Flowers, Swords and France

Amidst the clamor, Charles leisurely walked through the sea of ​​military uniforms and headed for the viewing platform where the grand ceremony had just been held.

His mood was not as excited as others.

Just now, Charles suddenly became angry and said something threatening and extremely inappropriate to the foreign minister, but he did not regret it.

Although his tone was very subtle, the minister mocked the quality of his grandfather's marshal's baton in front of him, believing that he did not show a record worthy of the marshal's rank, and when his grandfather was attacked, he felt even more angry than when he was attacked.

This anger was also because he knew a fact in his heart - the minister was actually right, and his grandfather's marshal's rank was not supported by a reliable record. In the most glorious time of his military career, he was just a brave general under the emperor, and did not win a major battle as a military commander; not to mention that in the decades after Napoleon's fall, he had actually interrupted his military career.

I'm afraid that not only foreign ministers, but also many people in the country and even in the military are dissatisfied with grandpa.

If you want to break people's doubts, it is meaningless to scold people in person. You must show real achievements that can shut anyone up.

Therefore, he must follow the original idea of ​​the grandfather and grandson and make his grandfather the supreme commander of the future war against Russia. Even for the sake of grandfather's merits, he must do this.

Moreover, this arrangement has a more general meaning of settlement.

Grandpa fell in Russia. The grandson helped grandpa up, and then stood up again where he fell, standing on the entire continent-this is for the grandfather and grandson. Isn't it a symbol of perfect meaning?

When passing through the squares and passing through the sea of ​​bayonets and military uniforms, looking at the grandfather on the viewing stand, Charles secretly clenched his fists.

Then let's fight hard!

While Charles roared in his heart, he walked up to the viewing stand.

……………………

As the famous Marquis de Treville was named marshal by the president in front of the whole army, the military parade that Charles had carefully prepared also entered the stage.

Amid the sound of exciting military music and drums, teams of soldiers began to march along the pre-selected aisles in neat steps.

The president's attendant officers acted as heralds, riding horses between the moving columns.

They first galloped to the president to wait for his orders, and then returned to the group of dignitaries on the viewing platform in high spirits. These tall officers who had been carefully selected, riding black horses and wearing beautiful sky-blue uniforms of heralds imitating the imperial era, stood out among the colorful teams formed by the uniforms of various arms.

In the winter sun, the decorations on the herald officers shone brightly. The feathers on the narrow military caps were dazzling. The light reflected by the metal decorations made them look like a ball of phosphorescent fire from a distance. They moved fearlessly among the various squares, mobilizing and commanding these troops with unquestionable authority at the order of the president.

As the troops moved in an orderly manner, the weapons rose and fell like waves, reflecting the light of fire; under the wisdom of the commanders, the troops immediately dispersed, gathered, or moved forward slowly. Or they rushed past the viewing stand.

When each square passed the viewing stand where the president was, the stand would loudly announce the number of the unit to which the unit belonged. And the president also waved his hat to salute the unit.

When seeing the president salute, almost every unit responded enthusiastically. At first, the soldiers shouted "Long live France" and "Long live the Republic", but unconsciously, perhaps because of some deliberate induction, the soldiers' shouts gradually changed.

"Long live the Empire!" "Long live Napoleon!"

These slogans were forbidden in the Bourbon and July Monarchy eras; even in today's republic, shouting these slogans is certainly inappropriate.

But no one cares about this anymore.

Under the fluttering flags, countless soldiers shouted this slogan at the same time, and finally gathered into an almost earth-shaking cheer.

In this passionate collective atmosphere, everyone was excited. Not only soldiers, but even officers were waving their hands and shouting excitedly, with tears in their eyes.

When Charles found that some officers and soldiers ignored the strict military discipline and actually waved their hats to Louis Bonaparte and the new Marshal Treville, he knew that he had succeeded - or, in other words, Louis Bonaparte had succeeded.

Even if it was just a stage, he at least reproduced a shadow of the former empire and summoned the vague expectations of these officers and soldiers that were hidden in their hearts and even vaguely in their own hearts.

