Eagle's Glory

"I have told you the basic facts, and I have expressed my sincerity to you, so it is up to you, sir." Louis looked at the other party, and then asked, "I hope you will take my words To convey to your Excellency the President, I think this kind of selfless help is very valuable in your current situation."

After listening to Louis' words, Damian Andino did not express his position immediately, but hesitated.

After a while, he asked.

"Then I want to know, how does His Highness plan to use his money and power? If he forms a volunteer army, under whose banner and in whose name will he command?"

"Of course this is directed by him. Since it is his money and his people, why not?" Louis replied naturally, "We are supporting your independent cause in the name of the Bonaparte family."

"I will report to the president about your conditions." Damian Andino hesitated for a long time before finally answering. "However, I think these conditions are very difficult to get the president's permission."

Although he said it more tactfully, it was obvious that this was a rejection.

"Why, you guys would give up such obvious kindness?" Louis frowned, looking at each other with incredible eyes. "Is there anyone else willing to help you with a bigger hand?"

"Of course we need help urgently, but we also have to face reality to avoid a greater disaster, sir." Damian Andino replied with a wry smile.

"Oh? What is reality, sir?" Louis frowned slightly, and then asked the other party, "Are you not satisfied with these conditions?"

"It's hard for us to be satisfied." Louis' attitude made Damian Andino no longer want to be polite, and he answered bluntly, "We don't want to see ourselves tied to the name of the Bonaparte family. It would be a disaster for Greece. Although I personally have great respect for your family, I don't think I need to tell you that the relationship between the Bonaparte family and the countries of Europe is very bad. Only ten years ago they were still fighting each other. This kind of hatred is far from dissipating. Once they hear the news of our government’s cooperation with the Bonaparte family, European countries are likely to withdraw their support for us, which will make our independent cause suffer an irreversible disaster—"

Damian Andino knew that what he said now was very ugly, so he was ready for the other party to be furious.

But to his surprise, instead of getting angry, the other party laughed out loud.

"Interesting! Your words are really interesting!"

"What are you laughing at?" Damian Andino asked. "What's so funny about that?"

"That's right, I'm just kidding you!" Louis laughed for a while before retaliating loudly.

Now that he has reached this point, he didn't bother to address the other party with respect, instead he squinted and looked at the other party contemptuously, "Are you afraid that your independent career will be doomed? Isn't it already on the verge of doom? Open your eyes and see, The Turks have already hit your doorstep! And where is the support from the European countries you are counting on? Does it really exist? Even if it exists, will they be able to save your precarious and stinking regime in time?"

Louis' questioning with a gun and a stick made Damian Andino immediately speechless.

Everyone can see the predicament facing the independent government at the moment, even if he closes his eyes and sings loudly, it is useless.

"Let's be honest, you are dead in name only, your hearts are lost, and what is left is just an inconspicuous signboard. The reason why my cousin and I want to help you is because we love the land of Greece, Love its great people, we can't bear to see it fall into dire straits, so we want to help, not because we like you incompetent and useless waste!

When the situation was good, it was you bastards who kept saying that you were the bastards of the nation, betrayed the interests of the people, and swung the butcher knife at the soldiers with illustrious military exploits; but when the situation was in dire straits, for the sake of the so-called "perception of all countries", you On the occasion of life and death, refuse the help that is close at hand!Tell me, what are you afraid of? "

Louis didn't give the other party any room to breathe, and asked the other party aggressively step by step, "As far as I know, people who are about to drown don't care about anyone's help, they will desperately grab any straw, even if it is It doesn't matter to the devil's hand as long as it can get them out of danger! And your situation is similar to that of a drowning person, isn't it?

So what else do you have to be afraid of?What could be worse than the complete collapse of your independent business?Is offending a foreign government worse than dying?I can find no reason to refuse such valuable help from us--unless, you are acting not for an independent cause, but for yourselves, you see yourself as an agent of some foreign government, and you are completely discouraged and only want to You want to protect yourself, so you are afraid that if you cooperate with us, you will make the foreign masters unhappy, so that you will not be able to escape to their country before the destruction, right! ? "

Louis's questioning was purely speculation, but it was indeed so lethal that Damian Andino was so angry that his forehead was bulging with veins.

