"He's not a prince yet, but he will be soon."

In the calm voice of His Majesty the Emperor, Charles looked at Louis Bonaparte who walked slowly with some consternation.

His Majesty the Emperor thought that Charles's surprise was only because he suddenly saw this exiled member of the imperial family, but he was wrong, Charles's astonishment came more from a sense of confusion about the overlap of historical lines.

This gentleman, in the world he has traveled through, this is the future emperor Napoleon III!

That's right, he is not a native of this world, but a world from a different era and a different historical direction.

In the world he came from, the Napoleonic Emperor did not turn the tables in 1815, history went in a completely different direction (in fact, he still wonders how the emperor turned the tables in such a situation), and the current Emperor Napoleon II, His Majesty, did not have the opportunity to rule France, he was taken to Austria by his mother after the fall of the empire, grew up in Schönbrunn Palace, and finally died of tuberculosis in 1832 - however, he was also pale and thin in history, and he was as poet as he is now.

It was Napoleon's nephew, Louis Bonaparte, the youngest son of Prince Louis, who after the death of Napoleon II, proclaimed himself the head of the Bonaparte family and a pretender to the throne. The emperor's fate was not too good, he lost the Franco-Prussian War, and eventually lost the empire, and died of depression.

At this moment, the "other" emperor was standing in front of him, so that Charles, who had been unprepared beforehand, was inexplicably surprised.

Under his gaze, Louis Bonaparte, in his thirties, looked at him with his head held high, his eyes blazing, as if burning with fire,

Even in front of His Majesty the Emperor, he did not completely hide his arrogance and conceit, he still looked sharp, and the arrogance that came from his nature was so obvious that Charles could feel it.

This is an ambitious person.

Even people who don't know him will come to this obvious conclusion.

"Charles?!" His Majesty the Emperor's somewhat displeased call finally brought Charles's somewhat confused mind back to his senses.

Yes, whoever Louis Bonaparte was in the original world, but here he was just a servant of His Majesty Napoleon II.

Charles now serves Napoleon II, and his favors and rewards are all given by His Majesty, so why care too much about Louis Bonaparte?

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty...... I was just...... It's just a bit of an accident. Charles grudgingly squeezed out an embarrassed smile.

Fortunately, His Majesty did not pursue his gaffe, but looked at Louis Bonaparte with a smile.

"You see, my brother, this young man is the Charles I told you, a very smart child, but he still lacks some concentration, and when he sees you, it's like seeing some ghost......

"It's not his fault, Your Majesty." Louis Bonaparte spoke, his tone was flat, but with a hint of pleasure at last, "No one remembers us after all these years, his accident is normal, and it is not the first time I have encountered such a reaction since I returned." ”

"I'm sure people will adapt quickly." His Majesty the Emperor smiled slightly, "What you lost will eventually return to your hands." ”

"Thank you for your magnanimity, Your Majesty." Louis Bonaparte bowed slightly, but there was no lack of dignity in respect. "You gave me back what I lost, and I will do my best to serve you."

Charles had regained his composure, and he had roughly guessed what was going on.

When His Majesty the Emperor Napoleon had just died, he left behind a legacy for his wife and brother Lucien to be regent together to assist his son in defending the Bonaparte family, and his other brother, Prince Louis, was also appointed to a post. His Majesty the Emperor intends to use the forces of the Queen Mother Regent and the Prince of the Imperial Family to maintain the stability of the empire.

The cooperation between the two sides was indeed smooth at first, and within a few years, they stabilized the situation in the empire and allowed Napoleon II to grow up safely as a young emperor.

However, this pattern did not last forever, and after a few more years, the Queen Mother Louisa slowly took advantage of the regency to promote a group of her own cronies, and when she was fully fledged, she drove away the prime minister, Prince Lucien, and the minister, Prince Louis, and then forced them to live in exile abroad for more than ten years.

As the youngest son of Prince Louis, Louis-Bonaparte also had to go into exile with his father to Italy, where he lived and lost his royal glory.

And now, at last, it is time for him to work, and His Majesty the Emperor has summoned back the imperial family that had been left behind.

From His Majesty the Emperor's words "He is not a prince yet, but he will be soon", Charles could tell that His Majesty intended to restore the status of this group of members of the imperial family in a short time.

