Eagle's Glory

"Do you remember Alexander? That Tsar, Alexander I," he said suddenly.

Um?Chanel was puzzled by the sudden question.

But she reacted quickly, and then a bitter smile appeared on her face.

"Yes, of course I remember him."

How could any Bonapartist forget this man?

It was this Tsar Alexander I who led Russia to withstand Napoleon's expedition and eventually destroyed the empire.

After defeating France, the Tsar became obsessed with mysticism and a life of seclusion, largely refraining from public appearances.

Two years ago, in 1825, the Tsar quietly passed away, and his younger brother Nicholas took over the throne.

Logically speaking, the Russian tsar was one of the biggest enemies of Emperor Napoleon and the empire, but Chanel did not have much hatred for the tsar. After all, the two countries clashed, and Alexander won with real swords and guns. Down with Napoleon, destroyed the empire, that is his ability, and there is not much to resent.

Furthermore, after the destruction of the empire, Tsar Alexander was polite to members of the Bonaparte family other than the emperor, did not hold them accountable, and even gave them a lot of money to compensate them for losing their royal titles—— For example, Queen Otangs received his help when she fled France.

Because his life is so legendary and changeable, Chanel still has mixed feelings when referring to the deceased tsar.

"Why did you mention him?" Then Chanel asked puzzled.

"His queen, Queen Elizabeth Alexeyevna, was originally a princess of Baden. At the age of 14, she married Alexander, who was still a prince at the time, because of a political marriage." Aigron did not answer immediately. Instead, he continued in a low voice, "After Alexander became the tsar, he didn't like the queen, so he neglected her, found several other mistresses, and gave birth to nine children; I went to find a lover, and there were more than one of them, one of them was the Polish nobleman Adam Czartoryski. It is said that the two children the queen gave birth to were both born to her lover..."

"Hmm..." Chanel probably understood what the master was talking about.

"Elizabeth Alexeyevna's two daughters all died young without exception." Aegron looked at the sunset by the sea, and then said in a flat tone. "The imperial doctor said it was because of an infectious disease."

Chanel gasped.

What does this mean?

Is the early death of the two princesses a tragedy created by God, or the result of the Tsar's anger?

No one knows, but it is absolutely terrifying when you think about it.

"Your Majesty..." She wanted to comfort Aigron, but she didn't know what to say.

"Don't comfort me, each of us will pay the price for what we do. I can't ask others to pay the price for me, but I am not willing to do it at all. This is unreasonable and impossible." Aigron sighed He took a deep breath, then turned around and prepared to leave the seashore, "This is the price I can bear...but I owe her my whole life."

After a pause, he added, "Besides, it may be too late. If I can get enough bargaining chips before everything is irretrievable, it will definitely be exchanged for the safety of the mother and child. I know them too well, and they will Angry, but definitely not refusing a reasonable deal."　　

31, plan

With the arrival of spring, the bright sunshine fills every sea area of ​​the Mediterranean Sea, and the small island of Monte Cristo is naturally included.

On this day, Father Faria submitted an application to meet His Majesty the Emperor through Miss Chanel-Noel, who took care of him.

His application was approved quickly.

"Father, is there anything you want to see me for?" Aigron asked politely when the priest came to his room.

Father Faria has been on the island for nearly half a month. After he escaped from the dungeon, after this period of recuperation, both his physical and mental state have improved greatly.

Although he was still half-paralyzed, for him, it was not enough to hinder his mental thinking.

He now seems to be full of boundless mobility.

"Your Majesty, can you tell me what you plan to do next?" Father Faria didn't say politely, but went straight to the point, "According to my observation, you have been recruiting people, and these people will definitely not be limited. Where are you going to use them on a tiny island?"

"I intend to establish a smuggling network to earn a steady stream of profits for me, which requires a lot of manpower." Aigron replied.

"I see this. You are indeed recruiting sailors, and you brought Edmond to the island for this purpose, but in my opinion, this is not all your intention." Father Faria did not back down, but He continued, "You are not only recruiting sailors, you are also recruiting an army, which even exceeds the carrying capacity of the island of Monte Cristo...Obviously you are trying to form an army of some size, so this must lead to the following One question—where are you going to take this army?"

Aegron didn't answer right away.

