Eagle’s Glory

Although there was an uproar about the case of the King of Rome accusing the Duke of Orleans, Prince Talleyrand's mansion was as calm as if the matter had nothing to do with him, and no influence from the outside world could be seen.

Of course, this is only on the surface. In fact, the dying Prince Talleyrand, under the temptation of power, radiated the last energy of his life. He worked tirelessly to contact all parties, strategize, weigh the pros and cons, and appoint officials. He made wishes, made countless promises, and told countless lies, just like a hard-working spider, re-building a new web of power on the swaying tree trunks of France.

He has done this kind of thing not once or twice, so he is very familiar with it. Invisibly, his history itself has become a kind of capital, and the outside world also chooses to trust him because of his "rich experience".

While executing various plans, Prince Talleyrand did not forget to pay attention to the situation at all times and be wary of any possible unexpected situations. However, he was very satisfied to find that his massive project seemed to be completed smoothly.

In the afternoon, a group of uninvited guests quietly visited this modest-looking mansion.

It was raining that day, and the cold wind mixed with the rain swept everywhere, and the dark sky was particularly desolate.

The group was invited through the door without waiting long. It was obvious that they were invited guests.

Soon, the Duke and his party were brought to the elderly prince.

Talleyrand looked at the Duke in front of him with great interest, admiring his livid face and his expression of despair.

"We meet again, sir. It seems like you haven't slept well lately..."

Without his reminder, the Duke of Orleans also knew that he was in a terrible state at the moment.

Although he had made the decision to surrender, the suffering in his heart was naturally inevitable, but the huge gap of "only one step away from success but falling to pieces" made him even more painful and unbearable. He had been suffering from insomnia every night for the past few days, and he could only fall asleep for a while near midnight.

Under this torture, the Duke grew older in a short period of time.

Although Talleyrand is twenty years older than the Duke of Orléans, the two people's status seems to have been completely reversed at this moment - Talleyrand is rejuvenated and glowing because he has returned to the center of power; while the Duke is as if he has lost his heir. He was in constant panic all day long, almost like a dying old man.

For a person who has always coveted the highest power,

Losing all political prospects is not much different from death itself.

"Thank you for your concern, I am indeed not in a good mood right now." Duke Orleans replied with a hint of sarcasm, "However, I congratulate you. After this battle, you will be able to regain power soon."

"I was just lucky and met a suitable investment target. If it weren't for fate's trick, maybe you should have ascended the throne, and I can only shamelessly run in front of you to beg for some charity." Ta Prince Lieland replied.

The Duke was stunned for a moment. He knew that Talleyrand was always sarcastic, and he had experienced the opponent's venomous tongue skills many times before. This time he was completely defeated. He originally thought that he would be ridiculed even more, and he had already prepared his resistance before he came. I was mentally prepared for the pressure, but I didn't expect to hear such words of relief from Talleyrand.

For a moment he was at a loss. "You...you are speaking harshly."

"No, I'm just telling you a fact. Life is full of surprises. You and I have seen too much, so we should face everything calmly. At least we are still alive, right? Those arrogant and complacent people are all dead. It's ahead of us..." Prince Talleyrand smiled gently, "My friend, I am already old, and I don't expect how many more years I can live, but you are different, you are still young, and you still have a big heart. You have only a few years to live, so you have time to wait, waiting for fate to give you a turning point, maybe in the future? After all, there have been countless dramatic events in the past few decades. Even a few months ago, who could have imagined that the Roman king would Will he return to the throne? Since he can wait, then maybe you can wait too. Even if you can't wait, maybe your children and grandchildren can also get a chance..."

Talleyrand's tone was gentle and seductive. For a moment, the Duke was confused and thought it was Gaudin who was making suggestions for him. It took him a moment to come back to his senses.

Moreover, judging from Talleyrand's current position of surrendering to the King of Rome, this kind of statement is obviously a bit treasonous and even a bit provocative.

