Eagle's Glory

"He's from France." Aigron replied without changing his expression. "But please rest assured that his documents and procedures are completely legal, and it's just a normal visit—otherwise he wouldn't have come here directly."

Although Egron said so, the vigilance of the servants did not decrease at all, but increased even more.

"From France...?" he asked tremblingly, his eyes suddenly full of doubt and worry.

"Sir, you know, I'm a well-known person with a little prestige, so I have friends all over Europe, whether it's France or Bavaria—" Eggron was a little impatient, "I'm a guest of your king I came here, so I think I should have the freedom to see my friends, don't you think I don't?"

"No, of course I didn't think so..." Under Aigron's stern expression, the attendant immediately softened his figure. After all, he would never dare to offend His Majesty's distinguished guests without receiving a clear order.

After hesitating for a moment, he looked at Aigron cautiously, "Your Highness, can you wait for a while, I'll ask for instructions."

"Of course you can, but please hurry up." Aigron deliberately looked at the other party with arrogant eyes, "Sir, I am not deliberately embarrassing you, but I hope to get due respect."

Of course Aigron knew why the attendants were so embarrassed.

After all, my status is too special. On the one hand, I have a certain reputation, and can even determine the ownership of the Greek crown; but on the other hand, I am a pretender to the throne, the deadly enemy of the Bourbon royal family.

Because of the former reason, although the Bavarian royal family wanted something from themselves, they were very happy to entertain themselves, but based on the second reason, they also had a lot of concerns.

They are happy to entertain a guest like themselves, but in any case it is impossible to allow themselves to turn their country into an "anti-Fa base".

If he keeps his own place, he can naturally enjoy their kind hospitality for a period of time; but if he doesn't know how to measure and keeps causing trouble, then he is very likely to lose the favor of the Bavarian royal family, not only will he lose the courtesy he has received now, but also Possibly expelled by King Ludwig.

Eggron is a person who talks about realism, so he will not have unrealistic expectations-Bavaria is considered a big state in Germany, but compared to France, Bavaria can only be regarded as a small and weak country. It is really difficult for them to stand up against the French Bourbon government publicly, and Aigron would not be foolish enough to make such a request.

Therefore, he is also deliberately controlling the limits of his activities to avoid irritating the Bavarian royal family-he has been acting quite "safe" these days, and only made a special request today.

In his prediction, his meeting with a "friend" from France should not exceed the tolerance limit of King Ludwig I.

But if he received a large group of people in public, or even held a party of Bonapartists, then King Ludwig would not tolerate it no matter how good-tempered he was-not because he hated Eggron, but because of his national interest. Don't do it.

Sure enough, as Aigron expected, the attendant came back soon, with a humble smile on his face.

"Your Highness, as a distinguished guest of our country, we should satisfy your reasonable request." He bowed slightly, and then reported the good news to Aigron, "You can meet your friends."

"Thank you for your generosity." Aigron shrugged, and then asked slightly sarcastically, "In order to express my magnanimity, should I let you or some other attendant attend the scene?"

"No, of course you don't need to." The attendant waved his hands again and again, "You can talk freely with your guest. However, please allow me to welcome that visitor, so that he can safely enter the palace and come before you."

Aigron knew that this was because the court wanted to confirm that there was really only one visitor, and to verify the authenticity of what he said-he was willing to cooperate with this, anyway, he had no intention of lying on this issue.

He nodded slightly, and the attendant's tense face finally showed a slight smile, and the nervous attendant, as if pardoned, bowed and retreated.

"Go and bring him to see me." Aigron turned his head and gave an order to Andre Davout.

André Davout led the way out, and then, together with the attendant, quietly left Nymphenburg Palace in the twilight, and they returned soon after, but this time there was one more person beside them.

This guest was wearing black clothes, a black cloak, and a wide hat on his head, as if he was wrapped in the night.

Because they were notified in advance, the guards did not stop this mysterious visitor, nor did they even check his specific appearance, and let him go directly——King Ludwig was indeed very kind, and he did everything within his tolerance Very appropriate.

Soon, just as the night fell on Nymphenburg Palace, the suite where Aigron lived finally welcomed the long-awaited guest.

