Eagle's Glory

He was a little stunned at first, but quickly realized that it was Mr. Beethoven communicating with him.

"It is said that you are the son of Napoleon?" He saw clearly the handwriting on the note.

He looked at Beethoven, then nodded directly, and started communicating with the master in this way.

Beethoven looked at the young man quietly, as if he wanted to take this opportunity to see someone's shadow in him.

After a long time, he picked up the pen again, began to write in a swish, and then handed the note to Aigron.

"I once worshiped that man. I think he is the thunder from the new world, representing the will of God, representing the freedom of mankind. He controls the flames of revolution, just like Prometheus, bringing the precious freedom Brought to man from heaven...but I was wrong, he made himself emperor and the French from citizens to servants, he thought he was elevating the name of Bonaparte, but in fact it just obliterated My heroic soul! Since then he has lost my respect for him. I have applauded him for defeating the German emperor time and time again, but after the reality tore off the skin of this great conqueror, I only saw one A small Corsican landowner who has not seen a sage! He is a hero, but he stops himself from being a hero; he destroys himself and the value of those great creeds by his narcissism."

This long passage is full of emotion, and it is clear that years after Napoleon's death, the one-time admirer is still resentful that his faith has collapsed.

Beethoven once really admired Napoleon. In his opinion, Napoleon turned the tide, reorganized the chaotic French Republic with an iron fist, and gave the country equal rights. He once thought of dedicating his "Third Symphony" to this great hero.However, upon hearing the news that Napoleon had proclaimed himself emperor, the outraged musician tore up the title "To Napoleon" and renamed it Eroica.

Aigron could understand his anger at the musician, but he also had his own ideas.

"You may overestimate the French's love of liberty and equality. It is a spiritual entertainment for Parisians and provincial intellectuals. Most French people only think about security and abundance. For them, these two things are enough luxury and Far away... Although they were excited by the din of the revolution at the beginning and wanted to break the old exploiters, but after scenes of bloody trauma, they were already tired, and they just wanted to return to peace. I no longer believe in everything I ever believed in before... Excuse the French, Monsieur, who else can they believe? What else can they believe? The Girondists slaughtered the clergy and the Constitutionalists, the Jacobins slaughtered The Girondists, then the Jacobins killed each other, and then the Thermidorians sent the remaining Jacobins to the guillotine... Every time, these people with butcher knives claim to represent the people, so the people can What to do? They can only cheer and tremble in fear, fearing that the next time the knife will be slaughtered. Gradually they feel that enough is enough, they want to stop, and even pay a higher price for it. That's why they are so willing to degrade themselves into servants - because most people are used to being servants, they don't feel that they have lost anything, and those who are unwilling have already killed each other No, it doesn't even need Napoleon to do it."

After Aigron wrote such a long paragraph, he added a sentence at the end, "I am not trying to make an excuse, I am just saying that the empire was welcomed by the vast majority of people at the beginning, and anyone who has experienced it will know that Acknowledge. How could a rootless Corsican sit on the throne without this welcome? One cannot be king alone. If you want to accuse him of destroying the revolution, then I can only say that the revolution itself has long since destroyed the revolution."

Then, he handed the paper back to the old musician.

Beethoven picked it up and looked at it, then fell into deep thought.

Then he wrote a note and handed it over.

"Perhaps you are right, but I still can't understand why the French sent the king and queen and a lot of people to the guillotine in the name of freedom, but they are willing to shout long live for another family ? Isn't that a contradiction?"

Aigron smiled slightly, then wrote another one and went back to the past.

"Maybe idealists think that freedom is higher than life or anything, but for most mortals, how to make themselves and their families live until tomorrow or next year is more important. Revolutionaries may have brought freedom but not Bread, on the contrary, the price is soaring and the currency keeps depreciating. They have driven the people crazy, and the people are willing to be saved by the devil to get rid of all this. The empire has given the people stable prices and employment, and the people don't care how it does it , and don't care whether it was given by the king, or the president, or the emperor, it doesn't matter to them. Since Robespierre didn't do it and Napoleon did, then of course they cheer for Napoleon, everything It's that simple—the bloody horror not only wiped out many people, but also made more people prefer to live to get rid of it, even if the price is to be a servant of an ambitious family, they are very satisfied."

Beethoven took the note and looked at it. Although he didn't agree with it in his heart, he also knew that what the boy in front of him said was true, at least to a certain extent.

"That's what I admire about Napoleon, who put the revolution on track and saved it. He eliminated the senseless bloodshed and then put the ideals of the revolution on paper with the Civil Code . . . but It is a great pity that he betrayed it at the last step!"

