets and dances in the entire kingdom.

However, His Majesty the King, as the host, did not attend the banquet. The reason was that he was ill as always.

Crown Prince Louis was still staying at the Paris Military Academy, so he made up a random reason to miss the banquet. The Duke of Orleans, the regent, and a royal family member who hosted the entire banquet hosted everyone on behalf of Louis XV.

Lawrence arrived at the Palace of Versailles in the afternoon and discussed the details of the coronation ceremony with Justice Maupe for a long time. When the two rushed to the Hall of Mirrors for the banquet, the banquet had already begun for some time.

Amid the loud announcement from the Master of Ceremonies, Lawrence walked into the Hall of Mirrors, grabbed a glass of champagne, and while looking at the guests at tonight's banquet, he strolled and chatted with Justice Maupe.

There are many old faces in the Hall of Mirrors tonight who are very familiar to Lawrence. Most of them have appeared at the Royal Council; but of course there are also many like Count Vergenin who came to the Hall of Mirrors for the first time. And the newbies who are extremely excited.

As the newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, Count Vergenin was also a very hot focus among the guests. A group of nobles and bureaucrats who tried to make friends quickly gathered around him.

However, when the Foreign Secretary saw Lawrence entering, he immediately shook off the crowd around him and greeted Lawrence respectfully and seriously.

After all, Count Vergenin, as the person involved, knows very well how he came to be the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and whose instructions the current French Ministry of Foreign Affairs should follow.

After greeting the guests politely and politely declining Miss Elvy's invitation to dance, Lawrence breathed a sigh of relief and silently observed these distinguished guests bathed in the bright light.

"etc."

Lawrence suddenly noticed something and asked casually:

"Did the Duke of Choiseul not attend tonight's banquet?"

A court official next to him seemed to hear Lawrence's doubts, and he stepped forward very considerately and explained:

"The Duke rushed back to Versailles in the afternoon. He is currently meeting with His Majesty in the King's Suite. He may come to the Hall of Mirrors later."

"That's it"

Lawrence nodded slightly, glanced at the gentlemen and ladies dancing to the orchestral dance music in the corridor, and continued to ask:

"It seems that the Duke of Aiguillon and Baron Bertula are not here either? I saw them talking about something together in the Palace of Versailles in the afternoon."

"Your Excellency, the Duke of Aiguillon was absent from tonight's banquet due to physical discomfort, while Baron Bertula rushed back to the embassy early due to busy official duties."

"Really? Thanks."

Lawrence nodded slightly in thought, and then looked at each other with Justice Maupe, and gently swung the crystal clear champagne in the glass, feeling a little strange about the simultaneous absence of Duke Aiguillon and Baron Bertula.

Justice Maupp also frowned. Although he had cooperated with the Richelieu faction for a period of time and knew that there was some kind of conspiracy between the Duke of Richelieu and the British Ambassador, he only knew a little bit about the specific situation:

"Duke Richelieu has been in contact with Baron Bertula for a long time, but since he was under house arrest, it is probably Duke Aiguillon who contacted Baron Bertula on his behalf. However, these two people seem to have been in contact recently. Too often."

Justice Maupp's intelligence network clearly shows that the number of recent meetings between Duke Aiguillon and Baron Bertula has been unusual.

Lawrence lowered his head and pondered. He had heard various rumors about the current situation of Duke Richelieu before, saying that this legendary Duke was already old and had lost all ambitions. He only wanted to live in the lush hometown of Versailles. Spend the rest of your life quietly and peacefully.

Although the Duke of Richelieu is now evaluated in the aristocratic circles in this way, Lawrence had previously confirmed it from Madame Du Barry before her death. The ambition of this Duke has definitely not died out. He and Baron Bertula The conspiracy must also be real.

"Maybe. hmm?!"

Just as Lawrence was trying to do some analysis with Justice Mopp, he heard a sudden commotion at the entrance of the Hall of Mirrors.

I saw several royal guards struggling to prevent a strong man in gray monk's robes from entering, shouting in unison:

"You can't come in. No matter how important the matter is, we can't report it until the banquet is over!"

However, these elite royal guards could only barely block the strong man when they joined forces. The two sides seemed to be in a wrestling match. The strong man gritted his teeth and tried his best to rush in, roaring in a low voice. road:

"I want to see your King immediately! There is no time to waste!"

The nearby guests were all startled, because the strong man did not look like he should appear in an elegant and gorgeous place like the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles.

He was unkempt and unkempt, and it seemed that he had not taken a shower for a long time. His eye sockets were deeply sunken, and there were extremely obvious dark circles around them. He looked like he had not slept well for many days and nights. The rough cheeks There are even many conspicuous scars, whether they were caused by swords or scraped lead bullets.

The shabby gray monk's robe was even more dilapidated and stained with mud. There were also a few pieces of solidified yellow mud that emitted an unpleasant stench. They should be stains left by the long journey on the boat.

The only thing worthy of praise is his strong body. Even this loose modified robe cannot hide his strong muscles. He is even stronger than the elite royal guards in front of him.

The guests at the door turned pale with fright and backed away, thinking that this was a thug or assassin who broke into the palace.

More and more royal guards also rushed over immediately after hearing the news. When Lawrence and Justice Maupe arrived at the scene, the bull-like strong man had been barely controlled by five guards.

"etc!"

Just as the guards were preparing to escort this rebellious man away, Lawrence suddenly walked out of the crowd and stopped the guards. Then he looked at the extremely haggard man in front of him in great surprise.

Lawrence recognized the appearance of this strong man, but his extremely haggard expression almost made him fail to recognize him for a moment. However, the octagonal cross on the monk's robe still showed this person's identity without any dispute:

"Are you... Archimandrite Giotto of the Knights of Malta?!"

Lawrence frowned and looked at this strong man. There is no doubt that this man is the current actual leader of the Knights of Malta, the successor of Grand Master Erwin, a self-made warrior whom Lawrence admires, Archimandrite Giotto.

However, Lawrence did not realize for a moment why Archimandrite Giotto of Malta would appear in the Palace of Versailles thousands of miles away, and in such a downcast and haggard posture.

"Your Excellency Bonaparte, Captain of the Bonaparte Guard!"

Archbishop Giotto also immediately recognized Lawrence and shouted anxiously:

"Knights, the Knights of Malta are under attack!"

"Attack? Damn it." Lawrence frowned, and without any time to think about anything, he immediately ordered the guards on the left and right:

"Guard, let go of this man, Grand Priest, what happened on the island of Malta?!"

The royal guards immediately carried out Lawrence's order after hesitating for a moment. They also knew very well that the Bonaparte in front of them would be the future minister of the new king's court and their immediate boss.

Archimandrite Giotto stood up and did not bother to wipe the dust off his body, nor did he bother to avoid the questioning guests in front of him. He could only clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, and roared in a low voice with blood and tears in his heart:

"The Navy of the Kingdom of Naples captured the island of Malta ten days ago. The headquarters of the Knights fell. The knights died on the island and suffered heavy casualties. Now the remaining number of the whole regiment is less than a thousand."