Eagle's Glory

"His Royal Highness!" The first time he saw Louis, he immediately bowed and saluted, "Thank you for coming."

"Long time no see, Earl." Louis nodded and greeted him. "You have done a good job here, and His Majesty has praised you in particular."

"I'm just trying my best to complete the task. Thanks to His Majesty's support all the time, I can make a small achievement." Edmond Dantès replied humbly. "Now that you are in command, I think everything will go smoother."

Although he has gradually adapted to the status of an earl, and he can already assume the posture of a big man when interacting with other people, but when facing the prince, Edmond Dantès always I couldn't help being a little embarrassed and cringing.

Not only because he is His Majesty's cousin and the prince of the Bonaparte family, but also because this man has seen himself in the most desolate and miserable appearance in the prison of Chateau d'If.

He knew that no matter how many people he was majestic in front of, and assumed the posture of an earl, it was meaningless in front of His Highness—His Highness knew his details well, and he fully remembered his appearance when he begged in front of him.

"You are too humble, Edmond." Louis smiled and shook his head, "Your ability has been proven by the facts, His Majesty and I are very satisfied, and I have nothing to guide you, you let go Do it, and I wish you all the best."

Although Louis hated this "sycophant" who jumped out halfway and took away the trust and authority he should have enjoyed, but on the surface he concealed it very well and treated Monte Cristo with a very cordial attitude. Lord Earl.

Although he is proud, he is not stupid. He knows that falling out with the count will not help the matter, and it will make him angry with His Majesty, so he decided to build a good relationship with the other party first, anyway, he also needs the count.

"Your Highness, I also wish you all the best." Edmond Dantès replied hastily.

After exchanging pleasantries, Louis pointed to a young soldier beside him, and then introduced him to Edmond Dantès.

"This is Mr. Carlos François Lopez. He is the captain of the advance team and is responsible for protecting the safety of the two of us. If you have any needs, you can also ask him. He will find a way to complete it." of."

Carlos François Lopez immediately gave Edmond Dantès a military salute.

"My lord, I am at your disposal."

"Mr. Lopez, thank you for your help. I feel more at ease with you here." Edmond Dantès looked at the officer and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He finally looked forward to reinforcements, and the captain looked like a brave and reliable soldier. With them as support, he finally had confidence.

"Okay, let's stop here for the greetings." After they finished greeting, Louis said, "Count, have you prepared a place for us yet?"

"It's ready." Edmond Dantès replied.

"Okay, take us there quickly, I don't want to blow the sea breeze here all the time." Louis replied with a smile.

"Please come with me." Edmond Dantès also laughed.

Then, he led the group of people away from the coast and went deep into the inland area. After several hours of marching, they were a little tired and finally came to an abandoned village.

It seems that no one has lived here for a long time, only some dilapidated farmhouses are left, which can barely shelter from the wind and rain.

And in the center of the farmhouse, there is also a well, which should be considered ideal by the standards of a marching garrison.

"This is really a good place." Louis whistled, "Edmond, when did you open such a big hotel?"

"Sorry, Your Highness, right now I can only find this place to set up camp for everyone. Although the conditions are poor, please forgive me." Edmond Dantès replied with some embarrassment.

"No, I don't mind this. I didn't come to Greece to enjoy life—I want to ask, how did you get such a place? And how are you sure it's safe here?" Louis shook his head.

"Since the Turks came, the villagers here have fled. Some of them have gone to other places, and some of them have gone to the mountains and become bandits. Now there is a group of bandits who are seeking refuge with me. Here is what they told me .” Edmond Dantès explained to the Prince in detail.

Not long ago, under the introduction of a middleman, Edmond Dantès got acquainted with a bandit leader, Isaac Valleolo, and then spent money to recruit him and his bandit gang.

Although he doesn't dare to trust the other party too much, at least for now, they have carried out limited cooperation, and with the help of these bandits who are familiar with the local terrain, Edmond Dantès has made things much easier. Abandoned villages are also found with their help.

"I've heard about the bandits." Louis nodded, "Let me meet them later, it's time to tell him our history."

"I will arrange it." Edmond Dantès quickly responded.

Then, he took Louis and Francois Lopez to the relatively best-preserved farmhouse nearby, which will also serve as Louis's temporary foothold.

In the dilapidated, almost empty house, the three found a few small wooden pier as chairs and sat down, and then began to discuss the next thing.

"Edmond, I think you should know my mission from His Majesty's letter?" Louis asked as soon as he sat down.

"Yes, Your Highness." Edmond Dantès nodded, "You will contact the independent Greek government and their opposition to determine their attitude and seek cooperation."

"So, you have been in Greece for so long, do you have any clues? Or...can you give me any useful advice?" Louis looked at the count expectantly, "There is not much time left for us, I Think we need to act as quickly as possible."

As soon as he said this, Edmond Dantès looked a little ashamed.

"Sorry, Your Highness... Although I have been trying to contact the independent government of Greece recently, there is still no response. It is difficult for me to find a suitable messenger, and I dare not rush over directly..."

