Eagle's Glory

Eggron was equally satisfied.

Teresa fully met and even exceeded all the requirements he had for his wife, so what is there to be dissatisfied with?

However, deep down in his heart, his greed to devour everything and possess everything has not been extinguished. When will this young man who is obviously happy enough but insatiable get restless again?

Aegron didn't know the answer to that question, and he didn't need to seek one.

This time their destination was not some remote place, but the most famous city in Europe and a holy place with a glorious history - the city of Rome.

During these three months, they first enjoyed the New Year celebrations in Athens to celebrate the arrival of peace; then they went to Ioannina, celebrated with their subordinates, and managed this small principality by the way; Depart from Methoni, head to the great and glorious city of Rome, and meet God's spokesperson in the world.

It was a step Aggron had planned in advance, and he had also channeled it through his uncle, Cardinal Joseph Fish.

And now, the "nephew" of Cardinal Esposito, the Pope's confidant, has also defected to Aigron's command as a private secretary. He has a closer relationship with his allies, so it is easier to clear the relationship.

Now, everything is ready, he will visit Rome with his wife.

Of course, there is also a little regret - because Emperor Napoleon broke with the church and once detained the Pope, there is a very strong anti-Bonaparte faction in the Roman Church, even His Majesty the Pope cannot ignore their opinions, so Egron And Teresa can only visit in private.

But for Aigron, this is not a big problem. Anyway, he doesn't want to be in place in one breath, as long as he can make progress step by step, he will win.

With their identities, of course they don't need to pack their luggage by themselves. After receiving the order, Chanel has already taken care of everything, and everything is ready to go. Chanel himself will follow the newlyweds all the way , by the side of the attendant.

And their guide this time was Aigron's personal secretary, Leon Esposito.

As the illegitimate son of the cardinal, he should be an open secret among the top leaders of the Roman church. Aigron felt that if he was by his side, the Esposito cardinal church would do its best—at least the personal safety of the couple would be preserved. .

With the cardinal as the guarantor, even if there are any forces in the Roman Church who want to toss, they will weigh it.

In this way, after a period of secret negotiations, and Aigron has handled internal affairs, it is time for them to set off for Rome.

Thinking of Rome, both of them felt a little emotional.

The last time they went to Rome by coincidence in two months, although they took the opportunity to reunite and set a lifelong event, Rome became their blessed place; but from another perspective, Egron was still half a "fugitive" at that time. I don’t dare to reveal my identity to others, so I come and go in a hurry, and I don’t have time to visit this city full of glorious history—I just strolled around the villas of the ancient Roman emperors in the suburbs. Feeling a little unhappy.

And this time, it's time to make amends.

"His Majesty--"

As he was meditating, his secretary, Leon Esposito, walked up to him. "The boat is ready, just waiting for you to board and set off."

"Very good." Eggron nodded slightly.

Then, he walked to Theresa's side, and stretched out his hand to her tenderly, "Teresa, we are leaving."

"Yes." Teresa nodded, and then took her husband's hand very naturally.

Her eyes are full of affection, maybe at this moment, even if Aigron says to go to any corner of the world, she is willing to follow with all her heart.

After seeing this look, as usual, Eggron was captured again——

Because of this, he took the girl into his arms and kissed her tenderly, and Teresa responded to him without hesitation.

So, Leon Esposito had to stand aside in embarrassment, lowering his head and trying not to look at the intimacy of his lord and his wife—this young couple can enjoy their love as much as they want, but if they look more, it will be a big deal. sorry.

Fortunately, his embarrassment didn't last long. Teresa left the rooftop first to make final preparations with Chanel, leaving only Aigron and his personal secretary to stay where they were.

Because of getting along with each other in recent months, Aigron has ended the other party's "investigation period" and accepted the other party as a member of his circle.

Leon Esposito cherishes this honor he has received very much. He is determined to dedicate all his resourcefulness and knowledge to serve the young lord in exchange for the realization of his dream.

In his opinion, although this young man is still weak at the moment, he and his group are already on the right track, and they can vaguely see the bright future.

