Eagle’s Glory

Although there was a small episode when arranging the room, generally speaking, Villefort and the Count of Monte Cristo worked very happily, and they settled in quickly.

For Valentine, leaving home and coming to a strange place will naturally cause a lot of discomfort. However, she has also reached an age where she is gradually becoming more sensible, and she vaguely knows that it is not a peaceful time, so in order not to give her father She didn't complain about the chaos, but cooperated very well with the count's arrangements.

After the family was settled, Edmund sent someone to notify Villefort's father, the Marquis Noirtier.

After receiving the news, the Marquis rushed here and reunited with his son and granddaughter.

Of course there will be some emotion when the family meets.

The Villeforts and their daughters were happy that their relatives were safe, but the Marquis of Noirtier was even more emotional - he knew the hatred between the count and his son, and therefore also knew that his son's family was brought here by the count at this time. It is tantamount to "a sheep entering a tiger's mouth".

Fortunately, he also knew that the earl would never violate the agreement with him, so he was not worried that the earl would do anything to his son during this period.

For that period of irresolvable hatred, he had given up the idea of ​​persuading the earl to let go, but chose to turn a blind eye. His only thought was to let this useless son remarry quickly, so that the earl could become his own son before taking revenge. The poor family can still leave a male heir.

"Gerard, have you completed His Majesty's mission?" After a brief greeting, the Marquis of Noirtier re-entered the state and asked his son seriously.

"It has been completed." Prosecutor Villefort replied, "I wrote a report in accordance with His Majesty's request. Although it did not explicitly accuse the Duke of Orleans, it has confirmed his major suspicion in the assassination of His Majesty."

After he finished speaking, he picked up his report and showed it to his father.

The reason why he dared to "leak secrets" was not only because the Marquis was his father, but also because among the supporters of the Bonaparte family, the Marquis had high enough qualifications, status and prestige to be qualified to access such secrets before the documents were made public.

The Marquis took it over and looked at it. Like Aigron, he could see at a glance his son's subtle and insinuations between the lines.

So when he saw the end, he nodded approvingly and said, "You wrote very well. You have some skills as a craftsman with a pen and knife."

Villefort and his father have had political disagreements for many years.

He rarely received praise from his father, but when he was suddenly praised, he did not immediately become happy, but had mixed feelings.

This report is his deed of betrayal. The day it is made public, it is equivalent to the "upright" Villefort disappearing again.

But what can be done? If he had a choice, he wouldn't choose it, but now he has no choice.

"How does your Majesty plan to use it?" After reading it, the Marquis asked Edmund again.

"Your Majesty plans to let us take it to Talleyrand first and let him judge how to use it." Edmund replied. "Now the entire government system is in a state of paralysis. Even if Prosecutor Villefort files a complaint, if it enters the legal process, it will be a protracted quarrel. This is not in line with His Majesty's original intention. His Majesty wants to make the matter more troublesome. Bigger is better, faster is better, and that’s where Prince Talleyrand can help.”

Although this report is a weapon, how to use this weapon is still open to discussion. At this time, due to the changes in the current situation, Talleyrand seemed to have become Aiglon's undisclosed ally and his greatest reliance in manipulating the situation, so Aiglon planned to communicate with him and let him assist him in the confrontation with the Duke of Orleans.

"Leave it to Talleyrand?" The Marquis was slightly surprised, but after thinking about it for a while, he understood His Majesty's intention.

His Majesty has no intention of litigating a lawsuit or making any kind of prosecution - in fact, it is indeed meaningless - he just wants to use this accusation to manipulate public opinion, further tarnish the reputation of the Duke of Orleans, and then put himself in a more popular position superior.

In this case, it is obviously more appropriate to let Talleyrand, a veteran, operate it.

After thinking about it, he no longer raised any objections and agreed to His Majesty's decision. "Then, let's go see that old guy as soon as possible."

