Eagle’s Glory

With the idea of ​​changing the courtyard, Fernan returned to his temporary camp.

Although Fernan is a villain who is greedy for fame and wealth, he knows that the capital for his survival is the troops in his hands, so he has always paid great attention to restraining his subordinates with strict discipline, and used various methods to win over them with kindness and power, and established himself The authority to tell the truth.

However, at this time, the strict discipline in this temporary camp had disappeared. Not only had many people deserted and fled, but most of the remaining officers and soldiers were also in a state of laxity and disheveled appearance. Some even smelled of alcohol. , obviously still drunk just now.

It is hard to imagine how much combat effectiveness such a force has.

Fernan knew why his subordinates were like this - seeing that the dynasty was about to overthrow and his superior officers were in danger, they had lost their allegiance to the goal, and they all felt a sense of constant panic.

The performance of his subordinates convinced him once again that there was no way out for continuing to be loyal to the royal family, and no one was willing to sacrifice their lives for His Majesty the King.

Fernand knew that if he forcibly took them all the way south and followed Marshal Marmont to attack the King of Rome, then they might follow him, but for the sake of their own lives, they would never really take action - after all, the change of dynasty was approaching. At present, no one wants to be the target of future liquidation.

We must find a way out quickly! He felt a little more anxious in his heart.

He doesn't have much time. He wants to give his subordinates a way out so that he can have a way out. Without capital, he is not qualified to be bribed. If his subordinates all leave him, then he will have no value.

However, surrendering to the King of Rome before the battle is easy to say, but difficult to do. First of all, he has no interaction with the King of Rome at all, and does not know any middlemen. How can he pass on his "loyalty"? How to let the Roman king know that he was willing to surrender?

Fernan thought hard and ran through various ideas in his mind, but he never found a solution. In desperation, he had to put aside his thoughts and first called his officers to assign the marshal's tasks. Come down.

As he expected, after hearing the marshal's order he relayed, the officers changed their colors one after another. No one had the excitement of "we must be loyal to the marshal to the end". On the contrary, everyone was hesitant and nervous. among.

After all, most of these officers are elderly. They know what happened 15 years ago, and some of them have even experienced it personally. At this moment, when the incident is repeated again, it is impossible for them not to consider what they would do if they happened again. What will happen if you act rashly?

"Do you have any opinions?" Fernand asked calmly.

Several officers looked at each other, and after a moment, one officer boldly spoke, "Colonel, logically we must obey the Marshal's order, but the morale of the military is currently unstable. If we really go to confront the King of Rome, If the soldiers below don’t listen to us, what will we do then?”

He didn't make it clear, but the subtext was obvious - what if the King of Rome wins and we become "rebellious"?

Although the others did not speak, their expressions were in agreement.

Fernan sighed inwardly. Even if he wanted to be loyal to the marshal at this moment, there was a high probability that he would not be able to do so.

He decided to talk to his men a little bit, so as not to lose people's hearts like this.

"Let's go south with the marshal first, and we'll make our own decisions when the time comes... Don't worry, if the soldiers are unwilling to obey orders then, I won't force you, and I will bear all the responsibilities."

After all, there has been a superior-subordinate relationship for many years. After hearing Fernand's words, the subordinates seemed to understand something. They looked at each other again and then nodded, indicating that everything was in compliance with Fernand's orders.

After dealing with his subordinates, Fernan felt a little relieved, but the current crisis was still imminent, and he was in a mess and very anxious.

At this moment, his adjutant came to him quietly and reported a piece of news to him. "A count who claims to be from Paris asks to see you. He says he is your friend and has something important to tell you... concerning your future."

"What?" Fernand was shocked when he heard the news.

At this point in time, he was able to accurately find his location, and he was able to boldly come over and ask to see him. He was definitely not a simple person.

But who is it?

There were so many countes in Paris that he couldn't even count how many they had dealings with, and he couldn't think of them in his haste.

Logically speaking, he was in a hurry at the moment and did not have much time to receive visitors, but a trace of doubt and expectation in his heart made him hesitate.

