Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it is exactly eleven years later, June 18, 1826.

In these eleven years, Europe has entered a completely different era from the turbulent twenty years that preceded it, and very few major events have occurred.

On May 5, 1821, Napoleon, who had lived in six years of solitary confinement, died in silence on the desolate island of St. Helena.

And on September 16, 1824, the emperor's old rival, King Louis XVIII, who had restored the Bourbon dynasty in France, also died in the Tuileries Palace, and his younger brother, the Count of Artois, succeeded him to the throne as Charles X.

Ancient Europe was resurrected.

The Bourbon Restoration, together with the three monarchies that made up the Holy Alliance – Russia, Austria and Prussia – firmly upheld the orthodox monarchy, trying to make everything look exactly as it was.

The 20-year-old period from 1789 to 1815 seems to have been written off as if nothing had happened, and nothing had anything to do with the obnoxious names of Robespierre and Napoleon.

It seems that nothing can affect the lavish and peaceful court life of Schönbrunn Palace anymore.

On this day, the warm breeze of early summer meekly echoed in the gardens of Schönbrunn Palace, and the geometric flower beds and lawns in the wide garden were as beautiful as ever.

On this intoxicating morning when the climate is gentle and comfortable, a blonde teenager strolls through it.

He wears a plaid wool jacket with a lapel on top, a high-necked shirt, velvet breeches on the bottom, and flat soft shoes with silver buckles on his feet.

These exquisite clothes, coupled with his delicate face, deserve to be a beautiful young man with a good demeanor.

He walked slowly until he reached the top of the high ground of the Great Garden, where there was a large building, the Arc de Triomphe, the commanding height of Schönbrunn Palace.

Standing under the tall columns, overlooking the entire court and gardens, the young man did not say a word, as if he was quietly contemplating.

It stands to reason that this is the most vibrant time of the year, and his age is also the most vibrant and glorious time in a person's life, but the expression on his face is too calm at this moment, so that people can't see the high spirits that young people should have, but have a bit more melancholy temperament that is not commensurate with his age.

However, if you are familiar with his identity, it should not be surprising.

He was the unfortunate man who had been ousted from the throne of France, the heir to a man whose name could not even be mentioned, and now he was trapped in the country where his mother had come up, and he was rightly depressed.

However, no one could have imagined that the soul in this lean, light, and blood-remarkable body had already been replaced once in that catastrophic day.

Now, after eleven years in his new capacity, Chu Ying, or Aiglon, has become accustomed to the times in which he lives, relying on the historical knowledge he learned as a hobby when he was a student, and the contempt for children, he perfectly conceals the secret that he comes from another country and another era, and lives in this magnificent and beautiful Habsburg court under the title of "Duke of Lechstedt".

However, in any case, he could not get used to this life of house arrest.

No matter how luxurious the birdcage is, it is still just a birdcage.

Although he could no longer compare with the extravagance of his time as the Dauphin of the French Empire, it is fair to say that the Habsburg Emperor did not detract much from his life, and here he lacked nothing, with a steward, a governess, and a group of servants, but only freedom of movement.

He could only huddle in the palace of the Habsburgs, basking in the glory of the royal family, and living as a hostage.

In this unfree air, the poor Roman king in history lived only 21 years old and died of tuberculosis in 1832, and Chu Ying himself did not know how long he could hold on, or if he was driven crazy.

In order to dispel this resentment, from his early childhood when he was given a new identity, he forced himself to find other entertainment, read all kinds of books and newspapers, and learned all kinds of knowledge voraciously, and finally survived.

When should this kind of life end?

The boy raised his head again, looking at the blue sky and white clouds above Schönbrunn Palace, and didn't know how many times he asked himself.

In any case, it was necessary to flee, not for the glory of the Napoleonic family or the glory of France, but for the sake of the freedom that he deserved, and this magnificent court must not be his home, and it should be buried by the Habsburgs, not the successors of the French Empire.

"Your Highness—"

While he was still in his trance, a tall man in a military uniform greeted him and walked up to him.

Aiglon withdrew his gaze, then looked at the approaching man.

He was tall, with thick limbs and a square face, typical of a Germanic soldier, and he was Captain Foresti, a member of his governess.

After Aiglon reached the age of education, His Majesty Emperor Franz educated his grandson according to the practice of the royal family, and prepared a complete set of educational teams for Aiglon, which has been around Aiglon for several years, teaching him carefully, carefully and earnestly, and cultivating his knowledge and proper demeanor.

Of course, in addition to teaching him an aristocratic education, the team was also tasked with turning Aiglon into a Germanized aristocrat and keeping an eye on himself in the immediate vicinity.

Ignoring the fact that no one could change it, he got along with them quite well, and apart from the occasional conflict between them during class due to different ideas, he could be said to be their proud disciple - at least Aglon had this confidence.

