"I...I will never forget your kindness..."
Haidee's tearful eyes, combined with her thin body, made her look so pitiful that anyone who looked at her could not help but feel a little protective.
Aigron had heard similar words a lot, but hearing it from Haidee's mouth at this moment made him especially feel a sense of pride and mission.
This little girl is grateful to me. She got everything because of me. From now on, her honor, disgrace, misfortune, and blessings have been bound to me. As long as she is loyal to me, then I should protect her. Only in this way can I Only then can one be regarded as a "monarch".
"Of course," he replied softly to Haidee, then carefully lowered her to the ground.
On the city wall and along the road, cheering crowds lined the streets and watched them. Aigron and Theresa also held Haidee's hands respectively, and then the three of them walked into the city gate together.
This is a political declaration - from now on, the patron saints of Haidee and the Principality of Ioannina will be this young couple.
Amid the cheers, Aigron took Haidee on a tour of the city to familiarize the residents with their appearance. It was not until the afternoon that this tour came to an end.
The place where they stopped was Ali Pasha's tomb - of course, there was a headless corpse buried in this tomb.
The decoration of the tomb is simple, with only some stones piled on top. This is how a generation of heroes fell on the stage of history.
Led by Aigron, a large group of people gathered around the tomb. The shadow of the sun was slanting to the west, and the dim sunlight also added a bit of desolation to the air at this time.
This Ali Pasha can be regarded as a figure who took advantage of the situation.
He was originally born in Albania, the child of an official. When he was thirteen years old, his father was killed by a colleague. In order to make a living and regain the family glory, Ali recruited a group of bandits, and then spent twenty years , he used his bandit armed forces to manipulate the struggle between local landowners and officials, and from time to time he also used the banner of "loyal to the Sudan, crusade against the rebels".
As his fame grew and he controlled more and more troops, the Turkish Sultan noticed his existence and extended an olive branch to him. He recruited Ali and appointed him as pasha, ordering him to clear out the areas he ruled. of bandits.
Ali Pasha did not miss this opportunity. He quickly raised an army in the Epirus region, expanded to the surrounding areas, and controlled almost the entire Ioannina region. And he caught up with the good times. At exactly this time, Sudan was constantly involved in wars with France and the Russian Empire, and he was too exhausted to care about anything.
Unfortunately, the good times did not last long. After the fall of Napoleon's empire, Europe entered a period of peace, and the Sudan was finally free to deal with domestic problems. At this time, Ali Pasha of Egypt was too big to be eliminated and the Sultan was unable to deal with it, but Ali Pasha of Ioannina was able to be eradicated by the Sultan.
In 1820, the Sultan sent a large army to attack the pasha. At this time, Ali Pasha's power in Ioannina was deeply rooted, so he led his own army to resist tenaciously. Until 1822, the pasha finally could not resist. The army of the empire was finally beheaded by the Sultan and transferred to the capital. All his sons were also killed. Only one granddaughter, Haidee, survived, but she was also reduced to a slave.
Today, five and a half years have passed since Ali Pasha was crowned, but the city of Ioannina and the villa where he last lived are still the same as before.
Looking at the villa in the distance, Aigron couldn't help but feel a little sad.
Ali Pasha can be regarded as a trend-setter of the times. He made his way into the world by means of dramatic changes. However, in the end, he was unable to control the times. Instead, he was swallowed up by the changing times and became the dust of history.
This is the price of losing a bet.
However, if he was given another chance to choose, would he choose to be an unknown bandit in Albania, or relive his life and become a Turkish emperor who gave orders?
Without even thinking about it, he would definitely choose the latter.
The same goes for Aigron.
He can't guarantee that he will win. Maybe one day he will end up in depression with his ambition unfulfilled, but even so, he still has to gamble and live a vigorous life. He who has already tasted the taste of power will definitely not be able to voluntarily Walk off the stage.
