Eagle's Glory

Maria, who had been in a daze all along, suddenly turned her head, and her hair fluttered slightly, and then fell down slowly.

For a moment, Aigron was a little stunned again - of course, it was not because of the beauty of the other party, but because she resembled that person.

"I have nothing to teach you. After all, you are better at manipulating people's hearts and more ruthless than I am." But in the next moment, Maria opened her mouth and tore Aegron's memories to pieces with rude words, "What happened? Now I don't need to go around in circles, Prince Reichstedt, you must have guessed it? We didn't meet here for the first time. When you met and greeted my brother, I already See you - like today, I'm behind the scenes."

"Yes, I guessed it." Eggron nodded, "I just don't know why."

"Is there anything difficult to guess?" Maria sneered again, "I want to see what kind of person made my sister fall into such a situation. Is it strange?"

"It's not surprising..." Aegron shook his head, "Are you disappointed?"

"Extremely disappointed." Maria replied bluntly.

However, from her tone, Aigron heard a different meaning.

He suddenly thought of something - something that was originally insignificant, but could reveal the truth at this moment.

"When we were together, Her Royal Highness Sophie painted me more than once." He blurted out, "If she shared something about me with you, it is logical that she should also attach a copy to you or even A few hand-painted ones are just right, especially..."

When it came to "especially", he couldn't continue - since Sophie wanted to match herself and her younger sister Maria, then she must let her sister know what she looks like, so that Maria can make a judgment, right?

It's just that in the current environment, it's really hard for him to mention it.

Even without mentioning the latter part, Egron's question was already sharp enough. Maria showed an extremely rare embarrassment, and her expression became weird for a while.

"Sometimes you do have a bit of a bloody smart." After a moment, she regained her composure. "Yes, yes, but I have already thrown it away."

"Really, that's really a pity." Aigron replied blankly.

He's not stupid, since Maria looks like this, it proves that she didn't do this, and still keeps those things in her collection—but now, if he continues to talk about this topic, Maria will probably turn her face on the spot, so she can only press it and not mention it.

But in the bottom of his heart, he couldn't help but feel a little curious—before he fled Austria, how far did the two sisters reach the point of discussion, and what attitude did Maria have towards the marriage that her sister wanted to arrange?

If she was willing, wouldn't that mean that she might even have become the son-in-law of the Bavarian royal family?

In all fairness, although Her Majesty Maria has a bad personality and always speaks with a stick, but there is a sense of wit and wit in her words, at least I don't hate it.

Although she was six years older than him, he was happy to marry her just because she looked exactly like Sophie.

However, when the time comes to fulfill the obligations of husband and wife, what should I do if I can't tell who is who?

Wait a second, if you can't tell, you can't tell, what's the problem?

"Ahem..." Aigron's thoughts became more and more chaotic, and finally he could only forcibly interrupt these absurd thoughts.

Hey, what's the point of thinking about it now?I have left Austria and married Teresa, so I can't go back to the beginning - besides, what's wrong with it now?Teresa made him very satisfied as a wife.

Therefore, since fate is woven by yourself, then you should continue to follow this path, and there is nothing to regret or hesitate.

"What nasty things are you thinking about?" Seeing the young man's unsteady expression, Maria became even more annoyed, "It's not like this at all!"

With a guilty conscience, Aigron could only avoid his sight angrily.

The two fell into silence again.

In the warm wind of late spring, the blooming flowers exude a faint fragrance in the air, which makes this small space seem to be isolated from the world, and time seems to have returned to those leisurely mornings.

"Where are you going next?" Maria broke the silence suddenly.

Aegron was dumbfounded for a moment.

He is going to secretly sneak into France next, this is certain, but this matter is too dangerous, it is almost a gunshot, so he must keep it secret, so that fewer and fewer people know about it, Maria How could he say it when the princess asked her face to face?

Even if she is Sophie's own sister, even if she does not seem to have any malice towards him, he still has to abide by the basic principles.

"Why... don't you want to say it? Worried that I will put you in danger?" Maria sneered again, "Don't worry, I have no interest in framing you, I was just thinking, after I meet my sister, no matter what I do Whether your mission is successful or not, I should stop by to see you—on the one hand, I will convey Sophie’s reply letter or other messages to you; on the other hand, I will pay off the debt between us by the way.”

"The debt between us?" Aigron was suddenly confused.