The expulsion of these royal families was the order of Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, and Her Majesty the Emperor recalled them, no matter how you look at it, it was against the will of the Empress Dowager.

Whatever His Majesty intends to do, his move will inevitably mean a turmoil in the political situation in the Empire, and a reshuffle seems to be on the way.

And as one of the only remaining marshals of the Empire, what results can Marshal Tréville get in this round of reshuffle?

In any case, this new state of affairs must be faced with the utmost caution.

In this changing environment, he didn't dare to say a word at all.

"Have you seen the Queen Mother?" His Majesty the Emperor asked Louis Bonaparte again.

"Uh-huh......" Louis-Bonaparte lengthened his tone.

"It's okay, Charles is a smart boy who knows what to hear and what not to hear." His Majesty the Emperor signaled that he did not have to care about the young men present.

"I've seen it...... However, His Majesty does not seem to be in a particularly good mood. Louis Bonaparte replied cautiously, "She was a little stern about me, and said something ...... Well, some questioned my words and that of my father. ”

The person who was kicked out of the country by himself ran back again, and it was strange that the queen mother would be happy, and it was already very deep in the city if she didn't get angry on the spot.

"The Queen Mother has really not been in a very good mood lately, I've worked hard for you." His Majesty the Emperor was not surprised by this, "As a junior, you just have to do your due courtesy." By the way, when is my uncle going to come back? ”

"My father is very old, so he is a little afraid of the bumps in the journey, and he doesn't want to toss back and forth anymore." Louis Bonaparte's expression softened a little, "He wants me to come back to find out what Her Majesty the Queen Mother has to say, and if His Majesty welcomes him, he is willing to return to serve the Empire as soon as possible." ”

"This old fox!" His Majesty the Emperor couldn't help but laugh dumbly, and he didn't have the consciousness to speak ill of his father in front of other people's sons.

Obviously, Prince Louis is still a little afraid, he wants to continue to wait and see, what "waiting for Her Majesty the Queen Mother to welcome" and the like are just a pretext, he wants to confirm that he is absolutely safe before returning home.

However, for Louie's uncle, His Majesty the Emperor didn't value anything in the first place, so he didn't think much of his thoughts.

"It's normal for the older generation to be well-informed and have a lot of ideas. However, there is also a disadvantage to being old, that is, it is too much to seek stability and not have any decisive determination. His Majesty the Emperor looked at the other party calmly, "Since you can ignore the others and rush back first, it means that you still have blood and want to make a big career...... That's enough, after all, the future is still with our younger generation, and the older generation can enjoy his honor, and we don't need to destroy their quiet life. ”

Not only was Charles speechless, but even Louis Bonaparte did not dare to answer.

After all, Your Majesty can say to someone that "the future is ours", but who would dare to claim to have the future with Your Majesty? What's more, "the future is still our younger generation after all" also seems to mean something, but it is definitely not easy to interject.

Fortunately, His Majesty the Emperor did not mean to embarrass his cousin.

"Okay, you've just come back, you must be tired, right? Charles, take him to the side hall for a rest. ”

Then he looked at Louis Bonaparte again, "Your original mansion, although confiscated, has been well maintained over the years, and no one else has lived in it, you can move in after a little tidying up, and then you can pass." ”

"Your Majesty...... I think we need to look at this question again. Louis Bonaparte suddenly spoke, "The previous mansion was owned by my father, and I lived in it before my father returned, which is really unreasonable." Besides, living there is also a bit of a glimmer for me...... I've just come back, so it's better to find a simple, low-key place to live, so that I can also avoid people's eyes a little. ”

"You've thought it through...... His Majesty the Emperor smiled dumbly, "well, my brother, everything will be as you wish, you can find a place to live for yourself, and the cost of the purchase can be borne by the royal treasury." ”

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!" Louis Bonaparte bowed down and thanked the Emperor for his generosity.

Then he turned and followed Charles, leaving the garden.

His Majesty the Emperor stood silently in place, watching them disappear from between the flower beds, and then his gaze fell on the blooming flowers, as if a new poem was brewing.

I don't know how long it took, but he suddenly heard a tactful, low, and calm voice from behind him.

