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4. Beautiful boy

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    "Bell towers, palaces, halls, dazzling costumes, and joyful singing; Paintings decorate the colorful windows, and reliefs outline the arches; Countless eager eyes flock around him greedily, just like the stars complimenting the sun; Who is paying attention?  When he arrived, the poor man was trembling; only he knew that the heavy palace was pressing on the back of a beast of burden, and it shared the burden of sin with him; it was full of drunkenness and carnival, and it was full of glory and pleasure.  The immortal stars forgot everything; he could hear the beasts of burden wailing, roaring, and tearing; he raised his arms desperately to hold on to the crumbling palace; if he could, who would want to bear that moment?  It finally comes; the earth cracks, magma rolls in, the sky boils and heats; the roar of thunder covers the screams, the sun goes out, and the stars fall; until all things decay, all living things are exhausted, and the blood finally calms down the disaster; and at that time, in  In ruins wrapped in silk and gold; in ruined tombs, saints and sinners sleep together, swallowed by magma and burned by thunder; no one can be saved, no one can be forgiven.  In the garden, His Majesty the Emperor, holding a cane, strolled among the pavilions and admired the fountain under the colonnade. After a long silence, he talked freely, and then read out the new poem he had just brewed without stopping.  His voice is smooth and natural, with a little bit of hoarseness. Because of the strict education he has received over the years, his words are clear and cadenced.  However, there was an inexplicable gloominess in his voice, coupled with his reserved and sad expression, it sounded like he was reciting some eulogy.  After finishing reading, he took a long breath, and it seemed that at this moment he let out the long-standing depression in his chest.  A middle-aged man with a thin build, wearing casual clothes, his fair skin and brown hair make him look even more elegant.  He is an emperor, but he is also a poet.  After a short silence, applause of "pa", "pa" and "pa" began to sound behind him.  "It's so wonderful, Your Majesty!" Count de Dillion bent down and looked at his master with great respect. "Your poems are destined to illuminate the whole of France! To have such an excellent poet like you,  It is a rare honor for our country!" His Majesty the Emperor did not smile because of the exaggerated compliments of his palace clerk. His face turned slightly and his eyes swept over the count without stopping for a moment. His silent contempt made him  He didn't even bother to scold the other party.  His eyes wandered behind the count, skipping the faces he knew or didn't recognize, slowly searching, and finally settled on a young man.  This young man was wearing a Guards uniform. The shiny gold buttons made his face look extremely white. The riding boots and uniform made him a little more heroic, but his face was still a little childish. Obviously  He was just the kind of noble boy who held ceremonial duties in the palace.  His bright golden hair was neatly combed, revealing his broad forehead, and his blue eyes were sparkling with wisdom, making him show a cleverness that was different from ordinary teenagers.  What a handsome blond boy!  Poets always like beautiful things, and this time is no exception.  "Char." The emperor finally smiled slightly, picked up his cane and waved it gently to the young man, beckoning him to come over.  "What do you think?" The young man immediately felt the jealous glances from the side - not everyone has the opportunity to be called by His Majesty the Emperor to comment on his poems.  ¡°Humph, who told you that you don¡¯t have this ability?  The young man sneered secretly in his heart, and then walked to His Majesty's side respectfully.  "Your Majesty, your poem is of course as good as ever, full of charm, outstanding intention, and natural rhythm" As usual, Charles first used a lot of praise to satisfy His Majesty's self-esteem.  But just doing this is not enough. The emperor never lacks people who praise him.  "But" So, Ciel made a small twist at the end.  "But what?" His Majesty the Emperor raised his eyebrows slightly, but did not show any anger.  "Is the tone toogloomy?" Charles lowered his voice, "Your Majestyif I understand correctly, you are worried about rebellion in the poem, right? Do you think ministers and nobles are worried about rebellion?"  In the dream of life and death, you are the only one who is worried. In order to fight againstThese rebels are making efforts that are destined to be in vain Of course, maybe I have misunderstood it.  .  .  "    "Then what?  "His Majesty the Emperor was noncommittal. "I think your negative attitude is not advisable, althoughwell, although there may be some ministers or officials who are not worthy of the honor and trust you give, most of them are still working hard for you and  Serving the Empire.  Charles looked at His Majesty the Emperor sincerely, "People like us will loyally protect you. Even if the sky falls apart, we will definitely stand in front of you. If there is really any disaster that makes you unable to recover, at least I won't."  Will live to see it!  " "Boy, you are quite good at talking.  "The emperor was still noncommittal, just smiled, then waved his cane, turned and walked towards the pavilion. "Play chess with me for a while.  " Charles de Treville is the only grandson and heir of Marshal Treville. He has received strict instruction from his grandfather since he was a child. Later, he was sent to the palace by his grandfather to serve as a court official together with other nobles from the empire.  Guard officer. If you want to have power, you must first get close to power. The old man's ideas are so simple and direct, and so effective. Under the influence of his grandfather, this handsome young man who seems to be gentle and delicate has a desire for power that is beyond ordinary people.  , trying every means to climb to the top of the huge machine of the empire, even if it means flattering others, and as a time traveler with lofty ambitions and talents, he has his own pride and principles - he does not hesitate to do so.  Flattery, he flatters high-end people. They are all descendants of a group of big bosses. If they are asked to ride horses and shoot guns to attract bees and butterflies, they are all very capable. It would be too difficult for them to help His Majesty the Emperor comment on poetry.  He couldn't do this job - so Charles stood out among this group of people. The former emperor liked to fight, but now His Majesty likes poetry and literature. He has gathered around him a group of ministers who are also good at writing, but Charles said it poorly.  Of course, it is a good thing to be favored by His Majesty the Emperor, but because of this, Charles is even more careful. After all, His Majesty the Emperor is not that easy to fool.  Constantly looking for opportunities to express loyalty to His Majesty and please him - fortunately, there is a precedent from grandpa, and his words are quite credible. The passion of young people usually brings blind loyalty, and no one  It would feel strange. Charles followed the footsteps of His Majesty the Emperor and walked into the pavilion. The flowing water in the fountain next to it brought a sense of coolness and blocked the noise nearby. No one followed him. There were only two of them in the pavilion.  It¡¯s enough for them to play chess with peace of mind. There is a stone table in the pavilion, with a chessboard painted in black and white squares, and the crystal clear crystal chess pieces are placed on it, waiting for another round of fighting.  In addition to busy state affairs, His Majesty the Emperor often plays chess as a pastime. Ciel, who has been interested in this game since he was a child and has a high level of skill, has become the person he pulls over to practice from time to time. Not surprisingly, Ciel often loses to him.  His Majesty the Emperor, but he was able to make the process ups and downs, allowing His Majesty to relax in the midst of tension. It was precisely by relying on these skills that Charles stood out among a large group of second and third generation imperial senators, and always gained His Majesty's attention.  After sitting down, His Majesty the Emperor reached out and picked up the knight on the right and jumped to the sideline. According to Charles's experience, every time His Majesty makes a move like this, it means that his mind is not on the chessboard, so he chooses the most skilled move.  He moved a pawn in the middle. The most important thing he had always thought about playing chess with His Majesty was to seize the center and control the central area with troops, so that he could develop the formation as quickly as possible and then control the situation - and then he could win if he wanted to, or lose if he wanted to.  Just lose.  Just like that, the two of us took a few steps underground and completed the initial layout stage.  Because the number of bets is relatively high, the start is relatively fixed and the game is over quickly.  "I heard that Prince Murat came to have tea with your grandfather two days ago?" His Majesty the Emperor suddenly asked as soon as the layout was completed.  Ciel, who was immersed in the chessboard, was slightly shocked, and then he immediately reacted.  "Yes, Your Majesty." "Did you say anything interesting?" His Majesty slowly picked up his queen and walked diagonally to the sideline. "Did your grandfather ever mention anything interesting to you?"  "Actually, there isn't much." Charles pondered for a moment, then looked to the side with the corner of his eyes to make sure no one could hear him, and then he answered in a low voice.  ¡°His Royal Highness the Prince believes that Marshal MorcerfNot as good as the honor you gave him, and he told the Duke of Dalmatiathat you intended to replace him with him.  "    "oh.  "His Majesty took the crystal chess piece in his hand, with a calm and thoughtful expression on his face, "It's not surprising.  " Charles held his breath and concentrated, paying attention to every subtle movement of the emperor, because it might mean something that could make people shattered. "Yes, he was telling the truth, and he was telling the truth with his grandfather's tacit approval.  The reason why he did this was because this sophisticated aristocratic general smelled some ominous atmosphere in the cloudy center of the empire, so he was determined to seek the best interests for himself and his grandson after the death of His Majesty Emperor Napoleon.  The son was too young, and his Queen Louisa was regent. This woman from Austria certainly would not convince the princes and heroes of the family, so from the beginning, the struggle between the two sides was very fierce. In order to stabilize the son's throne,  To maintain her power, Her Majesty the Queen Mother had to find ways to win over her subordinates, and finally stabilized the situation. In this series of compromises, her authority was also greatly weakened, and the veterans and generals formed their own system.  