Eagle’s Glory

"You help me and you will be doubly grateful. You have reconciled two popular families in the empire and they will thank you."

What the Marquis of Noirtier said was sincere and contagious, but it failed to impress the weathered Marquis of Treville.

He can clearly distinguish what is a "check" and what is "cash". Although Noirtier's promises are beautiful, they are all uncertain. It is good to be able to realize them. If he really stands with Noirtier, On the other hand, what if the earl is bent on revenge and does not think of himself? Didn't he become an accomplice in the earl's eyes?

The risk is too great.

So, after a brief reflection, he shook his head and rejected the proposal of the Marquis of Noirtier.

"Old friend, I don't deny that your eloquence is really good. You are really suitable for stirring up trouble in the parliament... However, I am not so easily convinced. If you ask me to take risks, then I have to come up with something. You have to be sincere enough, just promising future gratitude is meaningless to me."

Although it seemed that he was refusing, the Marquis of Noirtier was actually happy because he had noticed the wavering of the Marquis of Treville. He was indeed impressed by him, but the price was not enough, so he still insisted and refused to let go. .

As long as it's a price issue, it's easy to handle, just bargain.

"I know that you are afraid that the count will settle accounts with you, and that your actions will be exposed in the public eye, but you don't have to worry about these. I care about the reputation of our comrades and His Majesty as much as you do! These things cannot be done Exposed to the sun," the Marquis declared flatly.

At this point, he changed the topic again, "Danglar is his enemy. He didn't even kill Tanglar. It shows that he doesn't necessarily want the life of his enemy. My son can also save his life." . We have all experienced those bloody years. Who of us didn’t have a few lives in our hands, and who didn’t have relatives who died in vain in those storms? But we still endured it all after all. He is the next generation of us, and he will even He has gone further than us, so he will learn all this... As long as he sees the situation clearly and weighs the pros and cons, he will make the same choice as us. As for you..."

He returned his gaze to General Treville, "Victor, since you want something tangible, then I'll sell you a favor. What do you want?"

"I want you, father and son, to give me a favor." Marquis Treville said his thoughts slowly, "To tell you the truth, I am a little troubled right now, and I hope that I can All my brother's property will be transferred to my name, and then continue to exist as the property of the Treville family. In addition, you will also have to pay me a due compensation. You can decide the specific amount yourself. Do you think I How much is it worth?

Just give as much as you want. "

The reason why the Marquis of Treville wanted to do this was not because he wanted to embezzle his brother's property, but to preserve the family business.

As soon as Aigron came to power, he set out to clean up the House of Lords and forcibly enforced the oath. As a "royalist" who went into exile with King Charles X, the Duke of Treville was naturally unable to escape this turmoil.

In addition, he took his whole family into exile abroad, so the property he left in the country was naturally in crisis.

He was not worried that His Majesty would go back on his word and be ruthless enough to confiscate these properties. However, in today's world, these properties are like "ownerless things" and are at risk of being misappropriated or divided up by those who handle them at any time.

Faced with the crisis of his family's property, the Marquis of Treville was naturally worried, and he could not ask His Majesty for amnesty. That would be tantamount to exposing his brother's original affair with the Bonaparte family.

Therefore, he needs powerful people and people in the legal profession to help him transform these properties and transfer them to his own hands.

In addition, for his plan of "training a new account", it is also necessary for him to concentrate all the family property (or even hide it), and then in the next time, while he is still alive, slowly transfer it to a property that is not in name only. Edgar's son is only in the hands of the child of a "distant relative", so that if he dies, the family inheritance will not fall to Edgar.

Although he is sophisticated, he is not an expert in this field, and these huge property transfers cannot be carried out by him alone. He needs reliable helpers, and he does not trust bankers very much—— So the Marquis of Noirtier came to his door and gave him a different way.

If Noirtier and his son help him handle this matter wholeheartedly, there will be nothing to worry about.