"If you want me to be your adviser, then you must be honest with me, at least let me know what you want to do next, so that I can play my role, don't you?" Father Faria continued, " You may think that I have just come out of the cell and I am not good enough to entrust big things, but I think I am in a good state now, and I have been observing the current situation in Europe during this time... I think I can make a difference, so please Just trust me a little bit."

Aegron hesitated.

"Surely you wouldn't take them directly to France and march into Paris, would you? It's completely irrational." The priest said with a smile, "You don't need to take another risk like your father, after all, he has prestige in the army, and you are currently not yet."

"Of course not." Eggron laughed at the joke.

If he leads people to land in France now, he is afraid that he will be caught and sent to prison if he goes less than [-] miles inland.

What to do next has always been just a plan in his heart, and he hasn't even mentioned it to those close to him.

However, now seems to be the time to speak up.

At least it doesn't matter if you discuss it with the priest.

Thinking of this, Aigron no longer hesitated, and expressed his plan.

"As long as the troops are assembled and a little bit of combat power is formed, I will go to Greece. Then, as a volunteer army, I will assist the Greek rebels to resist the Turks and help them gain independence."

"Oh! It's a little surprising." The priest opened his eyes wide, surprised, but he didn't show much objection.

"Raising an army not only requires money and people, but also territory. This small island of Monte Cristo will never allow me to form an army. So I have to find a way to get a bigger territory." Now that I have said it, Iger Long also no longer concealed, "Considering my identity, if I grab territory elsewhere, there will undoubtedly be an extremely violent counterattack, but if I volunteer to fight for the recovery of Christian countries in the name of saving Greece, Although it is Orthodox, people in the Christian world will still cheer for me—"

"That's a good reason." Father Faria nodded.

Then, he thought for a while, "But the situation in Greece is not good at the moment, the Turks and Egyptians are besieging them—"

"That's right, this is the room for me to play!" Aigron replied smugly, "The Turks seem to have the upper hand now, but this is only because the Greeks themselves are too confused, not because they are so powerful. I think I have some room to manipulate."

The conversation between the two also revealed the current situation.

Since being conquered by Ottoman Turkey, the Greek people have never stopped resisting, and since 1821, the Greek people's resistance has ushered in an unprecedented climax.

After several years of guerrilla warfare, the Greek rebel army, led by Kroktronis and others, repeatedly defeated the Turkish army and once recovered almost the entire territory.

However, the local nobles and local tyrants in Greece looked down on the reckless leaders of the rebel army, and the pro-European faction and the native faction were also engaged in fierce struggles. Therefore, before independence was completed, fierce internal strife occurred within Greece.

In April 1824, Greece held the second National Assembly, and Kroktronis was dismissed from the post of commander-in-chief.Of course, the faction that supported him refused to accept it, refused to recognize the government, and established a separate central government, so two governments coexisted in Greece.

After two violent armed conflicts, the infighting in Greece was finally captured with Kroktronis himself.The Greek Civil War ended, and the Greek army suffered heavy losses.

At this moment, Turkey was also eyeing Greece, desperately trying to extinguish the flames of this uprising. In July 1824, Turkey signed an agreement with Egypt, which was ruled by it in name but actually controlled by Ali Pasha, to jointly suppress the uprising of the Greek people.

In February 1825, a 2-strong army of the Egyptian Army and Navy landed in the southern Peloponnese Peninsula and marched on a large scale.Although the Greek army resisted bravely, it still failed to stop the Egyptian army's attack.Under the pressure of public opinion, the Greek government released Kroktronis and others, and appointed him as the commander-in-chief again. However, the situation of the war was difficult to reverse, and the Egyptian army occupied most of Greece.

After two years of fierce fighting, although the Greeks resisted bravely, the Greek land north of the Corinth region fell back into the hands of the Turkish army, and only part of the Peloponnese and the Aegean Sea remained in the Greek territory. several islands.

The situation in Greece looks precarious.

However, this was just the darkness before dawn. After reaching a desperate situation, the Greeks finally began to resist desperately, and finally withstood the footsteps of the Turks, and the decaying Ottoman Empire began to be unable to support the consumption of war.