"How could you say such disrespectful words?" He almost shouted in reply, "His Royal Highness, on behalf of the President and the Independent Government of Greece, I demand your apology!"

"Then how should I treat you? You patted our helping hand away, but you still asked me to respect it?" Louis didn't mean to apologize at all, and still looked at each other with a sneer, "I hope to respect you, but you are here What I have done in a time of national crisis is beyond my respect."

"I'm sorry, although I have full respect for the Bonaparte family, but I don't see the dignity you should have in you." Damian Andino stood up, then shook his head. "I'm sorry, Your Highness, because of our position, it is really difficult to agree to your request."

asshole……

Louis cursed in his heart, and then tried to restrain his anger.

Without internal consideration, his request was directly rejected. Obviously, the independent Greek government values ​​the perception of Western powers, so it does not want to have anything to do with the Bonaparte family.

Although this was expected, when he saw his family being treated like this, Louis couldn't help but ignite a monstrous anger.

Fortunately, His Majesty did not count on their kindness and support from the very beginning, so he had already ordered to make two-handed preparations.

I will let you pay the due price, you just wait for me.

Looking at the other person's face, Louis thought viciously.　　

90, Panos

By the time he left Leonigion and returned to his secret abode, Louis was still resentful of how he had been treated there.

For a long time, although the Bonaparte family has lost the throne, he has always regarded himself as a prince of the royal family in his heart. However, the identity and reputation he cherishes are difficult to display in a small Greece, which really makes him Very annoyed.

A tiny Greek MP?

What was it in those days?The Bonaparte family doesn't need to give an order, just give a look, and such a gadget will disappear on the horizon forever.

But now, such a little thing dares to put on a great look directly in front of him!He rejected himself face to face and rejected his request for assistance.

The comparison between the past and the present made him feel the humiliation and anger more deeply.

And this humiliation and anger once again strengthened his determination to bring his family and himself back to the top.

Either have it all, or die completely, there is no middle way, how can a person who is destined to go down in history forever live his life in obscurity?

So he had to take it all back.

After returning to the station all the way, he met with Edmond Dantès, Count of Monte Cristo.

"Your Highness, what is the result of the negotiation?" Edmond Dantès asked directly as soon as the two met.

"The negotiation has completely failed." Louis shook his head heavily, and then replied angrily, "That stupid thing didn't even take our request back to discuss, and just rejected me. These idiots, they still think they have the pick!"

While this was entirely expected, Edmond Dantès couldn't help but be a little disappointed to see it come true.

The people on stage now are all related to the European powers, and the president himself has even served the Tsar for many years—so they don’t want to get involved with the Bonaparte family, and it’s normal for them to be afraid of angering the powers behind them.

Fortunately, His Majesty had given instructions a long time ago, and they were making two-handed preparations from the beginning.

"How is your side?" After venting his anger for a while, Louis finally regained his composure, and then he asked Edmond Dantès.

"My side is quite smooth." Edmond Dantès replied in a low voice, "I contacted a man named Panos Colokotronis, and he is quite interested in our proposal. "

"Kolokotronis?" Louis' eyes turned cold, and he repeated the somewhat weird and awkward surname. "Is it related to that person?"

He had been in Greece for a while, so of course he knew what the last name meant.

"It has a lot to do with it." Edmond Dantès nodded firmly, "He is the eldest son of Commander Theozolos Kolokotronis."

Theozolos-Kolokotronis, a hero of the War of Independence, led the rebel army to defeat the Turkish army repeatedly and once recovered Greece. Later, because of the internal power struggle in Greece, he lost political power and was arrested. In the prison, he was released by the Greek government only because the Turks fought back and the situation became precarious, and he is currently serving as the commander-in-chief of the Independence Army.

And his rich experience and great prestige gave Louis hope.

When the two of them got together at the beginning, they regarded this well-known figure as their important partner—it was just that they had no communication channels.

But things are different now.

"That would be great!" Louis clapped his hands excitedly.

