Eagle’s Glory

The Glory of the Young Eagle Text Volume 38, Extreme Joy Begets Sadness With the arrival of the Agrons, the Palace of Fontainebleau changed from its previous desolation and loneliness and became lively again.

However, precisely because it had been idle before, it inevitably fell into chaos and disturbance after Aigron and his troops entered with the army, so it became extremely important to restore order in the palace.

Not long ago, under the instruction of Agron, Teresa took full responsibility for the renovation of the Palace of Fontainebleau and the reconstruction of the palace. Although it did not take long, it was because Teresa devoted herself wholeheartedly to it and the choice she gave herself. The close team members around me were also very capable, so this work progressed smoothly.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that this "reconstruction" will greatly determine a person's future status in the Bonaparte family camp - positions close to the two majesties are rare and precious, so who can Whoever gets the upper hand at the beginning will be able to gain a superior position for themselves and their family.

Therefore, although the situation inside the Palace of Fontainebleau is peaceful on the surface, there are many people secretly scheming and trying to squeeze into the top circles.

Among these careerists, of course, there is the name Count Fernand de Morcerf.

This earl can be said to be a trendsetter of the times, a model of self-made wealth through ruthlessness - when he was just an adult, he relied on informing and sending his love rival to prison to earn a bounty; later he betrayed him on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo He lost the honor of the imperial army and followed the general to surrender to the enemy; then he went to Ioannina to become an instructor in Ali Pasha's army, and then sold the pasha to the Turkish Sultan, and also sold the Sultan's daughter-in-law and granddaughter, and then sold the pasha to the Turkish Sultan. Made a fortune.

Not long ago, he returned to his old ways and betrayed once again - he launched a mutiny, imprisoned his long-time benefactor, Marshal Marmont, and then dedicated the marshal to the heir of the Bonaparte family, and then returned as a matter of course. Under the banner of the Empire.

In his life, every betrayal has brought him to a new level in life and climbed to a higher social status. He firmly believes that the latest betrayal will be the same.

The earl knew that he had a dark history of betraying the empire, and he also knew that it was too late for him to "abandon the darkness and turn to the light". He would inevitably be rejected and resented by the old people around the majesty. However, the earl knew better that hard work can make up for weakness, and he had to work twice as hard. Performance, to prove your worth and make your Majesty take you seriously.

Although Fernand was never merciless when betraying his benefactors, when he wanted to please every benefactor, he was indeed able to show full flattery and spare no effort or even disregard his dignity to serve his benefactors.

After taking refuge with the Bonaparte family,

Fernand spent almost every minute serving Aiglon, whether he was appeasing the officers and soldiers and organizing the march, contacting his colleagues to recruit rebels, or seizing every opportunity to flatter Aigron, he was almost everywhere.

Precisely because he worked so hard, it seemed that Aiglon also admired him. He praised him in person several times, and even personally promised to reward him heavily after the empire was restored - and this further strengthened Fernan's " The confidence that I will become a successful person."

Of course, Fernand felt that these alone were not enough. He also wanted to have more insurance for his ambitions.

The so-called insurance is his wife.

Unlike the ambitious Fernand, Countess Mercedes is gentle and demure, possessing the virtues of simplicity, humility and kindness. She treats everyone cordially and sincerely, without any distinction based on the other person's status. Because of this advantage, even though Mrs. Mercedes did not have a reliable aristocratic pedigree, the upper class in Paris still accepted her and regarded her as an excellent and kind lady.

After joining Aiglon's command, Fernan usually observed every move of the Aiglons and tried to figure out their personalities and preferences. And after careful consideration, he came to the conclusion: Queen Theresa, who has a dignified and humble personality, does not like vanity, showing off wealth, nor does she like the frivolous style of Parisian ladies.

Fernand had full confidence that Queen Teresa would definitely fall in love with her if she came into contact with her. Respect and treatment, further speaking, Fernand also has a solid path in the palace.

He has long heard the romantic story between Her Majesty Queen Teresa and His Majesty the Emperor, but what he focuses on is not the love that women talk about, but that Queen Teresa is different from ordinary princesses. She has strong opinions and persistence. She has the courage to have her own opinion, so she will definitely have a huge say in front of her husband.

In other words, as long as you use your wife to grasp the line of Her Majesty the Queen, your position will be unbreakable.

In front of him, there is now a ready-made success example - General Treville's daughter-in-law, Lady Alice. After being appreciated by Her Majesty the Queen, she is very proud of herself and has been entrusted with important tasks. She can be said to be extremely popular. .

Although Mercedes may not be as good as Lady Alice, she is still enough to grab a position and act as insurance for herself.

It was with this idea in mind that after settling in a temporary residence in the small town surrounding the Fontainebleau Palace, Fernand secretly sent his confidants to the hiding place he had previously chosen and picked up his wife and son. come over.

After picking them up, he immediately wrote to express his love to His Majesty, hoping that Your Majesty would be merciful and allow his wife and children to stay in the palace to ensure their safety.

His letter was quickly answered by Aiglon.

Aiglon said in the letter that when the count followed Marshal Marmont to meet him in Austria, he heard the news of the birth of his son, so he felt that the child was quite destined for him; but now the count is working hard for him and sparing no effort to serve him. , he also saw it, and therefore had the obligation to ensure the safety of his family, so he agreed to the count's request, and also hoped that his wife could help Theresa share some affairs and work together to make the palace run normally as soon as possible.

After receiving this reply, Fernand was overjoyed.

This letter is more valuable to him than gold. It means that his wife and children will have a place in the court - what a great help to him!

Therefore, after receiving the reply, he immediately helped his wife and children pack their luggage again, and then took them into the Palace of Fontainebleau.

