It was already evening, and in the sky above Fontainebleau, there were sunsets that burned like flames, and these clouds were one after another, clusters, shining golden under the reflection of the sun. From a small flame to a large and large one, obscuring half of the sky, and finally becoming as red as blood.

The palace bathed in the glow seems to be draped in a brilliant light veil, illusory but towering, and has a bit of vague color in addition to the original royal style.

The ceremony was over, the generals, led by the court attendants, left the palace in carriages, and the original noisy palace room was restored to its usual silence, nestled in the forest and the long river, the palace of Fontainebleau solemnly awaited the end of another day.

However, now the emperor of France has not yet reached the end of work.

Surrounded by a group of attendants and court officials, the French supreme stepped into the meeting room on the side of the hall, where a richly dressed middle-aged man was already waiting.

Because it was only a private meeting, the court attendants did not take a roll call, but when His Majesty stepped into the meeting room, the visitor to His Majesty still bent down deeply and extended his most sincere greetings to the Supreme One.

"Your humble servant, come at your call, Your Majesty."

His movements are very stretched and elegant, and with the gorgeous clothes and overly pale skin on his body, he is even more calm, although he is polite and thoughtful, but he does not appear groveling.

Obviously a person who is used to seeing big scenes, so he can advance and retreat freely.

His Majesty the Emperor now wears only civilian clothes without a crown, holding a cane with a thin wooden handle in his hand, and no other ornaments, and his emaciated figure and indifferent smile on his face make him seem more like a poet.

"I have seen you at last, Count of Monte Cristo." His Majesty gently tapped the carpet on the ground with his cane, motioning for the other party to raise his head, and then he smiled and nodded at the other party, "It's a little different from what I expected, I thought that a famous activist like you would be more rough and fierce, but now it seems that he is more like a courtier in our palace, and even more stylish than them." ”

It was evident that His Majesty was both surprised and pleased with the count's demeanor, for a poet would always like someone who is equally graceful.

"I always ask myself never to forget that I am a civilized person, even through hardships and setbacks, even through battles and battles, I deeply agree with your father's words that the pen is stronger than the sword." The Count of Monte Cristo slowly raised his head and looked at His Majesty the Emperor in front of him, "In fact, it is precisely because I know this that I am able to run my own business, instead of living like those short-sighted people. ”

"It's amazing that a person who runs a huge underground network can say this." The Earl's implicit compliment made His Majesty smile happily, "No wonder they have been recommending you to me all along, and now I believe that you are indeed a strong man who can make great achievements." ”

After saying that, he picked up the cane in his hand and waved it lightly a few times, and the attendants beside him immediately quietly left the meeting room, and suddenly there were only three people left in the room.

"My Foreign Secretary has repeatedly recommended you to me." When the people were almost gone, His Majesty spoke again, "Even His Majesty the Pope himself has said good things about you to me...... Can you tell me, Monsieur Monte Cristo, what are your skills to make so many great people fall in love with you? Even me. ”

"Your Majesty, compared to you, who is extremely dazzling, I am just a lone lamp, but the lone lamp also has the use of a lone lamp, in the dark underground it is enough to illuminate too many things, the sun can't go underground, but the lone lamp can. With all my zeal, my bravery, and my humble resourcefulness, I did my best to serve my friends, and whatever they asked me to do, I did my best, and over time I gained some insignificant fame and made some people notice me. Under the watchful eye of the Emperor, the Count replied calmly, "Actually, I tell you the truth, I wish I didn't have such a reputation, because a person like me is more useful and can help my friend when he hides in the shadows." ”

"So, you want to be a friend of France, don't you?" His Majesty's smile gradually retracted, and the authority of the emperor replaced the poet's kindness, "You have repeatedly told my ministers that you want to serve the empire. Why? ”

"I had hoped to be born and die for your father." The pale-faced middle-aged man suddenly had a trace of tears in the corners of his eyes, shining like jewels in the candlelight, "God deprived me of this honor, but thank God for giving me a chance to make amends...... I will be of great service to you, if you give me a chance, Your Majesty. ”

These are real tears - when the first moment they are seen, His Majesty the Emperor has already made his judgment.