"Why are you telling me this?" the Duke asked doubtfully.

"As far as my life experience is concerned, it is not wise to laugh at losers." Prince Talleyrand replied, "Fate is always joking. Each of us may become a loser at any time, or we may suddenly become a winner, so You don’t have to show off your power when you win, and you don’t have to feel guilty and depressed when you lose. Living well is more important than anything else. As long as you live on this stage, you don’t have to worry about not having the chance to perform. Don’t you think I am right?”

Although he knew that the other party could not be so kind to comfort him, the Duke still felt a lot more relaxed after hearing these words.

Of course, he also knew that his "hope" in the future was very slim. The republicans did not like him as a descendant of the royal family. Instead of sympathizing with him, the royalists would gloat about his misfortune and cheer that the traitor finally fell. They It's impossible to support yourself.

After all, an evil usurper may rely on money and official position to win over people's hearts. How can a failed usurper possibly arouse the favor of others?

Because he knew this, he just smiled bitterly in his heart.

At least he will never have the chance to return to this country in his lifetime.

His only hope now is in his children and grandchildren, but they will also be burdened with his own notoriety and will be unable to escape.

Shooting at the royal family and driving away the royal family will become a negative asset that is difficult for his family to get rid of, and they will also pay the price for it in the future.

But until now, he has no regrets. Life is like this. If you try, you may fail, but if you don't try, it will never be possible. At least he was only one step away from the throne, so he has tried hard.

"There is no need to be so pessimistic, Your Excellency." Perhaps seeing what he was thinking, Prince Talleyrand spoke calmly again, "More than a hundred years ago, the descendants of Louis XIV either died of illness or were sent to When a foreign country became king, only one great-grandson, Louis XV, survived. And your great-great-grandfather once served as regent. He enjoyed king-like power at that time, and was only one step away from the throne! Imagine if he had been If he died in infancy, wouldn't the throne belong to your line? It's a pity that he was unlucky. Louis XV eventually grew up healthily and left behind descendants... And now, there is a similar situation. If your luck is better than If your ancestors are better, maybe that will be your biggest turning point."

The Duke of Orleans understood what the other party meant.

Back then, Louis XV succeeded to the throne and became king when he was only 5 years old. If he died before reaching adulthood, the throne would naturally be transferred to the hands of the Orleans branch; and now there is a similar situation, the three brothers of Louis XVI They became kings one after another, but in the end only Henry was left among the grandchildren, and the royal family had only one "single seedling".

If the prince unfortunately dies young, the right to claim the throne can only be transferred to his own branch.

But how easy is this “if”?

"My luck does not look good, sir," the Duke replied with a wry smile.

"Destiny is always unpredictable, isn't it? Either work hard to change it, or wait quietly for its judgment, but no matter what, you can have hope..." Prince Talleyrand replied with a smile, "I I am not inciting you to do anything, I just hope you understand that I am not your enemy. I have served both the Bourbon family and the Bonaparte family, so it is okay to serve you or your descendants..."

This old guy is preparing his own escape before he even sits in his seat!

The Duke of Orleans suddenly understood the other party's intention, and then he added a bit of contempt for Talleyrand in his heart.

Although he was contemptuous, he would not mind if he could cooperate with Talleyrand one day.

"Then I will wait for the verdict of fate." He replied calmly.

"Yes, it doesn't matter what happens five years from now or ten years from now. We will always live in the present." Prince Talleyrand also retracted his smile, as if he had said nothing just now, "At least now, I am Bo He is a servant of the Nabal family, and I will do everything properly for him——"

After saying this, he waved gently, and then the cronies beside him took out a document and handed it to the Duke.

The Duke took it and looked at it, and found that it was a declaration.

