The Principality of Parma, located in northern Italy and attached to the Austrian Empire, was the territory of Marie Louise, the mother of Napoleon II. It has become a gathering place for Bonapartists.
Emperor Napoleon's old mother Maria Letizia Ramolino, Napoleon's brothers Lucien Bonaparte, Jerome Bonaparte, Louis Bonaparte, and Napoleon's sister Caroline. Bonaparte, and of course Napoleon's good nephew Louis Napoleon Bonaparte (Napoleon III), now all smelled of it and came to the palace of the Principality of Parma, gathering together with Bonaparte, who had just fled here from Vienna. The leader of the Napoleon family, the son of Emperor Napoleon, and the King of Rome, Napoleon II, were surrounded.
It is now January 1832, and it has only been more than ten years since the complete collapse of the Napoleonic Empire. Not only are these elderly Bonaparte family members still there, there are also a large number of Bonaparte family members in France and other European countries that were once deeply influenced by Napoleon. The Palestinian elements exist, and some are still in high positions, while others are eagerly looking forward to the return of the Napoleonic Empire to Europe!
The turmoil that has occurred in Paris, the French capital, in the past few days also shows that Bonapartists and Republicans still have huge energy in France today... Perhaps, as long as Napoleon II returns to France, he can Just like Emperor Napoleon who escaped from Elba, he quickly seized power in France and re-established the French Empire!
However, Napoleon II, who fled to Parma from Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, seemed to have little interest in regaining his position. For several days, he remained noncommittal to the members of the Napoleon family who came to persuade him to come in.
Now the old and young of the Bonaparte family are a little anxious - what does Napoleon II mean? Don't want to be an emperor? Just want to eat and die in the Principality of Parma? This is not possible! Now the Bourbon Duke of Marseille has assembled his Foreign Legion and will soon return to France. Louis XVII, who was holding his daughter's wedding in Riga, also borrowed Rakshasa soldiers from his father-in-law, Nicholas I, and would soon return home. And Zhuge Weijiu, the Ming Dynasty King Wu, also frequently met with the elders of the Rothschild family, the Schiff family, and the Warburg family in Vienna, preparing to raise funds for the counter-rebellion of Louis XVII and the Duke of Marseille.
In addition, the Duke of Wellington in the UK and Emperor Franz of Austria have both issued statements opposing the restoration of the Napoleonic Empire!
If Louis XVII and the Duke of Marseille return to Paris, those who oppose them may immediately disperse!
So, the key now seems to be who returns to Paris first? Is it Napoleon II... or Louis XVII?
Just when a group of old Bonapartists were running around anxiously, and Napoleon II, the young ancestor, was at his wits' end, Langrieta, the foreign minister of the Kingdom of France, secretly arrived in Parma, and then limped into the official residence of the Duke of Parma.
Napoleon II did not sit there waiting for him to see him, but personally greeted Talleyrand, who had "betrayed" himself, in the garden of his official residence. When Napoleon abdicated the throne for the first time, he wanted Napoleon II to succeed him. position, and Tsar Alexander I also had this intention, but Langletta proposed the principle of "orthodoxy".
Talleyrand recognized Napoleon II at a glance, because "Napoleon" was wearing the gray military uniform that Emperor Napoleon often wore back then, and also had a three-cornered hat, which looked very "Napoleonic". He hurriedly bent down to salute, but was supported by Napoleon II: "Mr. Talleyrand, why do you bow to me?"
"You are the King of Rome!" Talleyrand said in front of a group of old Bonapartists. "The French people need you. Please come back to Paris with me, otherwise it will be too late."
Napoleon II nodded and asked: "Mr. Talleyrand, I am only 22 years old, what can I do for France?"
Talleyrand looked at the son of Emperor Napoleon and said: "King of Rome, your father was only 23 years old when he defeated the Royalists and the British army in Toulon."
"But I am not my father," Napoleon II shook his head, and then looked around at a group of old Bonapartists wearing old military uniforms from the Napoleonic era, "I don't know how to lead the French army to repel a powerful enemy. .....In the past two or three years, I have been thinking about this question, but I have not found the answer. I don't know how to be a great soldier, nor how to be the emperor of France. In I could not learn anything about it at the Austrian court. I could not even find a single book in the library about the exploits of my father, Emperor Napoleon."
Napoleon II smiled bitterly: "So...I will not be emperor!"
ah?
Don’t know how to be an emperor?
What to do?
A group of old Bonapartists were anxious.
Talleyrand, on the other hand, was a bit at a loss. He actually represents the Bonapartists who are now "lurking" within the Bourbon dynasty to welcome Napoleon II back to France to wear the purple robe, although he is not in favor of letting the 22-year-old son of Napoleon ascend the throne.
But...the Bourbon dynasty has obviously been unable to resolve the internal conflicts in France!
For more than ten years, France has been divided into three pillars: Republicans, Bonapartists, and Royalists. The weakest among them is actually the Royalists! However, because the Royalists received support from external forces, coupled with the long-term feud between the Bonapartists and the Republicans, and the lack of a leader, Louis XVII was able to secure his position.
But this time the Republicans and Bonapartists took advantage of the opportunity of Napoleon II's escape to make trouble together... and the Bourbon dynasty was not willing to lose power and was already deploying troops to suppress it.
If this matter is not handled well, it might lead to a civil war!
So after some discussion between Talleyrand and Soult, they decided to ask Napoleon II to return to the country for restoration to eliminate the risk of civil war... Although this young man may not be able to settle down, the Bourbon dynasty couldn't see it. , let’s try it instead.
But this person actually said "no". What does this mean?
"Mr. Talleyrand," Napoleon II asked, "do you know which political figure has the most books about him in the library of Schönbrunn Palace?"
"I don't know." Talleyrand shook his head.
Napoleon II said: "There are the most books about King Zhuge Wuzhong... because he is the politician most respected by my grandfather, Emperor Franz and Prime Minister Metternich! And I have read all the books about him. Pass!"
"I've seen it too!" Talleyrand said, "He is indeed a great statesman and military strategist."
"Much better than my father!" Napoleon II looked at Talleyrand and said eloquently, "My father's empire collapsed before he even left this world. The empire created by King Zhuge Wu Zhong has always been It exists to this day...and is still the most powerful empire in the world! Although he himself did not proclaim himself emperor, he had as much real power as any other emperor. The family he left behind and his followers His descendants have been firmly controlling the politics and economy of the Ming Empire. The people of the Ming Empire have also benefited greatly from his rule, and they still benefit from it today.
Mr. Talleyrand, do you think I can now choose to become King Zhuge Wu Zhong of France? "
"Become King Zhuge Wu Zhong of France?" Talleyrand was stunned. "Do you want... to be the Prime Minister of the Bourbon Dynasty?"
"No!" Napoleon II shook his head, "The history of the Bourbon dynasty is over... Because without ending the Bourbon dynasty, we will not be able to confiscate the real estate of the royal family and the nobility and distribute it to the peasants who support us. This trick was used by King Zhuge Wuzhong, and it worked extremely well! We should also follow suit. I think what the French people need is a free republic controlled by the Bonapartists!"
At this point, Napoleon II suddenly raised his arms and shouted, "Long live the free French Republic!"
Talleyrand's pockmarked face already showed a bright smile, and he also shouted together: "Long live the free French Republic! Long live the Consul Napoleon II!"
The old Bonapartists around him were all foxes who had become fine. They immediately understood what Napoleon II wanted to do, so they all shouted together: "Long live the free French Republic!"
