"Your Highness, how about stopping by to visit your mother then?"
This sudden question made Aigron not sure how to answer it for a moment.
Technically, this was no problem - because his mother, Queen Louisa of the Empire, was now the Grand Duchess of Parma in Italy, very close to Rome, and he could have taken the time to visit her if he wanted to. .
But... from an emotional point of view, he didn't want to see her.
Since arriving in Austria, he and his mother had become isolated from each other. The gap between them was irreparable - and he had no intention of doing so.
"Why?" After a moment of silence, Aigron asked.
He knew that Teresa had always wanted to heal the relationship between him and his mother. She had tried to persuade him and his mother to improve their relationship many times before, and he had obeyed, but meeting his mother was another matter... Why?
He couldn't find any reason in his heart to see her, and he had never missed his mother.
"Do you still need to ask why? She is your mother after all. Doesn't a person need a reason to visit his own mother?" Teresa asked the young man, "I know that your relationship is not good, and she owes you a lot, but Aren't all the past things in the past gone? She won't cause you any more trouble."
"That's not a reason." Aigron retorted to Teresa in annoyance, "Blood relationship doesn't mean I have to respect her unconditionally! It's true that I don't hate her anymore, but I don't want to have anything to do with her either. We just need to live our lives well with each other, and I sincerely wish her good health and a long life."
It is extremely rare for Agron to speak to Theresa in this tone. On the one hand, he hates being kidnapped by others with this kind of morals. On the other hand, mentioning his mother will remind him of the dark years and old feuds. All the new hatreds are flooding into my heart, how can I still feel calm?
Seeing Aiglon's performance, Theresa was a little panicked for a moment, but she still insisted on her opinion.
"Your Highness, maybe you don't like to hear it, but the starting point of what I said is for your consideration - I know that although you speak openly, you are still full of resentment towards her in your heart, but it is precisely because of this that you should go Looking for opportunities to eliminate resentment, right? Do you plan to be isolated from your mother all your life and ignore each other? That is too regrettable. Think about it again, if we start a family and have children in the future, and the child asks How should we answer when he asks us where his grandmother is? When the children know that you regard their mother as your enemy, what will they think of you?"
This question made Aigron speechless.
Seeing that the young man was shaken, Teresa continued to pursue, "Also, think about it, after we came to Greece this time, she actually helped us a lot. Without her approval, we wouldn't have been able to do it that easily. She has exchanged all her jewelry for cash to support your war. From this point of view, she is kind to you. Can you deny this? In this case, even for the sake of this favor, we It doesn’t hurt to visit her once, right?”
Agron found himself persuaded by Teresa.
Anyway, it won’t take much time to meet each other then, just think of it as a “homecoming in fine clothes”.
"Well, if she writes to me and says she hopes to see me, then based on our blood relationship, I would be willing to spend some time to visit her-" Finally, he replied stiffly.
"Pfft..." Seeing his arrogant and stubborn look, Teresa couldn't help covering her mouth and laughing. "Okay, I will fight for it. Today you promised that if Queen Louisa writes a letter to invite you, you will take time to visit her. Don't go back on your word and embarrass me..."
"Of course, I never go back on what I promised." Aigron nodded with a wry smile.
Now only Theresa dared to insist on her opinion in front of him.
This is a good thing. If everyone only obeyed themselves, such a life would be too boring.
After this little argument, the two held hands and continued to look at the distant sea together, enjoying the rare leisure that only belonged to the two of them.
Unconsciously, Teresa had leaned against him, and then buried her head in his arms, using his chest to shield her face from the roaring sea wind.
Then Teresa closed her eyes and expressed her emotion with the comfort of enjoyment.
"Your Highness... Looking back, although I have suffered and been tired these past few months, this is the most intense chapter in my life. These few short months have allowed me to bid farewell to my study and truly touch the world... …I seem to see destiny being woven under our feet, woven by our own hands. This is exactly what I dream of being extraordinary!”
Then, she smiled slightly and said, "Thank you for taking me to achieve extraordinary things... Next, we will work together, always together, to achieve extraordinary things. I will always be looking forward to it, and I will never feel tired. , I’m so grateful to God for bringing you to me.”
Aigron also smiled and replied, "Then I hope I can always make you happy."
Teresa is like a girl who is inexperienced in the world, full of romantic imagination developed in the study, but she does not lack the sense and judgment to stand in the world, which is really commendable.
Perhaps only in the environment she grew up in could she have the opportunity to develop these two seemingly contradictory qualities.
After the two hugged each other for a while, they separated.
"By the way, Your Highness, what will happen to the Principality of Ioannina if we leave?" Teresa asked again. "Have you decided who will take care of it?"
"I will appoint Father Faria as the Prime Minister of the Principality, and Edmond Dantès as Haidee's guardian." Aigron answered directly.
"Father Faria?" Teresa was a little surprised at first.
This surprise was not due to doubting the priest's ability - when Aigron went on an expedition, he left Teresa to take care of the rear, and Father Faria as her adviser, so Teresa was better than others. Everyone knows the power and wisdom of Fr.
But...the priest also has his flaws.
Firstly, he was not a well-established Bonapartist, and he was unknown during the imperial period, so it might be difficult to convince the public; secondly, he was in poor health and had difficulty moving, making it difficult for him to withstand the pressure of a large number of government affairs.
Teresa spent so much time with the priest that she was able to see these issues more clearly.
"Father Faria is indeed a very powerful person, but... can he bear it?" After hesitating for a moment, Teresa couldn't help but tactfully advised Agron.
