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3. The Emperor and the Earl

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    It was already evening, and in the sky above Fontainebleau, there appeared the sunset glow that was burning like a flame. These clouds were in clusters and pieces, emitting golden light under the reflection of the sun.  From a small flame, it grew bigger and bigger, covering half of the sky, and finally became as red as blood.  Bathed in the glow of the sun, the palace seems to be covered with a layer of gorgeous gauze, illusory and blurry but majestic and towering. In addition to the original royal style, it has a bit more blurry colors.  The ceremony was over. The generals, led by the palace attendants, left the palace in carriages. The originally noisy palace also returned to its usual silence. The Fontainebleau Palace, nestled in the embrace of the forest and the long river, solemnly  Waiting for the end of another day.  However, the emperor of France has not yet come off work.  Surrounded by a group of attendants and palace officials, the French Supreme stepped into the interview room on the side of the hall. At this time, there was already a middle-aged man in luxurious clothes waiting here.  Because it was only a private meeting, the palace attendants did not roll call, but when His Majesty stepped into the interview room, the visitor who was meeting His Majesty still bowed deeply and extended the most sincere greetings to the Supreme Being.  "Your humble servant, I am here at your summons, Your Majesty." His movements were very smooth and graceful, and combined with his gorgeous clothes and overly pale skin, he was even more calm and unhurried. Although he was polite and considerate, he did not appear to be groveling.  He is obviously a person who is used to big scenes, so he can move forward and retreat freely.  The current Emperor is just wearing casual clothes and no crown. He is holding a cane with a thin wooden handle in his hand. Other than that, he does not have any accessories. His thin body and indifferent smile on his face make him seem more like an emperor.  A poet.  "I finally saw your true face, Count of Monte Cristo." His Majesty tapped the carpet on the ground with his cane, signaling the other person to raise his head. Then he smiled and nodded towards the other person, "It's exactly as I expected.  It¡¯s a little different. I originally thought that a famous activist like you would be more rough and tough, but now it seems that he is more like the courtiers in our palace, and even more stylish than them. ¡± It can be seen that.  His Majesty was both surprised and very satisfied with the count's demeanor - after all, poets always like people who are equally elegant and elegant.  "I always ask myself never to forget that I am a civilized person, even if I experience suffering and setbacks, even if I experience battles and fights, I deeply agree with your father's words - the pen is more powerful than the sword." The Count of Monte Cristo slowly raised his head  At the beginning, he looked at His Majesty the Emperor in front of him, "In fact, it is precisely because of knowing this that I can run my own business, instead of just living life like those short-sighted people." "A man who runs a huge company  It's amazing that someone from the underground network can actually say this." The count's implicit compliment made His Majesty smile happily, "No wonder they have been recommending you to me, and now I believe you.  He is indeed a strong man who can accomplish great things." After saying this, he picked up the cane in his hand and waved it gently a few times, and the attendants beside him immediately quietly left the interview room with understanding.  There were only three people left in the room.  "My foreign minister has recommended you to me many times." After the people were almost gone, His Majesty spoke again, "Even His Majesty the Pope himself once told me good things about you Mr. Monte Cristo, you can tell me, you  What kind of skills do you have that can make so many big people favor you? "Even me." "Your Majesty, compared to you who are extremely dazzling, I am just a solitary lamp, but a solitary lamp also has its uses in the darkness.  It is enough to illuminate many things underground. The sun cannot go underground, but a lonely lamp can. I rely on my enthusiasm, my bravery, and my humble resourcefulness to do my best to serve my friends, no matter what they ask.  I will try my best to accomplish whatever I want. Over time, I have accumulated some negligible reputation and made some people notice me." Under the emperor's gaze, the earl replied calmly, "Actually, to be honest with you, I am.  I hope I don¡¯t have such a reputation, because people like me are more useful when hiding in the dark and can better help my friends.¡± ¡°So, you want to be a friend of France, right?¡± His Majesty the Emperor¡¯s smile gradually faded.  , the authority of the emperor replaced the kindness of the poet, "You have repeatedly told my ministers that you hope to serve the empire. Why?" "I once hoped to serve your father through life and death." The pale middle-aged man suddenly had a flash of light in his eyes.  