Eagle’s Glory

The time has come to the beginning of May, and the weather has gradually warmed up. Nymphenburg Palace, located on the outskirts of Munich, also ushered in the most beautiful time of the year.

This Baroque-style palace is gorgeous and elegant in shape and very detailed in decoration. It covers a vast garden and is beautiful with lakes and mountains. It is a beautiful South German scenery.

Every summer, the Wittelsbach royal family will leave the palace in the center of Munich and come to this quiet and beautiful place to spend the summer, and at this time, the Nymphenburg Palace will also sweep away the usual silence and become the upper class of the hustle and bustle. social place.

It is at this time that the king will quietly come here with his courtiers and entourage, as well as his mistresses, to spend this leisurely time.

After all, the monarchs of the Wittelsbach family have always been known to know how to enjoy themselves, and the current King Ludwig I, of course, is indeed a very happy king, since he inherited his father's throne in 1825, he started During his turbulent ruling career, he was easy-going and enjoyed the glory and wealth.

This year, however, things are a little different.

This year, King Ludwig I of Bavaria came a little earlier. He came to Nymphenburg with only a few of his confidants before the good people who were flooding the capital gathered in the summer palace.

He did this, of course, in order to receive an important guest.

To be precise, an important guest who might bring a crown to his family.

This guest has a special status, and he can't tolerate him in a big way. Even just thinking about how to receive him has already given the king a headache - but, whenever he thinks of a crown, he may inadvertently fall from his hands to his own home. On his head, he will never have a headache again.

No matter what kind of guest, as long as he can bring the crown, he is a good guest.

Although he clearly knew that the Greek crown was not actually very beneficial, the crown was a crown after all, enough to satisfy the vanity of this thousand-year-old aristocratic family.

Just when King Ludwig I arrived at Nymphenburg Palace, Aigron and his party arrived quietly, ending this not too distant journey.

As soon as they got off the carriage, Aigron and Teresa were greeted respectfully by the court attendants to the king's reception hall.

King Ludwig I liked to collect very much, and there were luxurious furnishings and precious works of art everywhere along the way, but Aigron looked as usual, and he was only slightly moved after seeing the king.

The king was probably in his early forties. He was wearing a dress, his hair was a little fluffy, he had a mustache, his face was ruddy, and he had the usual smile of an easy-going person. He was quite approachable.

And his broad forehead, as well as his eyes that scrutinize from time to time, reveal a bit of the agility of those in power.

"It's an honor to have an audience with you, Your Majesty the King--" Both Agron and Teresa saluted the King.

"I'm very happy to meet you who are so famous—" The king nodded with a smile, and without putting on airs, he walked in front of the young couple and looked at them up and down with friendly eyes.

"Oh! What a beautiful couple!" He nodded approvingly. "Sure enough, the hero and heroine of legendary stories must be outstanding in their looks to meet people's expectations!"

This unexpected sigh surprised both Aegron and Teresa a little, but considering that the king has a reputation for acting unexpectedly and his attitude is very friendly, so the two of them I don't think so.

"Thank you for your compliment." Aegron took the initiative to thank the other party. "Your Majesty, you have a beautiful country. From the first day I came to Bavaria, I was very satisfied with the scenery of this country. After coming to Nymphenburg Palace, I found that I was a little jealous of you... …it is a blessing to live here.”

"Your Excellency, you're going too far!" The king waved his hand quickly to show humility, but judging from his demeanor, he was indeed very happy and contented. "You couple are our distinguished guests. Since you like the scenery here, if you don't think our place is simple, then you can have fun and enjoy it. As a landlord, I should try my best to entertain your couple—"

Before the meeting, the king and his confidants had discussed how to call the young man. After thinking about it, the Duke of Reichstedt became the title of the most sinful person-after all, the Austrian official It is safest to not take back this title.

"If that's the case, then it's the best." Aigron didn't mean to refuse, because he wanted to stay in Bavaria for a while. "Because of His Royal Highness Sophie, I have always had a good impression of Bavaria, and my adopted brother, Prince Eugene, was also taken care of by your family, for which I am even more grateful..."

"Yes, Prince Eugene is an admirable hero. There is nothing to say about his character. Not only does my father like him, but I also respect him very much." When he said this, King Ludwig I suddenly He looked a little sad again, "Hey, it's a pity that he was ill-fated and left us early... If he was still here today, how relieved he would be when he saw you!"

After he sighed, Aegron couldn't help but feel a little sad.

Perhaps seeing Aegron's mood, King Ludwig laughed again, "Although it's a pity that you lost your brother, our country still likes you and is happy to entertain you, if you don't dislike it, you Think of me as your brother as much as you can—"

Despite being 25 years older than Aegron, King Ludwig still does not put on airs, his attitude is quite friendly, and even a little too enthusiastic.

On the one hand, this is because he wants to please the young people and ensure that his family can get the Greek throne; on the other hand, he does not have any hatred of the Bonaparte family.

True, Wittelsbach had no hatred for Napoleon.

At that time, it was with the help of Napoleon that Bavaria was upgraded from an electorate to a kingdom, and Maximilian I, the father of King Ludwig I, also became the "founding king".

At the same time, Emperor Napoleon dismembered the Holy Roman Empire, and then formed the Rhine Confederation, allowing Bavaria to escape the long-term repression of Austria and become a German power that cannot be ignored.

It is precisely because of Napoleon's "favor" that Bavaria is quite loyal to the Emperor Napoleon. Under the arrangement of the emperor, in January 1806, King Maximilian I married his eldest daughter Princess August to the emperor. The adopted son of Prince Eugène de Beauharne, Governor-General of Italy.

Then, Bavaria fought hard behind the French Empire and participated in many wars. It was not until after the Battle of Leipzig in 1813 that it turned its back on the emperor in a desperate situation - of course, this is also human nature, and the emperor himself has nothing to do with it. complain.