After sighing for a moment, he turned to Haidee and nodded, and Haidee walked to the edge of the grave and knelt down.
She gently touched the stones on the tomb, and the cold touch made her heart ache.
Grandpa was already quite unfamiliar to her, and she had even forgotten what he looked like, but she knew that it was her grandfather's death that made her lose everything and become a slave.
The pain she had endured suddenly came to her heart, and the family affection associated with her bloodline inheritance made her heartache even more. She cried, and her tears fell on the stones drop by drop.
No one stopped her, and no one spoke. Everyone kindly allowed Haidee to vent her grief.
And Aiglon also took off his hat to pay tribute to the late pasha.
On the one hand, he was so courteous, out of respect for the hero; on the other hand, Haidee was his tool, and in order to make Haidee more legitimate, he should also elevate the status of the pasha.
Anyway, the dead will not come to compete with him for power, so you might as well respect them more.
By dusk, this little ceremony was over.
Then, under the guidance of Edmond Dantès, they came to a small lake, and inside the small lake was a two-story brick building.
"Your Majesty, this is the villa where Ali Pasha lived before, and it was also the place where he made his last stand -" Edmond Dantès introduced to Aiglon. "Your Majesty, if you don't mind, this can be used as a residence for you, Your Highness Teresa, and Her Highness Haidee."
Although Haidee has not been officially canonized, Aigron has asked his subordinates to call Haidee their highness in order to improve Haidee's status.
Aigron looked around and saw that the villa on the island in the distance was a mixture of bricks and wood structures. It looked quite simple, and there was a small garden next to it.
He did not feel that it was shabby, because this kind of living conditions was already the best place for him to live after leaving Schonbrunn Palace, and it was completely different from Monte Cristo Island.
Moreover, the small lake is a natural moat, so safety is absolutely no problem.
"Yeah." So, he nodded slightly.
"We have had people renovate and clean the place, you can move in with peace of mind." Edmond Dantès said in a low voice, "We have stored some of the personal belongings left by Ali Pasha and are waiting for your instructions. "
"Leave it all to Haidee, she deserves to have it all." Aiglon replied calmly.
Then, a group of them took a small boat and arrived at the small island along the small water surface.
Agron and Teresa walked to the second floor of the villa together, then leaned against the wooden railing and looked at the scenery in the distance.
"Theresa, this is the first country that belongs to us." With a sense of self-satisfaction, Aigron whispered to Theresa.
"Yes, Your Highness... we succeeded!" Teresa also nodded heavily.
"Undoubtedly, now is not the time to be complacent. We still have a long way to go..." Aigron lengthened his voice, then grinned again, and then waved heavily, "But we should celebrate this. !”
For Aigron, this was a milestone victory, and from now on he had a piece of land of his own.
Although he is not the nominal monarch, and although this small principality is not large enough to accommodate his ambitions - for now, he is satisfied enough.
No matter how deep his character is, he will inevitably have a bit of youthful spirit. Ever since he came to the city of Ioannina, his heart has been dancing with joy. Just to maintain his appearance in front of everyone, he acted calmly, reserved and unpredictable. look.
Only Theresa was qualified to share his gaffe alone.
"Your Highness..." Seeing his cheering look, Teresa couldn't help but laugh.
Then, as if coaxing a child, she reached out and wiped the young man's hair, "Okay, if you want to celebrate, then let's hold a celebration! The new life of the Principality of Ioannina should be held for this purpose What a celebration.”
"You are right, we are going to hold a grand celebration to celebrate the dual joyous events of Haidee's canonization and the establishment of the principality." Aigron agreed with her, "We are going to open our purse again and give out a reward to all those who follow Our meritorious ministers! Even my soldiers I want to reward them...I am willing to pay any price for this."
After these months of intense consumption, Aigron had little money on hand. However, when he came to such a place and established a new national power, he knew that he should donate generously due to circumstances and reasons. Only Only in this way can we inspire people and keep everyone motivated to follow us.