When he walked in the door, Aigron was immediately attracted by the tall and burly figure. Under his gaze, the visitor walked up to him, then reached out and took off his hat, and then respectfully looked at Aigron Bow down and salute.

"Your Majesty! Thank God, I can finally see you!" he said with a little emotion.

His voice is very calm, but also has an aura of calmness and prestige.

When he raised his head, Aegron could see his face clearly by the candlelight.

This is a middle-aged man who seems to be in his early fifties and approaching his twilight years. His temples have turned white and his forehead is covered with wrinkles, revealing the sorrow of having suffered countless life blows; but even so, he His eyes are still piercing, and he also shows a lot of action in his gestures, and also shows his unquenchable ambition.

He wore a short beard on his chin, a little grizzled but neatly combed, with dignity and culture.In addition, his rocker is straight, even if he deliberately shows obedience in front of Aigron, he still hasn't lost that stern military temperament.

In addition to majesty, one can also see from his face and demeanor that he was handsome and unrestrained when he was young.

No wonder such a handsome son as Edgar was born—Aggron thought to himself.

That's right, the guest he took the risk to meet was none other than Edgar de Treville's father, the former imperial general Marquis de Treville.

The Marquis was a loyal supporter of the empire. Even after the fall of the empire, he did not change his political stance. He publicly expressed his memory of Emperor Napoleon many times and expressed his gratitude for the title and property bestowed by the Bonaparte family - as the Duke of Treville Originally, he was not qualified to have the current title. After returning to France from exile in Germany in 1806 and serving Emperor Napoleon, Emperor Napoleon granted him the title of Marquis of the Empire and gave him a large sum of money. The property allowed him to live a luxurious life like other marshals and generals in the empire era.

Just because he insisted on his position, and because he was a well-known general, the Bonapartist supporters in France gradually surrounded the general, and after escaping from Austria, Aigron also He regarded him as his most important supporter, and even sent Edmond Dantès to Paris to contact him.

However, after seeing Edgar de Treville's demeanor, Aigron couldn't help but have a little doubt about his choice-because although Edgar was not bad in intelligence, no matter from any point of view, he None of these praiseworthy words such as bravery, enthusiasm, determination and generosity have anything to do with it.

If the son is like this, will the father also be like this?

He couldn't help but worry a little that the Marquis de Treville was exaggerating and that he was a mediocre and incompetent person.

It's just that Aigron's supporters are scarce now, and he lacks political or military weight, so even if he doubts in his heart, he has to continue to rely on this prestigious general.

However, when he saw him with his own eyes today, the Marquis' unrestrained demeanor and his serious military temperament made him firm his judgment again—the Marquis of Treville, worthy of trust and dependence.

It is precisely because of this thought that Aigron assumed a very "respectful corporal" posture.

He walked up to the general, and offered to extend his hand to him.

"General Treville, I've heard of your name for a long time. When I saw you today, you really have the demeanor that an imperial soldier should have."

The Marquis de Treville stretched out his hand, and then held his hand excitedly, his original serious face was slightly moved, "Your Majesty... We have waited too long for today, and we have lost too much!"

Having said that, his voice trembled, as if recalling the hardships and sacrifices these Bonaparte supporters faced after the fall of the empire.

The long wait finally ushered in a glimmer of light, even for a serious and calm person like him, he couldn't help being moved by it.

"You are right, we have all suffered a lot of disasters and lost too many things." After shaking hands for a while, Aigron withdrew his hand, and then looked at each other with a smile on his face, "But in comparison, I still have at least the false title of a duke and a grandfather of the emperor to take me in. I am not qualified to talk about sacrifices with you, because you have to insist on your own choice under the bayonet, and even face the danger of your life...From the empire Counting from the destruction, it has been 12 years. Those who have sacrificed in these years, and those who are still steadfast, are loyal ministers and righteous men whom I must thank. I only hate that I am not enough to repay them now. sacrifice, but I believe this day will come soon, please, please give me some more time!"

"Your Majesty, it is our honor to sacrifice for you and the Bonaparte family. We fought bloody battles without hesitation and never expected anything in return; we will not do it now, we are just fulfilling our oath! Some shameless villains , take their oaths as a joke that can be trampled on casually, they sell their character in exchange for glory and wealth, but I will never!" The Marquis de Treville straightened his back and looked at Aigron with enthusiastic eyes .