"Why, have you forgotten?" Maria asked back. "Not long ago you promised me that you would be willing to dedicate me poems in return for my help to you... Forgot so soon? You really are a connoisseur of inconsistency."

Having said that, Egron remembered—I did make such a promise before, but later Maria forced me to do it in front of Teresa to humiliate Teresa, and I firmly refused, so Put it aside for a while.

But later, Maria did not mention this matter in front of Theresa, nor did she expose her absurd behavior. From that point of view, she was very polite to herself.

That being the case, Aigron is naturally willing to keep his promise.

"Okay, I do admit this matter, I will think about it carefully, and then present it to you when we meet next time."

"Where is it?" Maria asked coldly.

"Milan. After you leave Austria, just wait there. We will contact you later." Aigron replied directly.

"Milan? Why do you want to go there? Isn't it under the rule of the Austrian Empire?" Maria was a little puzzled, "Aren't you afraid of getting into trouble?"

"I'm afraid, so I'll be careful." Eggron replied with a smile, "I have a reason to go."

Of course Aigron knew that Milan was now the capital of the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venice controlled by the Austrian Empire.

He knew even more that Napoleon established the Kingdom of Italy back then, with Milan as its capital—and Prince Eugene lived there with his wife and children as acting governor at that time.

Aigron did not lie, after leaving France, he will lead people to sneak around Milan in order to complete his goal.

Of course, before meeting Princess Maria, he would observe carefully to see if there were any traps, but he believed there should be none.

If all goes well, next time they can meet in Milan——

But he still didn't understand why Maria deliberately created the next meeting?

Theoretically speaking, as long as after helping Sophie, she doesn't have much contact with herself, and she can completely separate from each other and never communicate with each other. Even if there is any message to be conveyed, she only needs to send someone to finish the job.

The only reason can only be that she wants to do it.

"You must be very confused, why should I look for you again." As if sensing his doubts, Princess Maria spoke again. "Because I'm not convinced."

"Huh?" Aegron was slightly surprised. "Where does this start?"

Maria took a deep breath, and then she looked even more domineering than before.

"I'm not convinced that the two of us sisters are being treated as stepping stones like this! She took care of you carefully, and even caught up with herself, but what happened? Inexplicably, a woman who ran over suddenly, a woman who had never met The guy I love has snatched away my beloved." She almost gritted her teeth, and her eyes showed disgust, "And what about me? I thought my sister had arranged for me a future husband, but in the end I found that I was nothing but What a joke! How humiliating is this? How unbearable?"

After a pause, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, and turned into a sneer again, "Of course, it's too late to say this now, anyway, you are married, and she can enjoy her victory with peace of mind - after all, she really I don't owe us anything. But I also have the right to do what I want, and I have to let myself know, and let her know, that it's Fate's nasty joke that frustrates me, not a mere Teresa, and that's all Simple."

Before Eggron could speak again, she lifted her skirt slightly and knelt down to salute Eggron farewell. "Okay, I can't waste your time anymore—no matter where you are going next, I wish you a smooth journey. When I leave Vienna, I will drop by to Milan. Please don't forget your promise... "

After she finished speaking, she turned and left, and disappeared into the vast flowers as before.

Only this time, Aigron didn't catch up directly.

Yeah, the future is the future, and now he has his work to do too.

He sighed, not knowing whether it was for the past or the present.

Anyway, it's time to go back.

Aigron returned along the road just now, and then led by his attendants to the suite where he lived.

At this time, his entourage had already started to pack and salute.

Since leaving Ioannina, the group of them has already gone on a relatively long journey, and they have stopped in several places on the way, so now they are quite familiar with packing and saluting.

Soon, everything will be ready.

It's time to leave.

Aigron knew that the Marquis de Treville was already waiting for him on the border of Bavaria, and as soon as he left Bavaria, he would immediately join him and lead him to the long-lost land.

Although it was an adventure, he was used to it, but he didn't feel much fear, on the contrary, he was a little excited.

"Aigron..." Teresa looked at her husband reluctantly. She knew that this time she might have to be separated from her husband for a while—a newlywed, she had just enjoyed the life of a gluey couple, but she had to bear such a burden. The blow, I really feel uncomfortable thinking about it.

But since everything was done, she didn't want to make unnecessary struggles, but faced it rationally.

"Take care of yourself, and remember my warning... Also, remember to write to me frequently, and the time interval should not be too long..."

She kept urging Aigron, and Aigron naturally agreed.

In the end, Teresa kissed her husband on the cheek with tears in her eyes to comfort herself in the face of the next parting.　　