She shed a trace of tears, shining like a gem in the candlelight, "God deprived me of this honor, but thank God, He gave me a chance to make up for it I will do my best to help you."Thank you very much, as long as you give me a chance, Your Majesty.  "This is real tears - His Majesty the Emperor has already made a judgment the first moment he saw it. On the throne, he has seen many people and too many things, so he has already practiced it.  The ability to guess whether others are sincere or just playing tricks. So he can see that the other person really wants to serve him - although the reason may be just because his father is not moved, but rather tired and bored.  . It¡¯s the father again. Being the son of a great man, it is inevitable that he will always live in the shadow of the great man. People will compare him with his father and treat him because of his father.  He loves and hates you, but not because of himself. His Majesty looked up at the ceiling in the void and looked at the ghost lingering in heaven. I can only love you and respect you.  , thank you for bequeathing the throne to me. After a moment of silence, this distracting thought was quickly thrown into the back of his mind. "Thank you for your enthusiasm. I am very happy to get your help.  "He walked up to the count with his cane, and then asked in the same tone as a friend chatting, "I heard that you are very rich?  " "In a general sense, I am quite wealthy. I own a large amount of movable property and cash, and even a fleet and mines.  "The Count of Monte Cristo replied respectfully, without any ostentation, just stating the facts, "But compared with you who own this country, I am really insignificant.  And from my point of view, these money are not wealth that needs to be hidden underground, but necessary resources to make my friends and I realize our dreams. I own them, I use them, thank God for blessing, so far I have  Once you have done it, I am convinced that it will be the same next time and I will never let you down.  " Then, before waiting for the emperor to answer, he reached into his pocket, took out an object and handed it to His Majesty. After a brief surprise, His Majesty the Emperor immediately saw that it was an emerald green box on Monte Cristo.  The earl's white palm exuded a faint brilliance, and above the box, there was a gold lid Is it made of a whole piece of jade? Before His Majesty the Emperor came to his senses, the earl reached out and opened it again.  After taking out the small box, the brilliance of the room became even brighter - inside was a huge diamond that was carefully carved and reflected psychedelic colors, making His Majesty the Emperor a little dazzled. "Please allow me to present them to you.  His Majesty!  "At this moment, the Earl's voice sounded in His Majesty's ears again, "This is a treasure that I have spent a period of time collecting. I hope you will be satisfied.  " Although the emperor owns a country, he does not receive such gifts often, so even he was a little surprised for a moment. "You give it to me?  " "I found three of the same kind," replied the Count of Monte Cristo in a low voice. "One I gave to the Sultan of the Ottomans, who set it on his sword, and the other I gave to our Holy Father.  Pope, he set it in his holy crown together with the piece your father gave to Pius VII, and this last and largest piece, I think you alone are worthy to use it - as for what is inside  I bought the diamond from Africa. The seller told me that it would be difficult to find one of the same size in a hundred years. I believe what he said is true.  " His tone is very plain, but the content is enough to change the color of too many people, even His Majesty the Emperor - the value of the jade itself and the status of the other two people are enough to match him. " Take it casually  "If you want to use this method to prove your strength, then you have succeeded."  "The emperor came back to his senses and showed a smile to him, "The emperor will not refuse gifts from others, but the emperor will give him the same gifts, or even more.  Count, I believe your sincerity.  " "Then, I await your dispatch, Your Majesty.  "The Earl bowed again, as if waiting for His Majesty to entrust him with the task. "You said you had seen Pius VIII, so I heard that he died abnormally. Is that true?  "His Majesty suddenly asked an irrelevant question. "What Monte Cristo said just now was that he gave a piece of emerald to Pius VIII, but Pius VIII had died in 1830, and the current pope is Pius IX. "It's true.  Yes, Your Majesty, I can confirm with you.  ¡± replied the count calmly, as if what he revealed was only a trivial matter. ¡°HeHe was poisoned, just like many popes in the past.  " "As expectedit's an old drama in the Holy See.  His Majesty the Emperor nodded, "Okay, I understand."  "The fact that the earl can confirm this means that he knows enough about the inside story and is powerful enough to become a chess piece for your majesty, as long as he is willing." After pondering for a moment, his majesty the emperor spoke again, "Well, earl, you  Is it possible to reconcile the Holy See and the Sardinians?  