Eagle’s Glory

Latest website: Just as everyone was looking forward to it, Aiglon's grand parade arrived in Strasbourg. At the city gate, the garrison and militiamen were already waiting in line. According to the ancient etiquette tradition, there were still people waiting behind them. Luxurious tapestries are hung - in the past, during similar parades, people would hang tapestry with fleurs-de-lis, but now officials have wisely replaced them with bees.

When Aigron arrived at the city gate, the churches in the city began to ring bells, and salutes also rang throughout the land. As the eastern gate of France, Strasbourg is the largest city in terms of city size and administrative specifications. This is the largest city that I have passed through so far along the way to Longshan, and the reception standards are naturally completely different from those before.

The dignitaries are so active, on the one hand, because administrative officials and garrison officers are eager to be promoted and hope to please Aigron; on the other hand, it is also because they want to use this gesture to wash away the "historical stains" of the recent past.

Just over a year ago, Aigron secretly crossed the border from Germany and sneaked into Strasbourg. After occupying a suburban town, he gave a speech to the summoned villagers. Then he ran away.

When news of what he did reached Paris, it naturally aroused the king's wrath. An order was soon sent from Paris, requiring the immediate pursuit of this reckless young man and a thorough investigation of the entire incident.

Under the king's strict order, Strasbourg was in a state of panic at that time, and people were searching for the Roman king everywhere.

At that time, the civil and military officials were cursing the King of Rome for causing trouble and adding such a huge workload to themselves. Who would have thought that the situation would change so dramatically in less than two years? From now on, the people who give them orders are the fugitives they once wanted to capture.

Because the time was still short, these officials still had fresh memories, and they were afraid that Aigron would hold a grudge, so they deliberately wanted to make the welcome ceremony more grand to show that they were just following orders and definitely not doing anything. Enemies of His Majesty the Roman King.

To them, it was one thing whether the King of Rome held grudges or not, but their attitude had to be shown.

Of course, Aigron did not intend to pursue the past, but he also enjoyed the attentive worship with peace of mind. He also talked and laughed with the dignitaries who greeted him in a very happy mood.

Seeing His Majesty the King of Rome being so easy-going and friendly, the nervous civil and military officials were naturally relieved. Of course they didn't know that His Majesty was so happy. Apart from their attentive reception, there was another more important reason...

After the grand entrance ceremony, Aiglon and his entourage gathered together with the people who greeted them, forming a larger procession that passed through the avenues of Strasbourg and then came to the square in front of the city hall.

In order to welcome Aigron and his party, the place has also been carefully arranged. In the center of the square, two red wine fountains have been prepared.

Setting up wine fountains in public places has a long history in Europe. In 1520, Henry VIII of the Tudor Dynasty of England and Francois I of the Kingdom of France met. To celebrate the historic meeting of the two kings, the courtiers set up a red wine fountain when their monarch was resting to commemorate the meeting. The people enjoy together.

Aigron was led to the center of the square. He looked around and saw that there were people everywhere, including uniformed guards and militiamen, as well as ordinary citizens. At this time, both dignitaries and ordinary people were using their He looked at Aigron expectantly.

They are not only looking forward to Aigron enjoying the happiness with the people now, but also looking forward to this young man bringing them a better life in the future.

This latter expectation is the basis for Aigron to securely sit on the throne in the future. Once he loses this "expectation" of the people, his crown will be shaky.

Under everyone's gaze, Aigron picked up the wine glass and walked to the red wine fountain.

The fountain was filled with red wine at this time, so the closer Aigron got, the more he could smell the special fragrance. In his eyes, the scarlet wine pool in front of him seemed to suddenly transform into a bottomless sea of ​​blood.

The crown of the Bonaparte family was obtained with a sea of ​​blood, and it may also need to be defended with a sea of ​​blood.

With a mood completely different from the festive atmosphere at the moment, Aigron scooped up a glass of wine and then turned to look at everyone.

“Everyone, I think you all remember the history of Strasbourg. 150 years ago, it was the great Sun King who officially incorporated this city into the territory of France. Since then, we have had a window into the entire Europe. "Aiglon's voice was low and serious, "Although we have just driven away the unscrupulous descendants of Louis XIV, we will never forget the achievements of this great monarch. It is precisely because of his legacy that we can stand here today. !Yes, the people on the throne may come and go, but this country and this nation will last forever, I know this clearly——

I am here today to witness your enthusiasm and I am full of gratitude to you. I need you, you are the source of my strength. No matter what I want to accomplish, I need your help! Therefore, although I love my family, from now on, I will take the entire country as the starting point for all my considerations... I dare not say whether I can leave a legacy that is difficult to look at like the Sun King or the late Emperor. I have no career, but I will give everything I have to benefit each of you and strive for a glorious tomorrow for this nation. May God and the people bless me! "

After he finished speaking, he picked up the wine glass and took a long sip. Then he looked at the crowd again and spoke again, "This is the land of France, and it will always be a place where the French people thrive. Citizens, whether you speak French or German, I will love you equally, I also ask you to give me your trust and support, let us work hard for a glorious tomorrow!"

Then, he looked towards the east and said, "Cheers to the Rhine!"

Anyone who is familiar with the geographical environment of the world knows that northern Europe is a vast plain, stretching from northern France through Flanders, Germany, Poland and all the way to Russia. Between the heartlands of France and Germany, only the Vosges Mountains can serve as a Occlusion.

Therefore, between France and Germany, who were constantly fighting in the era, whoever controlled the Vosges Mountains and several important exits had the initiative to attack, while the opponent could only set up defenses everywhere on the vast plains, making it difficult to concentrate strength.

