"Speaking of which, I would like to ask, has the Marquis of Noirtier shown his cards to you?"
This question made the originally high-spirited Count of Monte Cristo suddenly feel exhausted.
Because this matter is exactly what he has been worrying about recently.
"It seems that the showdown has been made..." Seeing Edmund's expression, Aigron guessed it immediately, "Besides, you still seem to be troubled by this."
Now that Aigron has said this, Edmund can only admit it honestly.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I am troubled by it."
Not long ago, he attended the wedding of Prosecutor Villefort, and during the family gathering after the wedding, the young Miss Valentine actually took advantage of the opportunity for the two of them to be alone and publicly stated that she wanted to marry him... This made no difference. Unprepared, he was naturally startled.
To this day, the scene at that time still flashes back in his mind from time to time, leaving him with lingering fears.
He is not a timid person, he can kill people and set fires, and he has indeed killed many people, but when facing such a young and lovely Miss Valentine, it is difficult for him to harden his heart. There is also a bit of pity.
He knew what it was like to lose a loved one, and he also knew that Miss Valentine could hardly bear this kind of pain.
However, if he really gave up hatred for this kind of mercy, he asked himself that he couldn't do it.
It was precisely because the two ideas were in conflict with each other that they were hesitant and entangled in his heart, making him troubled by it.
"You are such a rare good person!" Looking at the count's expression, Aigron couldn't help but sigh.
This was not because Aigron was deliberately mocking him by sending out the "good guy card", but because Aigron truly thought so.
In the original work, although the Count hated his enemies so much, he did not have that desperate madness when seeking revenge. He did not even kill any of his three major enemies with his own hands, but only ruined the opponent's reputation. (Fernand committed suicide because of his disgrace and humiliation, Danglars lost his family fortune and became a vagabond, and Villefort went crazy because his wife poisoned his son). He even wanted to deliberately kill Mercedes' son because he didn't want to. Lost to the enemy's son in a duel.
These performances, especially when compared with the turbid world of the half century from 1789 to 1830, he can definitely be called a rare "great good man".
Thinking about it this way, under Aigron, the count bankrupted Tanglar and was still imprisoned; and he personally killed Fernand, which was considered an "extraordinary performance".
This should be the influence brought by Aigron, or in other words, it is the skill that one must learn to become a politician.
But no matter what, in the final analysis, he is still the compassionate Edmond Dantès, and his hesitation and confusion prove his value as a person.
"Edmund, I don't mean to mock you, on the contrary, I admire you very much. I need a warrior who is willing to go through fire and water for me, but I don't need a monster who is inhumane. You have been doing the dirty work for me. Next You will also do a lot of shady dirty work for me for a while, but I don't plan to use you like this all the time. You will eventually come into the house one day, and I don't want you to become a monster who can't face the sun..." Aigron He continued, "So, your mercy just shows that I am not wrong about you. I need such a Lord Count of Monte Cristo."
Although Aigron's words were cryptic, they were already "confidential".
From ancient times to the present, the leader of the secret police will definitely do many cruel and ruthless things due to the nature of his work. These things will, on the one hand, increase people's awe of him, and on the other hand, they will make people hate him.
Therefore, people who work in this industry often have no good end. They either die violently in political turmoil, or their masters quell public anger and throw them out to "take the blame."
And Aiglon didn't want the Count of Monte Cristo to end up like this. He wanted the Earl to slowly accumulate power and prestige, and then, more than ten years later, he would succeed the fallen elders and become the prime minister of the empire. This was partly because of the Earl's performance all along. It made him very satisfied; on the one hand, it was also to satisfy his personal taste.
Therefore, the name of the Count of Monte Cristo cannot always be linked to those dirty jobs that cannot be seen in the light, nor can he become a monster indulged in darkness and blood. He wants to enter the palace and become the prime minister, a person who shares his glory.