Then he added, "Besides, in my mind the empire never ends, His Majesty Napoleon I ruled France until his death, and you have ruled the country that was destined to you since 1821! You just because The world is impermanent and unfortunately you are temporarily exiled abroad, but you are our legal monarch anyway, and you are the heir who will definitely return to the throne!"

The words of the Marquis de Treville were full of emotion, and even combined steel will and abundant passion, so that Egron, who had always been fickle, couldn't help being moved when he heard it.

He knew that the other party's words might not be completely true, and he might also have traces of intentionally pleasing himself just like Edgar - but this is not important anymore.

Regardless of deeds or intentions, since the Marquis de Treville has insisted on being a loyal minister of his family for more than ten years, then he is a loyal minister, and it is too much to demand that he is only loyal to the Bonaparte family from body to heart. It's not realistic anymore.

Loyal ministers must be encouraged and rewarded, especially when it is needed now.

"General, after hearing your words, I believe that the soul of the late emperor will be very pleased... You are the most precious gift he left me. I am very glad that I still have you by my side—" Aigron As he spoke, he made a gesture, asking the general to sit down. "And I will never forget what you and your family have done for me."　　

38,Marshal

"And I will never forget what you and your family have done for me."

Aigron's affectionate words made the Marquis of Treville feel very comfortable.

Although on the surface, the Marquis de Treville has always said that he is loyal to the Bonaparte family, just to repay the king's kindness without asking for anything in return, but people are people after all, and he also has his own descendants. It is impossible to give up his children and grandchildren - if it is not for the sake of the family, why does he still participate in such a terrible career at this age?

Therefore, Aigron specifically pointed out that he would repay his family in the future, which happened to be in his heart.

He obeyed the young man's order with joy, and sat on the sofa, but he still sat upright, with his waist straight and without any slack, so that His Majesty could feel his caution and respect.

"You must have worked hard on this journey." Now that the two of them were close at hand, Aigron carefully looked at the general, and he could see the exhaustion from the dust from his gray temples and beard.

"It can't be called too hard. The road I drove in the past was much longer than this—" the Marquis de Treville replied indifferently.

"That's right, back then you followed the late emperor on a return run from Paris to Moscow... Compared to that journey, the fatigue this time is nothing to mention." Aigron smiled, "At that time, in You have run more than 5000 kilometers in less than a year, which is really exhausting."

Hearing Aigron's laughter, the Marquis de Treville could only put on a bitter face, not daring to laugh along with him - as the heir to the empire, Aigron could ridicule the most spectacular defeat of the empire, that was his tolerance; As a subject, he couldn't make fun of it, and as a person who witnessed it at the time, he couldn't describe the past in a joking tone.

"That is indeed an unbearable memory for us." After Aigron finished laughing, the Marquis sighed sullenly, "I am a lucky man, I am a general, even if I am fleeing, I still have troops." The best treatment here, but the poor people who followed us are different... They were forced to endure hunger and cold, silently followed us to the west with their legs, and people kept falling to death in the cold wind , and the surviving people are already like walking dead, just moving forward silently with the last hope of being human... This is no longer an army, and in the end everyone just wants to prevent themselves from becoming another army in the wasteland. Fighting with an unclaimed skeleton—fortunately, I came back alive, but too many people have been buried forever in that barren land, including many of my friends and subordinates, I don’t want to I remember those nightmares made of cold wind and snow, but I will never be able to forget those disasters and the faces that disappeared in front of me one by one."

Egron listened quietly to the general's emotion, and at the end he couldn't help sighing, "This is indeed a heartbreaking failure, and we are still paying the price for it today. But as long as we are still alive, There is hope of getting back up from failure.”

"You are our hope, Your Majesty." General Treville replied immediately, "I'm not telling you this to pour cold water on you, but to let you feel the weight of every decision you make—your whole body Maintaining our entire party, your decision will be related to our life and death. Of course, we are not afraid to die for you, as long as these deaths are useful to you, you can exchange our lives for your victory."

