Eagle’s Glory

"I am also very grateful to Her Highness Theresa for her help."

"Very good." Seeing the young man being so polite, Prime Minister Metternich nodded with satisfaction.

Then, he seemed to be feeling a little emotional, "Your Highness, I am not optimistic enough to think that you will really be grateful to me, but I believe that you can recognize the reality enough and find your own interests. You can treat this as a trading empire You will exchange whatever I give you. I will not force you to act wholeheartedly in the interests of the Austrian Empire, but in the end you will find that it is in your interest to cooperate with me. You will have a suitable position in the imperial royal family, and this The position allows you to use your talents.”

"Is Teresa the prize?" Aigron asked.

"Isn't it?" His Excellency the Prime Minister asked, "And it is a prize that most people can only dream of. At least a non-royal family like mine is not qualified to hope for it. So in my opinion, you should thank God for his care."

"Okay, I thank God for his blessing." Aigron nodded, and then changed the subject, "But Teresa may not thank you for treating her like this."

Prime Minister Metternich responded with a contemptuous smile.

"Who cares about what she thinks? Does it matter?" He gestured to the room with his hand, "Let me tell you the truth, just over ten years ago, in this very room, His Majesty and I The decision to send your mother to France before you existed today is just a repeat of the same thing. The Habsburg family has done similar things countless times before and will do them countless times again. It is unremarkable."

Looking at Metternich's slightly mocking look, Aigron had a strange feeling.

It's not that what he said was wrong, in fact, what he said was correct, but logically speaking, with his gloomy and cold personality, he would not say such mean words in front of himself, even if he thought so in his heart.

It can be seen that his mood is definitely not as good as it seems, so he can't control his emotions.

"Have you ever quarreled with her father?" He suddenly had an idea.

Metternich was stunned for a moment, then nodded coldly, "You are indeed very keen, Your Highness. Yes, it is true."

Then, he added with some dissatisfaction, "He is too accommodating to Teresa, she is just a daughter!"

From the Prime Minister's words, Aigron roughly understood what had happened before.

It seems that during the meeting between the two people, Metternich and Archduke Karl put pressure on Theresa to quickly submit to His Majesty the Emperor's will, but the Archduke was determined not to force his daughter to agree, so there must have been a stalemate between the two parties.

"Some people have different views on their children than others, so there's no way to force it." Aigron said with pretense of regret.

"It's a pity, Your Highness. For the sake of profit, some things must be forced." Prime Minister Metternich replied coldly, "This is something that Your Majesty has already decided. It is impossible to destroy the entire plan just because a child suddenly becomes willful. This is impossible and cannot be tolerated, and you, let me put it harshly, Your Highness, your future is also closely related to this matter."

Before Aigron could reply, the Prime Minister continued, "Young man, I can see that you are an absolute realist, just like me when I was young. You don't respect your mother, you don't Respect Your Majesty, not even God, you only respect yourself. This is good, there is nothing wrong with it, people with ambition should do this. However, it also means that it will be very difficult to trust you, just as I will not be satisfied. Just like being a court jester, you will never be satisfied. You will want to climb up there if you get the chance, because I will do the same..."

Prime Minister Metternich's words made Egeron a little confused. Is this an appreciation for himself or a warning?

Maybe a little bit of both.

He said nothing and listened quietly.

"Precisely because I know how to judge others by myself, I know that I can only choose one of two, either to give enough conditions, or to give nothing at all. The middle path will only make you laugh and despise. So Theresa is my sincerity, if you If you lose this sincerity carelessly, then nothing will be given to you, because you have been proven that you are not sincere in your loyalty to Austria." Prime Minister Metternich stared at the young man closely and said word by word, "I want to say That's all. Your Highness, please don't continue to prevaricate us with an attitude that has nothing to do with you. You can hide it from Your Majesty, but you can't hide it from me. The essence of the problem is whether you are willing to be sincere. If you are not, you can say it now. Come out, and I promise I won’t bother you again, and no one will bother you again.”

"You mean I have to agree." Aigron was not intimidated by the Prime Minister and just replied calmly.

"Smart people should speak more directly." Prime Minister Metternich frowned slightly, "Your Highness, don't think that I'm looking down on you. On the contrary, I respect you, so I didn't use a bunch of boring rhetoric to insult us. Two. If you are willing, I will have many opportunities to teach you experience in this way in the future, so that you can slowly grow into a person who can solve problems for the royal family and a person who plays a decisive role in the empire. This is what I can do The best thing for you.”

"Your respect is really unbearable." Aigron smiled slightly.