"Where is he now?" he asked after a moment.

"He was detained as soon as he approached our military camp and is now locked up in a private room." The adjutant replied quickly, "However, he is very calm. Judging from his dress and demeanor, he may really be a man." A nobleman..."

"Take me over to see him." After hearing this, Fernan immediately made a decision, and then warned carefully. "Don't let anyone else know."

Soon, the adjutant secretly took him to the residence where the visitor was detained.

At this time, Fernand finally saw the visitor with his own eyes.

Sure enough, as the adjutant said, this gentleman was about the same age as himself. He was handsome, well-dressed, and indeed had a gentle but cold and arrogant demeanor. At first glance, he was not an ordinary person.

After patiently observing the other person for a while, Fernand looked at the other person with a false smile, "Dear Mr. Earl, you said that you are my friend, but I don't seem to know you."

At this moment, the Earl opposite also smiled at him, and then he bowed to Fernand gracefully. "Yes, dear Count Morcerf, we were not friends in the past, but we once had a chance encounter."

Have I really seen him somewhere?

Hearing what the other party said, Fernan suddenly felt a strange feeling in his heart, as if he had really seen him somewhere.

Where is it...

"Have you forgotten Duke Nordlyon's banquet?" the count gave him a reminder.

yes!

Fernan suddenly realized that he remembered.

"Count of Monte Cristo, you are the Count of Monte Cristo!"

He remembered everything. One day the year before last, he was invited to attend Duke Nordlyon's banquet, and there was a foreign nobleman present at the time, called the Count of Monte Cristo.

Originally, such a trivial thing was not worth remembering at all, but the news that broke out later made a deep impression on him - later, news came from the distant newly built Principality of Ioannina, where the King of Rome made a grand seal. Nobles, one of them was named Count of Monte Cristo.

This incident caused an uproar in the court, and the Duke was reprimanded by His Majesty the King for not being strict with his guests and allowing spies from the Bonaparte family to sneak in.

After remembering this incident, his memory became very profound. Now when he compared the earl with the earl he had met in his last memory, it suddenly dawned on him.

After suddenly realizing it, he immediately realized the other party's intention.

Since he is a supporter of the King of Rome, then he came to find me, maybe just to instigate rebellion against him, right?

"Count of Monte Cristo...what are you doing here?!" Because of this suspicion in his mind, he did not immediately take down the other party after seeing through his identity, but instead questioned him.

Perhaps seeing Fernan's guilty conscience and entanglement at the moment, the Count of Monte Cristo just smiled coldly.

"I am here on His Majesty's orders to find a way out for you, sir."

"Give me a way out?" Although Fernan had been thinking about this for a long time, he didn't want to show it at the moment. "I don't understand what you are talking about."

"If you still can't see your situation now, then I'm afraid I'm a little disappointed for Your Majesty, Count Morcerf." Edmund looked at the other person with a gentle and elegant tone, smiling, "What do you think? The loyal king is already on the verge of collapse, and he is about to bring his dynasty to the ground. The most important thing you need to consider now is to find a way out before the crown falls to the ground, isn't it?"

Fernan's face turned pale.

The Count of Monte Cristo has sharp eyes and a calm and unhurried temperament. Although the other person is smiling at the moment, standing in front of him, Fernan will unconsciously feel a biting chill.

He came to rebel against me on the orders of the King of Rome! Fernand made an accurate judgment.

When he thought of this, Fernan shuddered.

Although what he was thinking about was how to jump off the ship, when this opportunity suddenly came to him, he instinctively felt a little hasty.

What should I do?

Do you trust him now? Or should we wait and see?

Theoretically speaking, time is running out now. If you have the opportunity to jump ship, you should jump ship as soon as possible. However, the current situation is complicated and confusing. Fernand is not sure that the Bonaparte family will come to power next. He is a little hesitant and does not want to express his position so quickly. .

But looking at the benefits, the count came to specifically instigate rebellion against him, which also showed that the King of Rome really remembered him, which also meant that if he defected to the past, he would definitely get more generous treatment.