At the same time, in large-scale wars, the consumption of materials is very alarming. The closer to modern times, the more the army relies on the smooth flow of logistics supply lines. Large-scale transportation of materials and personnel relies heavily on water transportation - therefore, at the pass of the Vosges Mountains , and at the same time facing the Rhine River, Strasbourg has become an extremely important transportation and logistics hub.

After the annexation of Strasbourg, the city became one of the most important logistics bases for France's further march into the Rhineland and Germany (along with Metz, which has similar geographical conditions). Whether it was Louis XIV, Louis X 5. Emperor Napoleon I or Napoleon III, no matter whether they won or lost the war against Germany, the war always started here.

The Germans have not forgotten this either. Once they got rid of the dark age of poverty and weakness after the Thirty Years' War, they immediately planned to take back the city. After the Franco-Prussian War ended and the treaty was signed in 1871, Prussia ceded Los Angeles from France. Strasbourg became the territory of the German Empire. After the First World War in 1918, the Treaty of Versailles returned the two provinces to France. After France's defeat in 1940, Nazi Germany took them away. It lost two provinces, and France took them back in 1945.

In just a few decades, Strasbourg changed hands several times, and you can imagine the key.

Of course, for Aigron, now that he has climbed to this position, he naturally has to work for the benefit of his descendants and the people, and he will not let this happen again.

Of course, the onlookers didn't know what the young Roman king was thinking, but from Aigron's brief and enthusiastic impromptu speech, they felt the young man's surging vitality and determination, which was exactly what they wanted to see. thing.

Maybe a new era has really come, maybe a better tomorrow is waiting for you. Although this may be just an illusory expectation, who doesn't want to see this?

"Long live His Majesty the King of Rome!"

"Long live the Emperor!"

Amid the cheers of the crowd, the red wine fountain, which was like a sea of ​​blood, was divided up by people. People who drank the wine temporarily put aside the fatigue of their past lives and devoted themselves wholeheartedly to this festive celebration. among.

The daytime ceremony and parade lasted for a long time, and people did not disperse until nightfall, but prepared to enjoy the subsequent fireworks show.

The location where the fireworks show is launched is on both sides of Strasbourg's newly built canal.

After hundreds of years of construction efforts, before France built its railway network, it relied on several large rivers in the country to build a nationwide canal network, such as the Biocean Canal that passed through the Spanish Peninsula and connected the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean. etc.

Strasbourg also has a very important canal project to connect the Rhone and Rhine rivers. After the canal is completed, the southern central city of Lyon on the Rhone and Strasbourg on the Rhine can be connected by water, further strengthening Strasbourg's hub role.

Historically, this canal was built in 1784. However, it was repeatedly interrupted due to the Great Revolution and wars. It was not completed until 1834. At this time, the Strasbourg canal could not connect to distant Lyon, but it was enough. It is a great place for boating.

At this time, both sides of the canal were already crowded with people watching the fireworks show. It was obvious that this would be one of the unforgettable grand scenes in their lives. In the canal, dozens of river boats decorated with colorful flowers were passing by. Crossing the canal.

Aiglon and Agnes were naturally in one of the flower boats.

At this time, there were only two of them in the separated cabin. The flower boat carried them slowly forward, allowing them to slowly enjoy the scenery on the river and both banks.

At this time, the flower boat was slowly passing through a beautiful bridge. The bridge was hung with brocade and slogans welcoming the King of Rome, but of course it was already dark and he could not see clearly. The waves on the water are as flat as a mirror, reflecting the lights on both sides, and eventually extend into the broad Rhine River.

Agnes was a little tired at this time, because in today's parade, she once again played Joan of Arc and completed a knight's game to entertain His Majesty and the onlookers, and her performance was as successful as the previous times. Received cheers and cheers from everyone.

But at this time, Agnes didn't have much excitement on her face, but instead looked a little dazed and uneasy.

Of course Aigron knew why.

"Agnes, what, are you unhappy?" he asked deliberately.

"There are so many people today..." she replied unhappily, "They have all seen me. Soon people all over the country will know who I am along the way."

"Isn't this bad?" Aigron asked.

Agnes was momentarily speechless.

Indeed, based on centuries of customs, becoming a famous mistress of a monarch is not considered immoral in people's eyes, and may even be talked about.

But even so, she still felt ashamed and uneasy about it.

However, she has no place to escape now, because this is the end point she promised Aigron.

"I...I don't know." She shook her head slightly.

And just when she was confused, a sharp whistling sound suddenly came from both sides of the bank.

The fireworks celebration begins.

Fireworks everywhere began to rush into the air quickly, and then exploded with a dull sound, drawing exquisite patterns in the air. While on the cruise ship, you could enjoy this beautiful picture from the portholes on both sides.

"It's so beautiful..." Agnes was immediately attracted, and the depression and confusion in her heart were temporarily forgotten.

"Yes." Aiglon also looked out the window, and then nodded, "All of this exists for us, Agnes... and to me, you are more beautiful, and I am willing to give all of this to you. , just to please you. You don’t need to worry about what will happen in the future, we will have everything.”

Agnes turned her head and looked at the young man. The explosion of fireworks and the cheers from both sides of the Taiwan Strait could be heard at this time, but they were already deaf to her.

No, I can't get everything, at most I can only get a fraction of everything.

She made this answer in her mind, but her hands hugged Aigron desperately.

"Isn't this all a dream?" She asked a seemingly ridiculous question. "Or is it a fleeting bubble?"

"Of course not! Fireworks are fleeting, no matter how beautiful they are, they cannot be preserved, but you are different... we will be together for a lifetime." Agron replied in a low voice, "Agnes, believe me, we will be together forever. , don’t even think about running away!”

Maybe it was because of drinking during the day, both of them were in a trance at the moment. In Agron's arms, Agnes's eyes became blurred, and she was ready to meet her fate.

Maybe, it really is a lifetime... This is not bad.