"There's nothing I need you to do now, let's just wait and see what happens next."
After saying this, Metternich seemed to have lost interest in continuing the conversation, so he bowed to Sophie again to say goodbye.
"Wait!" When he was about to turn around and leave, Sophie suddenly called him out loud.
"Do you have any other instructions?" Metternich looked at the other party in confusion.
Sophie hesitated for a moment, as if she didn't know how to speak. After a moment, she spoke again as if she had made up her mind.
"If you can, please don't...please don't murder him." She slowed down her tone and her expression softened, "I know that you are full of anger towards him and me...I don't I beg your forgiveness, but I think you should still remember that he is the grandson of His Majesty the Emperor after all, and he has not shown any intention to be your enemy so far. Since you were able to chat and laugh with Napoleon back then, then why not Can't you shake hands with him and make peace? As long as there is a chance, he should be happy to cooperate with you."
She tried hard to maintain her dignity, but her words made her stature very low.
This was the closest this stubborn woman came to begging.
Even though she knew that this kind of begging was meaningless and would only make herself look naive and ridiculous, she still said it.
Maybe she, who is powerless to do anything at the moment, can only find a little psychological comfort for herself in this way.
Huh, what a stupid woman. In the face of power, let alone grandchildren, what do father, son and brothers mean?
However, although the sneer was a sneer, Metternich did not want to be sarcastic about Sophie's pitiful appearance.
"You know, I don't hold any prejudice against anything. I only adapt to circumstances, so all choices are open to me." He lightly shrugged, "So, what action do I choose? It’s all about his actions, we have to be patient and see.”
After saying that, he stopped staying and walked out of Sophie's apartment.
Under the leadership of the attendant, he passed through the corridor and returned to the hall. At this time, his assistant, Mr. Friedrich von Genz, came next to him.
"How is it, Your Excellency?" he asked the Prime Minister in a low voice.
"It's a mess," Metternich replied angrily. "The only thing that can be confirmed is that everything that has happened has nothing to do with our Royal Highness the Princess. On the contrary, it is very likely to have something to do with Archduke Karl."
"What?" Gentz was shocked.
, "According to Her Royal Highness Sophie's explanation, Princess Theresa seems to have left our country and came to Duke Lechstadt. Please check it after you return to Vienna." Metternich frowned and said with two talents He spoke to his assistant at a volume that was clearly audible.
"Oh God!" After hearing these words, Mr. Genz's reaction was exactly the same as that of the Prime Minister just now. "He...how could he allow his daughter to do this?"
"Maybe he thinks he is great and can do whatever he wants. Don't forget that he has always been resentful of His Majesty." Metternich replied with a sneer.
After a moment, he changed the topic again, "No matter what, since it has happened, we have to think about how to make up for it."
"Sooner or later, everyone will know about this matter. We need to inform all countries and tell them that this is just Archduke Karl's personal behavior and does it not represent our official position?" Mr. Genz asked.
"That's not what I'm talking about!" Metternich frowned again and interrupted the other party, "Princess Teresa wants to go crazy. She can go crazy as long as she wants. I don't care. Now for us, Lechstadt The Duke himself is not important, there is someone else who is really important."
"Who?" Gentz was a little confused.
"The Tsar." Metternich replied in a low voice. "The Tsar is too young. He has raging ambitions and is eager to establish prestige among his subjects... I am worried that he will not be able to bear this provocation and temptation. Little guy's Jumping around isn't enough to give me a headache, but if the Tsar causes trouble, we'll have our hands full."
"You mean that the Tsar may launch a war against Turkey...in the name of liberating Greece?" Gentz seemed to understand what the prime minister meant.
"There are many signs that he may think so." Metternich nodded.
His expression was very solemn, and it was obvious that this was what really worried him.
The Vienna Peace Conference was the greatest achievement in his life. At the Peace Conference, as the presiding officer, he maneuvered among the major powers, and together with them he led the division of the entire European borders, and also allowed the bloody war to last for nearly 30 years. Europe is finally calming down a bit.
No matter from the perspective of his personal achievements or from the perspective of Austria's own interests, he does not want the current peace to be broken.
For Austria, the most important thing is to "restore the old appearance and then maintain the old appearance."
In order to achieve this goal, the three major monarchies of Russia, Prussia, and Austria need to unite closely and coordinate their actions in order to jointly suppress the burning revolutionary flames.
To maintain this unity, the most important thing is "restraint."
Every major country should restrain its ambitions and resolve all disputes and disputes in a coordinated manner among major powers. Only in this way can balance of power and peace be maintained.
However, his painstaking efforts did not seem to be understood by the Tsar. It seemed that the Tsar was preparing to march with great ambition.
"Then what do you think we should do?" Genz asked cautiously.
Metternich did not answer immediately, but looked out the window, thoughtfully.
"Maybe we should hold a special meeting of the major powers to solve the Eastern problem." After a moment, he spoke again, "No matter what, Cossack boots must not set foot in Constantinople... I think the same is true for others. Thought."
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While the Austrian court was whispering about the big news about Duke Leichstadt, there were also people in Paris discussing it.
However, compared to Metternich's worries, Marquis Treville was completely opposite and was in extreme excitement and joy.
When Aigron was preparing to leave the Island of Monte Cristo, he sent a messenger to France and delivered his secret message to the house of the Marquis of Treville.
In the letter, Aiglon detailed his current situation, thanked the Marquis of Treville for his help, and then asked him to encourage the Bonapartists in France, strengthen the momentum of His Majesty Napoleon II, and continue to recruit for himself More hands came to help him.