"You're doing something dangerous, my kid."

His Majesty the Emperor withdrew his thoughts, then turned slightly.

This is a woman in her fifties, although the corners of her eyes and cheeks have been covered with wrinkles by the years, but her calm face still makes her look graceful and dignified.

She was wearing a long court skirt and a pearl necklace around her neck, full of luxurious style, and her sharp eyes were even more aggressive. The kind of commanding momentum that permeates her body is not something that jewelry can pile up, only the kind of person who has held power for a long time can have this kind of oppressive aura.

This is the Empress of Emperor Napoleon I, the mother of the current Emperor and the former Queen Regent, Louisa Bonaparte, formerly known as Louisa von Habsburg.

Although he has been in power for so many years, when his mother really stood in front of him angrily, His Majesty's heartbeat inevitably accelerated for a short while, and the prestige that his mother had accumulated over the years could not disappear in a while.

However, he is the emperor after all, and the emperor cannot be afraid of anyone.

After only a few moments, His Majesty the Emperor returned to his usual composure.

He glanced behind his mother, and found that all the courtiers and attendants had consciously retreated, and none of them were within ten meters, although all of them lowered their eyes, but it was difficult to hide the nervousness in their hearts.

What's so scary? He thought to himself.

"I don't know what you mean, my queen mother."

"It's all about now, stop pretending, Franck." Seeing that her son was still dodging at this time, the Queen Mother was even more displeased, and frowned slightly. "You know what I mean, I just met the source of danger."

[The full name of Emperor Napoleon II is François Joseph Charles Bonaparte (François Joseph Charles Bonaparte), Napoleon is the emperor's name, so he is generally called by the name François, and because the Queen Mother is from Germany, she uses German to pronounce Franck as the title of her son. 】

"He's my cousin, it's not a danger, I'm afraid you've mistaken someone." His Majesty the Emperor replied quietly.

"It is because he is your cousin that he is dangerous, and you should never forget who the Bonaparte family is! The members of this family are either prodigals everywhere, or careerists full of power, some or even both, even if they are miles away, I can smell their stench, I smelled it just now, and it was very uncomfortable. Her Majesty the Queen Mother looked calm, but there was a trace of disdain in the corners of her mouth, "In comparison, that guy Jérôme is quite good, although he is a prodigal, but at least he does not have too much ambition, he is not an overly dangerous person, and it can even be said that he is already the loveliest person among your father's brothers, if you want to reuse the royal family, then the best candidate can only be him." ”

"I'm afraid I can't agree with you, mother." His Majesty the Emperor also made a straight face, "When you scolded the Bonapartas at me, you must not forget that I am also a Bonaparte. ”

"You're my son." The Queen Mother was a little sluggish. "You are not like them, you are an emperor by birth."

"It is precisely because I am born emperor that I have to be responsible for the empire." His Majesty the Emperor's face became more and more solemn, "Everyone has ambition, and ambition is not a disease, on the contrary, it is a valuable quality. Only ambitious people will be used by me, will do what I need him to do in order to please me, and how can I drive those who have no desires and no desires? They simply don't make sense. ”

"But the ambition is too intense, and it won't just be for you." Her Majesty the Queen Mother looked at her son gloomily, "People who have no talent will at least be satisfied with the glory and wealth you give, but people with a little talent will think about it, they will not thank you for everything you have brought him, but will feel that this is what they deserve, and they will feel that you give too little!" Especially these royal families, they will still covet your throne! I helped you get rid of all these bastards back then, and it was for your own good, why did you have to get the danger back again? It's just getting yourself in trouble! ”

"Even so, it's better than the guys you found for me." His Majesty the Emperor also seemed to be a little angry by his mother's reprimand, "Who are these people you have matched me?" This is a bunch of profit-hungry and shameless people who have turned the whole country into a miasma, where corruption is rampant, and people complain, and they think I don't know? I know all too well! The people have poured all their grievances on me, and I feel the power of this anger every day! You're right, maybe the ambitions of my relatives may indeed threaten me in the future, but at this very moment, the people you left behind are already threatening me, threatening the Empire! If you do not take drastic measures, what happened in 1789, the people of this country will come again, and not too soon, do you wish to expose yourself to the same fate as your aunt? ”

His Majesty's rebuttal made the Queen Mother even more annoyed, and she didn't like to compare herself with her aunt the most.