"I know, of course I know—" Eggron nodded, and then laughed again, "General, I know you are a serious person, but you don't need to talk so dejectedly when we first meet ——Not only do I not want to waste your life and the lives of others, on the contrary, I hope to save you more than anyone else, because if I really rule France in the future, I need you to manage the army for me and protect me s country."

"This is our bounden duty." General Treville nodded.

After a pause, he changed the topic, "But Your Majesty, the number of people in your hands is still quite small, and most of them have very young qualifications. It is difficult for them to get the respect they deserve in the army anyway——so, from From now to a long period of time, you need the cooperation of the existing military officers in the army, only they can make the army lean to your side, at least not against you becoming emperor."

Aigron understood this truth very well, so he nodded, "This is why I rely on you and seek your advice."

Aigron found that, perhaps because he had been in the army all year round, General Treville spoke straightforwardly. Although he was respectful to him, he also said what he said. Euphemistic suggestion.

If you are a narrow-minded and incompetent person, you will definitely feel resentful when you encounter such a subordinate, but Aigron will not, he appreciates people with character-but only if they have talent.

"That's right, I do plan to seek the support of the army—but general, you can see now that the current army is in the hands of the Bourbon family, and they have been trying to win over the marshals and generals, many of them They are all recognized as nobles by them, and have extremely high courtesy in the court, what do you think I should do in this situation?" Aigron asked humbly.

Egron's attitude changed from his previous pride, and he asked the other party very humbly, and General Treville had also considered this question for a long time, so he was able to give Egron an answer on the spot—of course, he absolutely did not Dare to regard the lord whom he is loyal to as a "junior", so his attitude has always been controlled as "suggestion" instead of "advice".

He knew very well that this young man possessed such talent and firm will since he was a child, so his character must be arrogant and conceited. If you treat him with the attitude of a teacher lecturing a student, even if he doesn't feel disobedient in order to win people's hearts today, when his position is stabilized in the future, he will definitely have no good fruit to eat.

Although the general has been trying to maintain an outspoken, honest and loyal character, he is a member of the Treville family after all, and has the ability to understand people's hearts. He served under Emperor Napoleon and was deeply loved by his majesty, even the later emperor He has never been offended by becoming more and more self-willed, and it will never rely on the so-called "straightforwardness".

With a meticulous and respectful attitude, the Marquis of Treville bent slightly, and then calmly continued to talk to the young man, "I have been in the army for many years, even though I have been forced to quit the army now, I still keep my old friends I can tell you that the military is a closed world, like a fraternity, they form deep personal bonds because of their long service, and nowhere is it more subordinate than our military, so, Officers at the top wield enormous influence.

——The ones at the top of our army today are the surviving marshals from the imperial era. After the emperor left, they represented the era full of victories and glory. Their subordinates are all over the entire army. If you can let them advocate for you in the army, then you will naturally get twice the result with half the effort.After the restoration of the Bourbon family, they also appointed several marshals, but they either died because of their old age, or they could not afford enough prestige because they did not have much military merit, and they had few personnel relations in the army, so there is nothing to fear . "

Aigron silently thought about the other party's words, then nodded slightly.

"Well, you are right, we need to seek the support of the marshals, but what exactly?"

Then General Treville explained to him the conclusions he had drawn from his observations.

It is now 1828. Among the marshals bestowed by Emperor Napoleon, Massena, Ney, Suchet, Berthier, Davout, Augereau and others have all died, while Marmont, Macdonald, Saint-Sycé Er, Udino and others turned their backs on Emperor Napoleon after he abdicated for the first time, and refused to serve Emperor Napoleon during the Hundred Days Dynasty. It is obvious that they are already on the side of the Bourbon Dynasty, so no matter what Considering trying to win them over.

So far, among these marshals, there are very few people who meet the two conditions of "still alive" and "did not abandon Emperor Napoleon or live in seclusion in 1815, but chose to continue to cooperate with Emperor Napoleon".

Under Egron's gaze, the general spoke his conclusion——

"Soulter and Moncey."

Aegron continued to frown in thought.