45. Return to China

As the time comes to early summer, the temperature starts to get hotter.Near noon, the sun was shining brightly in the sky, the dense forests and bushes surrounding the countryside dyed the land a bright green, but there were few pedestrians everywhere, only some cicadas were neighing listlessly. This piece of land, on the contrary, brings out the dullness everywhere.

This is the French countryside. Most of the time it seems lifeless, like a wasteland that has been sucked dry by labor and taxes. Only those thunders that can pierce the sky can awaken these dull lands and summon the vitality contained in them. , and those villagers who are listless all day long, under the call of Thunder, will sweep away the appearance of ordinary fools, and show the most terrifying and ruthless iron fist, making the whole of Europe tremble.

There are some small towns outside Strasbourg, like islands scattered in the sea of ​​farmland. In the small towns, there are many houses that seem to have been passed down from the Middle Ages intact. These houses used to be squires or The residences of rich peasants, but with the changes of the times and repeated turmoil, many houses have changed owners many times, and it is even hard to tell who the original owner is.

Just at this dull noon, a spacious carriage quietly drove into a house along the smooth gravel road. Perhaps because of the weather, not many residents of the small town noticed the visit of these uninvited guests. They would never have imagined that the originally peaceful life would suddenly stir up an uproar in this leisurely and dull noon, so that it would even become their topic of conversation for decades.

The carriage stopped quietly in the vestibule, and André Davout carefully stepped out of the carriage. After confirming that the surrounding area was safe, he turned around and made a gesture to the people in the carriage.

Then, Aigron and the Marquis de Treville got out of the carriage together.

At this moment, he was dressed in black casual clothes, a velvet hat on his head, and a bow tie according to the fashionable style. This style looked more like a king than a pretender to the throne. It's like a young master who travels out to see the world with the family's money.

After getting off the carriage, Aigron took a deep breath of the musty smell mixed with mud and moss.

It was the smell of France that first greeted him with open arms.

He looked around again. This is an old house, and it doesn't look like it has been repaired much at all. There are traces of water seeping everywhere in the yard, and the floor is covered with cracked large square bricks. Looking at these cracks and the moss in them, Aigron even guessed that these square bricks might be older than his great-grandfather.

"I really set foot on the land of France, the land that belongs to me—" Aigron said with some emotion.

"Yes, Your Majesty, congratulations." The Marquis de Treville replied respectfully, "This is your country."

After leaving Bavaria, Aigron asked Teresa to go back to Ioannina to raise a baby. Chanel was also ordered by him to take care of his pregnant wife along the way, plus the necessary guards. His captain of the guard, Andre Davout, and the other two most reliable guards were left, and followed the Marquis of Treville on the journey back to France.

It stands to reason that they would have suffered a lot during this bumpy road, but when Aigron visited the Principality of Parma before, his mother Luisa specially applied for the passport of the Principality under a false name in order to please him. And arranged for him to be an ordinary local nobleman.

Although the name is fake, the document can no longer be true, so Aigron used this completely legal document instead to pass through the Principality of Baden along the way unimpeded in the name of travel, and then entered the territory of France. Finally, they stayed in a small town outside Strasbourg—of course, this was also due to the prior arrangement of the Marquis de Treville.

After many days of journeying, Aigron finally set foot on the land of France, and the dilapidated house in this small town was his first residence in France.

Needless to say, this place is also the daily meeting place of Bonapartist supporters, and its remoteness and dilapidation do not attract attention, making it an ideal hidden place.

In this unremarkable house, the plastered walls reveal scattered wooden boards, bricks, stones and iron bars. Because of the age, perhaps by accident, they squeeze each other firmly. For many years, the huge beams on the ceiling have been covered Several floors were bent, but luckily it didn't break.The walls of these floors are reinforced with wooden bars, and the outside is covered with bluestone boards nailed into geometric figures, which retains the elegant style of the eighteenth century's pursuit of exquisite art, but at this time only the last traces of the former appearance can be found, and then the I can't even see the original.

On the windows with wooden frames, the carvings of the past have been blown and rained, and now they are incomplete. None of the windows is vertical: some are leaning out, some are recessed, and some are about to fall apart. Some soft soil was somehow blown in through the crevices, and when spring came, a few small flowers, moss and delicate grass emerged from the mud, and soon they covered the roof and window sills. They are covered with hairy moss.

