Eagle's Glory

Then, she pulled Haiide and walked to the bathtub that had been prepared on the altar.

Of course, considering Haiidee's identity as a woman, a screen was deliberately placed behind the tub to block everyone's sight. Even the priest stood outside the screen, waiting for the baptism to end.

Only Teresa and Chanel stood by the tub to assist Haidee in her christening.

They stretched out their hands together to take off Haiidee's clothes, but Haiidee was obviously a little nervous. She shyly clutched the corner of her clothes, looking quite shy.

Of course Teresa could understand Haiidee's nervousness—after all, it was really embarrassing for a girl to take off her clothes in the presence of so many people, even through a screen.

But this is a necessary ceremony, and it is also a trial that Haiidee must pass through to become the Grand Duchess of Ioannina in the future.

If you suffer a little bit, just suffer a little bit, it's also for her own good.

With this in mind, Teresa smiled softly at Haide, "Haidee, don't be afraid, do as I told you."

Haiidee was still very nervous, but seeing Teresa's smile, she gradually felt relieved.

During this period of time, the two of them got along day and night, and developed an excellent personal relationship. Haiidee also obeyed her "teacher".

And after the initial confusion, she also found out Teresa's identity from others——Yu Si, she is her "hostess", Yu Gong, she is also a noble princess and the leader of the organization, He is the lord whom he should respect.

Therefore, she has also become accustomed to obeying Teresa's orders, and she is also very serious when studying with Teresa, and the progress is extremely fast.

Haiide settled down, then smiled apologetically at Teresa, and then she cooperated with Teresa to take off her clothes, and then walked into the bathtub.

When she just took off her clothes, she still felt a little cold, but after stepping into the steaming hot tub, she felt comfortable again, and at this time, Teresa took another bottle full of A small jar of holy water, and poured all the holy water into the tub.

Then she took the towel again and scrubbed Haidee herself.

Originally, Chanel could do all these things, but Teresa insisted on doing it herself—after all, in her opinion, Haiidee will be an important "signature" of His Highness in the future, and she should treat her well no matter in public or private One point, eliminate the possible resistance in this little girl's heart.

Besides, she felt a little pity for this child, and hoped that she could feel a little warmth from the world from now on.

Teresa's movements were very gentle, and Haidee closed her eyes comfortably.

Although Teresa is very young, she is a member of the Habsburg family after all, and logically speaking, she is also the most honorable family of believers in the Catholic world. Haiide can enjoy such a "honor" when she was converted and baptized, which is also considered her. I'm so lucky...

This luck didn't last long. Soon, Teresa finished Haiide's bath, let her walk out of the tub, and dried her hair.

Chanel immediately helped Haidee change into a new dress - a long white gauze dress.

This is exactly what Aigron asked someone to rush to make during this time.

Considering that Haiidee will be awarded the title of Grand Duchess of Ioannina in the future, her conversion ceremony cannot be shabby.

Against the background of the Chinese dress, this young and timid little girl suddenly seemed to have been reborn, and her face, which was originally low-browed and pleasing to the eye, suddenly became a little more solemn.

She also wore the little crown that Teresa had used before, which shone brightly under the light of the candle, as if God had blessed her.

"It's so beautiful." After Haiide finished dressing up, Teresa nodded very satisfied, very satisfied with the appearance she personally designed.

Then, she hugged the little girl in front of her. "Bless you, child... from now on, the Lord will bless you, and we will always be your friends!"

Then, taking Haidee by the hand, she passed the screen, and made her appear before all the spectators.

"Oh..." There was a small cheer from the crowd, as if they were amazed by the little girl's current appearance.

Indeed, who doesn't like cute little girls?

Even though many people knew that Haiidee was a puppet deliberately pulled out by Aigron, it was still difficult to feel hostility when seeing this fragile little girl.

Although she was very happy in her heart, Teresa tried her best not to smile, but put on a solemn expression.

She took Haidee to the priest who was already waiting.

