Eagle’s Glory

After several days of traveling day and night, Edmond Dantès arrived at the small town of Alais where he last visited Marshal Soult.

It's midsummer, and the town is surrounded by greenery, with birdsong and frogs chirping constantly, and a peaceful rural atmosphere.

The last time he came here, he was with the Marquis of Treville. The two of them, headed by the Marquis, visited the Marshal and received a warm reception from him - the Marshal even took him to the coal mine he runs. I went to visit and talked about some of my post-war reflections.

Edmund still remembers those experiences and words in his mind, and this time, he came to visit the marshal alone.

However, he was in a very excited mood, because he knew that the marshal had secretly nodded to further contact with His Majesty, and even proposed that his adjutant go to meet His Majesty in person.

This also means that the probability of two people "joining in a grand event" is increasing.

Although Edmund has not joined the army, he has heard of Marshal Soult's reputation for a long time. He believes that although the marshal has long been excluded from the army by the Bourbon family, as long as the marshal is willing to stand on His Majesty's side, there will naturally be a strong feeling in the army. repercussions.

He did not dare to expect that the marshal would raise his arms and everyone would automatically side with the Bonaparte family, but as long as some people were waiting and hesitating, there would be enough room for maneuver.

Following the last road, he passed through the woods and paths in the countryside, and finally came to the house where the marshal lived during his last visit.

The gatekeeper obviously still remembered the earl, so as soon as he saw Edmund, he welcomed him into the house and asked him to wait in the reception room.

Edmund sat quietly on the chair and waited. Soon after, there was a sound of footsteps outside the door, and then the door reopened. The tall marshal quickly walked in, followed by a middle-aged man in his 40s. people.

Like the marshal, this middle-aged man is also wearing casual clothes, but from the vigorous posture and demeanor of his walk, it is not difficult to see the military temperament in him.

He has short, shiny brown hair and a fluffy mustache on his lips. Although there are some wrinkles on his face, his eyesight still looks very smart. At first glance, he is a brave and resourceful person.

Just as Edmund was looking at the people around the marshal, the marshal's sharp eyes fell on him, and then he took the initiative to say hello to him.

"We meet again. Stay safe, Mr. Count of Monte Cristo."

After saying that,

He held out his hand to Edmund.

"Nice to see you again, Your Majesty the Marshal!" Edmund greeted the Marshal sincerely, then stretched out his hand and took the Marshal's hand.

Not long ago, he had shaken Prince Talleyrand's hand. If he were to compare the prince and the marshal, although both of them were famous, one was like a poisonous snake, elegant yet secretly vicious, making people wary; Like a lion, majestic, fearful but admirable at the same time.

Both men were very arrogant and extremely difficult to deal with, but if given the choice, Edmund would rather deal with the marshal.

After the two shook hands, Edmund revealed his purpose.

"I came to visit you on the orders of His Majesty, and to send you my most sincere greetings on his behalf! In addition, he also ordered me to escort your adjutant to the place where he is currently stationed."

After listening to this, Surte just nodded slightly without comment, and then turned his eyes to the middle-aged man next to him.

"This is my adjutant, Major Mipe. He has been with me for many years and has always been deeply trusted by me."

It goes without saying that the so-called adjutant he wanted to send to visit Aigron was this dear friend.

Edmund had already guessed this, and now after being formally introduced by Soult, he immediately saluted him.

"Mr. Major, nice to meet you."

"My Lord Earl, it's a pleasure to meet you." The major opposite just nodded to Edmund indifferently, and then the two of them shook hands.

After the two of them got to know each other, Marshal Soult spoke again.

"Next, Colonel Mipe will go to visit the King of Rome on my behalf. I will trouble you to take care of him along the way."

"Don't worry, Your Excellency. I will never disgrace my mission. The major will complete his journey safely and return to you." Edmund immediately promised.

Marshal Soult did not speak, but looked at him quietly. After a moment, he nodded, "Yes, you do have some willpower. I believe you can get things done."

Then, he turned to look at Major Mipe, "Remember, no matter what happens on the road, you must obey the count's arrangements. When you see the King of Rome, you must be respectful and don't embarrass me."

