Eagle’s Glory

"It's just right now, you've given me enough!"

Seeing that Agnes was not angry because of this incident, but was actually glad that she could finally keep a low profile, Agron was relieved.

Along the way, the reason why he favored Agnes so high-profile was, on the one hand, to make her happy, but on the other hand, more importantly, he also used her to gain popularity for himself. Judging from the results, this move was indeed It is very effective. Agnes used her "playing" to inspire religious fervor wherever she went during the tour, a feat that Agron could not achieve on his own.

But there are advantages and disadvantages to the matter, and now comes the disadvantage-his father-in-law was furious after hearing about the incident in Austria, and forced himself to stand up for his daughter, demanding that Teresa's dignity be preserved. This also made Eggron understand that it was time to call it quits.

Of course, cessation does not mean that Agnes will be hidden immediately. Next, he will gradually weaken Agnes's presence and let the outside world focus more on him. Until finally, Agnes will return to her place. In the low-key life that she yearns for, she becomes her lover behind the scenes.

"Did your sister say anything else?" Aigron asked.

"My sister said that after I return to Paris, I'd better apologize to the prince in person to express my guilt, and ask him to tell Archduke Carl that I have absolutely no intention of smearing Princess Theresa's face. Everything I do is It's just to support His Majesty's cause... After completing this task, I promise not to appear in the public eye again in the future."

"Agnes, you don't have to do this." Agron shook his head when he heard this, "I arranged everything. You didn't do anything wrong, so there is no need to apologize for me. ...I will handle the anger of Archduke Karl..."

Before he finished speaking, Agnes stretched out her index finger and gently blocked his mouth, "Okay... don't make it difficult for me anymore. Just let me apologize. I got it." There are already too many things, and I can't put on a righteous look. Besides, if an apology can calm the storm and make everyone feel at ease, then why wouldn't I do it? "

Now that she had mentioned this, Aigron had no choice but to agree. For him, ending the incident in this way was a good solution.

Objectively speaking, he himself created all the problems, but everyone pretended that the problems were not his fault, and no one forced him to apologize or swear. This was the case before and will be the case even more in the future. This is the secret of power.

After ending the unpleasant topic with Agnes, Agron turned his attention back to his cruise.

After the religious celebrations in Rouen,

Aiglon and Agnes, who won the cheers of the people, set off again, heading west and then south. While enjoying the warm reception from various places, they tried every means to show their people-friendly side and win over the people's support.

This huge procession crossed the Loire River and finally arrived at the famous Vendée region in western France.

To say that this place is "famous" is not because of its long history, but because just over 30 years ago, the longest and bloodiest civil war in the history of the French Revolution broke out in this area.

In most common narratives, what sparked this civil war was the "ignorance" of the Vendée peasants. Instigated by the nobles and priests who were resentful of the Republic, they took up arms against the revolutionary government of equality and fraternity. It's an unfortunate tragedy.

But the reality is far from simple.

Compared with other places in France, the land in the Vendée region is relatively barren and the traffic is blocked, so the living conditions of the residents are poor. The senior leaders of the church in such remote areas avoid it and do not want to "exploit" the residents there at all, so With the evolution of history, the local village church has become an indispensable part of the social organization. The parish priests are basically locals, the locals’ brothers and locals’ nephews. The assets of the church are also the public property of the village. Fr. They preserved and imparted knowledge, participated in agricultural production activities, and recorded local household registrations; most of the nobles and squires who stayed in the local area also assumed important local government responsibilities. Many of them contributed money to build bridges, roads, and schools in the local area, and they themselves also passed Living a relatively simple life, in this area where society and culture are extremely conservative, the arrogance and extravagance of the Parisian nobles has little to do with them.

It is true that such a closed and backward society is not an ideal "pastoral". Poverty and exploitation still exist here, but after all, this is a social form that has been tempered for many years, and it has a certain rationality.

However, the torrent of the Revolution almost destroyed everything the Vendée people were familiar with.

But even so, it took a long time for the Vendée people's resistance to break out - after all, for the peasants, although the king was the ruler destined by God, he was too far away from them, and there was no need to fight for him. Death.

When the revolution first broke out, the Parisians coerced the king into establishing a constitutional monarchy. Although the peasants in the Vendée were dissatisfied, they still tolerated it.

Then, the revolutionary government announced that priests from all over the country would be required to swear allegiance to the Republic, and drove away the priests who were unwilling to take the oath, and then divided up the church assets in various places, and the public property in the Vendée countryside was auctioned off, which aroused greater dissatisfaction among the farmers, but still I endured it.

By 1793, all dissatisfaction was finally ignited and turned into a raging fire.

This year, the king and queen were sent to the guillotine one after another, France also began to war with foreign countries, the Republic decided to implement compulsory military conscription throughout the country, and every adult male was obliged to perform military service to defend the country.