On the throne, he has seen too many things with people he has seen, so he has already developed the ability to guess whether others are sincere or acting on the spot. So he could see that the other party genuinely wanted to serve him—though perhaps only because of his father.

He was not moved.

On the contrary, there is some tiredness and boredom.

Father again.

It's the father every time.

To be the son of a great man, it is inevitable that you will fall into such a situation.

He will always live in the shadow of a great man, and people will compare his father to him, and they will love and hate him because of him, but not because of him.

His Majesty looked up slightly at the ceiling in the void, at the ghost wandering in the heavens.

You will hang over me for the rest of my life.

And I can only love you, honor you, and thank you for bequeathing the throne to me.

After a moment of silence, this distraction was quickly thrown into the depths of the emperor's mind.

"Thank you for your enthusiasm and I'm glad to have your help." He took his cane, walked up to the earl, and asked, "I heard that you are very rich?" ”

"In a general sense, I am quite wealthy, I have a lot of movable property and cash, and even a fleet and mines." The Count of Monte Cristo replied respectfully, without any ostentatious element, just stating the facts, "but I am really insignificant compared to you, who own this country." And as far as I am concerned, this money is not a treasure to be hidden in the ground, but a necessary resource for my friends and me to make our wishes come true, I have them, I use them, thank God forbid, I have done it so far, and I am sure that it will be the same in the future, and you will not be disappointed. ”

Then, without waiting for the Emperor to reply, he reached into his coat pocket, and then took out an object and handed it to His Majesty.

After a brief moment of astonishment, His Majesty the Emperor immediately saw that it was an emerald green box, which radiated a faint glow on the white palm of the Count of Monte Cristo, and above it, there was a gold lid.

…… This is, made of whole pieces of jadeite?

Before His Majesty could come to his senses, the Count reached out and opened the small box, and in an instant the light of the room became even brighter—there was a huge diamond in it.

The carefully carved diamonds reflect psychedelic colors that dazzle His Majesty the Emperor.

"Allow me to dedicate them to you, Your Majesty!" At this moment, the earl's voice sounded in His Majesty's ears again, "This is a treasure that I have spent a while collecting, and I hope you will be satisfied." ”

Although the emperor owns a country, he can't receive such gifts often, so even he was a little surprised for a moment. "You...... Give me? ”

"I have found three of the same," replied the Count of Monte Cristo in a low voice. "One piece I gave to the Ottoman Sultan, who set it on his saber, and the other I gave to our Holy Father, the Pope, who set it in his crown along with the one that your father gave to Pius VII, and the last and largest piece, I think only you are worthy of using it—as for the diamonds inside, I bought them from Africa, and the seller told me that it would be difficult to find another one of the same size in a hundred years, and I believe he was telling the truth."

His tone was flat, but the content was 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, were enough to be worthy of him.

casually took out such a large piece of jade and diamond and gave it away, saying that it was not a top rich man, and no one would believe it.

"If you're looking to prove yourself this way, you've succeeded." The emperor, who came to his senses, showed him a smile, "The emperor will not refuse gifts from others, but the emperor will give him the same gift, or even more." Count, I believe in your sincerity. ”

"Then, I await your dispatch, Your Majesty." The Count bowed again, as if waiting for His Majesty to give him the task.

"You said you saw Pius VIII, so I heard that he died unnaturally, is it true?" His Majesty suddenly asked an irrelevant question.

What Monte Cristo said is that he gave a piece of jade to Pius VIII, but Pius VIII had already died in 1830, and the current Pope is Pius IX.

"It's true, Your Majesty, I can confirm it with you." The Count replied calmly, as if what he had revealed was only a trifle. "He was poisoned, like many popes in the past."

"That's right...... The old drama of the Holy See. His Majesty the Emperor nodded, "Okay, I understand. ”

If the Count was able to confirm this, it meant that he knew enough and was strong enough to be a pawn of His Majesty, if he wanted to.

