Eagle’s Glory

While Teresa was playing the piano, the elderly artist also walked up to the piano and quietly admired her performance.

But the way he appreciates is different from others - ordinary people use ears, but he can only use eyes.

He was silent, watching Teresa's slender fingers move and flutter on the keys, watching each press carefully as the movements slowly combined in his mind and then translated into the melody of the music.

Since he was deaf in both ears, he could only appreciate other people's performances in this way.

He quickly recognized that Princess Teresa was playing Sonata No. 25 in G major by himself.

While admiring, he was also evaluating the strength of the princess.

This is a piece he composed more than 20 years ago. Although it is not difficult to play, the rhythm is easy and bright. When he thinks back to the melody of this piece, he can't help but recall his youth.

At that time, he was still very young and full of love and hope for life. When he composed this piece, he could even hear the cuckoo's cry.

What a time to miss it! It seems that the whole world is under your feet, so what are the troubles that trip people up in life at that time?

In the turbid eyes of the musician, the slender figure of the girl was reflected. At this time, she was immersed in the world of music, her expression was focused and serious, and her eyes seemed to be shining like jewels.

And her fingers are fast and powerful, and the keys are very accurate, and there is no single mistake. Obviously, she has worked **** the piano for many years since elementary school.

It seems that this Princess Teresa is indeed not an ignorant girl who is arty and looking for fun, but a person who truly loves art and music and respects her talents.

Before he knew it, his mood improved.

For so many years, he has gradually faded out of the public eye, and he has not received such a warm and beautiful visitor for a long time, so anyone who sees this situation will be in a happy mood.

He couldn't help but glanced at the young man standing next to him. At this time, the young man was also standing quietly, listening to Princess Teresa's performance, but he seemed to be alienated and not indulged in it. He looked at Teresa's eyes, from the musician's point of view, did not have much admiration - at least the same as the eyes that Her Royal Highness looked at him.

Ah, the lucky people never know how lucky they are and don't care about what they get easily, the world always does.

He couldn't help feeling pity for his young visitor in his heart.

Aigron, who was listening to the performance, suddenly found a note in front of him.

He was a little stunned at first, but he quickly realized that this was Mr. Beethoven communicating with him.

"You are said to be Napoleon's son?" He read the writing on the note clearly.

He looked at Beethoven, then nodded directly, and in this way began to communicate with the master.

Beethoven looked at the young man quietly, as if to take this opportunity to see someone's shadow in him.

After a long time, he picked up the pen again, began to write with a swoosh, and then handed the note to Aegron.

"I used to worship that man. I thought he was a thunderbolt from the new world, representing the will of God, representing the freedom of mankind, and he rode the fire of revolution, like Prometheus, put the precious freedom From heaven to man... But I was wrong, he turned himself into an emperor, and a Frenchman from a citizen into a servant, he thought it was to elevate the name of Bonaparte, but in fact it just obliterated His own heroic soul! Since then, he has lost my respect for him. I have applauded him for his victory over the German emperor time and time again, but after reality tore the skin of this great conqueror, I only saw one The little Corsican landowner did not see a sage! He was a hero, but he allowed himself to be a hero, he destroyed himself by narcissism, and destroyed the value of those great creeds."

This long passage is full of emotion, and it is clear that years after Napoleon's death, the one-time admirer is still indignant at the collapse of his beliefs.

Beethoven had indeed once worshipped Napoleon. In his view, Napoleon turned the tide, reorganized the chaotic French Republic with an iron fist, and gave the country equal rights. He once thought of dedicating his "Third Symphony". to this great hero. However, upon hearing the news of Napoleon's proclamation, the outraged musician tore off the "Dedicated to Napoleon" title and renamed it "Symphony of the Heroes".

Aigron can understand the anger at the musician, but he also has his own ideas.

"You may overestimate the French's love of liberty and equality. It is a spiritual recreation for Parisians and provincial intellectuals, most French only think about safety and abundance, and for them those two things are enough luxury and It's far away...Although they were excited by the noise of the revolution at first, and wanted to break the old exploiters, but after the trauma of scenes of blood and blood, they were tired, they just wanted to return to peace, they And no longer believe in everything they once believed in... Forgive the French, sir, who else can they believe? What else dare they believe? The Girondins, then the Jacobins, killed each other, then the Thermidorians guillotined the remaining Jacobins... Every time these men with butcher knives claimed to represent the people, then the people could What are they doing? They can only cheer and tremble in fear, fearing that the next time it will be their turn to butcher the knife. Gradually they feel that enough is enough, they want to stop, and even pay a higher price for it. That's why they are so willing to be servants - because most people are used to being servants, they don't feel that they have lost anything, and those who don't want to kill each other have already killed each other. Now, you don't even need Napoleon to do it."

After Aigron wrote such a large paragraph, he added a sentence at the end, "I'm not forcibly defending, I'm just saying that the Empire was welcomed by the vast majority of people at first, and anyone who has experienced this will know that. Admit it. Without such a welcome, how could a Corsican with no roots sit on the throne? You cannot be king by yourself. If you are going to accuse him of destroying the revolution, I can only say that the revolution itself has long been destroy the revolution."

Then, he handed the piece of paper back to the old musician.

Beethoven picked it up and looked at it, and then suddenly fell into deep thought.

Then he wrote another note and handed it over.

"Perhaps you're talking a little way, but I still can't understand why the French, in the name of freedom, sent their king and queen, and a whole bunch of people to the guillotine, while they were willing to shout long live for another family. Isn't that contradicting itself?"