"That means there is no progress yet, right?" Louis frowned.

He wasn't angry, just a little disappointed. "Now that I'm here, your position is different. You can try to contact them and let them know our existence. If it doesn't work, I'll just run over. I think under the current situation, they shouldn't easily Reject aid from the outside world."

"I understand." Edmond Dantès nodded. "Then I will take this as the main goal in the future."

"The opposition to the Greek government, do you have any idea?" Louis asked again.

"I have a little idea about this." Edmond Dantès replied, "There was internal strife among the Greeks before, and there was blood with each other, and a deep hatred was formed. Many people were exiled, and some were imprisoned. Prison, and some people have been reduced to bandits. I think that if we pass through our current bandit friends, we should be able to contact several former opposition parties."

In fact, when the Greek War of Independence broke out in 1821, many of the initial rebels were bandits. After the Greek government suffered internal strife, it was normal for the losers to go back and become bandits.

Louis thought for a moment, then spoke again.

"It's not enough just to find collaborators, if we want them to work, we need to find someone who has the charisma. What we need is a Greek government that is willing to work with us, not a bunch of mountains fighting on their own. Bandits, otherwise they are useless."

"Then what do you mean? Who do you think is the most appealing?" Edmond Dantès asked quickly.

"We have to find a way to get Theozolos-Koroktronis on our side, or at least remain neutral." Louis said his thoughts. "So, at the moment it's crucial to find a way to get in touch with him."

This is indeed a crucial step.

Theozolos-Kroktronis was the leader of the original rebel army. After the outbreak of the War of Independence, he used his years of military experience to form an irregular army composed of bandits, and was then elected as the leader of the Greek army at that time. The commander of the rebel army, under his command, the rebel army quickly won many victories, defeated the Turks many times, drove the Turkish forces out of the Peloponnese Peninsula, and became a national hero in Greece.

However, not long after, fierce internal strife broke out in Greece, Koroktronis was caught in prison, and his old ministry was also bloody cleaned.

However, because of his high prestige, the winning faction in the Greek government did not dare to kill him directly.

In the next step, Turkey took advantage of the civil strife in Greece and re-invaded with Egypt.

The situation became precarious, and the Greek government, under the pressure of public opinion, released Koroktronis and appointed him commander-in-chief again, but at this time the situation had become extremely bad. It has been impossible to restore the overall situation, and can only watch the Turks and Egyptians advance step by step, occupying most of Greece.

Clearly, the Commander-in-Chief is at odds with his government, and his old ministry has a grudge against the victors of the infighting, and that's where it can be exploited.

"If the prestigious Coloctronis chooses cooperation or neutrality, then all problems will be solved." After a moment of silence, Edmond Dantès echoed Louis's statement, "But—this Will the general easily agree to cooperate with us? He is now the commander-in-chief of the Greek government, and he may not be willing to overthrow his own government."

"Everyone has his own pursuit, it just depends on what he is willing to give up for his pursuit." Louis replied with a smile. "If what he pursues is to defend the independence of Greece, then in the current situation, he will seek any life-saving straw, and he is willing to drink our help even if it is poison; if what he pursues is to defend the independent government of Greece, then of course he will not Would love to see it die—what do you think he would think?"

Edmond Dantès was silent again.

From any perspective, he did not feel that the commander-in-chief would have any loyalty and gratitude to the government that had bloodbathed his subordinates.

"At least it's worth a try." He nodded in agreement with Louis' judgment.

"Okay, Earl, we'll make a deal like this." After the two of them agreed, Louis made a final decision. "Let's divide the work between the two. I will find a way to contact the Greek government; while you will act in the dark, contact his old department, his relatives, and anyone who can speak in front of him. We will prepare both ways, or The Greek government cooperates with us or we overthrow it and bring Kroktronis and his supporters to power!"

"Okay, Your Highness." Edmond Dantès responded. "I follow your orders."　　

75. aftermath

"He has rested in the Lord and has been taken to the heavenly paradise at this moment. Although we say goodbye temporarily, we firmly believe that we will see each other again. May the beloved genius rest in the embrace of the Lord!"

In the quiet cemetery, the girl read the eulogy softly.

Looking around, there are many tombstones around, and all the famous and unknown people have found their own destination here, and they are also seeking eternal rest in this cemetery.

This is the Villingen Cemetery, the cemetery where the citizens of Vienna are buried after their death, and the place where she stands now is the tomb of the late music master Beethoven.

In March of this year, this great genius finally survived the torment of illness, sadly bid farewell to the world, and ended his struggle with the world.

Although he was poor, his funeral was quite grand. Those citizens who admired his name held a grand funeral for him to commemorate the end of a great chapter in the history of music in Germany and the world.

And this young girl also secretly contributed money to see off the funeral and the master she had sincerely admired.

Since the master was buried, everything has returned to tranquility.

And today she came again, not only to commemorate this talented musician, but also to fulfill a promise.

Although it is summer, the hottest season of the year, being in this cemetery still makes people feel cool.

