Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Haidee completed her baptism ceremony. From today on, she officially converted to Orthodox Christianity, which also laid the foundation for being recognized by European countries as the Grand Duchess of Ioannina in the future.
After the ceremony, there were endless cheers outside the church, so the pastor and Teresa, together with Haidee, walked out of the church and paraded amidst the cheers of the people.
This timid little girl didn't know such complicated things. She just stood quietly behind Teresa. In her confusion, she had realized that her fate was closely linked to the young couple, and they were both prosperous and devastated.
The people who were originally watching the ceremony in the church also came out one after another, talking to each other.
Aeglon and his ally Panos Colokotronis walked together. His guards surrounded the two people, politely but firmly not allowing anyone to get close, and others could naturally see the situation. , so they also walked around one after another, not to disturb the conversation between these two important people.
"Today is such a pleasant day." Aigron raised his head, looked up at the clear sky above his head, and sighed softly.
"It was indeed a very pleasant day." Panos-Colokotronis responded with a smile, "We really didn't expect that you could do this... It's really imaginative."
Aigron just laughed it off.
After receiving his notice, the Panos father and son were quite surprised, but after some hesitation, they finally accepted Haidee's arrangement to become the Grand Duchess of Ioannina.
This is not a very pleasant thing for them. After all, part of the Ioannina area is in Greece (and part of it is now in Albania). If Aigron's arrangement comes true, it means that Greece A small part of the territory will fall into the future Principality of Ioannina.
So Aigron could hear that in the other party's tone, in addition to praise, there was also a little blame.
However, the cause of Greek independence is already in jeopardy, and it will not be easy to survive. How can we dare to hope too much? If it weren't for Aigron's money and effort, they might have lost all hope now, so even though they felt unhappy, they still pinched their noses and agreed to the arrangement.
"My friends, there is no need for you to be disappointed, because this is not a tragic loss for you. On the contrary, it will save you a lot of trouble." Aigron whispered to the other party, "Don't forget the entire Ioannina area. There are a large number of SLs. If you have to include them under the rule of Greece in the future, what are you going to do with them? Expel them all? Throw them into the sea together? Or admit them with your nose pinched? Either way will only make you Got a headache."
What Eggron mentioned is also an objective reality. After all, the Greek War of Independence has turned into a brutal national vendetta. If this area is really allowed to be ruled by the Greeks themselves, I am afraid that the bloody vendetta will never happen again. Rest.
This will not only cause Greece to consume too much manpower and material resources that should be used to build the country, but also affect Greece's international reputation, which is completely useless.
Panos also knew in his heart that what Aigron said was the truth, so he nodded.
"It's time for us to move on from the never-ending killings... We look forward to this day coming soon."
Then, he asked Aigron, "So, sir, how do you plan to deal with these SLs in the future?"
"I will not forcefully enslave them, nor will I impose a mandatory poll tax. I allow them to survive here as subjects of the principality. As long as they are willing to work hard and pay taxes according to regulations, then they are good citizens." Aiglon replied, " But I will clearly declare that only Orthodox Christians are qualified to rule the principality, and if they are dissatisfied with this or even dare to rebel, then I will have no mercy."
Aiglon's tone was decisive, without any hesitation.
It's not that he really hates the local residents, but now, he came to Greece under the banner of "saving Christians", and he also gained huge fame through this, and even the Pope of Rome publicly commended him Because of him, in order to carry this reputation, he must show unflinching "piety" on religious issues.
There must be no ambiguity on the issue of stance.
Seeing Aigron's resolute attitude, Panos nodded with confidence.
For him, it would be a good thing if the bloody killings that have lasted for so many years can be ended as soon as possible. He just wants his motherland to enjoy peace as soon as possible, so that future generations can survive as citizens of an independent country.
"The Austrian envoy has found you before, right?" Aigron asked suddenly.
"Yes." Panos was stunned for a moment, then nodded quickly.
"How was your conversation?" Aigron asked with a smile.
Although he was smiling, Panos felt stern in his heart.
Von Mayrhoven, the special envoy of the Austrian Embassy, came to the Peloponnese Peninsula before. He first met Theresa in Mesoni, and then went to meet them through Theresa's introduction. The two sides talked with each other. After that, a tacit understanding was reached.
Because he knew that there was collusion between Aigron and the Austrians, he knew that he could never be vague or deceive the other party, so he decided to tell the truth.
According to their opinion, the current results obtained by Aiglon and the Greek Independence Army are brilliant enough to give up.
Therefore, after Russia began to advance, he hoped that they would negotiate peace with the Turkish army, so that these people could withdraw to the Thrace region in an orderly manner and regroup to resist the Russian army's front.
On the Greek side, statehood should be established as soon as possible in order to create a fait accompli and eliminate the excuse of the Russians to "rescue their Orthodox compatriots."
After the establishment of Greece, the Western powers will immediately use this as an excuse to demand that the Russian Empire withdraw its troops. Firstly, the reputation of justice has been lost. Secondly, the pressure from the Western powers is also overwhelming, and the Tsar will of course make compromises.
Of course, if you want the Tsar to retreat, you must pay some price, but these prices are paid by the Turks. They have to pay compensation to the Russian Empire by ceding territory in order to dispel the Tsar's anger.
In other words, at the end of this game, all participants except Turkey will be winners. It is just a matter of winning more and losing less. Only the Turks will be the only losers and will bear the bitter consequences of failure.