In addition, with the continuation of the armed uprising in Greece, European sympathy for Greece is also increasing year by year, and the attitudes of various countries are also changing. In the end, the European powers who were originally unwilling to support the uprising and hoped to maintain the old order changed their attitudes and insisted on Put pressure on Turkey, and then force Turkey to withdraw from Greece.

Historically, Greece finally gained formal independence in 1829.

Aigron knew that, just like stock market speculation, the stock "Greece" was at its lowest point right now. As long as he entered the market and worked hard, he would be able to reap huge benefits during the stock rebound.

The worse Greece is now, the more room he has for "greedy power".

Of course, he will not explain all these plans to the priest, but Father Faria can also keenly observe the benefits of it.

"Aren't you afraid of taking risks? It's the Turkish army, regular army," Father Faria asked.

"I hate taking risks, Father, I hate taking risks at all times. But I know better that if you want the throne, you must take risks. Compared with the benefits I can get, taking risks is not worth mentioning." Aigron sighed Answer, "Once I raise a volunteer army, I will go about my cause."

After a pause, he explained, "Besides, I am not without support. I have those veterans and officers who are loyal to me, and tens of millions of francs. I will definitely be able to convince those Turks. I think Turkey is like A dilapidated house, as long as you stand at the door and kick hard, it will sway and collapse!"

"And if you succeed, what do you want? The Greek crown?" asked Father Faria again.

"I don't want it. No one can govern the kingdom of Greece well. Didn't you see that they used swords and guns to fight among themselves before they succeeded in independence! No one can manage this country well, and it is not worth my wasting energy. I want What I want is France, the richest European country." Aigron shook his head, "I just need to get a sphere of influence and use Greece as a bargaining chip to trade with European powers on better terms."

Very good...Father Faria nodded slightly in his heart.

It can be seen that His Majesty already has a very mature plan - it can even be said that it has exceeded his original expectations.

If so, give it a go!

I can also add fuel to His Majesty's fire.

"Your plan is quite good, and I have nothing to refute. But..." Father Faria smiled slyly, "However, I think I can do my best to make your plan go more smoothly , and get a more solid guarantee.”

"What do you mean?" Aigron immediately became interested and asked quickly.

"At a time when those great powers are abandoning Greece for their own despicable interests, your righteous deed of saving Greece alone will be recognized by all Christians, even those who oppose you the most. There is a way to find out your fault...and I think the Roman Church will be one of the people who cheer you the most." The priest explained to him in a low voice.

Then, his eyes sparkled with excitement, "Your Majesty, think about it, what an honor it would be if the Pope personally issued an edict to praise your feat in the Christian world?"

Affected by his tone, Aigron couldn't help being fascinated by it.

Of course he doesn't have a good impression of the Roman Church, but he knows that France is still a Catholic country, especially French farmers, who like this set of religious rhetoric the most - if the Pope personally issues an edict to reward him, it will How much of a stir did the vast French countryside cause?

At that time, he used picture books and other means to bombard those farmers with propaganda...

Hey!What an exciting scene that will be!

Thinking of this, Eggron couldn't help being fascinated.

However, he quickly calmed down, and looked at Father Faria suspiciously again.

"The relationship between my father and the Roman Church is very tense. Will the Pope be willing to do this?"

What Aegron said was true.

During the French Revolution, the relationship between the government of the Republic and the Catholic Church was very bad. On the one hand, the Republic hated the so-called Catholicism that suppressed reason and encouraged ignorance ideologically; To the priesthood, the church in France also suffered a great deal of vitality.

After Napoleon came to power, he began to rebuild the French order. He picked up the Catholic Church as a tool, so he began to lift the ban on the church, and then deliberately established a good relationship with the church.

With his efforts, the church quickly repaired relations with Napoleon.

When Napoleon came to the throne in 1804, Pope Pius VII crowned Napoleon.

However, although he used the church as a tool, Napoleon still disdained the church in his heart.At the coronation ceremony, he snatched the crown from the pope, and put it on for himself, clearly showing the world that his throne was won by himself, not granted by the pope—the relationship between the two sides also emerged. .

After that, the relationship between Napoleon and the church also took a sharp turn for the worse.

The Pope originally thought that the Napoleonic Empire would become the same pillar of the Catholic world as the Bourbon Dynasty, but Napoleon used the Empire as a tool for his personal ambitions.

