It has been snowing slowly in Austria since Christmas Eve, and it was not until after the New Year that the weather warmed up slightly in most areas.
On the western border of the empire, because it is at the foot of the Alps, it still snows from time to time. The same is naturally true for the small town Feldkirch, located on the border of Austria and Switzerland.
The snow-capped Alps hover in front of this town like a giant dragon. The thick mountains give the town an atmosphere of tranquility and stability. This small town at the foot of the Alps welcomed the arrival of 1827 with eternal peace.
In the long snowy night, several ordinary carriages without any markings came to the edge of this quiet town.
The carriage stopped quietly outside a country house. After confirming that there were no observers around, the people inside all walked out and sneaked in furtively.
A fire was quickly lit in the fireplace, and the group leaned against the fireplace to keep warm, finally waking up from the biting cold.
There is no doubt that Aiglon is among them - of course, he has already changed out of the ripped skirt and put on a set of ordinary clothes.
In order to avoid possible tracking and escape before the Austrian border was under martial law, Aigron rushed to the Swiss border non-stop after meeting Louis, Chanel and others. After several days of bumps, they finally arrived. This town, he was simply exhausted at the moment.
After warming himself for a while, his stiff body finally regained a lot of energy. Then he looked at the people around him. The men were all fine, but Chanel's face was as pale as a white paper at the moment, and there was not much blood visible. .
Chanel has been serving people since she was a child, and her body is strong, but it is almost reaching its limit at this time, and Aiglon feels a little distressed when he sees it.
If Theresa was here, she would definitely not be able to bear it... A strange thought suddenly flashed through the young man's mind.
Forget it... Now that we're here, what else is there to think about? He immediately dismissed the idea.
"Your Majesty, I'm afraid we need to rest here for the night." His cousin Louis, who also regained his energy at this time, spoke in a low voice, "We can't sneak into Switzerland in front of the defenders with such arrogance, we can only use secrets The route is to walk through the winding trails in the mountains, which means that we have to abandon the carriage and escape, and it also means that we need to wait for good weather during the day."
"Is the route safe?" Aigron asked.
"It's very safe. That's the route secretly discovered by the smugglers. We came to Austria through this route." A young man next to Louis replied. "Your Majesty, this is the last stretch of the road. As long as we cross it, we will cross the Alps, escape from this country, and come to Bregenz in Switzerland. It will be much easier then."
He looks somewhat similar to Louis and Aiglon, but more similar than their faces are their eyes - the kind of eyes that are ambitious and arrogant, eager to trample the world under their feet.
He is the younger brother of the former Dutch King Napoleon-Louis Bonaparte, Charles-Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, and another cousin of Aiglon.
In the eyes of most people, this young man is just a young boy of about the same age as himself, and they won't take it seriously. However, Aigron won't - because he knows that his cousin was originally a young man. On the historical line, after decades of struggle, the long-cherished wish of the Bonaparte family to return to the throne has been truly realized.
He first took advantage of the east wind of the 1848 revolution and became the president of the Second French Republic through election. Then he eliminated the opposition step by step, and officially became the emperor of the Second French Empire in 1852.
And after that, he sat on the throne for 18 years, plus the 4 years as president, he ruled for a total of 22 years, longer than Louis XVI and Napoleon himself - in that turbulent era, To be able to do this is definitely close to a miracle, and it is definitely not something that can be achieved by luck.
Of course, in this world line, he is now definitely his subject.
No matter what he thinks in his heart, he can only face himself respectfully at the moment.
[The names of these two brothers are so similar. I couldn’t find out how they differed from each other when I checked the information, so... I just decided on my own. The elder brother is called Louis, and the younger brother (Nathan in the original history) is called Charlie, because As long as the protagonist is around, they will consciously not use the title of 'Napoleon'.
As for why they are not called Charles... I always feel that it is weird to call Na San "Char", and the author is a bit screwed up...]
"In that case, let's take a rest for the night." Aigron made a decision and then looked at the brothers. "However, after dawn tomorrow, no matter what the weather is like, we must leave, and we can't delay any longer!"
The two brothers looked at each other, and then Louis nodded. "Okay, Your Majesty, I hope God will give us good weather tomorrow."
It is really not a good idea to travel through the Alps in bad weather, but there is no other better way at the moment, so I have to bite the bullet and give it a try.
They are racing against time.
After escaping from Vienna, according to the plan, someone was responsible for spreading suspicion and ran directly to the southern border of Italy. Although he did not dare to hope that he could completely deceive the Austrians, it could at least serve as a distraction.
They must take advantage of this gap to escape. No matter what happens, nothing can stop him.
Aiglon didn't talk to them much, he knew now was not a good time to talk.