The pastor also had a solemn expression on his face. He quietly looked at Haiidee, who only reached his waist, and then nodded slightly.

Facing this tall man, Haidee was instinctively a little afraid, because she looked up at the pastor's face, and this kind of slightly fearful eyes really suited her mood when facing the Lord's spokesperson.

Everyone was silent, waiting for the most important part of the ceremony.

The pastor picked up the cross inlaid with gems in his hand, and asked Haidee in a serious tone.

"Confused lamb, are you willing to take refuge in the arms of the Lord from now on?"

The nervous Haidee couldn't understand what the other person said at all, but she kept Teresa's lesson in mind, so she nodded humbly, and then replied with the French words she had just learned, "Yes."

The pastor nodded, and then gently waved the cross in his hand.

Then, the assistant next to him walked up to the pastor, also holding a cup inlaid with gemstones in his hand, which was filled with holy water.

Then the pastor dipped his hand in the holy water, then tapped Haidee's forehead, then her chest, and then his arms, making a sign of the cross.

Then, in a high-pitched voice, he said his prayers.

"O Almighty Lord, you have warned your people that without you they will not be able to walk a single step, but if they always belong to you, then they will receive the supreme blessing, and the gate of the kingdom of heaven will be opened for them.

My Lord, Almighty Lord, please believe that I have opened my heart to You and bathed in Your Mercy and Love.I will pray for you, and ask you to forgive me for my sins. From now on, I will walk the right way and respect all the laws you have compiled for the world, in the name of the Lord, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen! "

At this time, under the leadership of Aigron, all the onlookers shouted at the same time, "Amen!"

It was at this moment that Haiidee turned her back on Allah without realizing it, and became a believer in Jehovah from then on—of course, it was not a big deal for her, and Allah has not given her so far. Good luck to her.

Amidst the cheers, Aigron made a gesture, and outside the venue, the guard of honor also started to fire salutes, and the crowd outside the church also voluntarily or were forced to cheer.

However, at this moment, Haiide didn't realize that she had ushered in a new stage in her life. Amidst the cheers one after another, she was a little at a loss and was too nervous to speak.But even so, she still kept in mind Teresa's warning and stood obediently.

After the cheers subsided for a while, the ceremony also came to the final step. The pastor took a small gold cross necklace inlaid with diamonds from the assistant, and then put it on Haidee's neck to symbolize the Lord's conversion to her blessing.

Haiidee still lowered her head, allowing the other party to use it. After the necklace was put on, she knelt down piously to thank her for the divine favor she had just received.

That's all.

All eyes were on the little girl kneeling on the altar.

After what seemed like a few seconds, and what seemed like a long time, time finally began to flow again. The pastor nodded in satisfaction and signaled Haidezhan to stand up.

Haiide also stood up obediently, and then she obediently looked at Teresa next to her.

"Is there anything else I need to do..." she whispered.

"No, Haidee, there's nothing more you need to do, you're doing very well, very well..." Teresa shook her head, and then said to her with a smile. "From now on, it's what we need to do for you... Please rest assured, we will do it."

Haiidee didn't quite understand this string of words, but from her smile, Haiidee felt a sense of peace of mind.

The cross on her neck brought a cold touch, and her whole body relaxed, and she almost collapsed.

From now on, she is a Christian.　　

233, tacit understanding

Under everyone's gaze, Haiidee completed her baptism ceremony. Starting today, she officially converted to the Orthodox Church, which also laid the foundation for being recognized as the Grand Duchess of Ioannina by European countries in the future.

After the ceremony, cheers were heard outside the church, so the pastor and Teresa walked out of the church with Haidee, parading among the cheers of the people.

This timid little girl didn't know such a complicated thing, she just stood quietly behind Teresa.In her ignorance, she has already realized her destiny, and she has been closely linked with this young couple, and both prosperity and loss will be lost.

The people who were originally watching the ceremony in the church also came out one after another, chatting with each other.