Considering how many miracles he has accomplished thus far, is it any wonder that he will perform even greater miracles?

"Leon." Aigron called softly while watching the ships appearing in the harbor. "What's the news from Rome?"

"As far as my uncle's feedback is concerned, everything is still stable. Although many people complained about His Majesty's overly friendly attitude towards you, this kind of dissatisfaction did not appear in public doubts. His Majesty believes that, Although your father had some troubles with the church back then, the piety of your grandmother and uncle over the years was enough to wash away the stains of the Bonaparte family. What's more, as a young child, you didn't need to be responsible for these troubles at all. Therefore, in accordance with the teachings of Christian mercy and tolerance, the church should reconcile with you—”

Aigron didn't care much about the following clichés, what he cared about was one of the key words.

"My uncle?"

"Yes, your uncle, Lucien Bonaparte," replied Leon Esposito.

Aegron was slightly taken aback.

It seems that the relatives who speak for him in Rome are not just grandmother and uncle

Lucien Bonaparte is the third brother of Emperor Napoleon. During the era of the great revolution, he also became Napoleon's political assistant and assisted him in launching the Brumaire Coup. After the coup, he served as Minister of the Interior and stabilized Bonaparte with his brother. Ba family rule.

However, it didn't take long, because the two brothers had a fierce quarrel over Lucien's marriage, or Lucien couldn't stand his brother's domineering attitude towards him more and more, so he chose to break with Emperor Napoleon and gave up his gift of marriage. by his grace, and the family moved to Rome.

During the heyday of the empire, members of the Napoleon family ascended to heaven one by one, wearing crowns on their heads, but Lucien remained in Rome and was almost forgotten by the world; and in 1815, when Emperor Napoleon returned to France to prepare for a desperate fight However, Lucien rushed back to France, ready to fight the emperor to the end and regain the family crown.

It's a pity that the luck of the two brothers is gone this time. With the defeat of Napoleon's army in the Battle of Waterloo, the hope of the revival of the empire once again came to naught. Lucien originally wanted to persuade his brother to struggle again, but seeing that the situation was gone, he There was nothing he could do, but he fled France again and returned to Rome.

After returning to Rome, he lived a hermit life again and was almost forgotten by the world, but unlike his elder brother Napoleon, he had a very good relationship with the church, so in 1814 he was named Prince of Canino by Pope Pius VII. In 1824 he was made Prince Musignano by Leo XII, and in short he was greatly respected.

Of course Aigron knew that his uncle's family lived in Rome, but he didn't take the initiative to contact Prince Lucien because he wasn't sure about the uncle's attitude before—but he didn't expect that his uncle was also in the Church of Rome. He speaks well.

It seems that no matter how much internal strife there is, family affection is still the bond that connects them after all.

"Your Majesty, do you want to see your uncle?" Leon Esposito had been watching his words, and seeing Aigron's complicated expression, he asked in a low voice.

"If it's possible, I can meet—" Eggron replied after hesitating for a moment, "However, this must first get his approval. He is my uncle after all. If he doesn't like it, I won't force him to disturb him."

"You don't have to worry about this issue at all." Leon Esposito smiled, "His Royal Highness has been running for you in secret, it can be seen that he has placed a deep friendship on you, if you are willing to see him, he should It would be a pleasure—and my uncle thinks that our troubles will be lessened if His Royal Highness is involved."

"What do you mean?" Aegron asked suspiciously.

Leon Esposito is not in the habit of showing off in front of the lord at all, so he immediately replied, "Actually, my uncle has been having trouble arranging the meeting between you and the Pope, after all, you two are quite...Etiquette-oriented .”

Leon's words unconsciously carried a trace of grievance.

As a political figure, especially as a pretender to the throne, Egron certainly hoped to be appreciated by the Pope, but he was also unwilling to bow down to the Pope, and he would never even think about big gifts such as kneeling.

And the Pope also believes that since the Duke of Reichstedt claims to be a devout believer and has been using the church to gain fame, he should show enough "sincerity" after meeting the Pope—especially his father and In the case of historical stains, otherwise how to convince the public?