The price of this defeat would be very painful - not only the recognition of Greek independence and the loss of Ioannina, but also the cession of territory and indemnity to the Russian Empire.
However, the law of the jungle is the prevailing law in this world. Since the Turks failed, they had to face cruel and ruthless results - just as they did to the countries they conquered, there is no grievance to say.
This aging empire could still survive, instead of being conquered and annexed by the Russian Empire in one fell swoop. It was entirely because of the Western European powers that it could guard the straits and restrict Russia. In this sense, they were on the contrary. The great powers should be thanked.
"Then what do you think about this?" After listening, Aigron asked the other party calmly.
"I think that's a pretty good idea," Panos replied. "I told the envoy that if we can ensure that the Western powers stand up and openly support Greek independence, then we are willing to act in accordance with their wishes. Even...even if it goes against the wishes of the Russian Empire."
For Panos Kolokotronis, there is not much psychological burden on siding with Western Europe. Although their Russian Empire shares the Orthodox Christian faith, in this era, the influence and appeal of the Russian Empire cannot be achieved in any way. Compared with the Western European powers, it is the center of civilization.
If given a choice, most Greeks would naturally be willing to defect to the side of the Western powers.
Moreover, if they can turn the tide and win the country's independence, the reputation of Kolokotronis and his son will surely rise, and their brave persistence over the years will also earn them the respect they deserve - and this respect will naturally It will also turn into power.
With power in hand, they no longer need to act according to the will of the Tsar.
"So when will the peace talks begin?" Aigron asked again.
"My father has already sent people to Athens, and the Turks and Egyptians there will start negotiations with them." Panos replied, "Of course, we will not exclude you, and all the details of the peace talks will be discussed in detail. You are notified and you can express your opinion.”
Aiglon nodded, he deserved this.
Right now, he has the power to derail any peace agreement, so everyone must consider his opinion.
At this time, Panos Colokotronis suddenly looked around again vigilantly. After making sure that no one could overhear the conversation between the two of them, he spoke to Aiglon in a low voice.
"By the way, I heard from von Mayrhofen that Austria allows you to choose the future king of Greece among several candidates...so I would like to ask you, do you have a candidate now?"
For Aigron and Panos-Colokotronis, the establishment of an independent country is not the end of their lives. They must also make arrangements for the political situation in the early days of the country's founding.
The most important of these is to use imprisonment and exile to quickly purge the die-hard pro-Russian elements in Greece in order to stabilize the interior and consolidate its own position.
Then, it was a matter of finding a "suitable" king for Greece.
In this era, the great powers were all monarchies, and they, who had just experienced the storm of the Great Revolution, hated the word "republic". Therefore, even to satisfy the great powers, Greece had to become a monarchy after independence.
There was no one in Greece who was qualified to be the king. According to international practice, they had to find a prince from the ancient royal family of Germany to be the king. According to Aiglon's agreement with the Austrians, he had the right to select a suitable candidate from among the candidates.
In other words, as compensation for not being the king, he is eligible to become the "King Choser".
This is also the issue that Panos is most concerned about now. He wants to know in advance from Aigron his intentions for the Greek king, so that he can get in touch with the opponent as soon as possible.
For the Panos father and son, whoever is close to the new king and gets the king's approval will seize the opportunity in the future power structure.
Theodoros Kolokotronis was a national independence fighter. He devoted his life and blood to the cause of independence, but he did not intend to retire immediately after the success of independence.
On the one hand, the taste of power is very tempting; but more importantly, in the previous internal struggles among Greek factions and the subsequent coup he led, the vendetta between him and some political factions was very fierce. At the worst time, his support Many of them were bloody massacred.
So this time, he cannot let go and let his supporters face the tragic situation of being isolated and killed again.
He must stay in power for a period of time, at least to stabilize the political situation and ensure that he and his group will not be liquidated before he is willing to step down safely.
And this requires the cooperation of Aeglon and the new king - therefore, this is also a matter of fate for their father and son.
Because he knew that Panos was most concerned about this issue, Aigron did not intend to seduce him, but answered him with a smile. "Meternich and I are still discussing this issue. Because it is very important, we cannot draw a conclusion immediately. However, I can assure you that if nothing happens, the throne will fall into the hands of the Wittelsbach family. .”
"Wittelsbach family?" Panos was stunned again.
However, he was not surprised - after all, the Wittelsbach family is a famous princely family in German history. The family origin is longer than that of the Habsburg family. If a member of this family becomes I am afraid no one can question the words of the King of Greece.
"If that's the case, we can accept it." After pondering for a moment, Panos nodded, "We will make preparations for this. No matter who ends up with the throne, he will find that we are his The best helper in ruling Greece.”
"I hope so too." Aiglon replied with a smile, "Since the king is chosen by me, then I will support his rule. If we cooperate happily, the Kingdom of Greece and the Principality of Ioannina will work together to welcome Here comes a new era.”
After a pause, he added, "When things come to an end here, I plan to go to Bavaria to finalize the matter. I will keep in touch with you. You and your son will be the first to get it from Greece." The man with news of the new king.”
"Okay, I wish you a safe journey then." Panos also replied with great interest.
But soon, he sighed with regret, "What a pity, you are destined not to belong to our place. We are just a small corner of Europe and cannot accommodate your body... But I wish you to spread your wings and fly in the future. Get everything you dream of.”
"Thank you." Aigron thanked him and extended his hand to the other party.
Panos held this hand tightly, and then replied in a deep voice, "For the new era."