"If he can do exactly what you say, I admit he will be a saint... But what do the French do with saints? You can blame him for claiming earthly benefits rather than illusory veneration. , but I think he's entitled to it," Agron wrote.

"I can accept that he should be rewarded for his contribution, and even rule France for life - what about you? Are you eligible? Imagine, if the empire is not destroyed and you succeed to the throne, what contribution you have made to France Whom did you save? You did nothing but being his son, and yet a great power absurdly fell upon you, at your disposal! In that case, it would be the same as the Bourbons. What's the difference? Monsieur Bonaparte, if the revolution only changed France from the hereditary private property of one family to the private property of another family, then everything is meaningless, why bother?"

Aegron fell silent.

This question hits the nail on the head.

"The empire comes from the people. Napoleon is the emperor of the French, not the emperor of France. If the people are willing to authorize me to take on the big life and lead this great country to prosperity, then I will take on my responsibility, I will use my life and all my mental and physical strength to defend this great country. But if the people are unwilling to give this majestic mandate, I will consciously step down from the stage of history."

Finally he wrote this.

Of course he is not as frank as he said on the surface - if he really became emperor, how could he lose the referendum?

The so-called power is hidden under these gorgeous rhetoric.

The Second Empire of Napoleon III completed its historical process through such referendums and "mandates" again and again.

In the final analysis, whoever sets the agenda wins half of the votes; whoever counts the votes wins the entire vote.

After a pause, Egron suddenly realized that his words were very inappropriate, so he immediately added another sentence.

"Of course, it's meaningless to talk about these topics now. I have no hope of ruling France anymore, and I don't want to remember the dead empire. All of this is just chatting after dinner. You don't have to put my words in In my heart."

After writing these, he handed the paper to the old musician again.He adapted to this new way of communicating.

After reading his reply, Beethoven looked at the young man again, thoughtfully, and after a long time he let out a long sigh.

Then he wrote.

"That's true. Everything has become an old thing. What's the point of discussing it? Your loss of father is painful enough. I shouldn't speak ill of a deceased person... Sir, all I can say is, Perhaps it is a good thing that fate keeps you away from France, so that you will not have to bear the burden of a difficult and capricious country that no one can bear."

After finishing writing, he suddenly thought of something, and his old eyes were full of emotion.

Then he continued writing.

"I have never been married in my life, and of course I have no children. I have only one nephew, the son of my brother. My poor brother died of consumption in 1815, leaving this child. I have worked hard to get him from his mother. When it came to custody, I let him study higher education. I wanted to give him a great future and planned all kinds of glorious and beautiful paths for him... But everything about me was let down. Although this child is very smart, he I never cared about everything I gave, he gave up on himself, he was addicted to gambling, and owed a lot of debts, God knows how much I paid for him and how much I worried, but what I got was not gratitude, but complaints , he complained that my high expectations of him destroyed him. Just this year, he took a pistol and shot himself in the head. Fortunately, he didn't die, but my heart was also broken... God to me It pains me to carry out such a cruel punishment. I am not complaining to you, I just want to tell you that if a young man can't even bear my expectations, France, who bears a million times more, So what?Louis XVI was crushed, you don't have to suffer the same fate.God allows you to choose your own new destiny, maybe it is better for you to stay in Austria, after all, you have such a lovely Royal Highness by your side Look at you—you are already a very lucky man."

He glanced at Teresa again.

At this time, Teresa had already finished playing the piano piece, and she was standing next to the two of them, not saying a word, so as not to disturb the "writing conversation" between the two of them.

What a lovely child.

"Please cherish everything that God has given you, sir." He opened his mouth and said hoarsely to the young man in a voice that he could not hear at all.

Aigron took the note and looked at the old man in front of him in astonishment.

Yes, even though he was once arrogant and arrogant, but now he is just an old man who is dying.

He was lonely all his life, and the only nephew he had high hopes for disappointed him to the extreme. Looking back on his life, all he had left was the gorgeous melodies he created.

An honorable and sad life.

It is impossible for him to express the deepest calculations in his heart, and it is even more impossible for him to write on paper that he just regards this marriage as a cover to temporarily paralyze the world.

There was doubt in the eyes of the old man, but also some anticipation.

As a last resort, he could only bite the bullet and write it down.

"I will cherish it, sir."　　

98. Respect and gifts

"I will cherish it, sir."

After seeing Aigron's reply, the old musician was very relieved.

Because of the illness, his hands were shaking slightly all the time, and his handwriting became more and more scribbled.