Just because both sides insisted on their positions, the two sides have argued several times over the issue of etiquette in the past three months, but there is still no result.

In everyone's eyes, Aigron is too stubborn and not as soft as usual, but Aigron doesn't want to make himself a dwarf in front of the church-if this impression is left on people now, it will be difficult to reverse it in the future It is difficult.

He only wanted to use the church as a tool, but he never thought about becoming a devout believer.

So he has to insist on etiquette, because etiquette sometimes doesn't matter at all, but sometimes etiquette is everything.

"So what does this question have to do with my uncle?" Aigron asked back.

"My uncle thinks that if His Royal Highness is involved, it can give you and the Pope a chance." Leon Esposito quickly explained, "If you get the Pope's public summons, then you and his Every action is in the eyes of everyone, and your every move will attract attention; and if you meet at the house of His Royal Highness, many problems may not be so important—"

Eggron finally understood.

"I visited my uncle in private, and it happened that His Majesty the Pope also visited my uncle's house, and then we met by chance, and had a cordial and friendly exchange—" he summed up the meaning of the other party.

"If you don't mind that it's not grand enough..."

"No, I don't mind." Aegron patted his secretary on the shoulder to express his satisfaction. "So let's do it."

"Okay, Your Majesty." Leon Esposity nodded calmly.　　

2. Reunion with Grandmother

【As we obeyed Moses in all things, we will obey you now, and may the LORD your God be with you as he was with Moses. 】

"Okay, Your Majesty."

Although Leon Esposito was calm on the surface, he could not hide his pride in his heart.

He has been serving the young man recently, and has gradually gained the trust of the other party, and has slowly participated in the important actions of the other party. If it is an ordinary person, he must be satisfied with this status.

However, he is still not satisfied. He knows that his current value is still reflected in the "useful secretary" and has not reached the level of "indispensable secretary".

So he needs an opportunity to further demonstrate his ability and value and gain greater trust.

If he could help the young man satisfactorily solve the problems connected with the trip to Rome, then he should be able to get this reward.

So during this period of time, he spared no effort to correspond with his "uncle" Cardinal Vittorio Esposito, and finally discussed such a method.

And His Majesty's reaction proved that he was right.

He has taken another solid step, but the rest of the road has to be down-to-earth.

The two ended their conversation, and then Aigron led him down the rooftop.

The place where they stayed was the hotel they had requisitioned before. At this time, there were several carriages parked at the door of the hotel, all the salutes had been packed, and Teresa had already sat on it, just waiting for Eggron's order. You can go to the boat to set off.

Aigron opened the door of the carriage, and then sat next to Teresa. Teresa immediately leaned on his shoulder, and just as the carriage door was closed again, Teresa turned to Leon Esper outside the carriage. Xito nodded with a smile, as if to praise him for his hard work.

Leon Esposito hurriedly bowed and saluted Her Majesty the Queen until the carriage drove away slowly.

He is a smart person, and he has experience in dealing with people since he was a child, so he can see that although Princess Teresa has never had a long conversation with him, she has always been very friendly to him, or in other words—trying to win him over ,

With little hesitation, he complied with this kind of solicitation, and even tried to curry favor with Her Royal Highness—after all, if he could get the protection of the mistress, his subsequent work would be much easier, and he was also happy to receive such protection.

And he knows very well that although he has a good family background and a keen mind, his own weakness is also obvious-that is, he is not a descendant of a hero in the empire era, and he has no experience of sharing joys and sorrows, so it is impossible to integrate into their circle .

What's more, he was regarded as the successor of the cardinal since he was a child, so he was proud and arrogant, and he didn't bother to bow down to some people whose status was not higher than himself.

And in this environment, the kindness from Princess Teresa is very precious-he knows that there is no perfect person in the world who will never make mistakes. If one day he makes a mistake, then isolation and backing are two a completely different situation.

So he was willing to stand on the side of Her Royal Highness, in exchange for her kindness and protection, and also found a solid backing for his position.

Of course, he also knows that this kind of protection is by no means free, but requires his own actions to prove his usefulness, but it is not difficult for him.