Therefore, according to Aigron's plan, after the count completes the establishment of the secret agency and everything is on track, he will be promoted to the cabinet in a few years to serve as an important department as the deputy to the minister, and then become the deputy to a certain department. Minister, and finally slowly rose to the top and became Prime Minister.
As for the institution he created, he will just hand it over to his ambitious and enthusiastic deputy, Count Morny.
At the same time, if he wants to become the prime minister of the empire and secure the throne of prime minister, it is not enough to have his own favor. He also needs huge power and an entire interest group to protect him, so that he can secure his position.
In today's era, this means that he needs a family network composed of in-laws and old friends. Therefore, no matter whether it is the most "enlightened" Britain or the most "authoritarian" Russia, they are all ruled by aristocrats. Without the blood and relationship network of the aristocrats, they are not even qualified to touch power.
However, Edmund is lacking in this aspect. He was born a commoner and his parents died young. Although with the help of Prince Talleyrand, he has now become an "original juice" born from the marriage of an Italian aristocrat and a French aristocrat. He is a "original" aristocrat, but "family relations" cannot be faked. He has no powerful relatives or friends.
Therefore, in order to make up for such a shortcoming, he needs a family, and an in-law with a noble family and powerful influence. With such an in-law as a "medium", he can stand firm in the world of aristocrats, and finally sit firmly. The throne of the Imperial Chancellor.
Edmund, who had a weak desire for power and was unfamiliar with political skills, actually didn't think that much about these things, but Aigron, who wanted to support him, had to think about it for him.
The earl must marry a noble lady, and she must come from a powerful and famous family. This is certain. Therefore, it is impossible for him to accept the notorious and weak Emily as a regular member. The count has become a joke, and will become an excuse for political opponents to attack the count in the future. This is absolutely not allowed.
Logically speaking, although nobles are a "rare group", France has never lacked famous nobles. However, once the special status of Aiglon is taken into account, the situation changes instantly.
Aiglon killed the Bourbon family and replaced them, so the old nobles surrounding the Bourbon family were either forced into exile or were purged by him in one fell swoop. A large number of people lost their seats in the House of Nobles, even if they did not hold any grudges. In their hearts, with their vitality severely damaged, it would be difficult for them to do anything anymore, and it would be difficult for them to be the count's help again. What's more, they would be given the excuse of "liaison with Bourbon".
As for the new nobles of the empire, their reputation, qualifications and power are not stable, so it is difficult to say how much they can help him.
So after much deliberation, Edmund, as his favorite, didn't see many suitable marriage partners.
It has to be said that the Marquis of Noirtier did have a vicious eye. He actually saw Edmund's dilemma while watching indifferently (seeing it more clearly than the count himself), and then he raised this "dilemma" The best solution to the situation - his granddaughter Valentine.
Putting aside concerns about her youth, enemies, etc., looking at the basic facts, Valentine really fits the count's "pain points."
First of all, the Marquis of Noirtier was born in the old aristocracy, but he became prosperous during the Revolution, and finally became an important minister of Emperor Napoleon, so he has the dual attributes of "old aristocracy" and "new aristocracy" at the same time. The network is extremely broad.
Moreover, his personal ability was already extremely strong. In 1815, he was the chairman of Emperor Napoleon's restoration organization, and single-handedly managed the emperor's "feat" from landing on Elba Island to returning to Paris. How many people can match him?
Until now, the Marquis is still an indispensable senior minister under Aigron. He single-handedly manipulated Aigron's "authorization referendum" and helped Aiglon obtain the source of legitimacy he wanted most for his ascension to the throne. He is still serving as a member of the House of Lords. Aiglon's representatives sat there, allowing Aigron to pursue his policies without any scruples.
If such a person completely sides with Edmund, even if he retires or dies, his relatives and friends will definitely think highly of the earl, and even actively gather around the earl to help him.
Moreover, Valentine herself was extraordinary. Villefort's appearance as a "die loyal royalist" won the favor of the old royalist nobles, and then married the only daughter of the Marquis of Saint-Meran.
