Eagle’s Glory

"Long Live the Empire!"

The shouts from all over the place finally converged into unison cheers.

After cheering, the people present raised their glasses again, toast for the empire, for His Majesty, and for their own future.

And Edmond Dantès, as the special envoy of His Majesty the Emperor, kept talking to everyone, applauding their loyalty, and encouraging them to make persistent efforts and continue to serve the Empire.

This group of people have been suppressed for too long. For whatever reason, they all have a great hatred with the current Bourbon Dynasty, and it is impossible or disdain to get the favor from the royal family. In the quagmire, they finally saw a new dawn.

The teenager escaped from Vienna, and without hesitation made a call to France, declaring that he would never give up the family business.

And this finally ignited their hopes.

Although the people present know that this is a hard business and there is no certainty of success, but they don't care and would rather devote themselves to it - after all, since there is nothing more to lose, why not go What about a fight?

During the toasting again and again, the people present became excited because of the stimulation of alcohol. They chanted and shared their loyalty to the empire with each other. Many even expressed their willingness to leave France on the spot and go to His Majesty's service.

In this excited and restless atmosphere, the meeting ended successfully.

After the meeting, Edmond Dantes followed the Marquis of Treville in a carriage and returned along the way he came.

Because of drinking too much alcohol, his brain is a little dull now, so he opened the car window, breathed in the watery air outside, and finally woke up a little.

"General, what do you think of my performance?"

"You have done a very successful job, generous and infectious." The Marquis of Treville gave him the answer he most wanted to hear, "Count, it seems that you don't have to worry about your ability, you really deserve it. The task assigned by Your Majesty."

"Thank you..." Edmond Dantes sighed in relief.

He just came out of the cell and restarted his life, and he didn't have complete confidence in himself, but when he got the approval of the majestic general, he finally realized that he was not as bad as he feared.

I am a person who can do great things. As long as His Majesty continues to give me trust and opportunities, I can make impressive achievements and become an indispensable person in the end, which will also prove that his life is not Meaningless.

Edmond Dantès, a name once dusted in the dungeon, will eventually shine brightly one day.

When that day comes, both his friend and his foe can get a reward from him that matches it.

No doubt it will take some time, but he can afford it.

Edmond Dantès knew that his journey and mission this time was nearly over.

Over the next few days, Edmond Dantès continued to sell the gems he had brought, while learning swordsmanship with Agnes.

Although repeated sword swings and footwork practice brought him severe physical pain, Edmond Dantès endured it with great willpower, and his progress was also very fast, soon as As Agnes said, "I can put on a shelf".

In addition to being gratified, Agnes also admired his perseverance and understanding - of course, she was also a little regretful that the Count began to study too late.

The day before Edmond Dantès left, Agnes came to the house of the Marquis of Treville again.

Edmund Dantes thought she wanted to take herself to class again, so he offered to say goodbye.

"Miss Agnes, I'm very sorry that I can't go with you today, because I'll be leaving early tomorrow morning, and I have to keep up my strength so as not to delay business."

Yes, his first trip to Paris is coming to an end, and then he will go to His Majesty with the cash from selling jewelry everywhere, and the young people who volunteered to go to Monte Cristo to serve His Majesty, to enrich him. The strength of the building for his career.

That's his duty, that's his mission.

"Are you leaving tomorrow... Then I wish you a smooth journey." Agnes was not surprised, but accepted this reality with a calm attitude.

Then, she quickly changed the conversation, "However, I won't come to you to practice today, but I have other things."

"Another thing?" Edmond Dantes was a little surprised.

"Have you forgotten?" Agnes smiled. "You said earlier that in order to prevent Danglars from becoming suspicious, it would be best for you to meet my father and let my father make an impression of you..."

"Oh! I see." Edmond Dantes suddenly realized.

"My brother and his wife are going to hold a banquet tonight, and my father will be there. I think it's best for you to show up at that time. On the one hand, you can see him at a formal occasion to deepen his impression; on the other hand There are quite a lot of guests, and he won't ask you the bottom line, what do you think?" Agnes asked again with a smile.

Edmond Dantès, of course, had no objections and agreed immediately. "I also think this arrangement is the most ideal."