It was almost impossible to stop the phenomenon. When His Majesty the Emperor grew up and took charge, he began to take control of the imperial power of the empire, which inevitably led to the opposite of the elder system. However, His Majesty has a calm personality and always pursues stability, preferring to take it one step at a time.  To weaken the power of the elders, after all, he is very young, and time is on his side. As time goes by, he has been in office for more than 20 years. During this time, most of the elders were taken away by death due to aging.  The situation has indeed evolved in the direction he expected. The only regret is that the person he fears the most is still alive. As one of the most brave and capable generals in the Napoleonic era, Prince Murat was the only one who married Napoleon's sister Caterina.  A person with both royal status and marshal status can be said to be the most powerful elder in the empire. He is close to eighty years old, but his spirit is still strong. Although he retired from active service to take care of his old age when His Majesty the Emperor took charge.  He is still full of energy and often travels around to keep in touch with his old subordinates and friends, maintaining his influence. The old man's hale and hearty look makes people believe that he can live a long life.  The prince who is immortal and likes to cause trouble everywhere makes His Majesty disgusted, jealous, and even disgusted, although he has never expressed this clearly. Theoretically, as a veteran general in the era of Emperor Napoleon, Marshal Treville should be regarded as a member of the veteran faction.  But after staying with His Majesty for so long, Marshal Treville could also feel His Majesty's fear of these old people who affected his authority, so he decided to do what this family has been used to doing for many years - he was close to other senators in the empire.  The senior generals, however, catered to His Majesty and allowed themselves to have both sides. At the same time, they kept observing the situation and guessing who would have the last laugh. Although the senior military leaders all have high positions and great influence, after all, His Majesty is young, so the old Marquis himself is still more powerful.  He was more inclined to the emperor, so he paid great attention to letting his grandson get close to the emperor, and often reported to His Majesty the trends in the army.  "Your MajestyActually, you don't need to care too much. His Royal Highness sometimes just speaks freely. He is outspoken and has no restraints when he gets older, so sometimes he speaks inappropriately, so don't worry about it.  "Seeing that the emperor was a little unhappy, Charles quickly put in good words for the prince.  This is of course not because he likes Murat or anyone else, but mainly because he wants to establish himself as a loyal and impartial image in front of the emperor.  "Angry? Why are you angry? It's expected." His Majesty the Emperor showed a slight sneer, then put his hand on the chessboard and pinched the chess pieces. "Char, I am the master of the chessboard. As long as one follows the chessboard  If you play this game according to the above rules, then I will be the winner, and I will always be the winner. Only one kind of personone kind of person is worth making people angry." With a gentle sweep of his right hand, the large chess pieces fell to the ground one by one.  The crystal chess pieces shattered, and a pile of fragments lay at Ciel's feet, shining with a blur of brilliance.  "That is, people who overturn the chessboard without playing chess. Such people are particularly terrifying and must be eradicated as soon as possible." His Majesty the Emperor's cold voice sounded in the young man's ears.  The young man's face suddenly turned pale.  "Your Majesty" "Since you have made me so happy today, I will assign you a good job, Charles." His Majesty the Emperor raised his head and looked at him, and suddenly said in a confused manner."Please give me your orders, Your Majesty." Charles calmed down.  Since it is an assigned task, no matter whether it is good or not, he must accept it as "good".  "We have a guest who has come to Paris and is ready to enjoy a good time. His identity is mysterious, but it is not important to us. We know that his name is now the Count of Monte Cristo." His Majesty the Emperor smiled calmly, "You  Go help him get familiar with this city and let him have a good time. After all, he is serving me now." "" Charles suddenly didn't know what the emperor was thinking.  "He is very rich, very rich, and he is very generous and is willing to give money to anyone - as long as that person pleases him." The emperor's smile deepened, "Charles, you are still young, I can't let you be a high official.  But as long as you stay with this person for a year, if you are lucky, you can earn as much as a high-ranking official for three to five years, and no one will sue you for it. I have decided to give this rare job to you. " "Then  ¡­What else do I need to do?" Charles asked immediately.  "Smart boy." The emperor nodded approvingly.  "Monitor his situation. If you find that he is taking actions that endanger France or leaking information about France or me, then report it immediately. If necessary you can execute him on the spot first. Do you understand?" "  Got it." Charles took a deep breath.  "Very good." His Majesty the Emperor smiled gently, "Transcribe the poem I just wrote. I will polish it in the evening." Although he is a poet, he is still an emperor first.
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