After warming himself for a while, he stood up directly.
"Okay, let's take a rest early and leave as soon as it clears up tomorrow."
After he stood up and left, Chanel stood up immediately, wanting to help Aigron sleep as usual.
"Your Majesty..." Louis walked to Aigron's side and whispered to him, "Now is a critical moment, you'd better save your energy..."
Wait, do you think I can't help but go into heat at a time like this?
Aigron felt dumbfounded.
"I'll pay attention, Louis." He didn't get angry, but patted his cousin on the shoulder.
Then, Aigron took Chanel to a bedroom.
Compared with the Schönbrunn Palace, the furnishings here are naturally very simple, and because there are no heating appliances, it is uncomfortable to be cold, but Aigron doesn't care.
Aigron lit the candlestick in the room, and Chanel made the bed for Aigron as usual, while Aigron walked to the window and looked into the distance.
It was now night, darkness had enveloped the entire world, and it was impossible for him to see even the Alps covered with snow. However, in his illusory vision, those continuous mountain peaks seemed to be revealing their vague outlines to him.
We are already very close to the border. As long as we continue forward and cross the Alps, we can escape from the country and come to Bregenz in Switzerland.
The first destination of their trip was Switzerland.
Why Switzerland?
First of all, this is the place where the two brothers' mother, Princess Ortense, lives in seclusion. The two Louis brothers are relatively familiar with this place and have enough connections and resources to help him temporarily live in seclusion. He can find the first and most important shelter.
Secondly, after 1815, Switzerland became a permanently neutral country at the Vienna Peace Conference. However, historically speaking, major powers often go back on their word and treat treaties as waste paper, so the so-called "permanent neutral country" cannot be called reliable. However, at least this permanent neutral country status is here, and Switzerland will not be the only one to the Austrian Empire. He had to obey his orders, and of course he would not act completely according to the wishes of the French King.
Therefore, even if the Swiss government finds out that there are clues about his absconding, it will not be able to use all the efforts of the country to arrest him. Then he will have a breathing space and can calmly carry out his next plan.
Moreover, Switzerland and France are also neighboring countries. He can deliver the news to France as soon as possible to encourage those remaining supporters in France——
He did not dare to expect them to launch an armed uprising immediately, and he did not need them to do so. At present, he only needed to boost their morale and strengthen their confidence. He believed that he could easily do this.
French King Charles X's rebellious behavior has greatly lost the hearts of the people. He will have plenty of opportunities to win over people's hearts in the future. He is not in a hurry at this moment. He should first stabilize the team now.
"Your Majesty, it's been packed..." While he was still deep in thought, Chanel whispered to him, "You can rest now."
Since escaping, Chanel has taken the initiative to change the name of her master. It can be seen that this name is more smooth for her.
"Okay, thank you, Chanel." Aiglon interrupted his thoughts and prepared to go to bed.
He lay on the bed, while Chanel was about to lie down on the bedside to sleep.
"Chanel, isn't it cold?" Aigron asked.
"It's okay, Your Majesty..." Chanel shook her head, but her pale face revealed the opposite fact.
"Then, I'm cold, let's sleep hugging each other, it will be warmer." Aigron ordered, and then opened his arms to her.
"Your Majesty..." Chanel was surprised, happy, and a little hesitant. "I am completely dirty now and I am not worthy to be near you..."
"Okay, hurry up." Aiglon ordered impatiently, and then took the squirming Chanel into his arms.
He doesn't have any evil desires. On the one hand, he knows that now is not the time to have fun; on the other hand, as Chanel said, the sanitary conditions are unlikely to make him have any desires - both of them have been there for several days. There was no shower, Chanel didn't even have a chance to change clothes, and both of them smelled a little bad.
He just wanted to use this method to comfort Chanel and give himself some warm encouragement.
The girl in his arms, whose once shiny golden hair now looked dull due to oil stains, was, however, more dazzling than gold in his eyes at this moment.
She tried her best to help her escape, and she didn't even cry out in pain during the bumpy journey. How could gold compare to this kind of loyalty?
There was complete silence all around, and all the noise in the world seemed to be swallowed up by the wind and snow, leaving only the subtle breathing of two people.
To be honest, among the "loyal ministers and filial sons" in this industry, the only person he truly placed all his trust in was Chanel.
"Chanel, thank you for working so hard for me. The time is about to come when I can repay you with actual actions instead of verbal promises." He whispered to Chanel, "After I hit the bottom, If you stay by my side, then as long as I become successful one day, there will definitely be a place for you in the empire. To put it in vulgar words, you are not a buddy, you are a shareholder. No matter what business I build, I will give you a share. I gave it to you."