Aegron walked with his ally Panos Kolokotronis, his guards surrounded the two of them, politely but firmly not allowing anyone to approach, and the others naturally saw the situation , so they also walked around one after another, so as not to disturb the conversation of these two important people.

"Today is really a pleasant day." Aegron raised his head, looked up at the clear sky above his head, and sighed softly.

"It was indeed a very pleasant day." Panos-Kolokotronis responded with a smile, "We really didn't expect you to be able to do this...it's really imaginative."

Eggron just laughed it off.

After getting his notice, Panos and his son were really surprised, but after a little hesitation, they finally accepted Haiidee's arrangement to become the Grand Duchess of Ioannina.

This is not a very pleasant thing for them. After all, part of the Ioannina region is in Greece (the other part belongs to the current Albania). If Aigron's arrangement comes true, it means that Greece A small part of the territory will fall into the future Principality of Ioannina.

So Aigron could hear that in the other party's tone, there was some blame in addition to praise.

However, the cause of Greek independence was originally in jeopardy, and it would not be easy to survive. How dare you expect too much?If it weren't for Aigron's money and efforts, they might have lost all hope now, so even if they were upset, they still agreed to this arrangement with their noses held.

"My friends, in fact, you don't need to be disappointed, because this is not a terrible loss for you, on the contrary, it will save you a lot of trouble." Aigron whispered to the other party, "Don't forget the entire Ioannina region There are a large number of msl, if you have to bring them into the future rule of Greece, how do you plan to deal with them? Expel them all? Or throw them into the sea together? Or admit them with your nose? Either way will only make you Got a headache."

What Aigron mentioned is also an objective reality. After all, the Greek War of Independence has turned into a tragic ethnic vendetta. If this area is really allowed to belong to the Greeks themselves, I am afraid that the bloody vendetta will never exist. stop.

That will not only consume too much manpower and material resources that should have been used to build the country for Greece, but also affect Greece's international reputation, which is of no benefit at all.

Panos also knew in his heart that what Aigron said was true, so he also nodded.

"It's time for us to move on from the never-ending carnage... We look forward to that day coming soon."

Then, he asked Aigron, "So sir, what do you plan to do with these MSLs in the future?"

"I will not force them to be enslaved, nor will I impose mandatory poll taxes. I will allow them to live here as subjects of the principality. As long as they are willing to work hard and pay taxes according to the regulations, then they are good citizens." Aigron replied, " But I will clearly declare that only Orthodox Christians are qualified to rule the principality, and if they are dissatisfied with this and even dare to rebel, then I will not show any mercy."

Aigron's tone was decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

It's not how much he really hates those local MSL residents, but right now, he came to Greece under the banner of "saving Christians", and he has gained great fame through this, even the Pope of Rome publicly commended Therefore, in order to bear these reputations, he must show unflinching "piety" on religious issues.

There must be absolutely no ambiguity on the issue of position.

Seeing that Aigron's attitude was so firm, Panos nodded in relief.

For him, it would be a good thing if the bloody killings that have lasted for so many years can end as soon as possible. He just wants his motherland to enjoy peace as soon as possible, so that future generations can survive as citizens of an independent country.

"The Austrian envoys have already found you, haven't they?" Eggron asked suddenly.

"Yes." Panos froze for a moment, then nodded quickly.

"How are you talking?" Eggron asked with a smile.

Although he was smiling, Panos was awe-inspiring.

The special envoy of the Austrian embassy, ​​von Mayrhofen, came to the Peloponnese peninsula before, first met Teresa in Mesone, and then met them after Teresa's introduction, and the two sides talked with each other After that, a tacit agreement was reached.

Knowing that Eggron and the Austrians had colluded internally, he knew that he must not be vague or deceive the other party, so he decided to tell the truth.

According to them, the results obtained by Egron and the Greek Independence Army are brilliant enough to accept it as soon as it is good.

Therefore, after Russia began to march, he hoped that they would negotiate peace with the Turkish army, so that these people could withdraw to the Thrace region in an orderly manner, and regroup to resist the front of the Russian army.

