Flowers, Swords and France

Although everyone here had been driven away to receive the ambassador, and only Charles and three others were present, the ambassador's impassioned speech was still very imposing, just like a debater speaking eloquently on the parliamentary podium.

However, the main purpose of his endless speech was very clear - that is, to persuade His Majesty the Emperor in various ways not to listen to the British rhetoric and become an enemy of Russia, and to guarantee that the Russians would never have any ill will towards him, and even tacitly allow France to act arbitrarily in Europe according to His Majesty the Emperor's ideas.

They naturally saw that the ambassador was trying every means to discredit Britain and sow discord in front of them, and his purpose must be extremely impure. If His Majesty the Emperor and Charles agreed here, I am afraid that Russian diplomatic officials in Britain would also make a fuss about this.

However, even with such sinister intentions, it is absolutely unusual for the ambassador to make such a statement - you know, although everyone in this era does not take treaties too seriously, it is still a very rare statement to put them on paper and declare that a secret agreement can be signed. It can be said that the Tsar is ready to use his diplomatic credit as collateral in exchange for France's acquiescence in his freedom of action.

The Tsar's bloodbath is indeed beyond their imagination.

To a certain extent, this is also a manifestation of the Russians beginning to give up the French as a big enemy and turn to the British as the biggest enemy. Everything he whispered actually foreshadowed the thunder of the Russians' major diplomatic shift.

In history, since Tsar Peter III suddenly turned against the Russians during the Seven Years' War, the Russians have regarded the French as one of the big enemies on the European continent, and have taken it as their responsibility to block France's hegemony in Europe. After the Great Revolution, Suvorov led his army to attack the Republic and fought so many times with Emperor Napoleon. It was the result of this strategy.

But now the situation is different, because after the British expansion, the Russians found that the biggest threat they faced had changed - with the British complete conquest of India and infiltration into Central Asia, Russia's originally safe eastern hinterland has begun to be threatened, and its expansion has also been hindered.

At this time, the Russians changed their ways and turned to seek compromise with France, which had always had a bad relationship with them in the past, and then it was natural for them to start a major confrontation with the British.

It is conceivable that the British will also be very sensitive to the expansion of the Russians. As long as the Russians expand southward in the Middle East and Central Asia, they will definitely touch their nerves and make them furious, and may even trigger a direct confrontation between Britain and Russia - and if France also follows Britain to participate in this direct confrontation, the consequences will obviously be disastrous, and may even be wasted.

In the eyes of the Russians, this is also in the interests of the French - the French have been suppressed for so long after the Battle of Waterloo, don't they want to get rid of the hostility of the major powers and pursue their old dreams again? As long as the Russians are willing to sit back and watch them pursue their own interests, they will have less resistance and should be very happy.

And in their opinion, after Louis Bonaparte's uncle's lesson, he may not have the determination to confront the Russians or even the whole of Europe.

Of course, no matter how they intend, it all depends on whether the French emperor accepts it or not.

After saying this, the ambassador looked at the emperor eagerly, carefully observing his words and expressions, and carefully trying to figure out the other party's thoughts from any changes in his expression. However, because the emperor was really scheming, he couldn't see much.

While waiting, his heart gradually became anxious. Although he was sure in his heart, he was afraid of a mistake.

As if he wanted to let the anxiety continue to burn him for a while, after a long time, the emperor spoke leisurely.

"Mr. Ambassador, there is no doubt that I sincerely hope that the two countries will remain friendly. Although the previous ups and downs have made me a little embarrassed, and although there have been some unfriendly exchanges between our two families, I still want the two great countries to stand together. The proposal made by the Tsar really touched me." His tone became lower and lower, and he seemed to sigh and relieved. "I have always believed in a principle that a country, especially a big country, should have the freedom to implement its own policies without interference, and also have the right to ask others to give it enough respect, so I am willing to respect all the freedom of action of Russia."

This is really great. The ambassador, who finally heard the emperor's statement, was overjoyed and his face flashed with joy that could not be concealed.

"Okay, now our attitude has been made clear. So, can our freedom of action be sufficiently guaranteed?" His Majesty the Emperor looked at the other party solemnly, "I mean, if France requires some changes in its borders that are in line with history and common sense, can Russia not interfere?"

This person really wants to expand his territory to foreign countries-the ambassador thought.

Although this is not a situation that Russia is happy to see, it is also good news in a sense. As long as France begins to seek expansion towards its neighbors, it will definitely become the target of public criticism. At that time, the pressure faced by Russia will be much smaller. At that time, France may even need help from Russia and the Russians may take the initiative.

"If the countries that bear the brunt of this have no objection, we will not interfere." Without any hesitation, the ambassador made a guarantee quite smoothly. "You can discuss border changes or any other issues with the parties concerned, and we, Russia, will never interfere."