After a moment of silence, His Majesty the Emperor spoke again, "So, Count, are you capable of reconcile the Holy See and the Sardinians?" Let me tell you the truth, King Carlo Alberto, to intercede with me in the hope that I will help him against the Austrians and the Church...... But I want him to be reconciled to the church. ”

King Carlo Alberto, now of the Kingdom of Sardinia, was born in the Savoy lineage, grew up in Paris and Geneva, served Emperor Napoleon, and was made a count by Napoleon in 1810. In March 1821, King Victor Emmanuel I abdicated the throne and he became regent, quickly promulgating an enlightened constitution. But as soon as Carlo Philippe succeeded to the throne, he abolished the constitution he had made and threw him in prison.

He did not succeed to the throne until the death of King Carlo Felice in 1831.

This king, open-minded and ambitious, was bent on making his country the ruler of Italy, so he had poor relations with Austria, which controlled northern Italy, and the church, which controlled Rome.

Sardinia was a weak country, and in such a situation, it was natural to turn to France for help.

"People who do great things can only adapt to the times, and if the times allow, then things that seem impossible will happen." Perhaps he had already prepared in his heart, and the Count immediately answered His Majesty's question, "Judging by the current situation, I think it is possible. ”

"Oh?"

"Your Majesty, in my opinion, for you, the Sardinian and the Pope, are essentially the same thing, they are just your pawns, and you want their confrontation, but you also hope that this confrontation will not exceed the limits it should be, right?" The Earl suddenly raised his head and looked at His Majesty the Emperor. "If I'm wrong, please correct me, and I think if you want me to do something, then I need to know what it means."

The earl's single-handed approach made the emperor a little stunned.

His emperor, not every time someone talks to him like this.

However, he was not angry, and even found something new and interesting.

"Yes, we need to be honest, so I'll 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 support the Church, so I need to somehow unify these two positions." The Emperor replied to the count with rare frankness, "I need to turn Sardinia into a vassal state to which only France is subordinate—by peaceful means." Yes, peaceful means, that's the bottom line. My father and I both believed that it was of the utmost importance for the safety of France to keep the small countries around it at its disposal, but ......"

As if thinking of something, the emperor suddenly let out a long sigh, and seemed to be a little depressed, "In the past few decades, France has brought too much shadow to Europe, and now it is too early to subvert and change the peace treaty by drastic means, and we cannot cause a siege in Europe again." We've been tentatively moving forward and moving forward all these years, but in the end there is still a wall that we can't get over. ”

"That wall is the Alps and the country behind the mountains, right?" The Count asked suddenly. "I noticed that you mentioned the three parties, but you only hoped that the two sides would be reconciled, and the Austrians were excluded by you."

The Emperor looked up, then burst out laughing.

"You're simply better than those career diplomats! Count, it's a shame that you're not an official. ”

"God didn't give me that opportunity." The Count replied in a low voice.

"It's a shame." His Majesty the Emperor repeated it again, and then continued, "In short, this is the case—it is better for us to act outside Europe than to act within Europe, so we open up the African colonies; It's better to act in obscure corners of Europe than in high-profile places, so let's start with Sardinia. ”

His Majesty the Emperor looked out the window unhurriedly, calmly and confidently, "The Sardinians will have enough enthusiasm to be my pawn because of their own ambitions, the problem is that I can't really allow them to break with the church and then seize the land of Rome, that is a disaster." ”

"I have understood your considerations and concerns." The Count bent down, "Well, as I understand it, you want both sides to be so weak that you have to obey you, right?" ”

"That's right! That's it. His Majesty waved his staff again, "And you, if you wish, can be one of the executors of this plan." ”

"I couldn't be more than willing." The Earl barely gave it any thought, and immediately blurted out, "And I am confident that I am capable of doing the job." ”

"The Church is still unruly, they think they still have Austria as their backer, but they think wrongly, France will be their backer, and the Austrians are not enough to rely on." A smile appeared slightly on His Majesty the Emperor's fair-skinned face. "They will find that the French are God's most reliable guardians."

