Eagle's Glory

On December 1831, 12, during a military parade in the winter, he was found to have a severe cough and had to return to live in Schönbrunn Palace, whereupon he became critically ill.

According to the records of doctors at the time, he coughed up blood so badly that he almost coughed up all his lung tissue.

——This is definitely not the fate that Eggron wants to copy once.

The hygienic conditions in this era are not very good. Living in military camps and military academies with dense crowds and even worse sanitation conditions will naturally bring more severe dangers. If he follows the direction that history should have, he will not Be confident that you will be able to escape.

"I am very grateful for your kindness, but... I don't have much interest in joining the army." Aigron thought for a while, and then rejected His Royal Highness's memory. "I prefer the pen to the sword."

"But even so, a piece of military experience is very useful to you, and I suggest you try it."

Although His Royal Highness's tone was still very gentle, there was no smile on his face, obviously implying that this was not a suggestion but an order.

But on the matter of life and death, Aigron did not intend to change his mind.

"Your words are also very reasonable...then let me think about it carefully, and it's not too late to make a decision later."

"So should I understand it as a refusal?" Prince Metternich stared at Aigron.

His gaze, with the kind of indisputability that people who have been in high positions for a long time, obviously has no other answers for Aigron.

However, this time the young man shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but I can only obey my current heart."

Instead of getting angry, the prince laughed.

"A stubborn young man." He didn't know whether it was a compliment or a sarcasm.

"If bowing down to you can win your favor and improve my situation, then I am naturally very willing to please you, but—even if I do this, you may not take it to heart. There are too many false and sweet words in the world, no matter how much I say, I can't impress a veteran like you, so why should I do this?" Aigron replied calmly. "I think it might be better to tell you what's on your mind."

A moment of silence.

No one is angry, but there is no reconciliation either.

Looking at the young man's clear eyes, the prince was thoughtful.

"Okay, I have received your opinion, then you go back first, and I will think about it." While speaking, His Royal Highness waved his hand lightly, "I hope you have a pleasant afternoon."

"Goodbye, Your Highness." Eggron bowed lightly, then turned and left.

"I don't want to see another person in you so soon, so please don't forget that this is Vienna and not Paris. This is my advice, Franz."

Just as he was about to step out of the room, he heard a gentle word from behind.

His footsteps stopped for a moment, but he stepped on immediately and left the room.　　

4, the emperor

After watching the young man leave, Prince Metternich walked to the window again, looking at the scenery outside the window and meditating secretly.

After a while, he strode out of the room and walked towards His Majesty's office.

When he came to the door, the attendants saluted him hastily.

"I want to see His Majesty." He said to the attendant in a natural tone.

"Please wait a moment, Your Royal Highness." The attendant opened the door and went in to make an announcement, and then turned back immediately.

"Come in, Your Highness."

Prince Metternich walked into the wide hall, while His Majesty the Emperor was sitting behind the walnut desk, looking up at him.

His Majesty Emperor Franz I, who is a few years older than the prince, has gray hair, but there is no sign of exhaustion.

He stared at the prime minister he appointed with piercing eyes, and his expression was serious and rigid, which complemented the ancient royal family.

He is not a particularly talented person. The only reason he sits on the throne is because he is the grandson of Empress Theresa. In the first ten years of his reign, Austria repeatedly failed in wars with France. So much so that it became the background board of Napoleon's rise, was attacked by Napoleon, and signed an alliance under the city for land cession and indemnity; he was even forced to send his daughter to France for marriage to maintain his crumbling empire.

Today, although Emperor Napoleon has been reduced to loess, he still does not have confidence in his ability to maintain the empire, so he relies on the army and the secret police to maintain his rule, and even his own brothers can't help it from time to time. will be monitored.

But even so, he was not a cruel and ruthless monarch, he was willing to project a wise image, and he was quite generous to those around him.

In the history books, he is just another ordinary witness on the downhill road of the ancient Habsburg dynasty, not remembered by many people, but at this moment, after all, he is also the master of a top power on the European continent , no one can ignore his weight.

