[The LORD your God will bring you into the land he swore to your ancestors to give you. There are cities there, great and beautiful, which you did not build. 】
In the cold wind of early spring in March, Aiglon, accompanied by his newlywed wife, stood on the roof of his apartment in Methoni Port, looking at the sea in the distance.
Just last year, he landed here and came to the land of Greece, and now, his new journey will start from this place.
Looking back on this year's experience, he couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed.
He escaped from Vienna, where he had been confined for more than ten years, traveled to the island of Monte Cristo, stole treasures, and finally relied on these treasures to recruit supporters of the Bonaparte family, and then relied on them to march into Greece.
Although there were many twists and turns, in his careful timing, he seized the opportunity, achieved a great reputation, fished in complicated troubled waters, and finally established a small principality.
Although the nominal owner of this principality is not him, and it cannot carry his ambitions and ambitions, it is enough to become a temporary foothold for him and his supporters.
They gained a piece of land that they could freely control, train military officers, and reserve political talents to prepare themselves for taking over a larger and richer country in the future.
Of course, that huge and wealthy country will not fly into Aigron's hands by itself. He still has a long way to go to achieve his goal.
——He is now ready to embark on a new journey.
And now, he is no longer alone. There is already a group of people around him - guards, secretaries, and maids who take care of his daily life. Invisibly, he already has the status of a lord.
Of course, the most important thing is that he has a beautiful wife by his side.
Aigron's eyes moved slightly, and then fell on Theresa.
In the three months since their wedding, they have all tasted the sweet feeling of a newlywed couple. Although they get along day and night every day, they still can't get enough of each other. In the dead of night, they open their hearts to each other and enjoy the fish and water. joyous.
At this time, Teresa still had traces of happiness on her face - precisely because her life was harmonious and happy, Teresa did not change her usual alertness and intelligence, but she had a little bit of the charm of a little woman. There are traces of happiness on his face from time to time, and he always smiles unconsciously.
Although this girl is proud and arrogant, she seems content with her newlywed life after her long-cherished wish has been fulfilled.
Aigron was equally satisfied.
Teresa fully met and even exceeded all his requirements for a wife, so what else could he be dissatisfied with?
However, deep down in his heart, his greed to devour everything and possess everything has not been extinguished. When will this young man, who is obviously happy enough but not satisfied, become restless again?
Aigron didn't know the answer to this question, and he didn't need to seek one.
This time their destination is not some remote place, but the most famous city in Europe and a holy place with a glorious history - the city of Rome.
During these three months, they first enjoyed the New Year celebrations in Athens to celebrate the arrival of peace; then they went to Ioannina to celebrate with their subordinates, and by the way managed this small principality; and now, they are about to Starting from Mesoni, we headed to the great and glorious city of Rome to meet God’s spokesperson on earth.
This was a move that Egeron had planned in advance, and which he had channeled through his great-uncle, Cardinal Joseph Fish.
And now, the "nephew" of Cardinal Esposito, the Pope's confidant, has also defected to Aigron's staff as his personal secretary. He has a closer relationship with his allies, so it has become easier to unblock the relationship.
Now, everything is ready, and he will visit Rome with his wife.
Of course, there is also a small regret - because Emperor Napoleon broke with the church and once detained the pope, there is a very powerful anti-Bonaparte faction within the Roman church, and even His Majesty the Pope cannot ignore their opinions, so Aigron and Teresa can only visit on a private basis.
But for Aigron, this is not a big problem. Anyway, he does not seek to reach the point in one breath. As long as he can do it step by step, he will win.
With their status, of course they don't have to pack their luggage themselves. After getting the order, Chanel has already taken care of everything, and everything is ready to go - Chanel himself will also follow the newlyweds all the way. , accompanying you.
And their guide this time was Aigron's personal secretary Leon Esposito.
As the cardinal's illegitimate son, he should be an open secret among the top leaders of the Roman Church. Aigron felt that with him by his side, Cardinal Esposito would do his best - at least to protect the personal safety of the couple. .
With the cardinal as a guarantee, even if there are any forces within the Roman Church that want to make trouble, they will weigh it.
In this way, after a period of secret discussions, and with Aigron taking care of the internal affairs, it was now time for them to set off for Rome.
When they thought of Rome, both of them felt a little emotional.
Last time they went to Rome by chance two months ago. Although they took the opportunity to reunite and make lifelong plans, Rome became a blessed place for them; but from another aspect, Aigron was still half a "fugitive" at that time. I didn’t dare to reveal my identity to others, so I was in a hurry and had no time to visit this city full of glorious history. I just visited the suburban villa of the ancient Roman emperor. When they thought about it afterwards, they always felt like Feeling a little unsatisfied.
And this time, it's time to make amends.
"His Majesty--"
While he was deep in thought, his secretary Leon Esposito walked up to him. "The ship is ready, waiting for you to board and set off."
"Very good." Aiglon nodded lightly.
Then, he walked to Theresa's side, and then gently stretched out his hand to her, "Teresa, we are leaving."
"Yes." Teresa nodded, and then took her husband's hand very naturally.
Her eyes were full of affection, and perhaps at this moment, even if Aigron said he wanted to go to any corner of the world, she would be willing to follow him wholeheartedly.
After seeing this look, as usual, Aiglon was captured again——
Because of this, he easily held the girl in his arms and kissed her tenderly, and Teresa responded to him without hesitation.
Therefore, Leon Esposito had to stand aside awkwardly, lowering his head and trying not to look at the intimate actions of his master and his wife - the young couple could enjoy their love as much as they wanted, but if he looked too much, it would be a big deal. sorry.
Fortunately, his embarrassment did not last long. Teresa left the rooftop first to make final preparations with Chanel, leaving only Agron and his personal secretary staying where they were.