The Marquis has always been a resolute person. Once he reached a consensus with the Prince of Wales, he no longer delayed, but took the Count of Monte Cristo and his son to visit Prince Talleyrand again.

As the situation gradually stabilized, Prince Talleyrand had returned from his hiding place to his luxurious mansion, and the mansion had changed from its previous deserted state and became bustling with people.

In the past ten years or so, due to the deliberate neglect of the Bourbon dynasty, Prince Talleyrand was forced to withdraw from the political stage after a short honeymoon period. Everyone was afraid of him, and he did not want to bring trouble on himself, but hid. He went to live in seclusion in his own castle of Varese.

But now, the situation is completely different. In this turbulent period, people instinctively hope to find a way for themselves to avoid disasters or to become successful. In this regard, Prince Talleyrand, who has a "brilliant resume", naturally becomes Become a guiding light in everyone's eyes.

Everyone hated him in the Constant Era, and everyone missed him in the Chaos Era. Whether they loved him or hated him, everyone wanted to be him.

In the recent period, Prince Talleyrand has also burst out with amazing vitality. He greets people every day, cordially meets with people from all walks of life, bargains, coerces, induces and lies. Almost no one can believe that this is a man who is nearly eight years old. A ten-year-old man with a disability... The temptation of power is so great that it can make a white-headed old man become energetic again.

After hearing the news of the visit of the Marquis of Noirtier, Prince Talleyrand put aside other schedules and directly asked his servants to bring the group of people to him.

Soon, Prince Talleyrand discovered that he knew everyone in this group of people—not to mention the Count of Monte Cristo, but also the Prosecutor Villefort.

He had long heard about the conflict between the Marquis of Noirtier and his son, and today he saw that the father and son had actually come together.

However, after all, Talleyrand was a man who had seen too much of the big world, and he soon stopped worrying about such trivial matters - these days, even kings can be changed, what else can't happen?

"Old friends, what good news have you brought me?" After seeing the Marquis, the prince went straight to the point.

"I bring you His Majesty's greetings and some important documents." The Marquis of Noirtier replied.

After he finished speaking, he did not sell out, but asked his son to submit the report to Prince Talleyrand. Then Prosecutor Villefort began to describe his experience in Fontainebleau Palace in detail - of course, everything happened through him To embellish it, he just said how he investigated this political case in accordance with Aigron's request.

Prince Talleyrand listened quietly without saying a word, while his brain power was being mobilized rapidly to analyze various situations.

It was not until Prosecutor Villefort finished speaking that he spoke softly.

"So, have you made up your mind to bet your whole life? Mr. Prosecutor?"

This question caught Villefort off guard. Just as he was about to explain, Prince Talleyrand raised his hand to stop him, "I can guess what you want to say, but I know better that there is no truth in the world of politics, and there is no need for the truth. , there are only losses and wins. Although you have an upright image in front of others, I can see that you are not a martyr who will risk your life for the so-called truth... You know what you are doing now. , and what consequences will we face?"

Facing the sight of Prince Talleyrand, Villefort instinctively felt a little afraid.

Although he has become a figure over the years, compared to the famous Talleyrand, he can only be regarded as a nobody. When facing the prince, it is difficult not to be moved by him.

But soon, he adjusted his mood again.

He knew that it was meaningless to say such high-sounding words in front of Prince Talleyrand, and he could only be honest. "To tell you the truth, I was not willing to participate in this incident at first. I knew there were many dangers involved. No matter what truth I uncovered, it was destined to offend many people... But after careful consideration, I decided Comply with His Majesty's will. Because at this moment, I have no other support. If I remain indifferent, then no matter which faction comes to power, they will try their best to exclude dissidents and install their own people. By then, I will definitely be abandoned. reason.

Therefore, in order to avoid this situation, I think it is better for me to take the initiative to choose the winning side, so that I can continue to stay in my position in the future. "

This reason was quite reasonable, so Talleyrand easily accepted it. "Yes, there is no shame in wanting to fight for yourself. On the contrary, it is the honor of a smart person. Only fools will sit back and wait for death. But... do you think you are really on the side of the winner?"