Unexpectedly, although Agnes looks carefree, she is actually quite careful.

"Okay, that's it!" Agnes nodded, "Remember, because you are about ten years younger than my teacher, so the identity I arranged for you is my teacher's cousin... Are you familiar with Tuscany and Florence?"

"It's familiar." Edmond Dantes nodded. "However, it's hard to deceive people."

When he was a sailor, he had been to these places many times, but he didn't know much about them, and he had nothing to do with the local high society.

If you just talk about customs and customs, you can get away with it, but forging a whole set of genealogy temporarily can fool everyone, which is obviously too unrealistic.

"Well then, when asked about your family situation, you put on an unpredictable expression. If someone else did this, it might arouse suspicion, but it's not surprising for the master's cousin to do this, after all, experts always It's a bit mysterious!" Agnes giggled, "It's up to you to play it on the spot, but I don't think you'll have any problems."

"I try my best." Edmond Dantes couldn't help laughing.

"Okay, then I'll go back first." Agnes was relieved. "By the way, Mr. Count, you are indeed very good. If you persist in this way, I think you can indeed become an excellent swordsman in the future."

"Didn't you say that I'm too old, even if I start learning now, I won't be able to achieve much?" Edmund was stunned.

"If you can achieve the achievements that I admire, you must at least be a master who will stay for a while. Even if you can't do it, you don't have to feel sorry, because most people can't do it." Agnes raised her head proudly. Laughing, "But even if you don't become a master, you can step on the shoulders of most people. So... cheer for yourself, sir, and I congratulate you."

After speaking, she gently raised her skirt and saluted, and then left without looking back.

So, in the evening, Edmond Dantès took his rented carriage to the Duke of Nordlyn's mansion.

Compared to the Treville Mansion, which clearly shows signs of decay, the Nordlyn family is at the time of the spring breeze. The duke is favored by His Majesty the King, serving as a court advisor, and a member of the House of Lords, so he is in the social arena. It's pretty cool too.

So this time, when their family held a banquet, it was naturally full of friends.

Although at first seeing Edmond Dantès just arrived in a taxi, the concierge clearly showed contempt, but when he handed over the invitation from Agnes and reported his identity, the other party's eyes immediately changed. If it changed, it was communicated immediately, so he entered the mansion smoothly.

Afterwards, he was taken all the way to the Duke's study, and it was clear that his fake identity had earned him respect.

When he came to the study, he found the Duke sitting in an armchair, and Agnes happened to be beside him.

Agnes winked at him with a grin, implying that it wasn't a coincidence, she was here to help him smooth things out.

"Nice to meet you, Your Excellency." Edmond Dantès bowed respectfully to the Duke.

The duke looked about fifty years old, and his hair was already gray, but he still had his curly hair carefully combed, and he even wore powder in accordance with the custom of the past.

He didn't look very well, his face was rather pale, but he still managed to pull himself together with a formulaic smile.

"Monsieur Count of Monte Cristo, I heard that you are the cousin of the master?"

"Yes." Edmond Dantes nodded coldly, not showing any pride in it, "but we haven't been in touch for a long time, and this time I came to Paris just for a trip."

"Of course the master has the temper of the master, we just understand it." The Duke smiled, "Then do you also study swordsmanship?"

"It's not proficient, just a little bit of understanding." Edmund raised his head and replied reservedly.

And his expression and temperament also easily make people believe that he is indeed extraordinary.

After this period of experience, Edmund Dantes has built confidence in himself.

Not long ago, he was still chatting and laughing in front of a group of princes, how could he be afraid of a former exiled noble?

"It's a pity that I haven't seen the master's performance for a long time, and Agnes misses her very much." The Duke looked at his daughter and smiled dotingly, "I think you shouldn't mind pointing my daughter's hands. Bar?"

"If I have the chance, I will, and it's my pleasure."

Under Agnes' playful gaze, Edmond Dantès replied daringly. "You have a very good daughter, and I have heard my cousin compliment her on her talent many times."

"Overwhelmed! Just a wild child..." The Duke couldn't help laughing.

Next, the Duke had a few chats with Edmond Dantes, Edmond responded calmly, and Agnes next to him also interjected from time to time to smooth things out or change the subject for Edmond Dantes.