In 1809, Napoleon attacked Vienna and then annexed the states under the Papal State. Pius VII was furious and announced that Napoleon would be excommunicated.Napoleon arrested Pope Pius VII in the Vatican on July 1809, 7 and escorted him back to Savona for captivity.

Pope Pius VII spent five years in captivity before being released after Napoleon abdicated in 1814.

Obviously, the last relationship between the two sides turned into a state of rupture.

The younger brother of his grandmother Letizia Bonaparte, that is, his great-uncle Joseph Fesch (Joseph Fesch), is the cardinal of the church. He was also prominent in the church and presided over his baptism ceremony; But his cardinal was obtained in France entirely because of Napoleon's relationship, and after Napoleon's relationship with the church broke down, his status in the church also declined greatly.

In the end, after Napoleon abdicated, he returned to Rome, and was cast idle. Now he can only live a retired life in Rome. It is impossible to expect him to exert influence in the church.

Therefore, Egron, who is familiar with these anecdotes, does not expect the Roman Church's attitude towards the Bonaparte family at all.

"If Pius VII was still alive, I think it would be difficult for them to change their minds, but the situation is different now, we have a new pope to deal with." Father Faria smiled again, "Your Majesty, this is also God's decision help you."

Indeed, Pope Pius VII, who had a deep hatred for Napoleon, died in 1823. He was replaced by Pope Leo XII, who was the emperor and a courtier. Naturally, a large number of personnel changes have taken place within the church. The former hatred is now It seems that it is not a big deal-after all, the French King Philip IV hijacked and imprisoned the Pope, and the later kings continued to be the filial sons of God?

"What you said is indeed reasonable." Aigron nodded, "Then how do you think it should work?"

"You have found the right person!" The priest's eyes flashed a smugness, but he concealed it skillfully, "You forgot, I am an Italian priest, I am a member of the church, and I have a lot of knowledge in it." old friend."

"Oh..." Eggron suddenly realized.

"I read the latest Vatican yearbook, and found out that one of my best friends has now been promoted to cardinal... Alas, 16 years!" Feeling sorry for the time, but soon he cheered up again, "Your Majesty, I can contact my old friends and ask them to help me and open up the church."

"How sure are you?" Aigron asked solemnly.

"If you don't have money or don't want to spend money, honestly, you're not sure. But as long as you are willing to spend money and have enough money, it's not difficult for the church to admit that the devil is an angel. It's just a matter of finding the right way." Father He replied calmly, "Think about it, when people from the Medici family and the Borgia family could be popes, what else can't happen in Rome?"

"It makes sense..." Aigron nodded in agreement.

Inadvertently, he found himself opening another path.

Sure enough, Father Faria was really useful... He was once again thankful for his wise decision.

Yes, the church has been a corrupt and full of tricks since ancient times. It is best at turning decay into magic, or magic into corruption. As long as you find the right way, you can buy the senior priests and the pope, and let them reward you for yourself. What counts?

Thinking of this, Aigron immediately cheered up.

Then, he was thinking about how to buy the Pope.

In the original "The Count of Monte Cristo", Edmond Dantès, the Count of Monte Cristo, bought the pope's pardon at the price of a huge emerald and saved the life of a bandit on the execution ground.

And this piece of emerald is now in his treasure house, quietly waiting for him to use it at any time.

There is no doubt that what he wants is much more important and precious than what he wants, but he believes that as long as he pays a little more, he can still buy what he wants from the Pope—after all, he and the present The Pope has no grudges.

"Your Majesty, if you think my suggestion is feasible, you'd better make up your mind as soon as possible." While Egron was pondering, Father Faria urged in a low voice, "The sooner you prepare, the sooner you will master it." No matter whether you think highly of the church or not, since you want to show the brilliance of the heroes of the Christian world, the praise of the church is very helpful to you. No one can certify your great achievements more than the Pope. This The price of everything is nothing more than the loss of some dead things for you, and there is nothing worth nostalgic about."

Yes, all the conditions are already met, so why hesitate?Eggron made up his mind.

If it fails, it will be nothing more than losing some property, but if it succeeds, it will be great political capital.

"Okay, then let's work hard for it." He clenched his fists in the void and shook them suddenly to express his determination, "You can find a way to contact your friends now and let them know that you are here Work for me."