"Can this be put into words?" His Majesty the Emperor nodded slightly.

"Of course, Your Majesty." The ambassador couldn't help but straighten his chest again, "I am the ambassador of the Russian Empire, and I have enough authority to sign on behalf of His Majesty the Tsar. If you are willing, we can sign such an agreement in the near future - Russia will use all its strength to ensure the implementation of the agreement."

"Well, since you have said this, then I have nothing to question." Seeing that the ambassador made the final guarantee, the emperor finally let down his last defense, "You can live here for a while, I will have someone negotiate the details of the treaty with you in detail, and we will strive to reach an agreement in the near future - well , since it was signed here, let's call it the Fontainebleau Agreement. "

"Thank you very much for your generosity, Your Majesty!" The ambassador bowed, "I am ready to sign an agreement with France at any time."

"Well, you can take a rest first." The emperor raised his hand, indicating that he could leave, "Marquis Turgot will arrange negotiators for you, and then you can get all our positions from them - of course I also hope that you can make all our positions clear to us with an honest and upright attitude."

"Absolutely, Your Majesty..." With a smile on his face, the ambassador stood up, then turned around and followed the attendants who came in and left.

The Emperor had been looking at his back with a serious expression until he completely disappeared, and then he suddenly laughed.

"Hahahaha, this guy thought he had played a trick on us! God will prove who is more stupid. "

His smile was big and echoed in the room, and he was obviously in a good mood.

And in this kind of laughter, there was also a chilling gloom in the joy.

"It seems that they have made up their minds to start a war." Charles echoed the words of His Majesty the Emperor, "As long as they start, they will be the one who breaks the balance. At that time, everything we do will be justified, Your Majesty."

"Yes, you are right." His Majesty smiled, "Then we can attack them with a reasonable reason!"

Then, he stood up from the throne and waved his hand excitedly, "You go and arrange people to continue negotiating with him, let him see France's sincerity and goodwill, let him see the friendship between the two countries! We must not let the Russians stop at the last moment... Wait until the last moment, and then we will let him know how powerful we are!"

"Understood, Your Majesty." Charles bowed and saluted.

The ambassador's idea is actually very reasonable. It is not in France's interest to confront Russia and turn it into its enemy now. However, he forgot one thing. Things that are not in France's interests may not be in the interests of the Bonaparte family and its ministers.

The Bonaparte family needed to use a fierce way to gain prestige, win the favor of the army, and maintain relations with the British, even if it meant letting countless French youths die in the wilderness. Therefore, the ambassador's plan could only get a completely hypocritical answer from the emperor from the beginning.

His Majesty was in high spirits, and it was obvious that teasing the ambassador not only satisfied his vanity, but also satisfied his revenge.

"They will still be happy on the day of the end!" Finally, he ended with this sentence.

With the same excitement, Charles also left the room, but just as he was about to return to the room arranged for him by the palace to rest, a court lady stopped him.

"Her Majesty the Queen wants to summon you, Minister." She said in an emotionless tone.

"Summon me?" Charles was a little confused at first, but soon regained his composure. "Okay, please lead the way, ma'am."

After the renovation of the Fontainebleau Palace, Her Majesty the Queen chose several rooms as her living area and decorated them personally, and the lady took Charles to the reception room.

Unlike the grand and magnificent outside, the decoration here is very delicate, with light colors, a large number of mural stickers on the walls around, and some pearls mixed on the bedside, which looks colorful but not showing off the feeling of luxury.

And Her Majesty, wearing a court dress, sat on the sofa in front of the fireplace, her young and fair face was very calm, and no strange expression could be seen.

"Your Majesty." Charles bowed as soon as he saw her. "I am here at your summons."

Perhaps because of Her Majesty's order, there was no one next to her, and the surroundings were very quiet, even the curtains were drawn down, and the light was a little dim. Charles was not worried that Her Majesty would do something to him, but this arrangement did make him feel a little strange.

"Mr. Treville, it's a pleasure to see you again." Her Majesty the Queen nodded gently at him, "It's a pity that Charlotte is not here, I miss her very much."

"Charlotte misses you too, Your Majesty, she sincerely hopes to be with you more." Charles smiled and replied to her, "But she can't do anything about it... She wants to come to you as soon as her physical condition stabilizes."

"You don't need to be so miserable when you're pregnant, sir, isn't this a good thing?" Her Majesty the Queen replied coldly, "It's a good thing that Charlotte can have one more child. How dare I delay a mother's happiness. "

"You are so magnanimous, Your Majesty." Charles could tell that Her Majesty the Queen was not very happy. If it were before, he might have thought there was some conflict between her and Charlotte. Now he already knew the answer, so Not worried either.

