Eagle's Glory

This is not just a random talk, in fact, he is conveying the will of the monarch he is loyal to - Egron has never planned to seek the crown of Greece from the very beginning, according to his own words, the land is small and poor. He doesn't want to rule a country that is in chaos, strife, and chaos. Once he gets what he wants, the sooner he can get out, the better. Letting himself and his followers get stuck here will only waste his great time for no reason.

Perhaps for many people, Greece is an extremely precious treasure, lest others get their hands on it, but for Egron, it is just a chess piece that can be discarded at will. There is no need to be nostalgic.

So he can give this sincere guarantee.

Because Edmond Dantès' attitude was so sincere, Panos Colokotronis was slightly shaken.

He knew from the very beginning that the Bonaparte family had absolutely no good intentions in reaching out to Greece. They must have their own schemes—especially considering that they have always been seeking family restoration, which is even more dangerous.

However, the situation in Greece is already precarious, and there is really no spare energy to worry about so many future dangers.

Although he stayed away from the Independence Army, he, who was on the sidelines, of course understands that the Greek Independence Government is in the most critical stage right now. They have suffered a crushing defeat, and it is almost impossible to maintain them. In this case, they must try their best to delay time and wait. The situation changes in our favor.

Therefore, in the current situation, as long as one can continue to survive, it is wise to swallow poison.

In the final analysis, there are very few bargaining chips left on our own side, and we are extremely eager for outside assistance, so we don't have much bargaining power. As long as that majesty does not seek the Greek throne and dreams of ruling Greece for generations, other conditions It seems that everything can be agreed, or at least negotiated.

When a consensus is reached on this issue, there will be a basis for continuing negotiations.

"Can you make a more formal guarantee?" Panos hesitated for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "I think this is the basis of our consensus and the premise of all cooperation."

"For a king, what he said is a promise, an iron law that cannot be violated. Since he has made such a promise, he will definitely do it." Edmond Dantès replied proudly, and then did a little "However, if you insist, we can officially list this item when signing the agreement, so you should be able to rest assured, right?"

Seeing the reply from the other party, Panos Kolokotronis finally felt relieved.

As long as this one remains the same, he doesn't care much about other things.

So, he stretched out his right hand to the Count of Monte Cristo opposite.

"Well, sir, I admit your negotiating position, and I promise that I will tell my father about our negotiations."

This moment was what he had been waiting for... Edmond Dantès breathed a sigh of relief.

After the defeat on the side of the Greek government, they urgently needed to find a gap on the opposition side, and now, he has finally found that gap, which is easy to handle.

He also stretched out his hand and held each other tightly.

"How much can you pay now?" Panos Kolokotronis asked directly after shaking hands. "In other words, how much can it help us?"

"His Majesty will call on his supporters to form a volunteer army to help you, and he now has huge funds, so he can provide you with continuous support—" Edmond Dantès replied indifferently, "If there is If necessary, he can even invest tens of millions of francs to accomplish this goal."

"It's really shocking." Panos was a little speechless. "No matter what his purpose is, at least this desperate attitude makes me feel good. Maybe he can really achieve something great."

Edmond Dantès didn't take the other party's compliment to heart, he just frowned slightly, and looked at the other party seriously, "From the moment we met, you have been the one who has been evaluating us and making conditions for us. , although in order to show sincerity, I answer one by one, but I think this is not fair. So, it is time for me to ask you next."

The Count of Monte Cristo's inadvertent awe-inspiring attitude made Panos, who was originally relaxed, dignified.

"Excuse me." He replied quietly.

"We are happy to help you, but we also need to see that our friends are capable and qualified to receive our help." Edmond Dantès looked at the other party unceremoniously, "Since Your Majesty intends to make such a big investment , then he is definitely not willing to let all his investment be in vain - if he shows sincerity, then he also needs to see your sincerity, and this kind of equal investment is the basis of cooperation."

"So how do you want us to invest?" Panos asked back.

"First of all, you should find a way to make yourself a representative of the Greek government." Edmond Dantès calmly asked, "Of course, His Majesty wants to deal with the same government, and he needs this government to issue a formal invitation to him .”