Aigron smiled slightly, then wrote another one and went back to the past.

"Perhaps idealists think freedom is higher than life or anything, but for most mortals, how to keep themselves and their families alive until tomorrow or next year is more important, revolutionaries may bring freedom but not Bread, on the contrary, the prices are soaring, and the currency has been depreciating. They have driven the people crazy. In order to get rid of all this, the people are even willing to be saved by the devil. The empire gave the people stable prices and employment, and the people didn't care how it did it. , and don't care if it's from the king, or the president, or the emperor, it doesn't matter to them. Since Robespierre didn't do it and Napoleon did, of course they cheered for Napoleon, everything It's as simple as that - the **** terror not only wiped out many people, but made many more people who would rather survive to get rid of it, even if it cost them the satisfaction of being a servant of a careerist."

Beethoven took the note and looked at it. Although he didn't agree with it in his heart, he also knew that what the boy in front of him said was true, at least to a certain extent.

"That's what I commend Napoleon, who put the revolution on the right track and saved it. He eliminated the meaningless blood and then put the ideals of the revolution on paper with the Civil Code... But It's such a shame that he betrayed it at the last step!"

"If you do exactly what you say, then I will admit that he will be a saint... But what do the French do with saints? You can blame him for the fact that he would rather seek earthly favors than illusory reverence. , but I think he's entitled to them," Aegron wrote.

"I can accept that he should be rewarded for his service, even to rule France for life - what about you? Are you qualified? Imagine what you would have done for France if the empire had not been destroyed and you succeeded Who else did you save? You did nothing except being his son, and yet a great power fell on you, absurdly, at your disposal! In that case, all this and the Bourbons ruled again What's the difference? Monsieur Bonaparte, if the revolution only changed France from the hereditary property of one family to the private property of another family, then everything would be meaningless, so why bother?"

Agron was silent.

This question hits the nail on the head.

"Empire originates from the people, and Napoleon is the emperor of the French, not the emperor of France. If the people are willing to authorize me, let me take the responsibility, and lead this great country to prosperity, then I will be obliged to take my responsibility, Defend this great country with my life and all my mental and physical strength. But if the people are unwilling to give this majestic mandate, I will consciously step down from the stage of history."

Finally he wrote this.

Of course he was not as magnanimous as he said on the surface - if he really became emperor, how could he lose the referendum?

The so-called power is hidden under these gorgeous rhetoric.

Napoleon III's Second Empire completed its historical process in such repeated referendums and "authorizations".

In the end, whoever sets the agenda wins half of the votes; whoever counts the votes wins the entire vote.

After a pause, Aigron suddenly realized that his words were very inappropriate, so he immediately added another sentence.

"Of course, it's pointless to talk about these topics now, I have no hope of ruling France anymore, and I don't want to remember the empire that has passed away, all this is just idle chatter, you don't have to put my words in the heart."

After writing this, he handed the slip of paper to the old musician again. He adapted to this new way of communicating.

After reading his reply, Beethoven looked at the young man again, thoughtfully, and after a long time he let out a long sigh.

Then he wrote again.

"It's true, everything is old, what's the point of discussing it? You've lost your father enough, and I shouldn't speak ill of a deceased... Sir, all I can say is, Maybe it's a good thing that fate keeps you away from France, so that you don't have to carry an unbearable and capricious country that is too heavy for anyone to carry."

After writing, he suddenly thought of something, and the old eyes were full of emotion.

Then he continued to write.

"I was never married, and naturally had no children. I only had one nephew, my brother's son. My poor brother died of a lung disease in 1815, leaving the child. I tried my best to win from his mother. When it came to custody, I let him study higher education. I wanted to give him a great future and planned all kinds of glorious and wonderful paths for him... However, everything I had was let down. Although this child is very smart, he He never cared about what I gave, he gave up on himself, he was addicted to gambling, and owed a lot of debt, God knows how much I paid for him and how much I cared, but what I got was not gratitude, but complaints , he complained that my high expectations for him destroyed him. Just this year, he took a pistol and shot himself in the head, luckily he didn't die, but my heart was broken... God to me This cruel punishment is really painful. I'm not complaining to you, I just want to tell you that if a young man can't even bear my expectations, then France, who bears thousands of times more, So what? Louis XVI is crushed, and you don't have to suffer the same fate. God has given you the option to choose your own new destiny. Maybe it's better for you to stay in Austria, after all, with such a lovely His Royal Highness to accompany you With you - you're already incredibly lucky."

He glanced at Teresa again.

At this time, Teresa's piano music had already been played, and she was standing beside the two people, not saying a word, so as not to disturb the "writing conversation" between the two people.

What a lovely child.

"Please cherish everything that God has given you, sir." He opened his mouth and said hoarsely to the young man in a voice that he could not hear at all.

Aigron took the note and looked at the old man in front of him in astonishment.

Yes, even if he used to be arrogant and arrogant, but now he is just a dying old man.

He was lonely all his life, and the only nephew who had high hopes for him also disappointed him to the extreme. Looking back on his life, all he had left was the gorgeous melody he composed.

A life both honorable and sad.

It is impossible for him to express the deepest calculations in his heart, and it is even more impossible for him to write on paper that he is only using this marriage as a pretext to temporarily paralyze the world.

The old man's eyes were filled with doubts and some anticipation.

As a last resort, he could only bite the bullet and write it.

"I will cherish it, sir."