Even after the fall of the empire, King Maximilian I treated his son-in-law Eugene quite well. In 1814, after the fall of Italy, Eugene and August brought their children to Munich. The king received them warmly and also The title of Duke Eugene Leuchtenberg was specially awarded to let him continue to retain his noble status - in contrast, Prince Jerome, Napoleon's younger brother who married the Princess of Württemberg, was directly driven by the king after defecting to the king. gone.

Prince Eugene also spent the rest of his quiet and peaceful life in Bavaria until his death in 1824.

It was under the protection of Eugene that Chanel settled in Bavaria, and finally came to Schönbrunn Palace as a maid with Princess Sophie, who was married to Austria.

Although forced by the current situation, Bavaria turned its back on the Bonaparte family and the empire, but they did not have hatred emotionally.

Even considering that Aigron is the righteous brother of Prince Eugene, they have a bit of incense.

—Perhaps this is why Sophie was so kind to herself as soon as she came to Schönbrunn Palace?

I don't know why, since he came to Bavaria, the image of Sophie kept popping up in his mind. Maybe it was because Sophie had expressed her homesickness in front of him many times.

And at this moment, I am in her hometown, and I don't know how she will feel when she hears the news...?

Aegron interrupted his thoughts in time, and put his energy back on dealing with Sophie's brother.

"Thank you for being so kind to me," he said to the other kindly. "You know, I'm not very lucky, and fate has hit me so mercilessly, and I'm glad I found so much comfort in your country. , thank you, Your Majesty."

Of course, Ludwig couldn't understand what Aegron meant by "comfort", but he was very happy to see the young man treating him. "Don't worry, we are different from everyone else, we respect our guests and you can enjoy your trip here."

After speaking, he waved to Aigron and Theresa, "I know that the two of you are tired from your journey, so I won't bother you too much today. Come, I will show you Nymphenburg, and then you will Go get some rest-"

Aegron probably also understood the king's intentions.

At the beginning, he did not want to directly enter the negotiation of the Greek throne, but wanted to play the emotional card and first close the relationship with Aigron

His plan was probably that as long as the reception made him happy, everything would come naturally.

Nobles, you always have to be decent. Even if you want something, you have to pretend not to be in a hurry. This is quite normal.

And Aigron was indeed very satisfied with his approach.

So he and Teresa followed behind the king, visiting the magnificent palace together, admiring the treasures collected by successive kings and King Ludwig I himself.

I have to say that the king is indeed a fan of artworks. When he introduced those precious artworks, he was familiar with them, which made Aigron and Teresa, who were only planning to socialize, a lot of interest, and participated in the conversation from time to time. , the host and guests enjoyed themselves, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious.

However, there was one thing that Aigron and Teresa found a little strange. While chatting, the king would occasionally keep his eyes on Teresa, as if he was hesitant to say anything.

Although this king does have the reputation of being romantic, he is not a second-generation ancestor who can't move his legs when he sees a beautiful woman. He has received a complete royal education since he was a child. It stands to reason that he should not behave so rudely.

"Your Majesty, do you have anything to tell me?" After talking for a while, Teresa couldn't help it, so she asked the king, "If you have any orders, just tell me, don't worry."

"Actually...actually..." King Ludwig, who had always been eloquent, was suddenly a little embarrassed. After a moment of fidgeting, he finally made up his mind.

Then, he looked at Teresa with sincerity. "Beautiful Princess Teresa, can you allow me to let the painter leave a portrait of you here...?"

Teresa's face changed, somewhat inexplicable.

"Please don't think too much about it, I just... just have some interest. After seeing a rare beauty, I want to leave a portrait, and there is no other meaning." The king explained quickly, "If you think that you mind, just be me It's better not to say...!"

I see……

Agron understood.

Although the king's words sounded like a joke, he recalled that the king did have this hobby.

In history, he left a total of 36 portraits of beautiful women in this gallery. These women ranged in age from their teens to their twenties. They were royal princesses, nobles, and commoners, but they were all well-mannered. ,beauty.

Of course, not every one of these beauties has anything to do with him, only two or three of them are sure to have had a dewy affair with him, and the others are simply invited by Ludwig I to leave a portrait - the king did so , not so much to satisfy the addiction of collecting, but rather the pursuit of "beauty" itself by this romantic king, who hopes to see the appearance of "beauty" that will be forever retained in an instant.

On the original historical line, until the 21st century, visitors to Nymphenburg Palace can still admire these portraits in the promenade.

In a sense, he has indeed succeeded. Although these beauties have all perished in the long river of time, the most beautiful periods in their lives, as well as their names, have been retained by these portraits for two hundred years. ——If there is no accident, it can stay for hundreds of years.

Although this hobby is a bit strange, it is definitely not evil.

It can even be said that His Majesty the King is really a wonderful person.

In other words, the kings of the Wittelsbach family are indeed a bit maverick.

His grandson, King Ludwig II, was deposed by the Bavarian government because of mental illness and profligacy, but he left behind the masterpiece Neuschwanstein Castle.

Aigron looked at the king again, and at this time he was looking at himself with anticipation, as if he was hoping that he could persuade Teresa.

It seems that as soon as he saw that Teresa was a rare beauty, the artistic desire in his heart could not be restrained.

"Teresa, as guests, it's okay for us to share the host's worries." Aigron said with a smile, "Besides, I also really want to see your portrait in the world..."

Before waiting for King Ludwig to thank him, Aigron added another sentence.

"Your Majesty, after the painting is finished, can you also leave one for me?"

"Of course! Of course!" King Ludwig promised repeatedly.

"...You...okay!" Teresa was angry and funny, but she agreed.