That so-called aunt was Antoinette, Louis XVI's queen and married a few decades earlier, who, after decades of prosperity and wealth, lost her country in the tide of terror, and later followed in the footsteps of Louis XVI to the guillotine.

The princess of Habsburg married the monarchs of the two dynasties before and after France, which can be regarded as a trick of fate.

"You actually ...... me Compare me to her, you...... Do you still have a conscience?! The Queen Mother stepped forward and looked at her son coldly, "What am I sorry for your father and you?" When your father was away on the war, I was helping him maintain the country, and after your father died, you were an ignorant child, and I was the one who helped you keep your throne and overwhelm the conspirators and your relatives who were about to move! Would you have been able to speak to your mother in such a stupid tone in this quiet here today, without me? ”

His mother's merciless questioning made His Majesty the Emperor feel embarrassed and embarrassed.

He knew that the Queen Mother's words were also right to some extent.

He was only ten years old when he succeeded to the throne, and in those ten years, it was indeed the Queen Mother who swept away all the rebel forces one by one, and then helped him drive away all the threatening royal families, which helped him stabilize the country and let him have a good environment for pro-government, anyway, he still remembers this kindness.

"Everything you have done for me before, I will accept your affection, Mother." His Majesty finally bowed his head slightly, "But now, the situation is different, the group of people you left behind is now useless except to ruin the reputation of the empire and ruin my rule, so I have to cleanse, only by washing the state machine, can this country enter a new era." ”

"So you're going to have your cousins come back and help you be the knife bearer?" Her Majesty the Queen Mother asked rhetorically, "You hit the idea of letting them clean up the current high-ranking and then push them out as scapegoats, right, my son?" ”

"Sometimes, we have to do something." The emperor did not admit it and did not deny it. "The situation now makes me feel compelled to do so, they are already complaining, the people need to see some new faces, and I can give them that. You should be able to accept that, right? The old will always be replaced by the new. ”

"You're talking about them so badly, they're actually not that bad." Her Majesty the Queen Mother looked away, "Actually, it's almost the same for anyone, do you think that if Jérôme's position is replaced by Louis, the situation will be better?" The people are still complaining, this group of people are bastards who are only for themselves, and no one is better than the other. Besides, you think you're in control, but does that really have to be the case? You use them as knives to cleanse your predecessors, but don't they have a will of their own? No, they will prevent you from crossing the river and tearing down the bridge, and then you will find that these people are more difficult to deal with than mediocre old people. Stop your work before it's too late, Frank, what your mother left you isn't so bad. ”

Seeing that the Empress Dowager slowed down her attitude, His Majesty the Emperor also lowered her tone.

"Mother, you are old, and you are a little nostalgic, I understand this. However, my will will not change. He raised his head and looked at the white clouds in the sky with blazing eyes, "I won't stop until I clean up those things that are in my way, and the future problems will be solved by the future, but the crisis that the people are complaining about is imminent, and I must solve the imminent problems." ”

"That'...... How about letting them converge a bit? Her Majesty the Empress Dowager hesitated for a moment, then looked at her son inquiringly, "Isn't it good to keep them fighting with the newcomers and balancing each other?" ”

"That's not what you said when you drove Lucien and Louis away." The corners of the emperor's mouth twitched slightly, revealing a meaningful smile, "Mother, I am your student, I grew up watching you......"

If there is a check and balance, he just let his people fight each other, why let the old ministers come, what he needs is to sweep away the old things, so that the country can really move completely according to his will.

"Do you really want to be so ruthless?" Her Majesty's face sank again.

"I'm not going to be too ruthless." His Majesty shrugged his shoulders calmly, "If you are willing to take the initiative to withdraw, I will let them keep most of their property and retire, just like Murat." ”

Seeing her son's calm appearance, the Queen Mother's anger rekindled.

"Emperor!" Because of the blazing irritation, Her Majesty the Queen Mother raised her voice. "Do you have to do this?"

"Mom, I have a message for you, my father said." His Majesty smiled at Mother.

"God has given me a crown, and whoever touches it will suffer."