Although his wife has passed away, Valentine, as the granddaughter, is regarded as the sole heir by the old Marquis and his wife. The wealth and reputation of this famous noble family will naturally be passed down to Valentine and her descendants. In hand.
[In the original work, Villefort’s second wife first poisoned the Marquis and his wife, and then poisoned Valentine, in order to let Valentine legally inherit the property of the Marquis and his wife, and then poison her. Death of Valentine, and transfer of this property to her own son.
If the order is reversed, the Marquis and his wife will definitely designate other heirs, because Villefort and Villefort's son have no blood relationship with them...]
Therefore, if you objectively evaluate the facts, you will find that Valentine is actually one of the best-equipped ladies to be married in France. She is rich and noble, has two ancient marquis families, and several huge inheritances. , and the great power of her father and ancestors... these things were concentrated on her young shoulders.
In the ancient feudal era, the king would not allow such heiresses to marry casually. Their marriages had to be approved by the king, or even appointed by the king - naturally it was the same here in Aiglon.
Considering that Edmund's choices are extremely narrow, it can even be said that Valentine is almost the "optimal solution" for his future formation.
Of course, the age gap is a bit big, but this is not a big problem. In the aristocratic world, marriages with such a large age gap are common, and they are not necessarily unhappy.
Among other things, his father, Emperor Napoleon, was 22 years older than his mother, Empress Louisa, when he married her; and his maternal grandfather, Emperor Franz, was 22 years older than her when he married his fourth empress. The queen is 24 years older...
What does this mean to the powerful men?
Because he had thought of all these aspects for Edmund, when Aiglon heard the Marquis of Noirtier's initiative to let Edmund marry Valentine to resolve the feud between the two families, he was shocked at first, but then he also weighed it secretly. .
And the result of his weighing is everything mentioned above.
Of course, even so, he did not intend to force Edmund to accept his will. He just wanted to spread everything out and let the earl make his own decision.
Although Edmund doesn't know much about politics, he is not a fool, and having been with His Majesty for so long, he also understands His Majesty to whom he is loyal.
Therefore, he had already discovered Aigron's attitude tendency while observing his words and expressions.
His mood suddenly became extremely complicated.
It's not anger or helplessness, but an indescribable feeling.
In the midst of chaos, he expects someone to make a decision for him, but when faced with the consequences of the decision, he feels a little uneasy.
"Your Majesty... do you want me to promise the Marquis?" Edmund asked tremblingly.
"It doesn't matter what I hope, Edmund." Compared to Edmund's hesitation, Aigron seemed much more determined, "I said, I will never force you to make a decision. If you want to continue to insist, , of course I support you. However, after all, the Marquis of Noirtier is an old minister who has been loyal to our father and son for two generations. He is loyal and has made outstanding achievements. I must give him due respect both emotionally and rationally, so I will do it for him. He may say a few nice words, but it’s up to you whether you listen or not.”
In the past few years, Aigron has long been accustomed to the feeling of giving orders to the people around him, but now when facing Edmund, he is uncharacteristically, as friendly as a friend, and even a bit confidant.
"I know it's hard for you. You don't want hatred to turn into a deal, which is right. However, there are many deals in the world, and even every day we live, we are weighing and making trade-offs, making decisions that we like. Or a decision you don’t like. No one asks you to give up your past grudges. The Marquis just wants to give you enough compensation in exchange for you sparing his son’s life. As far as I’m concerned, all the efforts he has made have indeed been very successful. You are sincere... Moreover, Villefort will pay a sufficient price, and no one will ask you to treat him well."
After saying this, Aigron changed his tone again, "In addition, Edmund, you are no longer the lonely prodigal son. You are the pillar of the country and my minister. Moreover, you It will become more and more important in the future. I hope you understand that your private affairs are not only your own business, but the empire's business. You will stand on the highest stage, and you must prepare for it now. A quickie will never be good for you, let alone the country. I ask you to understand this."