Although Edmond Dantès' words were cryptic, Panos almost immediately recognized the meaning contained in them.

"You want us to overthrow the current government?"

"It's good for both of us, isn't it?" Edmond Dantès shrugged, "The current government and parliament have enmity with you, massacred your former comrades-in-arms, and once locked up your father. Having brought your country to the point where it is now, they have proven what a rotten and incompetent piece of crap they are, so why not wipe them all out? It's good for you, it's good for you Nation and country are even more good things!"

Panos-Kolokotronis' chest rose and fell violently.

"It turns out that your so-called aid is here to incite our civil strife!"

"There's already civil strife here, and without us coming, you Greeks would have started killing each other, and you were the losers in the fight - and now it's the opposite, we are trying to help this poor country end the civil strife, let it Rejuvenate, regain strength to fight against the hateful enemy, and seize its due freedom and independence!" Edmond Dantès responded loudly, and then lowered his voice, "Besides, as long as there is victory Hands, you don't have to bear the stigma of civil strife. You clean up the dross, and then unite the rest of the people, and then it's time to restore the country-except for the waste that should have been cleaned up long ago, who is Where are the victims!"

Edmond Dantès' questioning made Panos calm down a little.

He was so excited just now, it was just a subconscious reaction. In fact, he has absolutely no liking for the current Greek government.

It can even be said that more than anyone else, he hopes that the executioners who wielded butcher knives against his own people will all die and accept the due sanctions.

However, things don't come true just by talking about them.

Launching a coup is definitely not as easy as imagined. It is full of variables from planning to implementation. If there is a little carelessness, it may further deteriorate the current precarious situation and destroy all hope of the nation. Therefore, even if he has hatred in his heart, he will I dare not really imagine that. .

But there seems to be nothing wrong with what the earl said opposite.

If the country is to be saved now, those who are most loyal to the country-that is, he and his heroic comrades-are required to stand up and fight as they did in 1821 when the Revolutionary War was in full swing.

And if you want to stand up for fighters like yourself who have already failed in internal strife, you must reorganize the current government and use the most severe means to stop internal disputes, and then cooperate with the outside world and accept their help.

In his view, this is the only way to save the country at present.

He has been in exile in various places for the past few years, watching the flames of the War of Independence dim day by day, and naturally he has accumulated too much resentment in his heart. Those who make a liquidation.

It was just thinking about it in my heart before, but now it seems that I have a chance.

However, is it really an opportunity?

If this kind of thing is wrong, there is no chance to recover it.

"Is this an unchangeable condition?" He hesitated for a long time before asking again.

"Of course." Edmond Dantès replied decisively. "We are dealing with someone who has the right to represent Greece. I think your father is the best candidate-so please go and persuade your father. , with his prestige, and with his current position as commander-in-chief, he can have the power to launch a coup, and he should do the same. Don't forget how he was treated by those people before."

"It's not that easy." Panos shook his head, "He may not be able to make up his mind."

"If there is us, it will be completely different. We will give you financial support and bear all the stigma from the outside world. All you have to do is just move your hands. I believe this is very simple for you, because You once fought the Turks so bravely." Edmond Dantès encouraged each other, "This is the only way for you to save the country, isn't it? It's time to end all this and let the innocent comrades who were killed Rest in peace, I think this is for the best."

Panos-Kolokotronis made no answer.

In fact, he's so distraught now that he can hardly think coherently.

He never thought that the first condition the other party put forward was to encourage his father and son to stage a coup and overthrow the current independent government. While shocked and disgusted, he was also moved.

Because this is what he had thought about doing in the first place.

If someone is willing to stand up now, provide assistance, and take on the pressure of the outside world, why not do it?There was a voice in his heart that kept asking him.

"I can't make a decision immediately. I need to think about it with my people." After hesitating for a long time, he finally spoke.

"Does what you said include your father?" Edmond Dantès hit the nail on the head.

"I can report to him." Now Panos did not hesitate, but answered directly.

Very good, this is enough, Edmond Dantès knows that the opponent has reached the limit of what he can do now.

As long as the two sides have a consensus on the general direction and are willing to make compromises with each other, then everything will be easy to talk about.