They were dazzled by the magnificent architecture and gorgeous decorations in the palace, and just after they were taken to the prepared room by the guards, Andre Davout, the captain of Aiglon's guard, came to the room in person, and then conveyed to them Aiglon's message. greetings.

The flattered family paid tribute to Aigron, and then Andre conveyed Aigron's instructions.

"Count Fernand de Morcerf, His Majesty wants to summon you. He has some important matters to discuss."

Fernand was not surprised by this. After all, Aigron had summoned him many times on the way from Lyon. He regarded this as proof of his favor.

So, he hurriedly said goodbye to his wife and children, and then followed Andre Davout to Aiglon's reception room.

The reception room was spacious and luxurious, showing the style of a palace, and Aigron was sitting behind his desk. After seeing Fernand, he nodded with a smile to show his cordiality to the count.

Fernan made himself look flattered, and then bowed respectfully to Aigron. Then he secretly reminded himself that no matter what Aigron said later, he must try his best to please this new benefactor.

"Fernand, every time I see you, I feel happy." Then, Aigron started his remarks with these inexplicable words, "Although our life trajectories are almost completely different, in essence, We always have some similarities... To a certain extent, I think you are indeed a character. If a person only takes one or two steps in life, it can be called luck, but if he takes several correct steps in a row, No matter what you do, at least you dare to think and do it. You may not be called a hero, but you still have some courage."

Fernan was confused by Aigron's words, but he seemed to be praising himself, so he suppressed his doubts and looked at Aiglon with a smile, "Your Majesty, thank you for speaking so highly of me. , but how am I qualified to compare with you? Compared with you, everything I have done is so insignificant..."

"Maybe that's just because of the difference in origin." Aiglon smiled and shook his head, still looking like a breath of fresh air. "It took you twenty years to climb out of the mud pit of the rotten fishing village in Marseille City, and I was the king of Rome when I was born. Poverty and hard life forced you to spend most of your childhood and adolescence on making a living... Considering this background, it is indeed remarkable that you can climb to your current position. It’s rare, and you have to seize the few limited opportunities. The hardship and determination required are not necessarily any worse than others, right?”

Aiglon's words shocked Fernan, as if someone poured a basin of ice water on his head, and his whole body froze.

Starting from scratch in a poor fishing village of Barcelona immigrants on the outskirts of Marseille, he became a French count and a brigade commander. Of course, this was the proudest thing in Fernando's life, but he definitely didn't want others to know and say it.

Because, in theory, he is a descendant of the noble Morcerf family. People who have become suddenly rich often hate their poor days in the past. Naturally, Fernand is absolutely unwilling to recall his past.

Yes, at this moment, he and his descendants are the descendants of famous nobles. They have nothing to do with any rotten fishing village or fishermen, and they will never have anything to do with them!

Precisely because he absolutely denied that part of the past mentally, Fernand directly denied Aiglon's statement without thinking carefully, "Your Majesty... I'm afraid you are mistaken. My hometown is not Marseille, but the Loire Province... My family is a famous local family that has been passed down from generation to generation. If you need it, I can introduce you to the main genealogy of our family."

"Stop it, Fernand, it will only make you look a little pathetic." Aiglon shook his finger.

Aigron's slightly pitiful gaze helped the panicked Fernand calm down a little.

Yes, His Majesty has already talked about such details. Does his sophistry still have any meaning? No matter how well he memorizes the Morcerf family's genealogy, it only makes him look more ridiculous and pathetic.

Next, his already chaotic brain began to work again, and he began to think about the situation in front of him.

Your Majesty secretly investigated yourself?

It seems so.

But why?

Because you have doubts about yourself?

Maybe.

His Majesty not only knew about his betrayal of Marshal Marmont, but also about his betrayal of Ali Pasha, and even more about his surrender to the enemy before the battle.

One betrayal is a betrayal, but two or three times can only be said to be a betrayal, right?

Fernan asked himself, if he encountered a subordinate who made frequent speculations and made frequent mistakes, he would probably feel guilty in his heart.

I have always been worried about this problem, so after joining the Bonaparte family, I have been trying my best to perform in order to increase my favorability.

Judging from the current results, it seems that this trick has not worked yet.

"Don't be anxious, Fernand..." Perhaps sensing Fernand's annoyance and panic at the moment, Aigron waved his hand again, signaling for him to calm down, "Actually, I don't care whether you come from a famous noble family. , or a bad fishing village in Marseille, it doesn't matter to me, it's just because a few of your colleagues secretly reported to me that you forged your family's genealogy and pretended to be a noble, so I investigated it, but Even if you do this, so what? All I can say is, you did a pretty good job.

Now, what does the aristocratic pedigree represent? Look at France's richest people and high-ranking officials. How many of them are from civilian backgrounds? Not to mention those marshals and generals! As for our Bonaparte family, I don’t think anyone will forget that only three generations ago we were small Corsican landowners. The so-called heroes do not ask where they come from. Being able to climb out of the mud is your ability. I will never They will accuse you of this——"

Eggron's words made Fernan relax a little.

Forging a genealogy and pretending to be a noble may be a serious crime for the conservative Bourbon royal family, but it is certainly not that important to the Bonaparte family. After all, the Bonaparte family itself is not a noble family and has only risen recently. That’s all.

But, then why did His Majesty specially call him to come over and talk about this matter?

While Fernan was still thinking, Aigron spoke again.

"Leaving aside the issue of origin, I am more curious about another question - Fernand, how did you climb out of the bad fishing village in Marseille? Where did the money for your move come from? What did you do in the first place... …and, who are you?”