The main message of the statement is: "I cannot bear to see the country fall into an abyss of endless turmoil due to the dispute over the ownership of the throne, and I have no intention of clinging to power. Therefore, I am preparing to bid farewell to the motherland so that the unnecessary political disputes can be subsided as soon as possible and order can be restored as soon as possible. I will support it." In the face of the supreme interests of the nation, all subsequent legal governments and legal monarchs will never regret my honor and disgrace..."

The wording of this statement is not that unacceptable, and it has saved him enough face.

Although everyone knows why he chose to withdraw from the fight for the throne, as long as this declaration exists, he is not a "sinner", but a former pretender to the throne who voluntarily went into exile. At least the family's last political capital was Saved.

And this is the best condition he can obtain.

Because he knew this very well, the Duke did not hesitate after reading it, picked up a pen and signed his name, which was how the deal was implemented.

After signing his name, the Duke looked at Prince Talleyrand again, "How will the case I am involved in be handled?"

"The mastermind and executor will be identified as Gaudin, but you cannot be convicted due to insufficient evidence and are not regarded as the mastermind behind the scenes." Prince Talleyrand replied.

"Can...can you be more tolerant?" The prince hesitated for a moment and then asked, "At least let Gao Dan not have to bear all the charges..."

"This is the most tolerant the King of Rome can do, Your Excellency." Prince Talleyrand's voice increased slightly, reminding the other party that this was a decision that could not be changed. "If even he does not convict him, then the King of Rome will Is this a farce or a false accusation? There has to be a serious murderer, and since it's not you, it can only be him."

The Duke of Orleans wanted to plead again, but in the end he held back and did not say it out - because he knew that the situation was stronger than the person, and even the safety of his family could only be guaranteed by the other party, and he had no way to bargain more. .

In order to have a result that can silence everyone, now we can only let the dead Gao Dan bear everything.

Now, he is the ultimate criminal who ordered the shooting of the king and the assassination of the King of Rome. I am afraid that it will be difficult for anyone to surpass him in the future history.

Having followed him loyally for so many years, but in the end he only gained such a bad reputation and bore all the blame that should have been borne by himself, it really made the Duke feel a little guilty.

However, this was also Gao Dan's own active choice. The reason why he committed suicide so happily was so that he could bear all this.

"You don't have to be so remorseful. People like him don't care about the crime. His spirit in heaven will be very happy to see that your family can leave safely." Talleyrand comforted the Duke softly, "Besides, His Majesty has already I agreed to bury Gao Dan secretly as soon as this incident calms down, so that he will not be disturbed again after his death..."

"Then I'll thank him for his magnanimity." The Duke sighed. "He is indeed better than me at this point. No wonder... no wonder he was able to get to where he is today at such a young age."

"Yes, you did not lose unjustly." Talleyrand nodded, "In fact, I think he has many very good ideas. You must not underestimate him because of his age."

"Then wish him good luck." Although he said it generously, the Duke was naturally a little sour in his heart.

How could he really expect this young man to have smooth sailing?

Talleyrand collected the statement signed by the Duke, and then reminded the other party, "As a prerequisite for letting you leave, His Majesty hopes that you will assist us in disbanding the National Guard as soon as possible and allowing his troops outside the city to take over Paris. "

Not only Aigron wanted to do this, but Talleyrand also wanted to let a group of militiamen control the capital. This was not only dangerous for him, but also unsightly, and it really affected his dignity and authority, so he also hoped to get this done as soon as possible. to resolve the instability and then bring Paris under control of the new Provisional Government - and the future Imperial Government.

"I will cooperate." Duke Orleans nodded, "For those who are loyal to me, I have conveyed to them the conditions proposed by the King of Rome, and they will hand over command as soon as possible. But..."

"But what?" Talleyrand asked.

"Lafayette wishes to see him," replied the duke. "He felt it was necessary for him, as commander-in-chief, to take matters into his own hands."

"He has always been very confident!" Talleyrand twitched the corners of his mouth, unable to hold back his smile. "Okay, as he wishes."