The answer is not surprising,

Marshal Soult was a well-known general during the empire. He made many military exploits and was named the Duke of Dalmatia by the emperor. During the Hundred Days Dynasty, he took the initiative to serve the emperor, served as the chief of staff, and participated in the unlucky the Battle of Waterloo;

As for Marshal Monsey, his military career was inferior, but he still made a lot of contributions through battles and was named the Duke of Conegliano. During the Hundred Days Dynasty, he also volunteered to serve the emperor, but Because he had voluntarily called on the emperor to abdicate in 1814, the emperor did not reuse him this time, but appointed him as a member of the Senate and cast him idle.

After the defeat of Waterloo, the Bourbon dynasty was restored again, and the two marshals were in bad luck. Marshal Soult was exiled and was not allowed to return until 1819. Although the treatment of marshals was restored, he could no longer have original military position;

Marshal Moncey was appointed by King Louis XVIII to interrogate Ney. He knew that if he accepted this task, he could clear himself up, but he would bear the historical responsibility of killing such a great general as Ney, so he wrote He wrote to the king, categorically rejecting this order, and expressing that even if the king abolished his title and title, he would not hesitate.

Louis XVIII was really furious, dismissed him and put him in prison. He was released a year later, and Marshal Marmont presided over Ney's trial and finally shot him.

All in all, both marshals meet two prerequisites, and both are not doing well in the current Bourbon dynasty-this means that they have enough motivation to support Aigron's side.

"Then what do you think we should do?" Aegron asked again.

"You can write letters to these two Marshals separately, appreciating their loyalty back then, and mentioning that you need their help now, and then promise that as long as they do so, you will reward them with the highest courtesy in the future." Marquis Answer with confidence.

"Of course I can do this, but they are all veterans. I'm afraid it doesn't make much sense just to write a letter to promise." Aigron said with a little hesitation.

"Of course, no one can expect to impress them with a mere letter, but you have to do it. This is the first step. You have to show your desire to bribe them and your sincerity. Only with sincerity can you negotiate. Basically, I believe that the two marshals have the motivation to liquidate everything in the past." General Treville replied immediately, "In order to enhance your persuasion, you can also prepare a big gift for them, which is more appropriate."

As if to increase his persuasiveness, General Treville waved his hand heavily, as if waving a horsewhip.

"Your Majesty, we must hurry up. The Bourbon dynasty is unpopular right now. Everyone can see that many ambitious people are just around the corner. According to the news from my friends, the Orleans family is also deliberately wooing these people. If they let If they get it, then there's trouble—"

Aegron's heart trembled.

For him, this is not a hypothesis, but a fact - because in the original historical line, after the Orleans family usurped the throne, they immediately moved out Marshal Soult as a pillar of the army, and let him join the cabinet successively. The positions of Secretary of State for War, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and Prime Minister are almost all in power.

"Who do you think is most likely to be the breakthrough?" He asked in a low voice.

"I think it's Marshal Soult." General Treville gave an answer that was not surprising to Aigron. "He is more ambitious, and he is more than happy to regain power and make up for his lost time."

Hmph, precisely because of being ambitious and greedy for profit, you will get more wooing.

Aigron thought for a while, and then smiled wryly—this is always the case in the world.

"Very well...General Treville, you are right, we should do this." He made a decision, "We will do it, and we will do it immediately. I will write the letter tomorrow."

"That's great, Your Majesty!" General Treville's stern face also showed joy.

Of course, it is impossible for him to be so active in serving Aigron for nothing.

He could see that the marshals of the empire passed away one by one, even if they were still alive, most of them had already turned their backs on the Bonaparte family, which meant both difficulties and opportunities.

If this young man really realizes his ambition, he will definitely have to win over the existing high-level military officials as a temporary measure, but as his confidant, he will inevitably be promoted and hold great power.

He never thought of monopolizing the command of the entire army - he didn't have the ability and prestige, and there was no need to do such a taboo thing.

Besides, right now his son is incompetent, it is impossible to join the army to inherit him, and he only has one granddaughter under his knees, so what's the point of trying so hard to gain fame?

For him, he would be satisfied if he could get a marshal in the future, take control of a part of the army in a glorious manner, and settle the enemies of the past with pride.

He looked at the shining eyes of the young man, and suddenly his eyes were a little blurred, and he felt as if a marshal's scepter was waving at him in the dark.

Yes... I deserve it.he thought excitedly.　　

39. Gambling