The girl was wearing a black mourning dress, and the hat on her head had a veil hanging down, covering the girl's delicate face, but from her mellow voice, she could also hear some youthful charm.

After reading these eulogies, the girl picked up a bouquet of white carnations from her side, then bowed and placed it under the tombstone.

She didn't present flowers for herself, but for that young man—when the two met, the young man once mentioned that he wanted to present a bouquet of flowers to the master to express his apology, so she came to help him fulfill his wish today.

After placing the bouquet, she straightened up again, and then looked at the tombstone again.

The appearance of this master appeared in front of her eyes. Although she had only seen him a few times, he left a deep impression on her mind—and the scene that impressed her most was the last time between the two of them. one side.

At that time, Master Beethoven personally presented her with his final manuscript.

When she took the manuscript, she clearly saw the eyes of the master.

All worries and comforts seemed to be frozen in that look.

The weather-beaten musician was not afraid or angry when she was about to die, but was concerned about the next fate of her admirer-she suffered a blow that she shouldn't have to bear at her age, and God knows what will happen next to her. What kind of fate?

Condensed in his staves, is it blessing, pity, or regret?

It doesn't matter anymore, this genius has left the world forever, and he owns his last work.

"Please bless us in heaven..." She lowered her head and muttered to herself.

Then, she turned and left, and left the cemetery in a carriage.

She did not return directly to her home, but ordered the carriage to go to another place.

The carriage soon came to an apartment building in the southern suburbs of Vienna.

Teresa went up to the second floor and came to the door of a room.

She knocked gently on the door.

"Who is it?!" There was an alert shout from inside the door.

The girl didn't answer, but knocked on the door again.

"Okay! I want to see who else remembers to look for me...!" The person inside obviously became a little impatient, and then walked quickly to the door, and opened the door. "Who are you?!"

Teresa did not answer, but lifted her veil and revealed her face.

At this moment, the other party stopped in the middle of speaking, and then stared at the girl dumbfounded.

"Long time no see, Captain..." Teresa smiled slightly, "How are you doing recently?"

Perhaps infected by her smile, Captain Foresty gradually regained his senses from the shock, then shook his head with a wry smile.

"Not very good, Your Highness."

Then, he also laughed, "Why are you dressed like this today? Are you afraid that I will die soon, so you come to see me off?"

"Sorry! I just went to commemorate a deceased person today, and I stopped by to see you, so I didn't have time to change my clothes." Teresa quickly smiled and apologized to the other party, "I hope this won't bother you so much that you don't think of me as a guest."

how?Want to come in as a guest?Captain Foresty was even more puzzled.

"If you don't mind my shabby home, I am of course very honored to have you here." He hastily stepped aside and made an inviting gesture, "Please come in, Your Highness."

"Thank you, sir." Teresa nodded with a smile, and walked in quickly.

The captain closed the door suspiciously.

As the other party, there was no need to ask her opinion at all, and her superficial politeness could not conceal the huge gap between the two identities.

Just like myself and that boy... No matter how harmonious we usually get along, we are still not in the same world after all.

Teresa walked into the room, and a strong smell of potion came over her face. Even though the window was open, the smell was still a bit pungent, and she managed to suppress the discomfort in her nose. .

Then, she looked around the room, and found that the arrangement here was rather messy, with clothes, books, and weapons scattered all over the place. Only a few uniforms hanging on the hangers could remind the original identity of the owner.

"You... have been really hard these days." Teresa lowered her eyes and said apologetically. "I heard that you have suffered a lot of injustice, and I feel sorry for you."

She knew why there was such a strong smell of potion - when His Highness fled, Captain Foresty, His Highness's swordsmanship teacher, tried to stop it, and was pierced through the abdomen by His Highness's sword.

This was already a fatal injury, but the heavy snow that day aggravated his injury. By the time he was discovered, he was already seriously injured and dying.

Fortunately, in order to investigate the whole story of His Highness's escape, the officials gave him very generous medical treatment, and he was physically strong, so he barely escaped from the hands of death.

This is not the only price he paid. Afterwards, he was held accountable because of poor supervision.Officials did not put him in prison because he almost gave his life, but even so, he still lost his former position and was forced to retire, ending his career in disgrace.

Teresa knew very well that this must be an unbearable blow to him, but at this moment, she couldn't see much despair on the captain's face.

Perhaps some people are born with a strong heart to withstand all the disasters of fate.

"Fortunately, I narrowly escaped death again." The captain smiled, "Maybe God thinks I'm too young to meet Him. Since this is God's will, then I have no choice but to continue living, although I lost a lot of things, but at least my life is still there, isn't it? I believe there are still many ways for me to make a living."

The more optimistic he was, the more sorry Tereza felt.

She lifted her skirt and saluted the captain solemnly.

"I'm sorry, sir... I hope you can forgive Your Highness..."

"Your Highness? What are you doing?" Captain Foresty was taken aback, and quickly waved his hands, "Is there any excuse? You should know that I was injured in a fair duel. He defeated me. We are fighting in the honor of swordsmen, since he can hurt me, it is his ability, as his teacher, I should even be gratified that my students are so outstanding."