"Yes!" Compared to Edmund, the major was more respectful to the marshal. He immediately stood at attention and agreed directly.

After the explanation, the marshal made a gesture, and the major agreed, and immediately turned and left the room, so only Edmund and the marshal were left here again.

"Count, let's go for a walk?" the marshal suggested to Edmund.

ah? Where are you taking me again? Edmund's last trip to the coal mines was still fresh in his mind.

"Don't worry, I won't drag you all the way to the coal mine this time." As if he saw what he was thinking, the marshal smiled and shook his head, "I just want to take a walk around here. That’s all, I have something to ask you.”

"Okay, Your Excellency." Of course, Edmund had no room to refuse this request, and he immediately agreed.

So, next, the two people also walked out of the house, and then started walking around the house along the surrounding country roads.

The country roads are paved with gravel, surrounded by soil, large patches of moss and other plants. What blows in front of you is the breeze from the forest, which is cool and thorough, making it refreshing for those who have been living in the metropolis of Paris recently. Edmund suddenly felt relaxed and happy.

"You look much better than last time. Have you encountered any good things recently?" After walking in silence for a while, the marshal asked casually.

Ah, it’s nothing. I ruined the family of one of my enemies, and even took over his wife and children... Of course, Edmund would not tell the marshal the truth. He just answered in an evasive way, "I'm just doing it for you." His Majesty is just excited because his career has made progress."

"Is that all?" The marshal shook his head, as if he was a little disappointed with his lack of understanding. "Isn't it possible that a magic cave like Paris hasn't allowed you to find your own fun? You really don't know how to enjoy life... Don’t you want me to introduce you to some better restaurants?”

"Uh..." Edmund was a little surprised by the Marshal's sudden words, and he didn't know how to respond for a moment.

"Hahahaha... little guy, as a Frenchman, you don't know how to enjoy life." Seeing Edmund's confused look, the marshal couldn't help laughing, "Those of us who have fought in the war are the most appreciative. Come on, anyway, people may turn into a pile of rotten meat on the ground at any time, so why not enjoy it before you die? Don’t be too tight on yourself and learn to relax properly. "

"Thank you for your advice." Edmund still didn't know how to answer, so he could only answer like this.

"Sometimes I envy you. Although you don't have achievements to boast about, you are young, energetic, and have endless possibilities. You can also enjoy the beauty of life wholeheartedly - and all of this will not be achieved until people When you get older you won’t be able to enjoy it anymore…”

Then, he sighed, "I am exactly 60 years old this year. I am already in the twilight years of my life. I can feel my energy draining every day. Everything I never worried about when I was young is now disturbing me. …Of course, this is something that everyone has to face, so I don’t need to feel sad about it. As far as my personal life experience is concerned, I am used to all the storms and waves in the world, and I have experienced all the enjoyments in the world. After that, I have no regrets——"

Edmund nodded slightly. He believed that what the marshal said was not a boast. After all, he was Marshal Soult.

"Is your master as formal as you?" the marshal asked again.

"Your Majesty, you are a noble man. Of course you are much more free and easy-going than me." Edmund quickly replied.

"Then he has many romantic affairs?" the marshal asked again.

… Edmund didn’t know how to answer this question.

But since the marshal asked, he could only tell the truth, "Your Majesty is talented and loves literature, and naturally he also has a bit of a poet's romance in his heart -"

"Hahaha, then it seems that he knows how to be romantic? That's quite reasonable." Marshal Soult laughed, "I like people who know how to enjoy life. Well, it seems that the atmosphere will not be the same when I meet him in the future. It’s so embarrassing.”

Marshal Soult dared to comment on His Majesty, but Edmund did not dare and could only listen silently.

However, he also noticed the other party's hint from the marshal's tone.

He wanted to see His Majesty with his own eyes——

That obviously means that he is indeed seriously considering joining forces with the Bonaparte family.

This is an excellent sign.