Soon, the Duke's interview time was over.

"I'm sorry, I have to go to receive other guests." The Duke got up and said goodbye to Edmond Dantes. "Do you mind?"

"Of course I don't mind. In fact, it is a great honor for you to take so much time to summon me as a foreigner alone, Your Excellency." Edmond Dantès replied modestly.

"I heard that you are still a traveller?" the duke thought for a moment, then asked again.

"Yes, my hobby is to see the customs of the world. I have been to many places so far, but this is my first time in Paris." What Edmond Dantes felt, he immediately introduced the topic, " However, Paris is really to my taste, I like it right away... It's a pity that the cost is too high, and I plan to have the opportunity to come back several times in the future to experience the fantastic life here."

"I think, as long as you are willing to spend money, you can definitely find all the pleasures in the world here." The Duke replied with a smile, "Then, if you are free in the future, you can visit us a few times, and I will be happy to entertain you. ."

Ah, it is done!

Even better than expected.

When the duke said this, it also meant that he recognized the Count of Monte Cristo as a friend who could communicate with him—that is to say, Edmond Dantès had achieved his purpose.

Edmund glanced at Agnes secretly, and she also quietly gave a thumbs up and made a congratulatory gesture.

"Okay, let's get out of here, the people in the living room are still waiting for me." The Duke nodded apologetically again, and left the study with the other two.

They walked along the corridor to the living room, and at the same time, almost everyone's eyes were focused on this side.

Edmond Dantès knew that this was the first appearance of the "Count of Monte Cristo" in Parisian society, and those present would remember the man standing next to the duke.

With unparalleled perseverance, he controlled his emotions and allowed himself to face all this with incomparable indifference, as if he had become accustomed to such scenes.

While talking to the duke, he quietly observed the people present.

The guests attending the banquet, a group of men and women, all dressed in fancy clothes, wearing medals or jewels, the jewels were so dazzling that he could hardly tell the faces of the people.

And at this moment, his heart suddenly jumped.

He saw a face in the crowd - and this face was facing them at the same time, so he could see it all.

He will never forget this face.

Fernan...a roar roared in his heart.

After so many years, he still has nothing to do except getting older, and he is still so vicious.

Humph, scumbag, I found you!

However, he didn't move.

Now is not the time... He tried to keep himself from looking away.

At this moment, Fernand looked at the duke himself with eager eyes, like a devout believer looking at his god, and then walked towards them quickly.

Edmond Dantès did not fall into his eyes at all, and he had already ignored him - of course, even if he saw it, he would not recognize this well-dressed, reserved and indifferent foreign aristocrat, who was the one who was caught by him back then. Write a letter to report, entrap the unfortunate rival who is waiting to die in prison.

"Who is he?" he could not help but whisper to the Duke.

"Oh! He's the Earl of Morcerf, a difficult guest, or...a flamboyant, arty flea." The duke pouted, then smiled meanly, then shrugged again, "Of course, the tragedy was that I had to brace myself to entertain him because he was always overzealous."

After he finished speaking, he smiled apologetically, then took the initiative to greet the officer in military uniform and medal, and chatted with him cordially and friendly.

The Count of Monte Cristo stood there, quietly and unobtrusively watching Fernand—or rather, the Count of Morcerf.

The Earl of Morsef was chatting with the duke enthusiastically, and his flattering appearance was so heart-wrenching.

Why did the duke treat him so strangely, even though he was contemptuous in his heart, he still warmly entertained him?

If it was Edmond Dantes in the past, he might be at a loss; but now he has begun to participate in the internal struggle of the French upper class, and he has a little outline in his heart.

This is the epitome of the Bourbon dynasty's efforts to win over a new generation of officers and generals.

Fernand is a despicable villain. Not only he knows this kind of thing, but even the duke or others know it, but it doesn't matter, the important thing is that he is a new generation of officers in the army, and his stance is biased towards the dynasty. enough.

For the Bourbon dynasty, the history of France from 1789 to 1815 was a tragic and devastating chronology.

