"So you know how to do this... Okay, cheers!"
After Aigron raised his glass, Edgar and Agnes also raised their glasses to celebrate the birth of Xia Lu.
Agron was so surprised just now because he really didn't expect that Agnes, who usually seemed so proud, would actually say such flattering words to him.
But think about it carefully, she was not doing it for herself, but for her sister and nephew, so she spoke like this deliberately to please herself.
It seems that Agnes also comes from a wealthy family after all, and her skills in dealing with others have naturally been familiar to her since she was a child, but she just doesn't like to use them.
And today she deliberately said these words, which shows that Agnes is also able to take things up and let them go. She is not just stubborn and proud, but considers others.
After thinking about these causes and consequences, Aigron couldn't help but feel more favorable to Agnes.
"I am thousands of miles away today and cannot send a gift in time for Xia Lu's birth. This is indeed regrettable." After taking a sip of wine, Aigron continued, "However, when I come to Paris in the future, Then Xia Lu will definitely be the child holding flowers next to me... In my opinion, Xia Lu's birth is like the buoy and guidance God dropped for me in Paris, telling me where my ultimate goal is. …”
His half-serious, half-joking words and tone full of humor amused the two people in front of him. Agnes couldn't help but smile and winked at Agron playfully, as if to express her gratitude. He is so understanding.
Although she was still wearing men's clothes at the moment, the blush on her face after drinking and the twitching in her eyes seemed to give her more charm that only belonged to a girl.
Agron suddenly felt that this kind of formulaic dinner seemed to be very interesting with Agnes accompanying him.
During this period of time, he has been busy with the war, and his mind has been filled with guns and blood. Although this can satisfy a young man's desire for power and killing, deep down he also has the pursuit of a poet.
Now that the war is temporarily over, it seems okay for him to enjoy a little time as a poet again?
At this time, the most poetic person in the entire Nafpaktos was right in front of him. Why not let time stop for a while and make himself happier for a while?
Therefore, he could have ended the dinner directly, but deliberately extended this small banquet.
"Miss Agnes." After a moment of silence, Agron spoke again, "Did you associate with any poets or writers when you were in Paris? I think with your style, there must be someone similar to you. Is it a tribute?"
This question made Agnes a little confused. After a moment, she answered honestly, "I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint you... I'm not very keen on socializing in Paris, and my interest is not in literature and poetry, so although There are many talented poets and writers there, but I have never interacted with any of them. However, someone did mention that he wanted to give me a hymn, but I felt too embarrassed so I declined... because I always felt that this kind of person did not They don’t really admire me, they just want to please my father, and they will definitely exaggerate on purpose to make me look like a arrogant fool..."
After finishing speaking, her expression looked a little embarrassed, as if she had thought of some unpleasant experiences.
To save Agnes, Edgar also intervened. "Your Majesty, I'm afraid you don't know that my father-in-law is very favored by the court, so many people like to gather at his home to flatter him. Because Agnes is his youngest and most beloved daughter, so those people will do it whenever they have the opportunity. Everyone wanted to please her, and some even had more ulterior motives... Agnes was annoyed by this, so she always used sword training and competition as an excuse to avoid it, and she was actively isolated from the social world because of this. "
Although Edgar's explanation was not detailed, Aigron understood it immediately.
That's right... With Agnes and her family background, after she reaches this age, someone will definitely want to pursue her in order to get the help of her in-laws - not to mention that she has such beauty and fame, I am afraid that in the eyes of the upper class, she Indeed one of the hottest marriageables.
It would be strange not to.
"It's not easy to be able to maintain inner purity and calm when being flattered by others, without losing yourself." Aigron nodded approvingly, "But I think, besides these people, there will always be people who don't follow the crowd. , they can face you correctly and treat you as a friend——"
"That would be even more terrifying~" Agnes smacked her tongue and showed a playful smile, "Such people are usually arrogant and arrogant, and are used to pointing fingers at the government. They would not be tolerated in my living room... …In order to prevent my father from getting angry, I couldn’t even hide from them.”
What Agnes said is true. Most of the poets who are proud of their talents are opponents - or, in the eyes of the government, most people are born opponents. As a noble, Duke Nordlyen is indeed I won't associate with such people.
"In this way, your family's social circle is too narrow, right?" Aigron couldn't help complaining, "If you just associate with those people who follow the trend, even if you are prosperous for a while, you will not be able to establish a truly solid prestige. Today's world is too prone to changes. Once something happens to your father, can you still count on these people to help him?"
"My father..." Agnes frowned slightly, as if she was considering her words. After a moment, she spoke again, "He is a good old man. I love him very much, and I am very grateful for his care for me... but I He also admitted that he had neither special talents nor the prestige to lead others, and was not suitable for taking on big responsibilities. He was able to be trusted by His Majesty the King only because he had a surname respected by the court - he himself was very satisfied with the status quo, after all He has been in exile for so many years. He is extremely lucky to be able to return to France and enjoy the life he had back then. He just wants to try his best to make up for the time he lost, so he hates those things that remind him of unpleasant memories. People...even if he knows that those people may be useful to him, he is not willing to give any good looks."
After listening to Agnes's comments, Agron understood.
During the bloody revolution that lasted for more than 20 years, King Charles X and a large number of nobles had to flee France and live a life of exile under the shelter of others. This life naturally accumulated extremely fierce hatred in their hearts.
After luckily returning to France with the help of foreign bayonets, they only yearned for the glory of the past and wanted everything to return to the old era intact. They had no desire to make any difference with the changed world. What a compromise.