The villagers who were unwilling to fight for the Republic finally took up arms and rebelled under the threat of military service.

Even at this time, peasant rebellions were still sporadic, but the bloody and brutal suppression by the Republican Army finally completely ignited the land.

In order to boost morale, the generals encouraged soldiers to burn, kill, and loot the local area, and searched and killed suspicious elements everywhere. Each large-scale massacre created more rebels, and in the killing of each other, both sides became more and more brutal.

For the peasants of the Vendée, the revolution destroyed the social order they had been accustomed to for thousands of years, but could not give them a new one (or, in other words, gave them a new and more terrifying thing), so they hated it. This revolution.

Rather than loving their king and God, they were fighting for their land, property, and lives.

In any case, the brutal and bloody guerrilla war was fought for several years. It was not until Napoleon came to power in 1799 that the massacre was finally stopped. After it ended, many once densely populated villages had turned into white fields, with corpses scattered everywhere. Without anyone to deal with it, this war has become a historical trauma that will never be erased.

The bloody suppression of the Republic actually strengthened the local people's awareness of "loyalty to the emperor and protection of religion". The western part of the country, represented by the Vendée, has long been the stronghold of the royalists. Even Emperor Napoleon was unable to change all this (at most, it made them no longer Dare to openly raise the flag of rebellion), and after the fall of Emperor Napoleon, the locals enthusiastically welcomed the return of the king and the restoration of the orthodox dynasty.

It is a pity that the Bourbon royal family is not so enthusiastic about these people who have made huge sacrifices for them. The king only paid a negligible pension to the local area. Most of the royalist officers who fought bloody battles received nothing except verbal commendations; On the contrary, the great nobles who were in exile during the Great Revolution and had never shed blood for the royal family all received large rewards from the king.

For the monarchy, loyalists who fight bloody battles are always inferior to vassals who are related to each other.

There is no doubt that people in the Vendée will be very disappointed with this approach of the Wang family. However, for them, as long as everything returns to "orthodoxy" and they can live a peaceful life in the past, everything will naturally be enough. Sacrifice They can also rest underground.

However, this "peace" only lasted for more than ten years before it was broken again. The orthodox royal family was once again driven away by the rebellious Parisians, and the descendants of the Corsican returned and seemed to be contented. The ground is ready to go to the throne.

Will the people of the Vendée, who have fought bloody battles, once again pick up the swords and guns they once abandoned and fight for the orthodox royal family in the bloody storm?

For many observers, this is indeed a proposition worth looking forward to, and for Agron, it is a potential crisis that he must eliminate.

He did not want to crown himself with a civil war, nor did he want the land that had finally calmed down to be stained red with blood again. Times were changing after all, and the people of the Vendée, who had already suffered once, certainly did not want to pay the same price again. A heavy sacrifice.

After crossing the Loire River, this huge team headed south and entered the hinterland of the Vendée region. When they appeared on the riverside, an army that had been waiting here fired a salute, and then Marching towards them, they finally met up with them.

This army was specially transferred from other regions by Marshal Soult, who was the Minister of War after the establishment of the provisional government. The purpose was to deter and suppress the Vendée region.

Although Marshal Sirte was power-hungry and greedy for money, he worked hard. As soon as he gained power, he immediately purged a group of unreliable officers, then promoted his old subordinates and cronies, and at the same time mobilized reliable troops to monitor and areas where the pressure may be unstable.

As the Vendée region had a "record" of rebellion, it became a top priority. He mobilized several troops to watch eagerly around the Vendée, and would order harsh measures to suppress the rebellion at the slightest sign of trouble.

Perhaps frightened by his iron fist, the Vendée area has been relatively calm during this period. There was no trouble until Aiglon arrived. In order to protect Aiglon's safety, a troop specially greeted his car and fought with him. He would join forces, and then march toward the hinterland together in a mighty manner to demonstrate His Majesty's "imperial power."

After the two teams merged, the officers immediately came to see Aiglon.

The leader was a general named Pierre Poitou. He had followed Marshal Soult for many years. He had outstanding military exploits and was trusted by the marshal. Because of this, after the marshal came to power, he was given full power. Responsible for monitoring the west.

"Your Majesty! Welcome to the Vendée!" General Poitou immediately saluted respectfully upon seeing Aiglon.

"I don't see how popular I am." Aiglon smiled slightly, and then shook hands with the general.

Indeed, compared to the picturesque Normandy, after arriving in the Vendée, it was indeed much more depressed and poor. Because the land was barren and crops could not be grown in many places, there were forests everywhere, and the dwellings wherever you passed seemed crude. Many villagers live in cave dwellings.

Aiglon did not receive much cheer along the way, and the locals wherever he went were even more indifferent than in Normandy.

But all this was expected by Aigron, so he was not surprised.