What he just reported to His Majesty, Princess Teresa also knew about it at the same time—and Princess Teresa was also very satisfied with his solution.

This is a very desirable result, enough to make him smug.

However, Leon was not in high spirits, and sometimes he was a little puzzled—the relationship between the two majesties is obviously very affectionate, and Princess Teresa's love for young people can be strongly felt even by onlookers, and she doesn't seem to have any Especially strong desire for power, so why is she so active?

——So, is Her Royal Highness herself also feeling aggrieved at being cut off from the small circle of imperial survivors?Was the reason why she deliberately wooed herself was also to occupy a more important position beside His Majesty so as not to be alienated?

These are just Leon's guesses. It is impossible for him to ask Princess Teresa for answers, and there is no need to find answers.

As long as this de facto tacit understanding exists, that is enough.Her Royal Highness's gentle smile is an encouragement for his loyalty at this moment.

With complicated thoughts, Leon himself got into the carriage, and then came to the side of the trestle together.

Then, they all got out of the carriage, and then boarded the sailboat to Rome together.

Looking at the rising sun over the sea, the young secretary was in high spirits.

If they can really restore the empire, then I, Leon Esposito, will surely rise to the top and become a famous official of a generation, he firmly believes in this.

--------------------------------------------------

The sailboats were full, and with the support of the winter wind, Aigron once again experienced the journey through the Mediterranean Sea.

But compared to the past, now he has adapted to the bumps on the boat, and he will never get seasick again.

In order to avoid causing unnecessary trouble, Aigron and his group did not make a big fuss. Apart from Teresa, he only brought Chanel, his secretary, captain of the guard André Davout and a few other reliable guards. What's more, the total number did not exceed ten people—this was the result of André Davout's strong protest, and he planned to bring even fewer people.

And he and Teresa, dressed as newly married young aristocratic couples, went on a honeymoon trip together.

In a sense, this seems to be true?

Like last time, after a two-day voyage, they arrived at the port of Civitavecchia together, and then rented several carriages to go together. The whole process was handled by Leon, the local secretary. The couple did not show up.

And then, the group headed for Rome.

The closer he got to Rome, the more excited Eggron felt.

It was less than a year since he came to Rome last time. At that time, he only dared to wander around the outskirts of Rome, even seeing his grandmother secretly; but this time, the situation was quite different. He could move legally and freely, although There was no fanfare, but he had indeed rushed to the Eternal City as a guest of the Pope, and it was considered a grievance.

Moreover, this time, he can come to his grandmother's house in a dignified manner, and stand in front of her and tell her proudly that he has lived up to her previous expectations.

The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, but the port was dozens of kilometers away from the city of Rome, so Aigron could only hold back his emotions and wait for that moment to come.

Gradually, with the movement of the horizon, the hills and hills around Rome, as well as the magnificent buildings above them, gradually emerged outside the car window.

It was already evening at this time, because it was winter, and the sun set very early, so the setting sun had already dragged the shadows of these hills and the buildings above them, making them even more magnificent.

"They owe me a triumph," said Aigron suddenly sullenly. "I obviously spent so much money!"

Until now, he still has a bit of a grudge.

"Okay, Eggron...the city of Rome doesn't do this kind of stuff anymore, so how could it be specially prepared for you?" Teresa, who was sitting next to him, replied with a smile, "But it doesn't matter, even if it doesn't happen this time, Maybe there will be a day like that.”

"Yes... there will be such a day." Aigron nodded, "I will let the Pope crown me at that time."

The young man was in high spirits at the moment. Although these words suddenly sounded a little out of reality, Teresa would rather believe in her husband.

"At that time, I was in charge of shouting 'Wake up, you're just a mortal!' next to you..." She replied slightly teasingly and dotingly.

"According to the history books, shouldn't this work be done by slaves?" Aigron asked doubtfully. "Besides, why do I need someone to remind me? I'm not a real Roman general, and I don't have a Senate on my head."

"Fool!" Teresa laughed and leaned forward, then pinched his face.