"The person you support is usually the winner." Villefort replied tactfully.

"That makes sense, you know how to look at the wind!" Faced with his compliment, Talleyrand couldn't help laughing.

But soon, Talleyrand became serious again, "But, Mr. Prosecutor, you must understand that even if you are on the side of the winner, there is no guarantee that you will be able to survive until the day when the cake is divided... … I’ve seen too many examples like this in my long life.”

"What do you mean?" Villefort was a little nervous.

"What I mean is very clear. This is a report you wrote. Can you bear all responsibility for it, bear all the abuse and doubts, and bear the risk of retaliation?" Prince Talleyrand raised his voice, "Answer me, Will blessing!"

This horrifying sight made Villefort feel a little nervous. Didn't he know that this was a conspiracy and political smear campaign? His life's future and reputation are now pinned on these pieces of paper.

But is there any way out?

No, not from the beginning. If you don't grit your teeth and persevere, you will be ruined immediately. Only by mustering up the courage to act as someone else's pawn can you have the possibility of surviving.

So - this report must be true, the Duke of Orleans must be the mastermind, and the King of Rome must be the Emperor.

Villefort gritted his teeth, and then looked at Prince Talleyrand with determination, "Of course! I guarantee that everything I say is accurate and correct, and I dare to guarantee this to anyone."

Seeing his confident and confident expression, the stern expression on Prince Talleyrand's face gradually disappeared, replaced by a playful smile.

"Very good, you are quite promising. In the past, I thought you were just a mediocre person who was hiding behind the curtain of the law and playing tricks. Now it seems that you are the flesh and blood of this old guy Noirtier after all, and you can still come up with something." It's a bit heroic. If that's the case, then I'm relieved."

"What are you worried about?" Villefort asked quickly.

"Don't worry, you can face the parliament's questions." Talleyrand replied.

"What?" Not only Villefort, but others were also surprised.

"Since His Majesty wants to make this incident bigger, then we might as well make it as big as possible. Let's take it to the parliament and let both houses of Congress organize a hearing to witness this shocking incident together. Pieces——”

The Marquis of Noirtier and even Talleyrand had the ability to facilitate this matter, but in a hurry he was not sure whether this was a good thing or not, so he hesitated.

"Are you sure that the direction of the wind will be in favor of His Majesty?"

"There is a 70% to 80% certainty - after all, the House of Lords, which now hates the Duke of Orleans, will definitely gloat over the misfortune and damage the reputation of the Duke of Orleans." Prince Talleyrand replied, "The remaining one or two achievements depend on your efforts. , Prosecutor Villefort, as the writer of the report, must be summoned as a witness..."

At this time, everyone suddenly realized why Talleyrand had deliberately frightened Villefort just now. It turned out to be to test Villefort's "confidence."

When he saw that Villefort dared to face his own pressure and "argued with reason", he was satisfied and believed that Villefort was qualified to serve as a witness.

It was also at this time that everyone understood Talleyrand's sophistication. When he just saw this report, he had already figured out how to use it so quickly.

"It will be a hearing in Parliament to judge the disputes between the two parties in the dispute for the throne. No matter what the outcome is, it will go down in history... At least I have never seen it in my life. It will definitely be very interesting." Prince Talleyrand showed a smile, and then looked Looking at his old friend, the Marquis of Noirtier, he said, "Old guy, do you dare to play a trick?"

"Then let's play, as long as you dare, there is nothing your Majesty dares not to do." The Marquis did not hesitate any more, but nodded generously, "Anyway, this shabby parliament has nothing else to do now. Let this event be its final curtain call."

Then, he looked at his son again, with expectations, but also hidden helplessness and regret in his eyes, "Maybe this is your last chance in life, it's time for you to prove that you have talent!"