Charles felt confident and did not ask Her Majesty the Queen. After a period of silence, Her Majesty the Queen finally couldn't bear it anymore.

"You must be wondering why I specially called you here..." Her Majesty the Queen frowned slightly, "Actually, I have something to entrust to you."

"Just give me your orders, there is no need to use the word entrust." Charles still smiled, "It is the obligation of our subordinates to obey your orders."

Charles's calmness seemed to make Her Majesty the Queen even more embarrassed.

"Everyone of you is the same. It sounds nice to say it..." Her Majesty the Queen sneered, "but it's completely different in practice."

"No, I have always been very sincere to you, Your Majesty." Charles was not worried at all by Her Majesty the Queen's attitude, and still smiled and replied, "You know, I have never told you a lie. I have never broken my promise, so you can trust me as always and I will serve you with full enthusiasm.”

"Sincerity, enthusiasm... It would be great if this were the case." Her Majesty the Queen's smile contained some helplessness and pain, but it soon returned to normal. "Okay, I won't talk nonsense anymore. What I want you to do for me is very simple - please help me find a few people and find a way for me to meet them."

Ciel was stunned for a moment.

After all, you are still young. Even though you know it is meaningless, you still want to do it.

We still don’t know what the emperor’s marriage actually means.

"Who are they?" Charles asked in a low voice.

His question, unsurprisingly, brought new pain to Her Majesty the Queen's heart. After all, it was indeed difficult for a young woman to admit this reality.

"If I tell you that they refer to several women who have had an affair with my husband, what will you say?" A trace of anger flashed across Her Majesty's face, "Yes, I just want to see them. . Okay, can you do this for me?”

"I'm afraid... this... puts me in a bit of a dilemma, Your Majesty." After hesitating for a moment, Charles decided to tell the truth, "Can I ask His Majesty the Emperor for instructions? If His Majesty the Emperor agrees, I will be happy to go for you. Do."

"If I want to do this through His Majesty the Emperor, is it necessary for me to come to you?" Her Majesty the Queen frowned again, "You were still saying just now that I am a Queen, and you also said it yourself. You are happy to serve me, have you forgotten your words in a blink of an eye?"

"Your Majesty, these are two different things... As a minister of the empire, I cannot take the initiative to do things that may be detrimental to His Majesty the Emperor." Charnay explained to her calmly, "If you have a tacit understanding with His Majesty the Emperor, then I I am very willing to fulfill your wish immediately, Your Majesty.”

"Does that mean you plan to break your promise and are unwilling to do this for me?" Her Majesty the Queen ignored his dodge and asked directly.

Because of these recent events, she was in a very bad mood.

Read the original article in Liu#9@书/吧!

What she wanted to do, it was impossible for the courtiers in the palace to satisfy her wish. She didn't know many of the ministers outside, and those people might not have the power to dare to do so. After thinking about it, she couldn't The only option was to seek help from Minister Treville.

However, within a few minutes her hopes were dashed, which did make her even more restless.

"If you insist on saying that, I have nothing to say." Charles sighed softly, "But Your Majesty, please believe me, I only have good intentions for you, and I don't think you need to do this at all. After all, , No matter what, you are the Queen of the Empire, and your status is noble and does not need to be shaken by anyone or anything. "

"I am a wife first! Can't I even know things that a wife should know?" Perhaps because she was aroused by Charles, Queen Karona couldn't help but glared at him, "Besides, do you think I Will you do anything? Kill someone? No, I won't do that. I just want to understand... I just want to understand why this is happening. Isn't it okay for you to say that I am a queen? What's the difference between me and a prisoner?"

Charles hesitated for a moment, should he tell her the truth?

"What? Just say what you want to say!" Perhaps seeing that he was hesitant to speak, Her Majesty the Queen said directly.

"Your Majesty... my words may not be pleasant to hear. If you really want to hear them, then... please don't be angry with me, because these words are all said out of kindness to you." Xia I first found a step for myself.

"Say it!" Her Majesty the Queen asked impatiently.

"If you only want this purpose, then there is actually no need for you to ask clearly, because the answer may not be what you think." Charles lowered his voice and carefully considered his words, "Because you may have done nothing wrong. , you did what a wife should do obligation, you may just have lost to nature... Yes, your Majesty may not have reduced his love for you at all, he just wants to vent his lust elsewhere, you can ignore it, because this kind of Venting won’t do you any harm.”

To Ciel's disappointment, after hearing his explanation, Her Majesty the Queen showed no sign of relaxing. Instead, her eyes widened.

"Vent!? Just to vent, did you betray me?" She glared at Charles, as if glaring at others, "Are you people like this? Everyone says that the Bonapartists are evil No problem, I finally understand what it means..."

"It's not Bonaparte or any family's fault," Charles could only reply. "You can see this kind of thing in many places, everywhere."