Just because he thought of this, Fernan quickly regained his composure from the panic.

"You said you were under the orders of the King of Rome. What evidence do you have?"

"Hahahaha..." The count laughed, and then asked with a hint of teasing, "If I didn't get your Majesty's order, why would I risk my life alone and put my life in your hands?"

At this moment, Edmund's smile was hearty and open, without any hesitation or nervousness.

He didn't really have any nerves either.

Because he was pushing his enemies into the abyss with his own hands, and the excitement had overwhelmed the fear in his heart, making him fearless.

How should I retaliate against my biggest enemy? In every sleepless night he tossed and turned because of hatred, he was thinking about this problem.

He was taken away at his wedding to his fiancée. At that time, the ignorant little sailor was ushering in the happiest moment of his life. But what greeted him next was a dark prison with a life-long struggle that he could not escape from. of sentence.

The feeling of suddenly falling from the highest point of life to the lowest point, every time he recalled it, it would make him feel the heart-piercing pain.

Therefore, he wanted his enemies to experience this pain.

So what should be done?

We need to give him hope, let him feel that he will become a successful person, let him knock him to the ground at the proudest moment in his life, and then give him the most severe pain. Only in this way can he vent the pent-up pain in his heart. Hatred.

Therefore, he wanted to instigate Fernando to rebel, bring him before His Majesty, let him receive His Majesty's commendation, and make him think that he was about to prosper...and then kill Fernando's hopes with his own hands.

Only by letting the opponent taste the pain of his past can this be a complete revenge.

So here he is.

Indeed, there was a risk for him to do so, which was equivalent to putting himself in Fernand's predatory mouth. If he was not careful, he might be treated as a spy and killed by Fernand, but Edmund still carried out the plan without any hesitation.

If you don’t even have the courage to face your enemies, what qualifications do you have to seek revenge?

It was impossible for Fernan to know what the count was thinking, so he felt a sense of security from the count's magnanimous attitude.

Indeed... my biggest worry was solved unexpectedly.

There was a reliable communication medium between himself and the King of Rome, which meant that he had the opportunity to jump ship in time!

For a moment, a surge of ecstasy surged into Fernan's heart. It took a lot of effort for him to suppress the ecstasy and not show it.

In order to show your worth, you can't grovel, Fernand still knows this.

"I'm glad that the King of Rome still remembers my humble name." He deliberately softened his attitude, "But... Marshal Marmont is kind to me, and I shouldn't do it at this time. Turn your back on him.”

Fernand's intention was just to bargain, but Edmund just smiled contemptuously.

"Monsieur Count, I don't know whether Marshal Marmont is more indebted to you, or whether poor Ali Pasha is more indebted to you?"

"What!" After suddenly hearing this name, Fernan opened his eyes angrily and almost lost his mind for a moment, wanting to silence the other party.

However, Fernando's murderous spirit did not frighten Edmund. Instead, he admired the other person's nervous face with great interest, "Mr. Count, you should remember that we came from Ioannina, and we know that you What did you do there?"

The Count of Monte Cristo's sarcastic remarks made Fernand feel discouraged for a moment.

The word he used was "we". It would be useless to kill him, as it would not silence him.

His dark history has been exposed to the King of Rome.

In other words, as long as the King of Rome is willing, he can use this scandal to discredit himself at any time. Even if he avoids this crisis in the future, the betrayal of Ali Pasha will still make him unable to gain a foothold in the upper class, and his so-called future will be in vain. .

For a moment, his mind was in confusion.

"You don't have to be nervous. His Majesty doesn't intend to let anyone else know about this." Edmund gave the other party some comfort at the right time. "He wanted me to tell you that he doesn't care what you have done in the past. He only cares about what you have done in the past." Your next contribution, as long as you make the right choice, no one will laugh at you, on the contrary... you will get everything you want! Earl, the choice has been placed in front of you, I think you must You will know how to choose.”

Then, with cold and contemptuous eyes, he looked down at Fernan, who had completely lost his bearings, "Now, please tell me what you want to choose!"