"Your Majesty, I'm sorry, for the sake of safety, we can only place you here temporarily..." The Marquis de Treville apologized to Aigron with a guilty expression on his face. "If you stay in an inn, you may be interrogated by nosy people, but if you stay here, no one will disturb you. Before I left France, I rested here. Don't worry, there are very few people here."

"It doesn't matter, I didn't come back to enjoy life, at least not yet." Aigron shook his head with a smile, then he took another breath of air full of dust and mud, and then said something that made Treville The Marquis said some inexplicable words, "The dilapidation here is quite poetic. Just standing here, I feel that I have seen the past of France."

The general who used to gallop on the battlefield doesn't know much about poetry, but from Aigron's face, he can see that His Majesty is in a good mood now.

Yes, this desolate king and grandson who once lost everything has now regained his freedom and returned to the country that once belonged to him like a hero. How could he not be complacent?

The Marquis de Treville himself felt honored.

This is indeed a rare temperament.

When he proposed it at Nymphenburg Palace, he was worried that this young man would not dare to take risks, and he was even prepared to be scolded, but he didn't expect that the other party not only did not scold him, but entrusted him with it. Complete and unreserved trust-you must know that it was the first time they met at the time.

Even though he was usually indifferent and calm, General Treville was still a little moved by this.

It is true that as Princess Teresa said, since His Majesty has followed his advice without reservation and placed complete trust in it, it means that he must take full responsibility, and the honor and dignity of this young man have already been separated. Safety is bound together

If the action fails and something happens to His Majesty, then the Marquis de Treville will be proved to be just a waste of empty words, and he will have no political value at all. All fame and prestige must also be wasted.

Because of this, he sincerely decided to fulfill his oath in front of Princess Teresa-to do everything in his power to keep the boy safe, even at the cost of his life.

With such a high stake, it is impossible for him to be free of any tension, but he, who has been on the battlefield for a long time, no longer has much fear when facing danger, he will only be more excited and calm.

After looking around for a while, admiring the deserted house and the beautiful scenery of the surrounding countryside, Aigron calmly made a gesture, and the Marquis of Treville led Aigron into the old house that seemed to be crumbling from the outside.

The furnishings in the house are naturally as old as the outside. There is a rusty iron shelf next to the fireplace, on which there is a statue of the Virgin Mary that can no longer be seen, and beside it, there is a decayed wooden ladder leading directly to it. There are two floors and an attic, and the depth is not large, and it is only lit by narrow windows-at this time, because the windows are closed, the light in the hall is very dark.

It looks like a place for conspiracy.

In the empty main room, there were only some old wooden objects, no soft sofa, only a wooden table and some small wooden chairs. Aigron took out a handkerchief, wiped one of the wooden chairs clean, and sat down directly.

Then he breathed a sigh of relief, cleaning up the fatigue accumulated during the journey.

"Marquis de Treville, as you wish, I have arrived in France, so in your plan, what should I do next?" Then he went straight to the point.

Regarding this question, the Marquis de Treville had been thinking about it for a long time. Although he could not say that he was sure of it at this moment, at least he had a plan in mind.

So he didn't hesitate, first found a chair to sit down, and then directly reported to the young man in front of him.

"Your Majesty, the most important thing for you now is to appear in public, but it is not advisable to make too much noise, so as not to be unable to escape, so I think that the most suitable place is here. Although this is a remote country, it is far away from Stella. It is very close to the Fort, where there is a garrison and a city, and the news spread very quickly. It is conceivable that once the news of your public appearance reaches there, the officials there will automatically become your helpers, and they will use the utmost urgency. Your attitude will spread the news to Paris even faster than your own supporters - and as long as the news reaches Paris, it means that the whole country knows it, and you have achieved your goal."

"It sounds quite simple, and it seems like that." Aigron nodded with a smile, "So what should I do specifically?"

The Marquis de Treville went on to explain his thoughts to him. "According to the information provided by our supporters, the mayor here goes to a coffee shop to play cards or chat with a few of his friends every day. We can directly kidnap the mayor here and take him to a nearby church. , and let the parish priest ring the bell to summon the villagers - no matter how many people come, you address them directly - the speech need not be too long, but it must be impassioned and impress your audience - to ordinary people It might be difficult for you, but it should not be difficult for you, because you are the emperor's son, and people miss the emperor today."

Aigron listened quietly, while his brain was running at full speed, evaluating the feasibility and safety of the Marquis de Treville's plan.

"And then? What do we do after the speech?" he pressed.