After returning to France, although King Louis XVIII issued a charter and made many policy concessions, he was only willing to share power with the exiled old aristocratic groups around him.
The prime ministers he later appointed, such as Prince Polignac, Duke Richelieu, etc., were all from the old aristocracy. The subsequent King Charles X was even more conservative and stubborn in his thinking than his brother Louis XVIII, so this aggravated the situation. this phenomenon.
The restored Bourbon dynasty cooperated militarily with the military chiefs who grew up during the Napoleonic era; economically it shared interests with the bourgeoisie, but politically it was monopolized by a very narrow circle. The palace of Versailles is the only remnant of the old aristocracy in this era.
They thought that this arrangement was very stable and would allow the "good old days" to continue forever. Little did they know that in a changed world, this approach was destined to be unworkable.
Therefore, in history, the Restoration Dynasty only lasted for a short fifteen years. In 1830, it was overthrown by the French people with a new revolution. The Bourbon Dynasty was officially ended and replaced by a more enlightened and politically flexible one. The Orleans family, a branch of the royal family.
Although the current world line has changed due to Aigron's actions, judging from various signs, the general trend of history has not changed. The rule of these old aristocrats is destined to become lonely in the end and then disappear from history. In the long river.
The only difference is who will pick the final fruits of victory - Aigron is naturally one of the ambitious hunters.
"I didn't expect you to see things so clearly, to be so objective even when you evaluate your own father." Aigron couldn't help but look at Agnes with approval.
"You are flattering me. In fact, I was just repeating what my sister said..." Agnes smiled sheepishly, "When we just returned to China, Alice actually persuaded her father several times in private, asking him to at least put aside his words. She pretended to be enlightened, interacted more with civilian politicians, and formed many good relationships, letting everyone know that her father held an enlightened stance. However, her father always rejected her suggestions and scolded her not to meddle in other people's business... My sister later became discouraged and disappointed. , and then told me in private several times that our good life may not last long before it is gone again~"
Aiglon blinked, but he didn't expect that there would be such twists and turns.
But it’s right to think about it. Alice’s willingness to marry Edgar proves that she really doesn’t have any sectarian ideas. If Duke Nordlyon had just made a smooth move and used marriage to win over the Treville family, wouldn’t it be another problem? Is the Bonaparte family secretly placing a bet?
However, although the Duke acquiesced to this undesirable marriage for the sake of his reputation, he was arrogant and stubborn and refused to associate with General Treville. As a result, while the general admired his daughter-in-law, he was disdainful of his in-laws and could not talk to him at all. Join the political alliance and give away a daughter in vain.
Isn’t such an emotional and unwise move just ridiculous and a pity?
No wonder these people can’t achieve anything big! Aiglon sarcastically said in his heart.
"It's such a pity for Alice. I really didn't expect that she has such a mind and knowledge." Aigron sighed, and then looked at Edgar who had been silent next to him, "You are really lucky to marry her. , Edgar.”
"Of course, of course." Edgar replied with a sneer while taking a sip of wine.
To be honest, he naturally appreciates his wife's knowledge and intelligence. Being able to get such attention from his father also shows that Alice is indeed extraordinary... However, for him, these are not the things he cares about most. He likes It was only Alice's appearance and elegance that he liked equally in other women.
"I can sense Alice's disappointment in your father, or the disappointment in the entire Restoration Dynasty. Otherwise, she would not let go of her grudge so easily and show her loyalty to me." Aigron looked at Agnes again, " So Agnes, what do you think? Do you agree with her?"
"Same, but not exactly the same." Agnes gave a puzzling answer.
Then, she explained in a low voice, "Actually, I don't care about all this. As you know, I have been living in exile with my parents since I was born. I returned to Paris after the Restoration. It has only been ten years now... This city is spectacular Prosperous, but for me, there is no emotional bond. So sometimes I am confused, where is my hometown? It is not in Italy, but it is certainly not in Paris. If my father can always maintain his position, then naturally It's best, but so what if we can't save it? We didn't get through it back then, and the worst is just a repeat, so my sister is anxious and painful about the current situation, but I don't care at all..."
Well, that is to say, Agnes is a complete liberal in politics and doesn't care about the consequences at all...
Well, this is indeed Agnes.
"That's right. A talented person like you will never worry about where to go. I believe that no matter how the situation changes, you can live very comfortably no matter where you are." Agron complimented Agnes with a smile. One sentence. “And your personality makes you feel at ease.”
"Then let me lend you some good advice!" Agnes replied with a smile, "Now I don't think about those troublesome things at all. Anyway, no matter how much I think about it, I can't change anything. My biggest wish now is to wait for Xia Lu to be a little bit better. When she grows up, I will teach her swordsmanship, and I hope she can practice it from a young age and eventually become a swordsman who can surpass me."
"It's better not to torment the child so much!" Edgar became anxious when he heard this. "I think it's better for my daughter to learn something elegant. I want to teach her painting, and I also have to teach her music and dance. , so as not to become a fierce woman and completely lose the charm of French women."
"What are you talking about? Do you have any objections to me?" Agnes became angry when she heard this and glared at her brother-in-law.
"Hahahaha..." Seeing the two of them arguing, Aigron couldn't help laughing again, "Let me be the referee - you can compromise and be responsible for her education at the same time. Wouldn't that be everything? Is it perfect? It’s just a pain for this child..."
Then, after laughing for a while, he suggested to Agnes, "Miss Agnes, you must have been exhausted during this period, right? I want to go hunting nearby to relax in the next two days. If you are interested, you can also You can come and enjoy it.”