After receiving the letter, Marquis Treville immediately fell into excitement.
Since the fall of the empire, his future has been ruined. The Marquis family has been silent for more than ten years. Seeing the decline of the family and the dust of the pearl - now he finally sees the hope of revitalizing the family in the young majesty. How could he not What about ecstasy?
He made up his mind to serve His Majesty to the best of his ability, so that if the situation changes, the Treville family will become one of the most glorious families in the empire.
But there was one thing that worried him...
His only son, Edgar, liked art more than his own future, and was addicted to the glitz and dissolute life in Paris, which was a bit disappointing.
Precisely because he was worried about his son, he would rather discuss important matters with his daughter-in-law Alice.
Today, it was Alice sitting in front of him as well.
"Father." Alice looked at her father-in-law with a serious face, and there seemed to be a determined light in her blue eyes. "I thought about it seriously. We cannot be absent from His Majesty's grand event. There is no doubt that this expedition was carefully planned by His Majesty, and it also placed all his hopes and energy on it. Therefore, the most important thing for him to do is to do his best. If no one from our family was present at the time of the incident, how could he have the impression of the Treville family when he achieves great things in the future and recalls his most shining moments?
In other words, if we are not present, when people around him discuss merits in the future, they will remember that the Treville family was absent at that time, wouldn't other people be justified in treating us as inferior? So for our future status, we should invest in it..."
General Treville nodded silently.
He knew that his daughter-in-law was right, and she had always seen things quite clearly.
He really couldn't find anything wrong with Alice. Although she was from the old family, she had never looked down upon his own family. On the contrary, ever since she married into his family, she had given priority to her family's future.
Moreover, she is quite smart and can make suggestions for herself from time to time, so that she is used to listening to her opinions.
So sometimes it was really hard for him to understand why his son, despite having such a good wife, continued to live the same life of attracting bees and butterflies.
He knew what his son had done in private, but in order not to ruin their relationship, he hid it from Alice.
But, does Alice really not know? He sometimes thought that with Alice's keenness and intelligence, it might not be difficult to guess.
While his thoughts were racing, the corner of his eye subconsciously fell on Alice's bulging belly, which was about to give birth.
Well, since we can't count on a son, we can only count on the child in Alice's belly. I hope this child can inherit both Edgar's talent and Alice's character.
If it can really be achieved, then my life's struggle and efforts will be meaningful.
"Father?" Because the general was silent for a long time, Alice asked again, "Do you think my idea is right?"
"I think you are right, Alice." Marquis Treville retracted his thoughts, and then sighed, "But, I really can't do without..."
"I know you can't leave, and you have a heavy responsibility in Paris, so you can't leave." Alice nodded, and then expressed her thoughts, "But Edgar can go, as he is your only son, It is enough to represent the Treville family in itself...I think even if someone mentions it in the future, we have enough to show our loyalty and courage."
The Marquis of Treville knew that what his daughter-in-law said was correct, but he still felt hesitant.
Although his son was useless, he was his only son after all. He had given him so much love since he was a child, and how could he be willing to take risks all of a sudden?
"You are about to give birth. I'm afraid it wouldn't be good for him to leave at this time." After hesitating for a moment, he answered.
"It's not a problem. I can take care of everything at home." Alice shook her head and said it was not a difficulty. "Since you have commanded an army, of course you know how to make trade-offs. The birth of a child is of course important. But isn't it more important to create a better future for our children? If we don't seize the position now, then maybe everything we have done before will be in vain... So I think we should do this - even if it is just in front of His Majesty Showing your face and hanging around him for a few months will make all the difference.”
"It sounds like you are more loyal than me..." Marquis Treville smiled bitterly.
"There is no such thing as loyalty or disloyalty. I don't care about Bonaparte or Bourbon." Alice also smiled bitterly, "But since we have chosen to take this path, we should take it seriously. If we take it Isn’t that ridiculous if you have to be careless and take risks for nothing?”
The Marquis of Treville found that he had been persuaded by his daughter-in-law.
This is indeed the truth.
Although he doted on his son, he was still able to make the right decision after carefully weighing it.
"Okay... I think you are right, Alice, let's do it this way! Edgar will go with those volunteers, and I think His Majesty will take good care of him."
"It's nice of you to listen to me." Alice breathed a sigh of relief, then finally smiled. "Although Edgar's will is a little weaker, he is your only heir after all. He has his due obligations. This family needs him to make due contributions at critical moments... Also, I think, if another person is replaced, Place, Edgar can also temporarily get rid of this harmful lifestyle and cheer up..."
Alice, do you really know everything? The Marquis of Treville wanted to ask, but in the end he swallowed his words.
"Okay, I will tell Edgar my decision when he comes back. You don't need to worry about it anymore. Just take care of yourself." He sighed, "Alice, I really can't express my feelings in words." Our family owes you a lot for your respect and satisfaction. I only hope that one day we can really prosper and then be able to repay you with enough things."
"Your words are already an excellent reward." Alice replied with a smile.
After a moment, she returned to the previous topic, "Actually, like you, I don't want to see Edgar face any danger, so... After thinking about it, I decided to lower my face and beg my sister to stop for the time being. Give him a ride."
"Agnes, will she be willing?" Marquis Treville asked in surprise.
"If I beg her, she will be willing." Alice replied slightly sadly, "Using her feelings for her sister to manipulate her really makes me a little ashamed. I originally didn't want her to be involved in all this... …May God forgive me…”