He could see that Prime Minister Metternich was in a very bad mood now because his plan was blocked, and what he said next was already very straightforward and harsh by the standards of the palace.

But he knew that at this moment, he especially couldn't ruin the relationship between the two of them.

No matter how much dissatisfaction he has accumulated, now is not the time to mess everything up in the pursuit of quick success. The opportunity he has worked hard to accumulate must not be given up easily.

"Then what do you want me to do?" he asked calmly.

"Changing Archduke Karl's mind, or changing Theresa's mind, it's all the same to me." Prime Minister Metternich replied immediately, "And as soon as possible."

"Can I get everything you guarantee for this?" Aigron asked, seemingly uneasy.

"Okay." Metternich's tense face finally relaxed, "Aren't I just training you now, Your Highness? You are already in class."

The conversation between the two people is very different from the usual way of getting along with other people. Maybe this is the more real side of each other. Aiglon thought.

In fact, he felt good about getting along with Metternich in the most realistic and utilitarian attitude. It would be really disgusting if he was allowed to flatter Metternich every day.

However, the Prime Minister never imagined that the key to all this was actually in his own hands.

Changing Teresa's mind was easy, and he could control the pace of it.

As long as his plan comes true, he will no longer have to look at the old man's face. Instead, he will have to see how he gets a headache.

"I am deeply impressed by this lesson, Your Excellency." He bowed slightly to the old man, "What specific arrangements do you have for me? Just tell me, I will be very willing to work hard for the bright future you promised. "

"This is like a smart man." Prime Minister Metternich finally laughed.

Then, he became serious again, "Grand Duke Karl will come to you tomorrow and take you to attend official activities. Remember to attend on time. I need you to behave better and let him recognize you more. Remember, the more you The more you actively integrate here, the more things this place can give you.”

"I will do my best." Aigron nodded respectfully, "I know what is for my own good."

Metternich patted him on the shoulder gently, seeming to encourage him and indicating that he could excuse himself.

"Well, Your Highness, I sincerely wish you smooth sailing and a happy ending to a history that is unbearable to look back on."

Aigron saluted again and then exited the room.

Sure enough, as the Prime Minister said, the next morning, Aigron received a notice to go see Archduke Karl.

Different from the military uniform and medals he wore when they first met, today the Grand Duke only wore a simple old military uniform.

As soon as they met, the Grand Duke looked him over again.

"Good morning, Your Highness." Aigron saluted him respectfully.

"Good morning." The Grand Duke replied dryly, then turned around and said, "Follow me."

So the two men walked out of the room side by side, followed by Archduke Karl's entourage.

Archduke Karl was not very tall, and when they walked side by side, Aigron was obviously taller than him, but even so, he still felt a little uncomfortable next to this veteran general.

"Your Highness, what activities are you planning to take me to?" Aigron asked cautiously as he walked.

"I'm going to take you to a nursing home for disabled soldiers." Archduke Karl didn't show off and answered him straightforwardly. "Although I have already retired from the commanding ranks, I always find time to visit them every year. I think this is what I should do."

...This answer surprised Aigron, and he almost stopped in his tracks.

The only reason soldiers become disabled is because of fighting, and it seems that the only ones who have been at war with Austria in recent years are...

"Are you afraid?" Archduke Karl glanced at him, "Yes, the reason why those people inside were disabled was the work of your father and the French army."

"I'm not scared, just a little surprised." Aigron shook his head, "Why did you take me there?"

"Then what do you think I am for?" Archduke Karl asked impatiently. "If we want the Austrians to forgive and accept Napoleon, the only way to start is with them. If even those who lost a leg toast to Napoleon's son, what else can others say?"

...Aigron was speechless for a moment.

It seems so.

If even the group of people who experienced the most misery that year didn't care about their own existence, then the others would be able to shut their mouths. Even if they want to say something mean, they can still stop it.

So, if he wanted to be accepted by the Austrians, this seemed to be an excellent step although he had never cared about it.

"Don't be afraid. Soldiers who fight for the country obey their bounden duty. Being disabled or killed in the war can only be said to be bad luck. The same is true for the French. There is nothing to resent, and I will not let them treat you. The words were rude." Perhaps thinking that Aiglon had some scruples, the Grand Duke comforted him.

Then, he sighed, "However, if your father had not been so militaristic, many fewer people would have died in the end."

"Thank you." Aigron was not interested in arguing about historical issues. He sincerely thanked the Grand Duke. "Although they may not want to hear my name, I will try my best to make them happy."

"No need to thank me, this was Teresa's idea." The Grand Duke sighed, seeming helpless towards his daughter, "If Teresa hadn't asked for it, how could I have done so many things?"