As he watched, the man walked up to him and bowed respectfully to the boy. "Are you meditating again? Do you want us to wait a little longer? ”

The people around him have long been accustomed to him falling into a state of contemplation from time to time, and some even think that the melancholy Highness is more attractive than usual.

"No, it's just a daze looking at the scenery." Aglon shook his head, "Let's start at the scheduled time." ”

"Okay." The captain nodded.

Forrestie was an officer in the Imperial Austrian Army, a low-ranking but experienced military officer, who was in charge of the military education of Aiglon.

It is worth mentioning that in 1809 he participated in the Battle of Wagram, which was fought between France and Austria, and was seriously wounded there and almost died.

However, the captain never hated Napoleon or Aiglon for this, and he considered it natural for a soldier to be injured in battle, and he even had some vague admiration for the Emperor Napoleon—of course, it was only a soldier's admiration for a soldier.

The captain spread his hand, revealing the two practice swords he was holding.

He then handed the hilt of one of the swords to Agron.

Yes, today, as usual, they will practice swordsmanship here.

For several years, in addition to teaching Aglon military knowledge strictly, he also taught swordsmanship, and he was a very good swordsman in the army.

Learn swordsmanship with him, something that Aglon himself had strongly requested a few years ago.

He knew that the Roman kings in history were weak and sick since childhood, and their early death was also related to this, so in order to avoid this fate, he decided to exercise from the beginning of his education.

In order for the court to accept this request, he decided to use the practice of swordsmanship as an excuse - after all, it was more understandable and approved by the court than gymnastics or other forms of fitness.

His innocuous request was quickly agreed to by the court, and from that time on, he began to practice every day or two with the captain who was proficient in swordsmanship.

Although the captain had taken great care to exercise restraint, at first, he would fall and bruise almost every time he was young.

However, Aiglon did not complain, and after each fall, he would grit his teeth and get up again, continuing to make strict contacts, refusing to slack off.

With the passage of time, his height has increased little by little, and his movements have begun to become more and more light and powerful, and even when the two of them are fighting, he has the ability to parry and counterattack, and he has improved greatly.

His Royal Highness the Duke's amazing willpower made the people in the palace amazed.

Aiglon casually took a sword from the captain's hand, and then, as usual, the two men took two steps back each before saluting and making a starting pose.

Aiglon narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at his opponent, and his upper body also lowered slightly, adjusting his breathing; The captain, on the other hand, looked quite calmly, just stood still and looked at his distinguished student, and motioned for him to attack.

Agron leaned forward, then raised his sword and stabbed him in the chest.

The captain swung his sword to block, then wrestled hard, then slashed diagonally.

Agron sideways, dodging the Captain's attack, then stabbed him in the shoulder in the middle of his movements.

In this way, the two men swung their swords together, and Agron used his pace to attack his opponent as he moved.

Captain Forrestie, on the other hand, calmly parried his attacks, striking back from time to time to teach the students how to deal with them.

The two of them kept moving, circling between the columns, and Aiglon was getting more and more happy, and in this state of self-forgetfulness he didn't have to think about any more troubles, just to enjoy the thrill of competing with others.

However, it is impossible for the troubles of the world to leave him, even at this moment.

"Can you please stop, Your Highness?" The two of them, who were in the middle of a fierce battle, heard a greeting from the side.

Captain Forrestie was the first to stop his movements and quickly retreated, and Agron had no choice but to end his practice.

He turned his head to see that he was interrupted by Count Maurice von Dietrichstein, the head of education at his side and the true guardian appointed by His Majesty the Emperor.

The Earl was thin and had a rather long face, and looked like a rather serious man.

He was very learned and personable, and was even a close friend of Beethoven.

When he was in charge of Aiglon's education, he was very strict and adhered to his duties, but the relationship between the two men was not bad.

"What's the matter?" Aiglon asked, a little impatiently.

"Your Highness, I'm sorry to disturb your Yaxing—" The Count also bowed slightly, "but there is something important now that compels me to interrupt your practice in advance. ”

"Okay then, that's okay." Aiglon replied with a visibly unhappy expression, "What the hell is that?" ”

"His Royal Highness the Prince of Metternich would like to see you—" replied the Count.

Metternich.

The name, along with his premiership, was certainly enough to interrupt Aiglon's Yaxing.

His Royal Highness is under no obligation to wait for him.

"Okay then." There was no expression on Aglon face, and he didn't show his emotions to anyone.

He handed his sword to Captain Forrestie, "Thank you for your guidance. ”

"Your Highness, you have made great progress, although you are not my opponent yet, but I believe that as long as you give you a little more time, you will definitely be able to surpass me." Captain Forrestie's face was filled with unconcealed pride, "Although I am only one student, I think I should be very objective in my judgment. ”

Aiglon looked at the captain.

It's always a pleasure to be with pure soldiers.

What's more, who doesn't like to hear compliments?

"Thank you." He replied lightly.