Maybe there will be some bargaining in the middle, and even asking for more help, but this is no problem, it can all be discussed—His Majesty is not afraid to pay a higher price in order to achieve his goal.

"By the way, Earl, I have a question that I have to confirm with you." Panos seemed to have suddenly thought of something, and raised his head and said to Edmund.

"Please tell me." Edmond Dantès nodded.

"Due to diplomatic and other considerations, we...we can only recognize him as the Duke of Reichstedt for the time being, and cannot call him His Majesty the Emperor." Panos Kolokotronis took A little ashamed, he whispered to the other party, "You also know that France has a very good relationship with Ali Pasha of Egypt, and even sent people to train his army and navy—and the French royal family has always regarded the Bonaparte family as a thorn in the side. If we rashly regard him as an emperor and recognize his emperor title, then the French government may become angry and increase aid to the Egyptians, which will eventually expose us to even more dire risks."

Hmph, I thought about it very carefully.Edmond Dantès sneered in his heart.

But he also admitted that what the other party thought was indeed reasonable.

If they only cooperate with the Duke of Reichstedt, the French government really has nothing to blame the Greeks, and their anger can only be directed at the Bonaparte family; but if they cooperate with Emperor Napoleon II, then they are equivalent to participating in the internal disputes in France , they absolutely cannot afford the price.

"You mean to let His Majesty recognize the title conferred by the Austrians and demean his dignity?" Edmond Dantès replied solemnly, "I'm afraid it's hard to accept."

"If you find it difficult, how about some kind of compromise?" Panos-Kolokotronis suggested.

"What do you mean?"

"He used the title of Duke of Reichstedt at the beginning. If he really proves his ability and helps us recover the country, then like the hero Bolivar, we are willing to pay tribute to the noble The King of Rome presented the glorious title of "Liberator", and his achievements will be remembered forever by his descendants." Panos Colokotronis looked at the Count of Monte Cristo sincerely, "I think, such an honor is The highest courtesy we can give."

Upon hearing this, Edmond Dantès was not moved, but instead scolded the other party for being cunning in his heart.

He pretended to be grateful, but in fact he was only paying lip service—the name doesn't need to pay a lot, it can be given freely.

Of course Edmond Dantès was not such an easy-to-fool person, so he sneered in his heart.

But this question does not need to be concluded now, and it is not too late to talk about it in the future. The most important thing now is to pull the other party into the boat. I have to do it.

"You made a very unexpected suggestion. It is difficult for me to make a decision by myself. I will report to His Majesty, and let him decide by himself." Edmond Dantès replied after a while.

Then, this time he took the initiative to extend his hand, "We will have a good cooperation in the future."

"I hope so." Panos Kolokotronis sighed, and took his hand as well.　　

92. Leisurely in the sea

Another morning of fresh air.

As usual, after waking up for an early walk and exercising, Aigron began to deal with his backlog of letters and documents for the day.

He worked very seriously, especially when he was flipping through Edmond Dantès' report, so much so that he didn't realize that the girl's figure was quietly appearing in the room.

After arriving in the room, Teresa sat beside him quietly, not disturbing the young man's work. However, when she noticed his frowning expression, she finally couldn't help the worry in her heart and spoke quietly.

"Your Highness, why are you in trouble?"

"Huh?" Aigron was caught off guard when he heard the voice, and looked up subconsciously. He didn't finally feel relieved until he confirmed that it was Teresa.

He closed the letter in his hand and put it back in its place.

"The people I sent to Greece have made great progress, but they also presented me with a problem—" he replied with a wry smile.

Since Teresa came to the island, Aigron will take time out of his busy schedule to accompany Teresa.

For him, the days are still as busy as before, but it is a little more rose-colored than before.

Unknowingly, he gradually got used to the days when Teresa was by his side.

"What's the problem? Can you tell me?" Teresa asked, "Your Highness, I rarely see you frowning, so I'm curious and worried at the same time."

"It's nothing." Egron shrugged, and then briefly told Teresa the final negotiation terms between Edmond Dantès and Panos Colokotronis.

Although the issue of title seems to be just an illusory nominal issue, it is actually very important-it is related to his political stance and appeal, and it must not be ignored.