To him, that's what money is for, and it would be foolish for him to be an emperor and be a miser.
After having fun alone for a while and venting his pride, Aiglon returned to normal and had Edmond Dantès called over who was still waiting for orders.
It was already night time, the sky was clear and blue, and the sky was full of stars in the small garden, which made people feel refreshed.
"Good evening, Your Majesty." Edmond Dantès bowed.
"Edmund, I think you should know that after the principality is established, your adoptive father will be the prime minister of the principality." Aigron got straight to the point.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I thank you for giving him such an honor..." Edmond Dantès bowed again to express his gratitude, "I firmly believe that Father Faria will never betray your trust, He's the right fit."
Before Aiglon came, he had already learned about Aiglon's appointment through a letter. He was so surprised that he burst into tears of gratitude - for him, the only people in the world worth worrying about now were the priest and his ex-fiancée in Paris. That’s it.
"I have the same confidence in him as you do, but we must also admit that Father Faria is old and physically inconvenient after all...so I hope you can do your best to assist him without any slack." Agron He earnestly warned him, "Teresa and I may have to leave here often in the future. Many things need to be handled by you. You must use your courage and brains to protect this place for me. Now this is ours." The foundation is established…I won’t allow any mistakes.”
After hearing these words, Edmond Dantes couldn't help but feel excited.
"Your Majesty, don't worry! I will guarantee Father Faria with my life, and we will definitely fulfill our oath."
"There is one more thing -" Aiglon spoke again, "I plan to appoint you as the guardian of Her Highness Haidee. You will be responsible for managing her attendants, her education, and all schedules, without your consent. , no one is allowed to meet her alone without authorization."
Aigron knew that Haidee was an important treasure for him and he must take good care of it, and Edmond Dantès was indeed the most suitable person in charge of this job.
"Okay, Your Majesty." Edmond Dantès agreed without any hesitation.
Seeing his determined look, an interesting thought suddenly flashed through Aigron's mind.
So, he looked at the other person in a pretentious manner, and it wasn't until Edmund felt a little uncomfortable that he spoke leisurely.
"Edmund, now you have become famous. You are already a real earl. You will soon have your own territory. You will also take care of the Grand Duchess of a principality. Even most hereditary nobles cannot compare to you... …”
"Yes, Your Majesty, this is all the grace you bestowed upon me, and I will keep it in my heart." Edmond Dantès replied solemnly.
"So, have you thought about your lifelong events?" Aigron asked suddenly. "Nobles always need heirs...otherwise what's the point of titles?"
This question stunned Edmond Dantès.
"I haven't thought about it... now I don't think it's the time to think about it."
"It's almost time now. I don't want to delay the life events of my favorites because of me -" Aiglon replied with a smile.
Edmond Dantès was speechless, obviously this topic caught him off guard.
"What do you think of Haidee?" Aigron asked again abruptly.
"No! She is so young...and she is still a Grand Duke, how can I...?" Edmond Dantès immediately shook his head as if he was electrocuted, "I admit that I do like her very much, but that's right The love of the younger generation, we are more than 20 years apart, how could I have such thoughts?"
"Then do you have someone you like?" Aigron asked again, "If you have someone you like, I can find a way to facilitate it for you."
Edmond Dantes felt a flash of sadness.
"No, it's not necessary. Your Majesty, I can handle this kind of thing myself."
From Edmund's reaction, Aigron saw something.
"You haven't forgotten your former fiancée?"
The question seemed to hit a sore spot in him.
"Yes, I...I miss her." Edmond Dantès nodded sadly.
"But as far as I know, she is already married and gave birth to the son of your enemy." Aigron said calmly.
The huge pain caused Edmond Dantès's mouth to twist and twitch. "Yes I know……"
he replied hoarsely. "But I still can't help but miss her, my Mercedes... So, Your Majesty, please don't worry about this for me."