Because of their relationship in recent months, Aigron has ended the other party's 'examination period' and accepted the other party as a member of his circle.
Leon Esposito cherished the honor he had received, and he was determined to dedicate all his wisdom and knowledge to serve the young lord in exchange for the realization of his dream.
In his opinion, although this young man is still weak at the moment, he and his group are on the right track and can vaguely see the bright future.
Considering how many miracles He has accomplished so far, is it any wonder that he will accomplish even greater miracles?
"Leon." Aiglon called softly while looking at the ships appearing in the harbor. "What's the news from Rome?"
"As far as my uncle's feedback is concerned, everything is stable. Although many people have criticized His Majesty the Pope for being too friendly towards you, this dissatisfaction has not appeared in public questioning. His Majesty the Pope believes that, Although your father had some unpleasant quarrels with the church back then, the piety of your grandmother and uncle over the years was enough to cleanse the Bonaparte family of their stains. What’s more, as a young child at the time, you didn’t have to be responsible for these unpleasant things at all. Therefore, in line with the Christian teachings of mercy and tolerance, the church should reconcile with you——"
Aigron didn't care much about the clichés that followed. What he cared about was one of the key words.
"My uncle?"
"Yes, your uncle, Lucien Bonaparte." Leon Esposito replied.
Aiglon was slightly shocked.
It seems that the relatives speaking for him in Rome are not just his grandmother and uncle.
Lucien Bonaparte was the third brother of Emperor Napoleon. During the turbulent era of the Revolution, he also became Napoleon's political assistant and assisted him in launching the Brumaire Coup. After the coup, he served as Minister of the Interior and worked with his brother to stabilize Bonaparte. The rule of the Ba family.
However, it didn't take long, because the two brothers had a fierce quarrel over Lucien's marriage, or Lucien could no longer stand his brother's bossy attitude towards him, so he chose to break with Emperor Napoleon and gave up the gift he had given him. favor, and the family moved to Rome.
At the height of the empire, members of the Napoleon family ascended to heaven one by one, with crowns on their heads, but Lucien remained in Rome, almost forgotten by the world; and in 1815, when Emperor Napoleon returned to France to prepare for a desperate fight However, Lucien rushed back to France, preparing to fight the emperor to the end and regain the family crown.
Unfortunately, this time the two brothers were no longer lucky. With Napoleon's army defeated in the Battle of Waterloo, the hope of empire revival once again came to nothing. Lucien originally wanted to persuade his brother to struggle again, but seeing that the situation was over, he There was nothing he could do but flee France again and return to Rome.
After returning to Rome, he lived in seclusion again and was almost forgotten by the world. However, unlike his brother Napoleon, he had a very good relationship with the church, so in 1814 he was named Prince Canino by Pope Pius VII. In 1824 he was created Prince of Musignano by Leo XII, and overall he was greatly respected.
Of course, Aigron knew that his uncle's family lived in Rome, but because he was not sure of his uncle's attitude, he did not take the initiative to contact Prince Lucien - but he did not expect that his uncle was also working for the Roman Church. He said good things.
It seems that no matter how many internal disputes there are, family ties are still the bond that connects them.
"Your Majesty, do you want to meet your uncle?" Leon Esposito had been observing his words, and when he saw Aigron's complicated expression, he asked in a low voice.
"If possible, I can meet -" Aigron hesitated for a moment before replying, "However, this requires his approval first. He is my uncle after all. If he is not happy, I will not forcefully disturb him."
"You don't have to worry about this issue at all." Leon Esposito smiled, "His Royal Highness has been secretly running for you, which shows that he has a deep affection for you. If you are willing to see him, he should It would be my pleasure—and my uncle thinks that our troubles would be lessened if His Highness was involved."
"What do you mean?" Aigron asked doubtfully.
Leon Esposito did not have the habit of showing off in front of his lord at all, so he immediately replied, "Actually, my uncle has been having trouble arranging a meeting between you and the Pope. After all, you two are very...attentive to etiquette. .”
Leon's words unconsciously brought a hint of grievance.
As a political figure, especially as a pretender to the throne, Aigron certainly hopes to be appreciated by the Pope, but he is also unwilling to kowtow to the Pope. As for the gift of kneeling down, he would not even think about it.
The Pope also believes that since Duke Lechstadt claims to be a devout believer and has been using the church to build his reputation, he should show enough "sincerity" after meeting the Pope - especially since his father and How else can we convince the public despite historical stains?
Because both sides insisted on their positions, the two sides had argued several times over this etiquette issue in the past three months, but to no avail.
In the eyes of everyone, Aigron is too stubborn and not as supple as usual. However, Aigron does not want to make himself look like a dwarf in front of the church - if he leaves this impression now, he will not be able to change it in the future. It's difficult.
He only wanted to use the church as a tool, but he never thought about becoming a devout believer.
So he must insist on etiquette, because sometimes etiquette is completely unimportant, but sometimes etiquette is everything.
"So what does this question have to do with my uncle?" Aigron asked.
"My uncle thinks that if His Royal Highness is involved, it can give you and the Pope a chance." Leon Esposito quickly explained, "If you get a public summons from the Pope, then you and his Every move you make is in the eyes of everyone, and every move you make will attract attention; and if we meet at His Royal Highness’s home, many issues may not be so important——”
Aiglon finally understood.
"I paid a private visit to my uncle, and His Majesty the Pope happened to visit my uncle's house. Then we met by chance and had a cordial and friendly exchange -" he summarized what the other party meant.
"If you don't mind that it's not grand enough..."
"No, I don't mind." Aigron patted his secretary on the shoulder to express his satisfaction. "So let's do it."
"Okay, Your Majesty." Leon Esposi nodded calmly.