He, who had just suffered humiliation from the Greek government, was very happy that he had finally found another way.

After a while, he finally recovered from his excitement.

"How did you get in touch with him?" he asked. "What kind of person is he?"

"He has been in exile everywhere, and many people know him. I also found him through the channel of smuggling businessmen." Edmond Dantès replied.

"Although this Mr. Panos-Kolokotronis is only 26 years old this year, he has been with his father since the beginning of the war, fighting for the cause of independence together, and has made a lot of contributions." Edmond - Dantès briefly talked about the life of the other party.

"But he didn't get the reward he deserved for his blood and sweat for the motherland. In 1823, the Greek civil war broke out, and he and his father became the loser side. When his father was imprisoned, he was also forced to dismiss him. Because He was treated like this, so he was disheartened about the cause of the War of Independence, and he once went into exile abroad... But he still couldn't bear to see his motherland fall completely, so he came back at this critical moment, and hoped to be able to Find a way out for Greece, at least a temporary saver."

"Then he has found the right person!" Louis shouted excitedly, "Aren't we the ones who are willing to help them?"

The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, "Since he is the loser in the internal strife, he must be resentful towards those victors. He is willing to overthrow his enemies, isn't he?"

"I think so too, so I have decided to treat him as the most important person to contact." Edmond Dantès nodded, "If we persuade him and use him to convince his father, then the matter It's easy to handle, with Theodoros Kolokotronis' prestige and our support, it shouldn't be difficult to carry out a coup."

"Then let's aim for this." Louis also nodded in approval of the Count of Monte Cristo's idea.

Then, he turned the subject back. "After today's negotiations, the Greek government will definitely convey our conditions and plans to the major European countries. In other words, soon, we will have to be exposed to the sun... Earl, I hope you will take care of this Prepare."

As soon as he said this, Edmond Dantès also looked worried, "Not only will they report our existence, they may even regard the arrival of the Bonaparte family as a tool of threat, demanding that the great powers give them More assistance ... it's even possible that the Turks will know soon."

"I know, they will definitely do this." Because he had been psychologically prepared, Louis had a calm face, "But I am not afraid, we will walk in the sun one day, let them recall our past again Names, now is the time ... I believe that whatever we want to do here, they won't get in our way."

It's not that he looks down on the strength of the great powers, but that he believes that the distance will make them beyond his reach.

For example, the tsar in St. Petersburg may not know the specific situation here until a month later, and when the tsar wants to interfere again, it will take another month for the information to be transmitted to Greece.

Moreover, Russia and Greece do not border each other, and the entire Balkan Peninsula ruled by Turkey is separated in the middle. Even if the Tsar wants to do something, he cannot interfere with his own actions, so there is nothing to worry about.

As long as you act quickly, you can control the situation.

As for whether the big powers will come to their senses and send troops to suppress it... Let alone whether they will openly oppose the cause of emancipating Christians, even if they are willing to bear the infamy, it will take a long time to negotiate how to take responsibility and how to divide the spoils. They reached an agreement for this, and they had enough time to leave-then let's see how they settle Turkey.

In the end, as long as you act quickly and resolutely, and show your banner, you will never lose money, but can easily stir up the situation.

It is because of this consideration that His Majesty is so reckless and devoted so much energy to this place.

Now that His Majesty has formulated a strategy, it is enough to implement it resolutely.

Maybe the glorious reputation of the Bonaparte family will start to be rebuilt here, and maybe he will even get a higher reward for it... He interrupted this daydream at the right time, and it's too early to think about it now.

"Edmond, my friend." He raised his hand and patted Edmond Dantès on the shoulder. "Go ahead and do it well. Your Majesty and I rely on you. I firmly believe that you will never let us down."

"I will complete the task, Your Highness." Edmond Dantès replied solemnly.

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After receiving the permission of His Royal Highness Louis, Edmond Dantès put aside all his affairs and devoted himself to contacting Panos Colokotronis.

But his efforts were not in vain. With the help of the well-connected smuggler Syndicate de Meyne, he finally agreed to meet this gentleman on the island of Hydra on the coast of the Aegean Sea.