Yes, Louis Bonaparte was not the only one who wanted the empire?

The fact that such a warm response was received might be due to the deliberate instigation of the Bonapartists, but the fact that the atmosphere became so heated showed that this was the voice of a large number of army officers and soldiers.

After decades of dormancy and calm, the French Army forgot the trauma it suffered under the Emperor. The ambitions of the people grew again in the boring peace. They longed to win honor and victory again, hoping to make achievements in the conquest. They abandoned the "weak" leader and the ineffective parliamentary politics, and called for a strong leader who could lead them to glory, lead them to trample every enemy and win the highest glory. The new Napoleon needed an army, and the army also needed a new Napoleon.

Fate brought Louis Bonaparte to his most favorable opportunity, and fate also made a country fall into the hands of an adventurer who was almost at the end of his rope so easily in a few years.

But this is not just another joke of God!

………………………………

After the long military parade came to an end, Charles and other national dignitaries who came to participate in the military parade attended the banquet held by the president.

This was a large-scale open-air banquet, and the president entertained almost every army officer and foreign minister who came here. Even the soldiers outside enjoyed unlimited cigars and champagne, cold cuts of poultry and garlic sausages - it took Charles and his men a lot of effort to prepare these foods.

The atmosphere was still very warm, and the excitement just now was still lingering in many people's hearts. It took a long time for Louis-Bonaparte to send away the officers and soldiers who wanted to say a few words around him, and then the banquet really started.

Perhaps in order to reward Charles for his contribution, Louis-Bonaparte actually broke the original arrangement and arranged for Charles to replace a general and sit next to him - and the new Marshal Victor de Treville was originally arranged to sit on the other side of him.

The original text is in the six # 9 @book/bar!

So, the two Trevilles sat on the left and right sides of the president.

After today's ceremony of becoming a marshal and the special arrangements, no one doubted the status of the Treville family in the president's heart.

"Charles, this is a very successful ceremony, more perfect than I thought, we have undoubtedly achieved the effect we wanted." After drinking a glass of wine without hesitation, Louis Bonaparte excitedly glanced at Charles, "You have worked so hard!"

Unlike his usual serious look, he was now excited and obviously very satisfied.

"I am just fulfilling my duties." Charles replied in a low voice, and then nodded quietly to his grandfather.

Perhaps because of his old age, after this somewhat long ceremony, the Marquis of Treville was a little tired and no longer excited. However, when he saw his grandson greet him, he also waved his hand with a smile on his face, and he was obviously in a good mood.

"Charles, I've seen it... You're right, most of the officers and soldiers support me!" Louis-Bonaparte's tone was still trembling, "What do we need to be afraid of now!"

"Yes, according to my observation, except for a small number of troops, most of the officers and soldiers are very enthusiastic about you." Charles whispered to Louis-Bonaparte and complimented him, "And I think this is the position you deserve. Those who refuse to salute you will soon pay the price for their wrong behavior."

"Yes, they will pay the price!" Louis-Bonaparte sneered and took another sip of wine, "I can't forgive them!"

In order to judge the attitudes of various troops, Charles and others had already prepared people under the viewing platform to record their reactions to the president. Those troops who had no reaction or little reaction to the president would be included in the blacklist, and their commanders would be punished either explicitly or implicitly, or directly sent to Africa.

Fortunately, most of the troops supported the emperor's nephew, so Charles expected that this approach would not cause much backlash in the army.

This is really great.

"By the way, Charles, I heard that you had a quarrel with the Russian envoy just now?" After laughing for a while, Louis-Bonaparte suddenly asked Charles.

"Yes," Charles nodded, and then in order to avoid his grandfather from hearing clearly, he explained his quarrel to the president in a very low voice. "I'm very sorry, sir, I may have done something stupid..."

"No, it's very good!" Louis-Bonaparte clapped his hands, "These Russians only respect strength, you have to be tough with them!"

Then, before Charles could react, Louis-Bonaparte suddenly laughed again.

"Charles, are you interested in doing diplomacy next? I think you have this talent..." (To be continued..)