"Sir, I heard that you just went to find our dear Franz?" After looking at the Prime Minister, His Majesty the Emperor asked first, "Did something happen?"

"Some things have happened a long time ago, so we must prepare for some things before they happen." The Prime Minister replied.

"Huh?" His Majesty the Emperor looked at the Prime Minister with some doubts, not understanding what he was talking about.

After all, he was a diplomat. When Prince Metternich spoke, he always had a bit of cloud and mist that is unique to diplomats. But it didn't matter, as he was an emperor, he could naturally get a detailed explanation.

"Your Majesty, what do you think of our little Franz?" the Prime Minister asked first.

"An excellent child, a very lovely young man." His Majesty the Emperor replied after a little thought, "It's a pity that he has the wrong father."

"But the key point is that he had a wrong father, so he was entrusted with unrealistic delusions by many people." Prince Metternich replied calmly, "Your Majesty, you must remember that just three years ago, France Several military officers declared in the barracks that they would support His Majesty Napoleon II's return to the country to succeed him, and as the rule of the Bourbon family became increasingly unpopular, this kind of thing has increased day by day in the past few years. What is even more frightening is that this sentiment is not limited to It's only in the territory of France. When his mother was in Parma, the Italians who passed her balcony were also shouting long live Napoleon II..."

"Really? This is really ridiculous, obviously Franz is just a child..." Maybe it was because of hearing a disgusting name, His Majesty frowned slightly, but it was quickly covered up by a wry smile , "Do they think a child is capable of taking them to heaven?"

"Yes, of course it's very ridiculous, but political opponents don't care about logic; what matters is that they want to use that name against Bourbon and us." The Prime Minister looked seriously at His Majesty the Emperor, " Also, let me remind you that a child cannot remain a child forever. Franz will grow up. As he begins to grow up, there will be renewed hope among those long-dormant supporters of the Bonaparte family, and There is a real danger now - and I think he may not grow up as a Habsburg or a German as we would like."

"Aren't you a little too worried?" His Majesty smiled, "You shouldn't spend so much energy on a child."

"He is worth the effort. You know better than me that he is a child with both talent and willpower. Such a person will never be willing to die in obscurity. Therefore, when he grows up one day, will he Will suddenly one day be overwhelmed by fanatical ambition, and then respond to the call of those ambitious people? No one can guarantee this." The Prime Minister continued.

His Majesty the Emperor fell silent.

"I've just spoken to him and I can honestly say he has the poise and the alertness and the kind of sophistication that doesn't befit his age that I would be happy for the future of our country if it was in any of the other royals... ...But it's a pity that he is the special one." Prince Metternich had a strange expression, as if recalling something.

"I've been watching him. When the news of Napoleon's death reached here, although he was crying on the surface, I could see that he didn't have any real shock and grief. It wasn't the loss of the most important person in his life. Look, he was ten at the time! You know what that means? It means he has a talent that men like me and Talleyrand have grown up to have, and he lacks that real feeling, a naturally ruthless If you are a good performer, this kind of person is especially dangerous and terrifying if you are smart enough, and you can't ignore it just because you are just a child."

At this point, His Royal Highness, who has always been good at calculating, has missed his eyes. When he learned of his father's death in history, the young King of Rome was devastated. What about souls that have nothing to do with Napoleon, or even with this era?

Even if he really wanted to grieve, the child couldn't grieve, not because he really lacked human feelings.

"I admit...the risks you mentioned do exist." After quietly listening to the Prime Minister's words, His Majesty the Emperor nodded slightly, finally agreeing with the other party's opinion. "So what do you think he should do?"

"Your grandson is a lovely young man, but more importantly, he is a handy tool, a tool we use to terrorize France. But we should never use this tool, no one can bear it I can afford the risk of releasing the Napoleonic plague on the European continent again." Prince Metternich's eyes sparkled, as if recalling something, "We just need to hold him in our hands and let the Bourbon royal family have scruples about us. Now, the tool itself should not have a mind of its own."