"Your Majesty also hopes to see you very much. In his heart, you are worthy of his admiration. He will never forget that you stood loyally on the side of the emperor in 1815." He quickly expressed his goodwill to the marshal. "He said that the Bonaparte family will definitely repay this loyalty."

"The past is the past after all, and there is nothing to mention. We should look at the future. My adjutant will make it clear to him about the next thing. If he is really willing to join forces with me, we have to show each other Sincerity." Sirte replied calmly.

"Then what do you think is sincerity?" Edmund asked softly.

"Sincerity means what it can bring to me and this country." The marshal replied, "Rather than making a bid, what I care more about is who is the person I want to serve in the future? He is a person who is not yet twenty. A 2-year-old kid, a poet who only talks big words, or a genius who really has some talent and lofty goals? The difference determines how I should choose. You just said that he is grateful My loyalty in 1815 is actually unnecessary. My loyalty in 1815 does not mean that I will continue to be loyal in 1829. It means nothing... I am Soult. I once fought for the emperor, but now I no longer need to fight for it. Anyone fights, I only fight for myself.”

Such unruly words would sound extremely harsh and arrogant to anyone.

Even though he was Marshal Soult, Edmund felt it was too much.

"Your Excellency, I don't think you have to worry about who you are loyal to. You are loyal to this country. Obviously, His Majesty will show you who is more capable of leading this country to prosperity... And, I think, if you really If you side with the Bonaparte family, then there is no doubt that you are loyal to His Majesty. The Majesty I am talking about is not the late emperor, but His Majesty Napoleon II!

Your Majesty respects you very much. He is willing to listen to your advice and respect every decision you make. However, he will never tolerate offenses against him. You either fight for him or not fight for him. There are only two options. That’s all—”

"What are you talking about?" The marshal's gaze became more severe.

"I am talking about an obvious fact. The Bonaparte family will always have only one leader. All those who stand on the side of the Bonaparte family must regard him as the leader, instead of seeking favors from him while claiming to be independent. , this is the unshakable bottom line, and His Majesty will never tolerate this kind of offense." This pressure to remain calm made Edmund extremely uncomfortable, but out of loyalty to His Majesty, he still boldly continued. Go down, "Marshal, I admire you. I hope you can stand on our side more than anyone else, but I must maintain your majesty's dignity, which cannot be offended."

After Edmund finished speaking, he boldly looked at the marshal, as if he would not give in.

The two looked at each other like this for a moment.

Then the Marshal sneered and shrugged.

"What a bold boy. Are you afraid of causing big trouble to your master?"

"I'm afraid you'll get yourself into big trouble -" Edmund replied without fear, "Marshal, you have your pride and dignity, so you can speak freely, but I still advise you to be honest with me. The master should maintain due respect, he is the future."

The marshal frowned.

Then he sneered.

"He is the future? Then let him prove it...it won't take long before we know."

Soult wisely did not ask where exactly Aigron was staying now, because he knew that even if he asked, Edmund would definitely not answer him.

"Who else have you gone to see before? Judging from your appearance, you should be making good progress." After a moment of silence, he asked again.

Edmund hesitated, but decided to talk to the marshal.

"We have found Prince Talleyrand."

"Talleyrand?" The marshal raised his eyebrows, but he didn't look surprised at all. "Then what did he say?"

"He agreed to contact His Majesty, but has not yet made a final decision." Edmund answered the other party truthfully.

He didn't want to lie to Soult, because he knew that although Soult was in the countryside, he had been spying on the domestic situation and was quite well-informed. If he lied to boost his own worth, he would be exposed immediately. , but will make the marshal despise himself.

"Hmph, this old fox..." The marshal laughed sarcastically, "He is as always, he won't turn over his cards until the end."

Then he snorted again, "When I think about the possibility of working with him, I feel sick. Maybe I should reconsider my decision?"

"The so-called politics is to be brothers with people who are disgusting to you, isn't it?" Edmund asked back, "No matter what, he can't be more disgusting than having empty ambitions but sitting in a place where no one cares about them, and unable to display his ambitions."

The Marshal froze, then burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha...you boy, you do have a future."

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