In addition to the continuous falling of heads from the guillotine, in the past twenty-six years, the soldiers have no longer been loyal to the Bourbon royal family, nor have they relied on the favor of the royal family for promotion and promotion. Such a long period of time is enough for the military to The royal family is completely unfamiliar, and this also means that even if the dynasty is restored, its ruling foundation will also be in jeopardy - after all, a regime that cannot control its guns is destined to not last long.

During the reign of the republic and the imperial government, the French army relied on foreign expeditions and plunders, and obtained dazzling honor and wealth, which also fostered arrogance and ambition, and unknowingly, the army itself became a closed The interests of the community influence the country in their own way. They can accept submission to the emperor, because the emperor gave them a lot of rewards and led them to win the glory of victory. His prestige is enough to overwhelm them and shock them.

But things were different by the time the Bourbon royals had regained the throne with the help of foreign bayonets. The army has been self-contained for more than 20 years. Even if they drove Napoleon away, they still found that they could not fully control the French army. The Bourbon royals are in exile, and they have no power to the country or the nation, so they cannot have this prestige and let the army tame themselves.

Obviously, if the Restoration Dynasty came back and forcibly eradicated all the "residues of the Great Revolution" and eliminated all the generals who were picked up by Napoleon, then those marshals and generals would definitely not swallow their voices. Can cut one more.

It is precisely because of this reality that King Louis XVIII decided to temporarily compromise, instead of seeking to completely clean up the generation of generals who had grown up in the era of the Great Revolution, instead, he sought to cooperate with them and jointly control the army.

While they continued to attract these generals to serve them with high-ranking officials, they carefully controlled the scope and intensity of liquidation within the army, for fear of angering this terrifying beast and overturning their own rule.

Under the enticement of the king, the marshals of Emperor Napoleon also diverged due to personal choices. The marshals such as Oudinot, Marmont, Saint Cyr, etc. chose to accept the high officials of the Bourbon royal family and continue to serve the dynasty. ; Marshals such as Davout and Xu Xie chose to live in seclusion and conduct soft confrontation in a non-violent and non-cooperative manner. For the Bourbon royal family, they only needed to get the services of some senior generals to stabilize the domestic situation for them.

While winning over the marshals and generals of the imperial era, the king also started another preparation. He began to vigorously support the children of the old nobles and civilian officers who were willing to be loyal to the royal family, and strive to create a new generation of officers who were favored by the royal family. Collectives, and then use them to regain control of the army with a view to returning to a bygone era.

In the eyes of the royal family, Napoleon's marshals will eventually grow old with time, and will eventually be slowly replaced by a new generation and a new generation of generals, who will eventually be able to use peaceful means to eliminate the last reef left to the dynasty by the Revolutionary era.

And the Count of Morcerf, precisely because of this reason, entered the eyes of the royal family.

Since even his colleagues knew that there was something wrong with his noble lineage, wouldn't the royal family not know? But this time there is no need to care about that.

In the eyes of the royal family, the Count of Morcerf is obsessed with fame and fortune, and has a certain ability, so he is a general worthy of training and winning. As for the issue of his aristocratic pedigree, what is the importance?

The nobles of the dynasty surrounding the royal family, of course, also understand the intention of the royal family, so they must cooperate.

Those high-ranking nobles who are proud of their former glory, not only despise the character and blood of the Earl of Morsef, but respect it on the surface for political interests - the Earl of Morsef is not the only one to receive such treatment officer, in fact he is the epitome of a group of people.

Under the gaze of Edmond Dantès, the Count of Morcerf smiled and looked smug.

Yes, if there is no accident, he will continue to rise step by step, and his wealth will be prosperous. He will rely on these favors to climb to a higher position and become a big man admired by everyone.

However, one day, he will let him fall heavily to the ground, the higher he climbs, the harder he will fall, and he will lose everything!

Edmond Dantes said in his heart with unparalleled determination.

Next, his eyes wandered around next to the Earl of Morcerf, but he didn't find the figure he was fascinated by.

Mercedese did not attend, perhaps because she did not like and was not used to such occasions.

This is a good thing.

She still retains the innocence and warmth of the year, which was the only comfort he got that night.

Goodbye my haters, goodbye Mercedes.

But I will be back.

Edmond Dantès bowed blankly to the void, then stepped back, hiding himself in the darkness.