Just because the issue was important, he planned to discuss it with a priest, but it didn't hurt to tell Teresa.

"He didn't want me to go under the name of the Emperor of France, and suggested that I use the title of Duke of Lechstedt." Aigron frowned and said, "Although I admit that his concerns are well-founded, this suggestion makes me a little dissatisfied .”

Thanks to the dispute between the two of them, Aigron began to think carefully about this issue that he had missed before.

In what capacity should he do such a thing?

Although the title of emperor is glamorous, it seems that it is not convincing now, and it will only make enemies for no reason; but the Duke of Reichstedt does not want to use it-so it is a bit difficult.

"Do you hate the title given to you by your grandfather, His Majesty the Emperor of Austria?" Teresa lowered her head and asked in a low voice.

Although she deliberately made herself not emotional, it was still difficult to completely conceal her depression - after all, she still thought of herself as an Austrian in her heart, and how could she be happy seeing His Highness hating everything about Austria so much.

"No Teresa, don't think too much about it - I'm not that sentimental and I honestly don't have that much hatred for my grandpa, he owes me a lot and gives me a lot in general, and we both owe it to each other " Aigron immediately shook his head, negating Teresa's worries, "The reason why I don't want to use the title of Duke of Reichstedt is because it was given to me by my grandfather, which means that I am his Vassal, I don't want to give this feeling to the outside world. Besides, this title doesn't have much appeal, and my supporters won't like it either. They are throwing their heads and blood for the empire and the Bonaparte family, not for a Bonaparte family. Simia doesn't know where the hell is the vassal."

"That's right..." Theresa breathed a sigh of relief.

She understood what His Highness was thinking.

In order to allow herself to see her parents again as soon as possible, all she wants is to ease the tension between His Highness and the Habsburg family. As long as His Highness does not hate Austria, she believes that she will eventually have a chance to promote the reconciliation between the two parties.

In the final analysis, we are a family, so what is the need for incompatibility?

"And what title do you wish to use?" Teresa asked.

"This matter is indeed a bit sad." Aigron smiled bitterly, "If I directly use the title of French Emperor, no one will recognize it now, but it will be a joke, and it will embarrass my allies; the title of King of Rome is also not worthy of the name. , now the owner of Rome is the Pope himself, he did not admit that I am still the king of Rome, besides, I have to cooperate with him, I hope he can improve my reputation, and I should not have a stalemate with him..."

Aigron frowned, obviously struggling with this question.

"Then you can cooperate with them in the name of the head of the Knights of Fontainebleau." Teresa suggested directly. "You created this knight order, so naturally you will not dishonor your reputation. Isn't it justifiable for you to lead your knights to go through fire and water in the name of God to save suffering Christians? And... you use this The name will also reflect your simplicity, humility and piety, no one should be able to attack you with this, and your supporters will be satisfied."

Aigron didn't answer right away, but looked at Teresa steadily.

"What's wrong, Your Highness?" Teresa felt a little guilty, "Did I say something wrong?"

"No—that's right, you came up with a very good idea. Teresa, you are really smart..." Aigron blurted out, and then he immediately added, "And, very cute."

Teresa was overjoyed at being praised by Aigron.

But she didn't laugh, instead pouted her lips with a very unhappy look, "It's shocking, are you willing to admit it today?"

"No, I discovered it a long time ago...but today I feel your wisdom even more." Aigron replied with a big smile, then walked up to Teresa and hugged her, "Originally, I planned to have a relationship with Faria The priest discussed it, but I don’t think it’s necessary anymore, your suggestion is very good——I’ve decided, I’ll cooperate with them in this name! Well... I want to complete this undertaking with simplicity, humility and piety .”

"And I will be by your side and finish it with you." Seeing the young man in high spirits, Teresa was also very happy.

She was very happy that she could help her fiancé, and she hoped that he would pay more attention to herself and let herself be more deeply integrated into his career in the future—until the two were inseparable.

"Then, Your Highness, is there any trouble?" After the two embraced for a while, Teresa asked again.

"No more." Aigron shook his head, "Now that the general direction has been decided, the next step is the minor issues. I think I made such a big concession, and the other side should understand my sincerity. I will also make them pay enough to make up for my concessions."