As if he was worried that Noirtier was resentful, the Marquis of Treville specifically explained, "Don't think that I am taking the opportunity to blackmail you - if you force me to find out the whereabouts of Danglars, then after the count finds out, he will definitely He blamed me for not keeping the confidentiality strictly, and I could only explain that because of our decades of friendship, seeing you begging me so hard, I could only do you this favor... Although he could accept my explanation, this It will inevitably diminish the friendship between us, and I will suffer a loss."

"Needless to say, Victor, your concerns are reasonable and your asking price is not high. I completely accept it." The Marquis of Noirtier waved his hand boldly, indicating that he didn't mind. "These things are all taken care of by us, father and son, and you can rest assured that the reward will definitely satisfy you. In order to achieve my goal, I always don't care about the cost."

General Treville also breathed a sigh of relief when the Marquis of Noirtier agreed.

He knew that although Noirtier had had many ups and downs over the years, he was still a good man. Since he had given him such a favor, he would definitely do it.

And he sold so many benefits with just one sentence, which can be regarded as a "reasonable betrayal".

For him, there is no betrayal that cannot be made, only an offer that cannot be refused, and now, this offer is reasonable enough to satisfy him.

So, he lowered his voice and quietly told the answer that the Marquis of Noirtier wanted.

After a while, the Marquis of Noirtier said goodbye to his old friend with a cheerful face and left with satisfaction, while the Marquis of Treville fell into deep thought again.

For the Treville family, he devoted his whole life to climbing up from the bottom of the valley little by little with his brother. During this period, he experienced countless ups and downs, experienced battlefields riddled with bullets, and witnessed too many murderous plots without blood. In the end, Dragging the family back to its current prominent position.

But this is not enough, far from it. If this family wants to return to its heyday, it will have to pay greater efforts and costs. Maybe he and his brother's generation will not be able to see this day even if they die, but it doesn't matter. His family name will be passed down along the bloodline, and his descendants will eventually take over his ambition and realize it for him one day.

In this process, all sacrifices are worth it, whether it is yourself or others.

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After leaving the house of the Marquis of Treville, the Marquis of Noirtier did not rest, but rushed to the home of his son, Prosecutor Villefort, without stopping.

At this time, this quiet mansion has been decorated with lights, sweeping away the deserted atmosphere of the past.

Of course, this is not to welcome the upcoming Christmas and New Year, but to welcome the wedding in a few days.

Yes, in a few days, the prestigious Prosecutor Villefort will marry his second wife.

Although the preparations for the wedding were very thorough, there was no real sense of joy in this home at this time.

This is because Prosecutor Villefort's remarriage was not his own wish, but was forced by his father, the Marquis Noirtier.

Not long ago, the Marquis of Noirtier ordered his son to remarry immediately, and did not allow his son to slowly choose a partner by himself. He directly selected a candidate for him - a man who unfortunately lost his husband during the previous turmoil. Lady.

Prosecutor Villefort was naturally very dissatisfied with his father's arbitrary arrangement, and he didn't understand why his father suddenly liked to interfere in his private life. After thinking about it, he could only attribute his father's symptoms to "a combination of old illness and ghosts." .

Although he felt extremely unhappy, facing his father's power, he had no choice but to comply and agreed to this arranged marriage.

Although he has become a groom-to-be, he is too lazy to take care of these things and continues to devote himself to work. He only entrusts the marriage to professionals to express a silent protest to his father.

When the Marquis of Noirtier rushed to his son's house, Prosecutor Villefort only received him coldly, but the Marquis didn't care at all. After sending his son away, he walked straight to his granddaughter Valentine. room and knocked on the door.

Valentine was a little surprised by her grandfather's arrival, but she still opened the door politely and welcomed him into the room.

After entering, the Marquis glanced at his granddaughter's room and found a set of encyclopedias on the bookshelf and two furry dolls on the bed.

After all, he was still a child... He sighed inwardly.

However, in the face of disaster, children also have to bear a lot of things.

His eyes returned to his granddaughter's face, and then he asked softly.