For him now, talking so much with Renbi was already a very unbearable physical work, but his spirit did not sink into a slump, on the contrary, it became more and more elevated.

There is always exciting energy in young people, they represent hope and the future, they are also handsome and cute, which makes people feel happy - not to mention that the boy and girl in front of them are two commanders who have left history children.

Just looking at the pair of children standing in front of him, he felt that history itself was frozen in front of him.

This epic feeling is the easiest to touch the soft and sensitive heart of the artist.

"I was in the outskirts of the city when Napoleon captured Vienna in 1809. Although I had no chance to see his true face, I had to face the violence and horror of the war. Some of my relatives and friends died in the war... At that time, Vienna was under artillery fire. Trembling in the middle, a few years later Paris was also trampled by foreigners' military boots. No one got glory from these wars, but only the tragic image of corpses strewn across the field.

I am glad that the era belonging to our generation will eventually pass, and all the horrors soaked in blood will sink into the loess along with our memory.I wish you, young gentleman, the children of my former idols to start their lives in this country in an enviable way, and that the new generation cast aside old hatreds and barriers to embrace a bright future.It is also a relief to me that you can commemorate the stormy seas of the past with peaceful happiness. "

With a dual mood of excitement and relief, he wrote such a passage and handed it to the young man in front of him.

However, the old man's words full of expectations did not touch the young man's heart.

Peaceful bliss?

Maybe many people will feel extremely satisfied with this, but he won't, his blood needs to be driven by passion, and he also has too many things to do, and he can't stop no matter what.

Therefore, no matter how sincere the old man's attitude is, he can't change his stubborn heart—everything has been decided, and it can never be changed.

The old man didn't notice the proud and stubborn gleam in the young man's eyes at the moment, but looked at Teresa.

A gentle smile appeared on his wrinkled face, and then he nodded towards His Highness.

Teresa walked to his side knowingly, and then looked at the musician curiously.

Beethoven continued to write on the paper and handed it to Teresa.

"Thank you for visiting me at the end of my life, my beautiful majesty. Although it is only the first time I meet you, I can still feel your humility and enthusiasm. You respect me and love music, which makes me very happy It is an honor - but I hope that you will not limit your love to a small field of art, but leave more to this country and its people.

In your vantage point, if you only enjoy your own little world and turn a blind eye to the injustices that abound, then you are betraying God's providence for you.The country belongs to its people and not to your family. It is only by accident of history that your family has been on the throne of Austria until now. It is a blessing but also an obligation that you should exercise with humility. Power benefits the people, and only in this way can your family continue on the throne.If you wish not to repeat the French repertoire, then you should take my advice. "

These words are simply deviant by the standard of "divine right of kings". It is precisely because he often said similar things that Beethoven was disgusted by the Austrian government, but he did not compromise, even when facing Teresa. Also outspoken.

If it was other members of the royal family with conservative ideas, they might be furious when they saw such words, but Teresa was not angry. On the contrary, she agreed with the musician's words.

So, she picked up the pen and wrote down quickly on the paper.

"I will always bear in mind what you said, sir. I have always believed that I was only named Habsburg by accidental luck, so I must be in awe and fear, and must not indulge in self-indulgence, let alone Bullying the weak, on the contrary, you should use everything you have to help others... I will always remember that once the anger of ordinary people gathers, it is enough to burn the heavens, let alone the palaces of the earth?"

Then, with a little shyness, she glanced at the young man next to her, and then continued to write, "I told Your Highness before that I am not greedy for wealth and glory, and I am not afraid of living an ordinary life. I am prepared for this! Of course, thanks to my good father, I will not fall into poverty no matter what. I know how enviable I have everything, so I am willing to protect it with generosity and humility. all of these."

After reading Teresa's reply, the elderly musician couldn't help being moved.

He looked at Teresa's slightly flushed face again, and his haggard heart suddenly regained a little vitality, and he thought of joking.

"It's really emotional love. In this case, I believe that you will be able to be happy. But I feel a little emotional when I say this. If it weren't for the accidental reversal of history, you would be the queen of France... You should be Should I regret that I lost this opportunity, or should I be grateful?"

"As long as your highness can make full use of his talents, I will not feel uncomfortable about any kind of life. It is good to be a hermit living in the country, cultivating flower gardens and sorting out manuscripts; It is also good to be a traveler and accompany His Highness to see all the mysteries in the world; as for being a queen..." Teresa bit her lip, then continued writing with a kind of pride and confidence that was rarely seen in her. .