He wouldn't tell the Count, of course, that he had secretly instigated Sardinia to go to war against Austria and seize the lands, and that he would give them military aid and diplomatic protection, and that, if it went well, the war would not be long in coming.

For France, this has two benefits:

1, there was no doubt that Sardinia would lose, although the Sardinians were confident in themselves, but the observers of the French army had long reported the combat effectiveness of these Italians to the Reich government. Then Sardinia will be weakened after losing and will be more dependent on France.

2. Although the Austrians will win, they will also be in disarray, and they will have no time to care about anything else - the situation of the Austrian army is also well known to the French.

At this time, France can intervene calmly, and it will make the Austrians decently stop, keep the Kingdom of Sardinia, and then accept this vassal.

But for His Majesty the Emperor, this was not enough.

"In this case...... In the near future, if there is a revolution or riot in Rome that threatens the rule of the Church, threatens the safety of the Pope, and even makes the Church have to flee Rome......" His Majesty the Emperor deliberately lengthened his tone, and then watched the Count's reaction, "then it is incumbent upon France to come to the aid of the Church." ”

After hearing His Majesty's intentions, the Count was silent for a moment, as if digesting the information he had received.

"So, I'm the one who caused that riot in Rome, right?" After a long time, he asked.

"I heard that you have a lot of power in Rome, bandits, officials, soldiers, you have a wide range of friends, and there is a group of people who are willing to live and die for you." The Emperor did not answer directly, "Tell me, Count, will you disappoint me?" ”

"I don't think so. I can do it, and I think that if anyone can stir up such a great upheaval in Rome without a trace, it will be me......" The Count straightened up and looked at His Majesty with a determined gaze, "Your Majesty, please rely on me!" ”

Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong, the sound of a cane gently tapping on the carpet comes to mind rhythmically.

Although the emperor is still very calm on the surface, he should be happy now.

"I'm talking ahead, everything I said to you today will not have any record, I haven't seen you, and no one can accuse me of you." His Majesty the Emperor tapped the carpet in front of the Count's toes with his cane, "You have to make your own plans, take risks, and navigate the stormy seas on your own...... If your people can't get through, if they die in battle, or if they're guillotined, then we have no eulogy, no memorials, nothing. And if you do, I assure you that you will be rewarded with me in no ordinary way, and perhaps even I can make you the Grand Duke or Governor of a certain place, Monsieur Count, and you will have one last chance to refuse. ”

"I won't refuse, since I'm in France, it means that I have made a decision, and people like me never change their decision, no matter what turbulence lies ahead." The Earl looked at the Emperor in front of him with a fiery gaze, "However, I don't need any Grand Duke or Territory, Your Majesty, I beg you to give me another reward at that time." ”

"What reward?" His Majesty the Emperor asked directly.

"Allow me to tell you later." The Count retracted his fulfillment and regained his usual composure, "But I can promise you that the reward I am asking for will be a price you can afford. ”

"Oh? Then I'm looking forward to it. His Majesty the Emperor smiled dumbly, "Well, Count, then you can get to work, we have plenty of time, you can arrange it calmly." ”

Then, as if he had 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 devastating pearl in the world, and I want to stop and admire it." The Count replied.

"It doesn't matter, you are my honored guest, and the doors of Paris will naturally be open to you." His Majesty the Emperor was not surprised by the earl's answer, in his opinion everyone should like it there, "Don't worry about not being able to enter those salons and banquets, the court is your introducer." ”

"I think it's better to let myself do it myself, Your Majesty." The Count once again retorted to the Emperor's words, "A person like me cannot have anything to do with your court. ”

"That's right."

In fact, the emperor was just casually talking politely, and seeing that the earl was so interested, His Majesty the Emperor was even more relieved.

With a relaxed and cheerful mood, His Majesty the Emperor walked to the windowsill and looked at the sky in the distance.

The sun had already set, and the afterglow of the setting sun had stained the sky red, like blood spilling it all over the sky.

It's red, it's deep, it's a little sad.

Ah, another day, gone forever.

In an instant, the emperor was gone, and the poet returned.

He didn't want to talk about it anymore.

"Goodbye, then, sir."