"Valentine, have you cried lately?"

Valentine was a little surprised, but facing her majestic grandfather, she didn't dare to lie, so she nodded lightly.

"It's for my father's marriage, right?"

Grandpa's questioning made Valentine feel sour again, and she almost cried again. She finally controlled it and just nodded lightly.

Obviously, as a child, everyone will naturally feel a little worried when they suddenly hear that they are going to have a stepmother.

What's more, Valentine, who has gradually become more sensible, has secretly guessed the reason why her grandfather is so anxious to force her father to remarry - she hopes that he can give birth to a son to inherit the family business.

This also means that in the hearts of his grandfather and father, his position will be reduced step by step, and the once infinite love will disappear. Faced with such a cruel reality, a young child will of course be greatly affected. .

As if she was afraid that her grandfather would be angry, Valentine immediately comforted her grandfather, "Grandpa, I'm actually very happy. After all, my father is so lonely all year round. It's good to have a mother to keep him company. Our family I also need a hostess..."

"Good boy...you don't have to say that." The Marquis of Noirtier sighed softly.

How could he be willing to make things like this? It is really forced by the situation.

There was a dull pain in his heart, but he quickly put the pain aside.

Then, he held his granddaughter in his arms and gently stroked her hair.

Valentine was baffled by her grandfather's actions, but she still obeyed him and buried her head in his arms without saying a word.

After a while, the Marquis of Noirtier finally let go of his hand.

He has already prepared his emotions, and now he is hard enough to let his granddaughter face the cruelty of the world.

"Valentine." He called his granddaughter's name again, but this time his voice was much more solemn. "Many people will look down on children and think that children are thoughtless idiots, but I don't. You are my granddaughter, and you have inherited my and your father’s brains… I have observed that you are a smart child.”

After finishing speaking, he bent down slightly and came face to face with his granddaughter. "A smart child, not only understands what others say, but also knows how to keep secrets. Can you do it?"

Facing her grandfather's expectant look, Valentine still nodded, although she still didn't know why.

"I know that you must be a little dissatisfied with me because I forced your father to marry your stepmother, but I did this not because I am old or crazy, nor because I really dislike you as a daughter. I am so There is a reason why I have to do it - and now, I want to tell you something." The Marquis bit his lip gently, and then without any hesitation, he spoke to his beloved granddaughter.

This opening was like mercury pouring down the ground, and he told his granddaughter the whole story of what happened back then.

From his restoration conspiracy in Paris, to the letter from Elba, to his son, Prosecutor Villefort, presiding over an unjust case, and sending the messenger to prison in order to cover it up... and then later, this unlucky man The messenger came and went again, and eventually became the hotshot big shot he is today.

This is indeed a tortuous story, and it is extremely legendary. However, the Marquis of Noirtier, who was in the middle of the situation, felt unspeakable bitterness.

The cause planted by his father and son has turned into a bitter fruit that his father and son must swallow. This is a ruthless and severe fate.

The worst thing is that he is letting a naive child bear all this...

When he thought of this, his heart ached again, but he still had a heart to say it to his granddaughter.

Valentine had been listening silently. If it weren't for the flowing gaze and dancing eyelashes in her eyes, the Marquis would have thought she had fallen asleep.

Even the Marquis himself doubted whether he was too confident. What he said to Valentine was beyond the understanding of a child.

Finally, the Marquis said it all--except his final plan.

"Valentina, I hope you will keep everything I said secret, even from your father. This not only involves the reputation of our family, but also involves your father's life. I believe you can do it, right? ?"

At this time, Valentine, who had been sluggish, finally nodded slightly.

Then, as if a switch had been pressed, her tears finally poured down.

She burst into tears, but she didn't dare to cry too loudly to avoid disturbing the people outside, so she just covered her mouth and cried silently.

After a long time, she raised her head again and looked at her grandfather with clear eyes.

"Can we keep dad alive? Grandpa? Even if he did these bad things, but...don't we have any other way?"