"This is not a problem for me. Since the French can accept a Corsican as their emperor, they can naturally accept an Austrian as their queen. As long as you work hard enough, everything can happen Isn’t it? My aunt did not do well enough and went to the guillotine, but I believe that if I try hard enough, nothing is impossible and I can do better than the French expect.”

Seeing such serious handwriting on the paper, Beethoven was ashamed to say that he was joking.

"It's the ambition of young people that makes people enviable. Please continue to be confident, Your Highness, the door of the world is always open for you." In the end, he could only write down this sentence and gave it to Teresa.

Teresa looked around the room again, and the poverty and dilapidation that could be seen made her heartache again.

She knew there would always be poverty in the world, but a talented musician like Beethoven shouldn't be in this situation.In a sense, it is the responsibility of her country.

"Sir, can I... can I give you some sponsorship?"

With great expectations, Teresa wrote her request on the paper, "Forgive me that I don't have much money...but I want to do my best to help you, at least improve your living conditions."

Beethoven took a look at the note, first smiled, then shook his head at her.

Then he wrote his own words.

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness, but please allow me to refuse. To tell you the truth, in the past few years, people from the upper class have expressed their willingness to sponsor me, but I have refused, because my dignity does not allow I am under the protection of others - I have received the patronage of some noble people, but at that time we were connected and respected each other, but they have all passed away... My heart goes with their departure I went and cooled down, and no one can give me the same feeling anymore, so I don't need new sponsors anymore, I live on my own creations, although I am destined to be poor, but it also makes me have a clear conscience, I have no regrets about this Satisfied."

After Teresa read it, she immediately felt admiration and sentimentality at the same time, so she couldn't help but continued to write.

"But your current situation, I really can't let myself stand by... You just taught me to help the people, so how can I watch you struggling in the pain without saying a word?"

But it is a pity that the other party is still insisting on his stubbornness.

"Your Highness, don't grieve for me. I don't grieve for myself. People are destined to return to the embrace of God after birth. Death is just relief and rest. I'm just feeling sorry for this world... come, dignitaries Go, there was in the past, there is now, and there will be many in the future, but there is only one Beethoven in this world. When I leave the world, they will never find another one. God knows how long it will take for the next person who can be crowned in the music world to appear Woolen cloth?"

If such words come from others, they will definitely be ridiculed as arrogance, but in his writing, the overflowing pride makes people feel reasonable.

Then it makes people feel sorry-after all, some things will never come back after they are lost.

Thinking of this, Teresa felt her eyes a little sore, and she almost shed tears.

She is still young and hasn't experienced many life and death, but today she really feels that the vitality is leaving this talented musician, which makes her feel endless regret.

Really do nothing?She couldn't stand it.

But the stubbornness of musicians is also difficult to change.

She thought about it, and then suddenly a flash of light came to her mind.

Then, she picked up the pen and paper and wrote it down quickly.

"So, sir, can I order a piece of music from you? I would like to ask you to compose a piece of music for me and Your Highness."

Then, flushing again, she added, "For weddings, if you can."

After receiving this note, the old man's expression suddenly became a little strange.

"Sir, I don't know what price you charged for composing songs for others before, but I am willing to use all the money I have now to order a song with you. I hope you will not refuse because the price is too small... ..."

Teresa wrote another sentence and handed it to the other party, then forced herself to raise her shy face and looked at the musician expectantly.

The old man's heart was also moved.

Obviously, Teresa still wanted to help herself, just to take into account her own dignity, so she changed her method and donated generously in the name of "custom music".

This did not offend the dignity of the musician, on the contrary, it moved him even more towards Her Majesty Teresa.

The reddish face, the rolling eyes, although he has lost his hearing, the musician seems to feel that he can hear the girl's melodious voice in his mind.

Ouch, how many men can refuse!

He couldn't help squinting at the young man next to him who was unaware of everything.

Lucky boy, if you can let it go, it's your fault.

With a little emotion, he happily wrote the following handwriting on the paper:

"Don't be nervous, Your Majesty, my fee is not expensive. And just like the "Fur Elise", I would be happy to compose a "Fur Teresa" as a gift to you. And the mind that has become dull, it is difficult to compose a melody that touches people's hearts, so that it has failed your expectations."

Seeing the old man's reply in this way, Teresa was relieved immediately, she almost cheered out of great joy, and managed to control herself.

She had achieved her goal, and she could help this musician whom she had admired for a long time at the last moment; at the same time, she could also get a gift song from him, and what was even better... that gift song was destined to bless her and His Highness.

She couldn't help but cast a glance at the young man who had been sitting silently by the side.

You don't know what I got for us!