"Many people here are stubborn and refuse to acknowledge the status quo." The general smiled bitterly, but he immediately said good things to Aiglon, "But Your Majesty, after my observation during this period, they have no intention of arming themselves. Against you, I think the Empire will be accepted with equanimity here, as long as you show them appropriate mercy.”

The general said such words, which surprised Aigron. "You don't seem to be as vulnerable as I thought."

"Your Majesty, the Vendées are also French. If possible, I certainly hope to live in peace with them." Perhaps feeling that Aigron was doubting his loyalty, the tall general straightened his back and defended his Majesty, " I am ready to bleed and die for you if you need it, but I think it is better for my blood to be spilled beyond the borders. I have lived through the era of bloody civil war, so I hope it can be avoided..."

Aiglon suddenly patted the general on the shoulder, stopping him from defending. "Okay, general, don't worry, I don't doubt your loyalty; I'm even very satisfied with your attitude - compared to mindless threats of force, a combination of soft and hard methods is more meaningful. I want to be the emperor of the French, naturally I also want to be the emperor of the Vendée people. If possible, I don't want this land to be littered with corpses again than you do... As far as I'm concerned, the Vendée people are not that stubborn. If they love their Religion, their priest, I can satisfy them, they can live their good lives in peace and contentment, and I wish them all the best.”

"Your Majesty, your kindness is enough to move everyone." After receiving Aigron's assurance, the general was obviously relieved.

"Kindness is a necessity, but kindness alone is not enough." Aiglon shook his head again. "On the one hand, I am willing to be gentle, but I must also carry an iron fist with me. Only in this way will people not think that I am weak and can be bullied. General, you Are you ready?"

"It's ready, Your Majesty." General Poitou quickly replied, "Before you come, I have sent people to issue notices along the way and set up garrisons along the way. Your safety will never be compromised. In addition, I have also invited some well-known local nobles to gather in several places for your reception...and several garrisons can be dispatched to meet you at any time."

Although he didn't make it clear, this was actually a "hostage" in disguise.

After the assassination of Aiglon in Normandy, the government's nerves were already tense. Although the subsequent investigation proved that the assassins had nothing to do with the local royalists, after arriving in Vendée, it would be difficult to raise the level of security against Aiglon by several levels. Not surprisingly, although the general sympathized with the Vendée, he would never be vague on major issues.

"Very good." Aiglon nodded, and then he told the general, "Not only should you keep your eyes open and stare here when I come, but you should also continue to stare after I leave. Potential royalists are all Keep an eye on it and never neglect it!”

In original history, in 1832, the Bourbon royal family, which was driven out of France, did instigate a rebellion in the Vendée. The leader of the rebellion was the daughter-in-law of King Charles X, the mother of Henry V, and the Queen of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Princess Lorraine is also the widow of the King's youngest son, Duke of Berry.

The Duchess originally wanted to incite an armed uprising against the Orleans family, but due to poor planning and insufficient appeal (only a few dozen people came to respond), she was quickly caught.

The Duchess received a relatively good living standard after being imprisoned. After all, the Orleans family was also a branch of the royal family. Although the younger branch usurped the throne of the main branch, they did not dare to make things too ugly.

Originally, the Orleans family was still worried about what to do with the princess, but an unexpected surprise hit them. After the doctor's diagnosis, the duchess was actually pregnant!

When a princess whose husband has been dead for ten years suddenly becomes pregnant, the French people who have enough "experience" will certainly not regard it as a manifestation of God.

On May 10, 1833, in the place of imprisonment, the princess gave birth to a girl. Only then did people know that she had been with her lover (Luchesie Parry, also a nobleman from the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies) in 1831. Earl) got married secretly!

After the news came out, it shocked the whole of France. The remaining royalists were heartbroken, while most people who had nothing to do with it secretly laughed at this shocking scandal of the Wang family.

So, in the blink of an eye, what was originally the most inspiring feat suddenly turned into the most embarrassing scandal for these people. The French can accept the male members of the royal family being romantic, but it is difficult to accept the queen or the queen mother being openly promiscuous ( Perhaps for fear of contaminating the royal bloodline), the brave Duchess of Berry lost followers around her and quickly lost influence among the royalists.

Seeing this unexpected development, the Orleans family was naturally overjoyed. They quickly released the princess. However, the down-and-out princess lost the support of the Bourbon royal family. After leaving France, she chose to run away with her lover. Italy lived in seclusion and never participated in any activities of the French royalists. He even never met his son Henry V.

After this incident, the royalist forces in France were also severely weakened. They lost their cohesion both organizationally and spiritually. Since then, there has never been a full-scale rebellion, which has caused a headache for the Orleans family. The man became Louis Bonaparte who openly instigated rebellion on the border in 1836.

For Aiglon, he was happy to see this happen as planned, because it would completely disgrace the royalists, so he would naturally hint that the general had been monitoring the movements in the Vendée region.

Now, he wanted to personally make the Vendéans understand how unwise it would be to swing a fist at the empire.