"I admit that you are right, so what can you do about it?" asked His Majesty the Emperor.

"Let's send him to the army for education as soon as possible. Use the training of the army to kill his hostility and cultivate his obedience. Making him an Austrian officer will also disappoint his potential supporters in France." Prince Metternich had already prepared a draft on this issue, "After two years, we will find him a suitable wife as soon as possible, and use the family noose to make it difficult for him to get rid of."

His Majesty the Emperor quietly listened to the Prime Minister's suggestion, and did not feel that there was anything wrong.

Although Egron is only fifteen years old now, it is not uncommon for members of the royal family to marry early in this era. His Majesty the Emperor himself married four times due to several widows. The first marriage was in 1788. He was 20 at the time; his father, His Majesty the Emperor Leopold II, was 1765 when he married for the first time in 18.

And the unlucky king Louis XVI whose head was beheaded was only 1770 years old when he married the Austrian princess in 15. The princess herself was even one year younger than him.

So it is not shocking to start looking for a marriage partner at this age.

"Sending to the army and marrying..." His Majesty the Emperor pondered again, "You can really think about it."

"These are insurance measures, and they may not all work, but at least you should do it." Seeing that his opinion has been adopted by His Majesty the Emperor, His Royal Highness is also in a much better mood.

After a pause, he lowered his voice again, "As long as he has a wife and children, if he wants to get out of control in the future, at least we will have other options..."

When he said this, there was a meaningful pause, and of course His Majesty the Emperor could understand what he meant.

"Oh, my poor grandson!" His Majesty the Emperor sighed, "Someone always wants him to live in peace!"

============================================

After getting His Majesty's approval, Your Excellency the Prime Minister continued to discuss some other important issues with His Majesty, then took his leave and left.

Before returning to Vienna, he specially summoned Count von Dietrichstein, who was in charge of Aiglon's education.

"Sir, do you have any orders?" asked the count.

"Has your little master made any unusual moves recently?" Prince Metternich asked bluntly.

"From my point of view, everything is as usual, and there is nothing unusual." The count replied respectfully, "In addition, His Highness has always been a bit tough, if I offended you, please forgive him, I think He didn't mean to offend you, he usually treats people like that."

"It sounds like you really regard yourself as a follower of the French prince." The prince glanced at the other party with some displeasure, "We didn't put you by his side to ask you to intercede for him."

"I have always been a entourage of the Austrian royal family, and I will never forget my duties..." the count replied quickly.

"I hope you don't forget this." The Prince interrupted impatiently. "I repeat, now that he is no longer a child, you can no longer treat him in a leisurely way. If he has any unruly thoughts and actions, you must report to me in time."

After a pause, he added, "If it's too late to report him when he acts aggressively, you can temporarily detain him if necessary, don't care about his special status, and then wait for me to deal with it. I'm also in charge of everything."

"Isn't he just being detained now..." the count sighed softly.

The prince looked at the count coldly, with an expression of "you should understand what I mean".

"I understand." The count bowed.

"Okay, I wish you all the best." His Royal Highness waved his hand, signaling the Earl to leave.　　

5，苏菲

While Prince Metternich was discussing with His Majesty the Emperor, Egron was walking in the long corridor, preparing to return to his bedroom.

Because of the quarrel with Prince Metternich just now, he was in a bad mood, but he didn't show any signs on his face. Over the years, he had already been used to hiding his thoughts in his heart.

Just as he walked outside his room, he suddenly found that there seemed to be an extra person beside him.

This is a woman about 20 years old.

She was wearing a long dress. Although she was not tall, she still looked tall because of her slender figure. Her neck was also quite slender, which made her movements and expressions look quite elegant and smart. Her brown hair was trimmed into curly hair in a fashionable style.

Just looking at him with a half-smile, her rosy face was full of youthful charm, but because she was a first-time wife, she also had the charm of a young woman.

"Aigron! Good morning." When Aigron looked at her, she greeted him with a smile.