The place where they met was a beach on this small island.

Edmond Dantès brought Syndicate de Mayne, and the bandit leader Isaac Valleolo he recruited, and a group of them came to this island as smugglers. Not long after, another group of people also appeared on the beach.

The leader is a young man with short black hair, brown eyes, and a fine black beard on his lips and chin. He is wearing a loose white shirt, revealing the bronzed skin on his arms and chest.

His expression was very indifferent, as if he had the attitude of a veteran who was accustomed to life and death; while his eyes were dull, even with a trace of sadness, showing that he had been hit repeatedly in recent experiences and was depressed Chi.

Both sides spread their hands, first they were not armed and hostile, and then they faced each other and began to approach.

When they were only a few steps away, they stopped at the same time and looked at each other.

"Mr. Colokotronis?" After looking around for a while, Edmond Dantès tentatively asked the young man on the opposite side.

After studying and honing during this period of time, Edmond Dantès has become more and more proficient in Greek.

"That's right, I'm Panos-Kolokotronis." The young man nodded, "Are you the Count of Monte Cristo?"

"Yes." Edmond Dantès answered briefly.

After seeing this young man, Edmond Dantès found that he looked older than his actual age, probably because of years of exile and a huge mental blow.

Panos Kolokotronis looked at Edmond again, then nodded.

"I don't know if your title of earl is real, but at least this style is enough, I believe it."

"I am not only a real earl, I am also serving a real emperor, sir." Edmond Dantès replied seriously.

"As far as I know, the Bonaparte family no longer has an emperor." Panos Kolokotronis spread his hands, "At least he can't command many people."

"We are indeed in a predicament now, just as lonely as you are, but we will work hard to change everything, and I hope you are the same." Edmond Dantès pushed back in the face of the other party's ridicule , "Moreover, not only how much territory the empire has, as long as there are servants like us, he will always be the emperor."

"Ah, respectable loyalty!" Panos Colokotronis did not get angry because of Edmond Dantès' reply, but instead sighed, "It's a good thing, at least you know that you are What are you fighting for, what are you dying for!"

"You, too, are fighting for a noble cause," Edmond Dantès replied, "only being stopped."

His words once again touched the young man's sore spot.

"Count, don't make any detours at this time, what do you and your master want to do?" He asked coldly.

"I think we have made it very clear that we have nothing to ask but to sponsor your independent cause," replied Edmond Dantès calmly. The assistance of the nation has kept the nation in a precarious situation, so we hope that some rational people can stand up at this critical moment, make reasonable decisions, and relieve the suffering of the nation—”

"So what are you guys trying to do? Just help us selflessly?" Panos Kolokotronis asked back, "That's really nice, I didn't know that the saint changed his surname to Bona now. Damn!"

Although the attitude of the other party was thorny from the very beginning, Edmond Dantès was relieved instead——

If he wasn't tempted, why did he come here and talk so much nonsense to himself?

"Of course we don't want nothing at all—" He stepped forward on both sides, bringing himself closer to each other.

Then, he continued to talk to the young man in a volume that only the other party could hear, "But, please be convinced that our Majesty has no ambitions for Greece itself, let alone make this country an enemy of the whole of Europe for itself." , he just wants to achieve a career, win the highest reputation, and then use it in a place where he desires more—”

Although his remarks were very sincere, Panos Kolokotronis was still somewhat skeptical.

The conditions given by the other party were so generous and sincere that it was hard for him to believe it was true.

"I think you already know that my father is a republican. He opposed the emergence of a monarch after independence in this country. If so much blood is shed just to change this country for a sultan or king, then why should we shed blood "He deliberately raised his father, blocking the opponent's dodging space, "If anyone wants to cooperate, this should be a prerequisite, and it cannot be questioned, can your majesty accept it?"

"Of course, he is willing to make this promise." Without any hesitation, Edmond Dantès replied, "Greece is the Greece of the Greeks, and only the Greeks have the right to govern. I have always thought so, I promise, he will never seek those illusory things."

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91. Preliminary consensus

The guarantee made by Edmond Dantès can be described as categorical.