On the Greek side, the country should be established as soon as possible in order to create a fait accompli and dispel the Russian excuse of "saving the Orthodox fellow countrymen".

After the founding of Greece, the Western powers will immediately use this as an excuse to demand that the Russian Empire withdraw its troops. Firstly, the righteousness and reputation have been lost, and secondly, the pressure from the Western powers is also overwhelming. Of course, the Tsar will make a compromise.

Of course, if you want the tsar to retreat, you must pay some price, but these prices are all paid by the Turks. They have to pay compensation to the Russian Empire in order to dispel the tsar's anger.

In other words, at the end of this game, all participants except Turkey will be winners, it is just a matter of winning more and winning less. Only the Turks are the only losers and will bear the bitter consequences of failure.

The price of this failure will be very painful - not only the recognition of Greek independence, the loss of the Ioannina region, but also the cession of land and reparations to the Russian Empire.

However, the law of the jungle is the prevailing law in this world. Since the Turks have failed, they have to face cruel and ruthless results—just as they did to those countries they conquered, there is no grievance to say.

This aging empire can still survive, instead of being conquered and annexed by the Russian Empire in one go, it is entirely because the Western European powers see that he can guard the strait and restrict Russia-in this sense, they actually The great powers should be thanked.

"Then what do you think about this?" After listening, Aigron asked the other party calmly.

"I think it's a pretty good proposal," Panos replied. “I told the special envoy that if we could ensure that the Western powers would come forward and publicly support Greek independence, then we would do what they wanted. Even if it…even went against the wishes of the Russian Empire.”

For Panos-Kolokotronis, standing on the side of Western Europe does not have much psychological burden. Although they both belong to the Orthodox Christian faith in the Russian Empire, in this era, the influence and appeal of the Russian Empire cannot be achieved anyway. On a par with the Western European powers, that is the center of civilization.

Given a choice, most Greeks would naturally be willing to join the Western powers.

Moreover, if they can turn the tide and win the independence of the country, the prestige of Kolokotronis and his son will also rise, and their brave persistence over the years will also allow them to get the respect they deserve-and this respect, naturally It will also turn into power.

Those who hold power do not need to act according to the will of the tsar.

"So when will the peace talks start?" Eggron asked again.

"My father has sent people to Athens, where the Turks and Egyptians will start negotiations with them." Panos replied, "Of course, we will not exclude you, and all the details of the peace talks will be discussed in detail." You will be notified and you can make your own comments."

Aigron nodded, he deserved it all.

Right now, he has the ability to destroy any peace agreement, so everyone must take his opinion into consideration.

At this time, Panos Kolokotronis suddenly looked around vigilantly, and after making sure that there were no idlers who could overhear the conversation between the two of them, he whispered to Egron again.

"By the way, I heard from von Mayrhofen that Austria allows you to choose the future king of Greece among several candidates... So I would like to ask you, do you have any intentions?"

For Aigron and Panos-Kolokotronis, the establishment of an independent country is not their end, they must also make arrangements for the political situation at the beginning of the founding of the country.

The most important of these is to use the means of imprisonment and exile to quickly cleanse the diehard pro-Russian elements in Greece in order to stabilize the interior and consolidate its position.

Then, it was a matter of finding a "suitable" king for Greece.

In this era, the great powers were all monarchical countries, and they, who had just experienced the storm of the Great Revolution, hated the word "republic", so even if it was to satisfy the great powers, Greece had to become a monarchy after independence.

There is no one in Greece who is qualified to be the king. According to international practice, they have to find a prince from the ancient royal family of Germany to be the king. According to the agreement between Aegron and the Austrians, he has the right to choose a suitable candidate from among the candidates.

In other words, as compensation for not being a king, he is eligible to become a "chosen king".

This is also the issue that Panos is most concerned about now. He wants to know his intentions for the Greek king candidate in advance from Aigron, so that he can get on line with the opponent as soon as possible.

For the Panos father and son, whoever gets close to the new king and gets the king's approval will seize the opportunity in the future power structure.