To tell you the truth, King Carlo Alberto asked me to help him against the Austrians and the Church but I wanted him to reconcile with the Church.  ¡± King Carlo Alberto of the current Kingdom of Sardinia was born in a branch of the Savoy dynasty. He grew up in Paris and Geneva. He once served Emperor Napoleon and was made a count by Napoleon in 1810.  In March 1821, King Victor Emmanuel I abdicated, and he became regent and quickly promulgated an enlightened constitution. However, after Carlo Felipe succeeded to the throne, he immediately abolished the constitution he had formulated and dismissed it.  He was imprisoned until the death of King Carlo Felice in 1831. This king was open-minded and ambitious, and he wanted to make his country the master of Italy, so he took control of northern Italy.  The relationship between Austria and the church that controlled Rome was very weak. Under such circumstances, it was natural to seek help from France. "Those who do great things can only adapt to the current situation, if the situation allows it."  , then even the seemingly impossible things will happen.  "Perhaps he was already prepared in his heart. The Earl immediately answered His Majesty's question, "Judging from the current situation, I think this is possible.  "    "oh?  " "Your Majesty, based on my speculation, to you, the Sardinians and the Pope are essentially the same thing, they are just your pawns. You hope for their confrontation, but you also hope that this confrontation will not  As far as more than you should, right?  "The count suddenly raised his head and looked at His Majesty the Emperor. "Please correct me if I am wrong. I think if you want me to do something, then I need to know the intention.  "The earl was so straightforward that the emperor was a little surprised. His emperor, not every time someone would talk to him like this. But he was not angry, and even found it a bit novel and interesting. "Yes, we need to be honest, so I  Admit it to you, I wrote back to the king and told him that I supported him, but I also told the pope that I supported the church, so I needed to somehow reconcile those two positions.  "The emperor answered the count with rare candor, "If possible, I need to turn Sardinia into a vassal state that only obeys France - by peaceful means.  Yes, peaceful means, that's the bottom line.  My father and I both believe that for the safety of France, it is most important for the surrounding small countries to obey its orders. However" As if he thought of something, the emperor suddenly let out a long sigh and seemed a little depressed, "  In the past few decades, France has cast too heavy a shadow on Europe. If we rashly use drastic measures to subvert and change the peace treaty, it would be too early. We cannot cause Europe to be sieged again.  Over the years, we have been tentatively moving forward, but in the end there is still a wall that cannot be overcome.  " "That wall is the Alps and the country behind them, right?  "The count asked suddenly. "I noticed that you mentioned three parties, but you only hope that two parties will reconcile. You have excluded the Austrians.  "The emperor raised his head, and then burst into laughter. "You are simply better than those professional diplomats!  Count, it is a pity that you are not in office.  ¡± ¡°God did not grant me such an opportunity.  "The count replied in a low voice. "What a pity.  "His Majesty the Emperor repeated it again, and then continued, "In short, this is the situation - for us, it is better to act outside Europe than within Europe, so we open up African colonies;  It is better to act in a corner that attracts attention than to act in a conspicuous place, so we start with Sardinia.  " His Majesty the Emperor looked out the window unhurriedly, his calmness and confidence evident in his words, "Because of their own ambitions, the Sardinians will be enthusiastic enough to be my pawns. The problem is that I cannot really allow them to break with the church, and then  Seizing Roman land would be a disaster.  " "I already understand your considerations and concerns.  "The Earl bent down, "Then, as far as I understand, you hope that both parties will be extremely weak and have to obey your words, right?  "    "Yes!  That's it.  "His Majesty waved his cane again,"?You, if you wish, can become an implementer of this plan.  ¡± ¡°I am extremely willing.  "The count almost didn't make any considerations and immediately answered, "And I am confident that I have the ability to do this job.  " "The church is still unruly. They think they still have Austria as their backer, but they think wrong. France will be their backer, and the Austrians are not enough to rely on.  "His Majesty the Emperor's fair and gentle face showed a slight smile. "They will find that the French are the most reliable guards of God.  " Of course he would not tell the count that he had secretly encouraged Sardinia to go to war with Austria and seize territory. He declared that he would give them military assistance and diplomatic protection. If everything went well, the war would start soon. " To France  There are two advantages to saying this: 1. There is no doubt that Sardinia will lose. Although the Sardinians are full of confidence in themselves, observers of the French army have long reported the combat effectiveness of these Italians to the imperial government. So Sardinia is here.  After losing, they will be weak and more dependent on France. 2. Although the Austrians will win, they will be in chaos and will have no time to worry about it. The French also know the situation of the Austrian army very well. At this time, France can.  Calmly intervening, it would allow the Austrians to stop gracefully, keep the Kingdom of Sardinia, and then accept this vassal. But this is not enough for His Majesty the Emperor. "In this case in the near future, if there is such a thing in Rome.  A revolution, or a riot, impacts the rule of the church, threatens the safety of the pope, and even forces the church to flee Rome" His Majesty the Emperor deliberately lengthened his tone, and then watched the count's reaction, "What will happen to France?  , she has the unshirkable responsibility to assist the church.  "After hearing His Majesty the Emperor's plan, the Count fell silent for a moment, seeming to be digesting the information. "So, I was the one who caused the riot in Rome, right?  "After a long time, he asked. "I heard that you are very powerful in Rome. You have a wide network of bandits, officials, and soldiers. There is a group of people who are willing to risk life and death for you.  The emperor did not answer directly, "Earl, tell me, will you disappoint me?"  " "I don't think so.  I can do it, and I think that if anyone can cause such a huge turmoil in Rome without leaving any trace, then that person can only be me" The Earl suddenly stood up straight and looked at His Majesty with a firm gaze.  , ¡°Your Majesty, please rely on me!  "Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong, the sound of the cane tapping the carpet rhythmically came to mind. Although the emperor was still very calm on the surface, he must be very happy now. "I said it before, I told you today  There will be no record of anything you say. I have never met you, and no one can accuse me because of you.  "His Majesty the Emperor tapped the carpet in front of the Earl's toes with his cane, "You have to make your own plans, take risks, and get through the stormy waves on your own If your people can't get through, unfortunately die in battle, or are sent to the guillotine, then  We had no eulogy, no condolences, nothing.  And if you break through, I guarantee you that you can get an extraordinary reward from me. Maybe I can even make you a grand duke or governor somewhere. Mr. Count, you have one last chance to refuse.  .  " "I will not refuse. Now that I have come to France, it means that I have made a decision. For a person like me, I will never change my decision, no matter what storms are ahead.  "The earl looked at the emperor in front of him with blazing eyes, "However, I don't need any grand duke or country. Your Majesty, I ask you to give me another reward when the time comes.  " "What reward?  "His Majesty the Emperor asked directly. "Please allow me to tell you when the time comes.  "The count retracted his realization and returned to his usual calmness, "But I can promise you that the reward I ask for will be a price you can afford.  "    "oh?  Then I am somewhat looking forward to it.  His Majesty the Emperor laughed dumbly, "Okay, Count, then you can start your work. We still have plenty of time, so you can arrange it calmly."  " Then, he seemed to have thought of something, "By the way, I heard that you are going to live in Paris for a while?  " "Yes, Your Majesty, you have the most beautiful pearl in the world, and I want to stop and appreciate it."  "The count replied. "It doesn't matter, you are my distinguished guest, and the door of Paris will naturally be open to you.  "His Majesty the Emperor was not surprised by the count's answer. In his opinion, everyone should like it there, "Don't worry about not being able to get into those salons and banquets. The palace is your introducer.  " "I think it's best to let myself?For the best, Your Majesty.  "The count once again refuted the emperor's words, "A person like me cannot have anything to do with your court.  " "That's right.  "Actually, the emperor was just saying casual politeness. Seeing that the count was so knowledgeable, His Majesty the Emperor felt more at ease. With a relaxed and happy mood, His Majesty the Emperor walked to the window sill and looked at the sky in the distance. The sun has already set, and the setting sun is  The afterglow dyed the sky red, like blood spilling across the sky. It was so red that it was so red that it was so deep and sad. In an instant, the emperor was gone and the poet was gone again.  He¡¯s back. He doesn¡¯t want to talk anymore. ¡°Well, goodbye, sir.  "
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