"Your Majesty..." His emotional promise moved Chanel so much that she couldn't help but close her eyes and lean into the young man's arms, "As long as I can stay with you, that will be the greatest reward."
"Remember what I told you before? Hidden treasure." Aiglon continued to ask.
"I remember." Shanel nodded.
"That treasure is on a small island in the Mediterranean. I will find a way to take people there, and then the two of us will dig out the treasure." Aigron emphasized to her in a low voice, "It's the two of us!"
"Huh?" Chanel looked at Aigron in surprise. "You...you don't plan to let your highnesses know?"
"Yes, of course I have to hide it from them! My wealth can only be handled by people I completely trust." Aigron replied without thinking, "Not only do I have to hide it from them, I also have to pretend to tell my elders who are still alive Relatives ask for sponsorship money.”
"Why...?" Chanel was a little confused.
"If you want to start a career, the more money, the better, right?" Aigron replied with a sneer, "They relied on my father to make a fortune, and even though the empire failed, they still saved a lot of money, so as a Isn't it justifiable for the heir to the empire to ask for a little bit of funds to restore the country? If they give it, then I will repay them after I establish my business in the future and give them the honor they deserve... If they are stingy and refuse to give it, that's fine, I will. You can ignore them as a matter of course! From now on, they can no longer threaten me with my family!"
This is something Aigron has planned. He knows that his elders are not easy to save money and may cause trouble for him in the future, so he simply sets a threshold and asks them to sponsor him. Elders who are unwilling to sponsor It just so happens that it can be entered into another book under the name of "unintentional restoration of the country".
"Your Majesty..." Chanel didn't know what to say, "Some people may say that you... are a little unkind to your family members."
"I don't care what others say. I must first determine the status of the family - I will be the leader of the clan and have the supreme status. If I can't even rule a family, then what qualifications do I have to rule an empire?" Aigron said decisively. Answer, "Following my father's lessons, here, relatives should prove their loyalty to themselves. If they cannot prove their loyalty, they are no different from enemies. No elder can be superior to me just by virtue of age!"
Then, he looked at Chanel again and whispered to her, "What I'm telling you are my most precious secrets. Chanel, just keep it in your heart and never reveal a word to others. "
"Yes." Chanel immediately agreed without hesitation.
After a moment of silence, Aigron revealed his next plan.
"There is no doubt that if the treasure is unearthed, it will temporarily relieve me of financial worries, but the so-called treasure - no matter how valuable the jewelry - is just a dead thing, and I cannot use these dead things to give When someone else pays a salary, I need cash, and a large amount of cash. This means that I have to find a way to sell these treasures at a high price, and the sooner the better. I cannot have the energy alone, Chanel , I hope you will help me with this matter."
"I will do it for you, Your Majesty..." Chanel nodded first, but hesitated a little, "However, if I am alone, it will be difficult for me to meet your requirements..."
"Don't worry about this. I will find people who are directly affiliated with me to cooperate with your work." Aigron nodded gently, "I can't rely on Louis and the others for everything. Otherwise, even if I take out the money, I will still be nothing." Just a puppet."
Shanel nodded confusedly.
Although Your Highness said it easily, you can see that this kind of thing is very difficult - it must be difficult to find someone who can maintain absolute loyalty in the face of a huge amount of treasure. However, there are so many people loyal to the Bonaparte family, so they should still be able to find them.
Wasn't it someone who told His Highness about the treasure?
After explaining these things, the two people finally fell silent.
At this time, the fatigue caused by the bumpy journey finally made them slowly fall into sleep.
There was still wind and snow outside the window, but at this moment, they felt extremely warm to each other.
After an unknown amount of time, Aigron opened his eyes drowsily.
It's probably early morning now, and it's not bright yet.
He subconsciously looked towards the window.
At this time, he clearly saw that there was a large blue sky outside, with only a few white clouds as embellishments.
With the call of the strong wind, red clouds and mist appear slightly between the towering peaks of the Alps, and the snow-capped mountains are wearing that holy gauze to welcome the arrival of the golden morning sun.
The sun was like a thin line, slowly moving forward, revealing the beautiful and rugged mountains. The peaks that had been subject to strong winds all night now shyly calmed down and watched helplessly. The golden paintbrush dyed her coat even more dazzlingly.
The towering top of the mountain is looming in the clouds and mist. From the top of the mountain to the foot of the mountain is a long slope. At this time, there is a thick layer of snow on the slope, like a white silk satin pouring down from the sky, connecting heaven and earth. world.
So spectacular! So beautiful again!
"It's a good weather..." Aigron looked at the magnificent scenery on the horizon, and then showed a heartfelt smile.
"Your Majesty, God is indeed blessing you!" Chanel hugged the young man fiercely to vent her excitement.