Her Majesty the Queen's brows were furrowed and her body was trembling slightly. It could be seen that she was trying her best to maintain the queen's dignity and hold back tears.

"French people... French people!" She cursed quietly, "Is this the country of hell?"

Ciel didn't speak anymore, letting the other party vent his anger. The anger of being betrayed was really hard to accept, so he didn't dare to say anything more.

It wasn't until a while later that Her Majesty the Queen regained her composure.

She raised her head, her eyes full of stubbornness, and her strong and stubborn nature could be seen.

"No matter how you explain it, I still want to witness it with my own eyes to understand it, so I once again ask you to follow my instructions, just like a minister should do to the queen, sir."

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty." This time, Charles rejected the opponent again without any hesitation, "I still ask you not to do such an unwise thing. You can see... This will not help the matter and will not solve anything. The problem may even intensify the conflict. In fact, it may be best for you to ignore it.”

"Do you listen to me or do you listen to me?" Her Majesty the Queen increased her voice, "Have you forgotten our friendship?"

Charles was a little impatient. He really didn't like to bow his head in front of this young Queen.

"If it's friendship, then there is no distinction between superiority and inferiority. We should treat each other enthusiastically, Your Majesty." His tone was a bit harsher.

"Okay, okay...very good, even people like you have abandoned me...I am completely alone..." The queen laughed, but it was obvious that she was extremely angry, "It doesn't matter, I can bear it, I His character is much stronger than you think.”

Then, she looked at Charles coldly, "Is that Russian ambassador still in Fontainebleau?"

"Yes, he will be staying here as a guest for the time being," Charles replied.

"Hmph...you have already done that, and you still greet him with a smile. Don't you think it's despicable?" The queen asked sharply, "Don't think I don't know!"

There was no expression on Ciel's face, and it was obvious that he didn't care about the "despicable" comment.

"——You are despicable yourself, but you still drag me to act with you... It's really uncomfortable." The Queen glared at Ciel.

"With all due respect - acting is part of the Queen's profession." Ciel shrugged, "That's true in this matter, but it's also true in other matters."

"So... what if I don't act? What if I let the ambassador know something else? Can you bear the consequences?" The queen's breathing became rapid, and she was obviously very excited. "If he knew, would all your previous efforts be wasted? Your despicable deeds would become a joke..."

At this time, Charles was finally no longer calm. He also raised his head and looked at the other party calmly but coldly.

"Your Majesty, you are making a joke that is not funny."

"I'm not joking!" Her Majesty the Queen interrupted him, "I tell you, I am serious, I am threatening you! Don't think that I will take your actions seriously, if you don't do what I say , then I will do what I want and follow my conscience.”

Damn your conscience! When you become a queen, do you still want that?

Ciel didn't answer, and kept looking at the other party coldly.

The atmosphere suddenly became colder.

Charlotte asked him to be nice to Her Majesty the Queen, and Charles really wanted to do so, but when the Queen really bossed him around, he realized that he really couldn't be so humble all the time.

In a sense, although Louis Bonaparte is not a good person, his ability is worthy of admiration after all. Charles does not feel insulted even if he bows to him, but if he wants to kowtow to this queen... he really can't do it.

It's time for Her Majesty the Queen to understand her position.

"What? What do you mean by looking at me like this?" Her Majesty the Queen was not angry because of Charles's attitude. Instead, she felt a sense of revenge because she forced Charles to lose his temper. "This is what you owe the Queen." attitude?"

"With all due respect...Your Majesty...have you made any mistake?" Because he was angry, Charles' tone became very stiff now. He no longer had the politeness before, but spoke every word. Even with a little threat, "Have you forgotten? Now you are Her Majesty the Queen of France, and there is no turning back! What advantages do you think you have?" Is it better? Yes, you are indeed extremely glorious, but it was brought to you by the empire, and it can be lost at any time! If I were you, I would be content and not treat anyone with such an indignant attitude. People! Don’t forget, if you can’t serve the empire, you may not even be able to keep your honor as queen. It’s not us who are on the edge of the cliff, but you!”

His threats with guns and sticks made Her Majesty the Queen stunned for a moment. She did not expect that this gentle minister could be so chilling when he occasionally showed a fierce look. She suddenly remembered what she had heard those exiles talking about.

Is this the true face of the butcher who slaughtered the opposition in the country?

"Your Majesty, what's wrong?"

At this time, because of a vague quarrel in the room, the maid outside immediately opened the door.

After a brief moment of venting, Charles immediately regained his composure.

"If you want to hear a sincere suggestion, then listen carefully. I think it will definitely be extremely useful to you and won't waste much of your time."

As if being affected by his gaze, the queen waved to the maid.

"Go out first." (~^~)