"Good morning, Your Highness." Aegron stopped and saluted her.

She is Princess Sophie.

She is the daughter of King Maximilian I of Bavaria. She was born in 1805. In 1824, at the age of 19, she married the youngest son of His Majesty the Emperor, Grand Duke Franz Karl (that is, Aigron's little uncle), From then on, he lived in Schönbrunn Palace, and at the same time, the two of them got acquainted.

Aigron has a pretty good friendship with her, and he also likes her smile when she greets him.

This is not only because of her nice voice, but more importantly, she is the only one in this huge palace who can call herself by this nickname in French at the same time.

In addition, although the princess is his aunt, she is only 6 years older than him. Compared with other people in the court, this newly-acquainted princess has too much in common with him.

It is worth mentioning that her sister, Princess Caroline, born in 1792, married the widowed Austrian emperor in 1816 as a sequel, so she became his nominal "grandmother"-although it was only more than his Only 19 years older.

What's more worth mentioning is that their eldest sister, Princess Augusta born in 1788, married Napoleon's adopted son Eugène de Beauharnay in 1806.

Therefore, according to the strict order of seniority, the three sisters of the princess can be counted as his "sister-in-law", "grandmother", and "aunt".

The chaos of political marriages in the aristocratic world and the efforts of the Napoleon family to integrate into the royal families of various European countries when they came to power can also be seen from this.

From the first day he saw her, Aigron didn't bother about "what to call her". After all, in this luxurious and leisurely palace, these royal family members who were born rich and well-fed, why should they care about the so-called What about the sequence?

From the moment they met, Princess Sophie was very friendly to him, without any prejudice against the Austrians.

After all, the Bavarians did not hate Napoleon. After all, in the era of Emperor Napoleon, that giant single-handedly founded the Rhineland League and promoted the Bavarian Elector to the Kingdom of Bavaria, making it another German power.

In order to thank Emperor Napoleon, the King of Bavaria married his adopted son and followed Napoleon to fight. It was only in 1813 when Napoleon was at the end of his rope that he was forced to abandon him due to the situation.

At the same time, although the empire was destroyed, the king still took in his son-in-law Eugene, who had nowhere to go. Until Eugene died in 1824, he enjoyed a fairly good living treatment.

And Eugene and Princess Augusta are also very affectionate, they can be regarded as a rare loving couple in political marriages.

Princess Sophie, who grew up in such a living environment, naturally did not have any hostility towards the Bonaparte family. After marrying in Austria, it is very normal for her to be friendly and kind to Aigron.

After the two got acquainted, Princess Sophie directly referred to him as you, which shows that she really treats him differently.

"I heard that our dear Prime Minister just found you?" Princess Sophie asked as she approached.

"Your news is really well-informed—" Aigron smiled helplessly.

"It seems that you didn't have a very pleasant chat, did he reprimand you?" the princess asked again.

"It's not a reprimand...it's just a bit embarrassing." Aigron continued to smile wryly.

"This old man is probably thinking of something else." Princess Sophie said with some dissatisfaction.

Aigron didn't answer, after all, this topic is not convenient to talk about in the corridor.

"Hmm... this is not a good place to talk." Princess Sophie squinted at the side, then raised her eyebrows, and there was a hint of charm in her witty eyes. "Come with me--"

After she finished speaking, she turned around and left, leaving the boy with a slim back while her skirt fluttered, and Eggron had to follow behind her.

The two walked out of the grand palace, and then walked down the steps to the fountain at the entrance. Because of the sound of running water, they didn't have to worry about the partition wall having ears.

"Aigron, what did he say?" the princess asked again.

"He said he wanted me to go to military school, and I didn't want to," Aggron replied honestly. "And then we had some arguments."

"Is that so..." Princess Sophie lowered her gaze slightly, and began to think, "He is not someone who will change his mind easily."

"This is where I'm in trouble." Aigron nodded, "I really don't want to go at all, but I don't want to go against his wishes."