"If I say he is suitable, he will be suitable. If anyone thinks he is not suitable, you can come to me -" Aigron replied with great momentum. "I am the one who decides everything. Anyone who questions my appointment is against me."
"Even if you don't object publicly, I'm afraid some people are still unconvinced in their hearts." Teresa replied softly.
She deliberately didn't name anyone so as not to give away any traces. She believed that Aigron could guess who she was referring to.
Sure enough, Aigron frowned and showed disgust.
"They may have some opinions, but I will make appropriate arrangements accordingly. Don't worry so much."
He himself also knew that if he appointed Father Faria as Prime Minister of the Principality, his two cousins would be full of resentment, so in order to nip it in the bud, he wanted to deprive them of their military power after the war, and Send both of them outside the Principality of Ioannina to perform tasks for themselves.
Moreover, he will leave Edmond Dantès in the principality as Haidee's guardian, and by the way assist Father Faria in governing this small principality.
He believed that with Father Faria and Edmond Dantès, the adopted father and son, there would be no problem in Ioannina even if he and Teresa left.
Of course, if arranged like this, there will be concerns that the adopted father and adopted son have too much power, but at the moment, he does not have the energy and manpower to put in place checks and balances at all levels. It is better to trust the character of these two people. .
Besides, although Father Faria may not die two or three years later like in the original work, judging from his physical health, he may not be able to live for a few more years. It is completely unnecessary to worry so much.
It would be better to let this old priest fulfill his wish in his later years, enjoy the feeling of becoming a big shot, and repay his service to him.
He had no time and no need to explain all these thoughts to Theresa, but from his attitude, Theresa had already seen that he was indeed confident, so she stopped raising questions.
She had no objection to Father Faria becoming Prime Minister of the Principality, because the priest had a good relationship with her and was very happy to serve her.
At this moment, she was laughing secretly in her heart, because she calmly aroused Aigron's disgust for his cousins.
Ever since that night, she had already made up her mind to make them pay the price, and it was just the beginning.
The more people on her side, the more unshakable she becomes, while those who oppose her, or even join forces to play against her, have less room to survive.
She is not obsessed with power, nor does she have to control everything, but whoever wants to drive a wedge between her and His Highness must pay the price.
"Then let's go and inform Father Faria together? He is qualified to enjoy such an honor." Teresa suggested.
"Okay!" Aigron agreed happily.
So, the two men walked down the city wall together, and then came to Father Faria's residence together.
At this time, Father Faria was also busy, and the servants who took care of him were constantly packing things. However, the priest did not have many personal belongings. Apart from some clothes, there were only various books left. and diary notes.
During his more than ten years of prison life, he had long been accustomed to a poor and simple life. Now that he could contact the outside world, he was already enjoying himself.
He really enjoyed the feeling of staying by the young man's side and strategizing for him, because at this time, for this hemiplegic old man, the only entertainment left was to use his brain power.
When he saw his masters visiting together, Father Faria, who was sitting in a wheelchair, was flattered and quickly greeted them.
"Father Faria, how is your health recently?" Teresa asked him with a smile.
"Thanks to your care, I am in good health now." Father Faria replied respectfully.
"So, do you think your body is strong enough to withstand the pressure of heavy work?" Teresa asked again.
Father Faria had some doubts in his heart. For a moment, he even suspected that he might be thrown aside and left alone.
"I am always waiting to take on any tasks assigned by Your Majesty and you." He quickly mustered up his momentum and replied, "Your Highness, you know, using my brain power to serve you is now the only entertainment in my life, and I enjoy it... …”
Seeing the priest's answer, Teresa smiled and nodded, then looked at Aigron.
"Well, I can see it too, you look very good -" Aigron also made a conclusion, then he looked at the old priest and directly put forward his idea, "So, Father Faria, Teresa and I were After some discussion, we finally agreed that you are the best candidate to be the future Prime Minister of the Principality of Ioannina. Let me ask you again now - do you think you are mentally and physically capable of taking on such a heavy responsibility?"
Aigron's question was like an electric shock, which stunned the priest. He really didn't expect that this position would one day fall to him.
He had actually thought about it secretly before, and was preparing to serve as a consultant to assist the future political leaders of the principality in governing this new country. However, he did not expect that this young couple actually thought of giving this honor directly to themselves.
To answer or not to answer?
This is simply an issue that does not need to be weighed - for the old priest who has no worries now, his only pursuit is self-realization in life.
Being appointed as the Prime Minister of the Principality is the best way for him to achieve self-realization in life.
How could he refuse?
But the more he wanted to accept it, the more he needed to be reserved and considerate of His Majesty in all aspects.
So, he suppressed the surge of blood in his heart, and then answered calmly.
"If Your Majesty wants me to take on such an important responsibility, I have no choice but to fulfill my obligations no matter how bad my physical condition is... But Your Majesty, you can see that I am already in my dying years and in poor health. There are implications for my performance of my duties, and I implore you to reconsider.”
"This is not a problem. When we select the Prime Minister of the Principality, we do not ask him to hunt rabbits in the mountains. He does not need to be physically agile at all. Even if he only stays in the study, as long as he has a clear enough mind, he can perform this duty—— "Aiglon replied decisively, "Father Faria, this is the result after our discussion. If you think you can bear it, I hope you will not refuse."
"Well...since this is your will, then I am willing to serve you even if I die." Father Faria sighed and agreed to the appointment.
Then, he secretly looked at Teresa who was smiling sweetly beside him. He guessed that it must be Her Royal Highness the Princess who tried her best to intercede for him in front of His Majesty, so that he could get such an honor.
