It was a sunny Sunday morning, and for the first time since the New Year of 1851 that the Sartori region had encountered such a clear sky.

The sky was as blue as a wash, only white clouds dotted with it, because of the previous snow, there was still some snow around that had not melted, and the light reflected by these snow made the sky and the earth seem to become a lot brighter.

And in the bright sunlight, an unprecedented commotion was turning the otherwise quiet countryside of Sartori into a noisy place, where countless soldiers and officers gathered and agitated. Their shiny uniforms, buttons, epaulettes, medals, and armor faithfully shone with light, piercing into everyone's eye sockets.

The dazzling sunshine, / combined with the tidal wave of cheers, made everyone almost get carried away and immersed in the arrogant atmosphere peculiar to the military.

At the very center of this commotion, His Excellency Louis Bonaparte, the current President of France, rode silently forward on a white horse with a green and gold velvet saddle, while ten paces behind him a large group of high-ranking generals following the President, also on horseback.

Today, he is no longer dressed in ordinary civilian clothes, but wears a special military uniform, wears a two-horned hat on his head that his uncle used to make him famous, and also wears a grand cross on his chest.

In the small space between the hastily constructed wooden fence and the chain-connected boundary stones, neat columns of soldiers formed a phalanx, anxiously awaiting the review of the country's supreme leader, the emperor's nephew.

At the time when the president passed through each column. He almost erupted in cheers, and he kept waving to the phalanxes with a smile on his face. There were even louder cheers.

Colorful costumes decorate the passages. The vast field was filled with representatives of the various legions waiting to be reviewed, facing the viewing platform. Dozens of rows of solemn blue lines are formed. Outside the fence, on the large parade ground, stood several battalions of infantry, selected from among the most elite troops, ready to march through the viewing platform. And at the end of the passage, a military band, ready to play music.

Below the viewing platform was a battalion of cuirassiers on duty. The square meadow was mostly empty, and it was a battlefield for the quiet troops to show their skills.

Amid thunderous cheers, Louis Bonaparte and his generals made their way through the long passage and onto the prepared wooden viewing platform.

Then. Under the orders of the commanders, all the soldiers stood at the same time and saluted the people on the viewing platform.

He wore a blue military uniform and red breeches, riding boots for His Excellency the President, the red ribbon of the Medal of Honor fluttering on his chest, and a small saber hanging from his waist. The eyes of everyone in the square were focused on him from all corners at the same time.

Suddenly, the drums shook the sky, paying homage to him; Two bands play at the same time, all instruments. From the thinnest flute to the loudest brass drum, a majestic piece of music is played together.

After hearing the music, the soldiers were even more excited, in the cold wind of hunting with banners. The soldiers on the parade ground raised their guns in unison from the first row to the last, and the commands were passed on like echoes. The crowd cheered in unison: "Long live France!" ”

In the midst of the jubilation, Louis Bonaparte waved his hand. So the commanders gradually calmed down the soldiers.

The time has come for a speech.

Tens of thousands of eyes are glued to the president. But he didn't feel sick at all.

"Soldiers, as you see. Today, the best of our troops, the most distinguished soldiers, have gathered here, and it is a pleasure for me, the nephew of a great commander-in-chief, to come and examine you. This indescribable honour makes me fear that I am not worthy of your position as the protector of your noble nation!

I have become the legal head of this country by relying on the trust of this nation, and in order to live up to the trust of the nation, I must rely on you to guard the vital interests of this country. And I am convinced that, as you have proven before, you who are brave, tenacious, and scrupulous in your duties will always be the surest guarantee for the survival of the nation!

Only you can defend this country and let the people live and work in peace and contentment.

Yes, as I have said many times before, I have never advocated aggression against other countries, nor have I opposed other countries doing so. We will never go to war. The flames of war must be started on the initiative before they can be ignited, and we, the peace-loving France, will never take the initiative to ignite the fire. No matter how powerful we are, the first thing we think of is to defend our country and defend peace!

We fear God, so we love peace and want to defend it. But if anyone intends to brutally destroy our peace, he will be taught a lesson and will feel how terrible the fire that bursts from the depths of this great people!

The glorious military tradition of this country must be carried forward by us, and the great spirit left by the emperor must be inherited by us! May God bless us ......! ”

Then, he calmed down and looked at the soldiers below.

In an instant, everything trembled, and the earth shook. He got back on his horse, and the movement lifted the silence of the crowd, and the music became louder, the flags were waved in the wind, and all the faces became bright. It's a short-lived collective hypnotic passion, this fleeting spectacle. Let so many people admire and be excited, this person aroused such a huge emotional impulse, and there was not the slightest expression of excitement on his face.

At this moment, he seemed to really have a hint of the look that his uncle once had.

It's a pity that he only caught a trace of his uncle's past.

On another viewing platform in the distance, Charles quietly commented in his mind.

Because he was not an officer, Charles could only stand below, even as the actual leader of the parade, standing with a group of civilian officials and foreign ministers who had come to watch the ceremony.

At this time, he was also wearing a dress. Draped in a red ribbon, he wears a medal of honor on his chest. Because there are a bunch of bad old men or middle-aged people all around. So he looks more handsome and tall, and he is imposing.

"Look. Look at his vibrancy! You can go and perform on stage...... Obviously, a few years ago, he was like a lost dog, crawling out of the prison in a gray way. There are always some people who think that when they wear our clothes, they have the demeanor of an aristocracy. At that moment, Charles heard a whisper of muttering not far away.

This sharp criticism provoked dull laughter.

Charles looked over there and saw that it was the Russian minister, Count Durovyev, who had said this.

The earl was gray-haired, very tall, and had a belly so big that his gown almost tore apart. The bridge of his nose is high, and he exudes an air of pretentiousness. They also dressed up for today's ceremony. Then the attachés and other ministers gathered around him teased the serious Louis Bonaparte on the viewing platform.

If it were normal, Charles would not pay attention to this kind of joke that might have some kind of truth on Cheng dù, but today, in this particular situation, something is different.

For, with all his words "We want peace", wasn't Louis Bonaparte planning a war with the country the minister represented?

With a mischievous mentality, Charles paced slowly and gathered around the minister's group. "I'm afraid I can't agree with you. Mr. Earl. ”

After hearing this sudden voice, the few people who were originally talking and laughing immediately stopped talking, and then their eyes swept towards Charles at the same time.

They immediately recognized Charles, who had not usually interacted with Charles, but who were rising stars in French politics. It is impossible for these people not to know him.

The atmosphere suddenly became a little awkward, and the group continued to look at the viewing platform in the distance as they pretended to be inadvertent, and then left the two men slightly without a trace.

"Mr. de Treville. I guess as a Frenchman, you shouldn't mind if we say a few ridiculous words, right? The minister tried to hide his embarrassment. Looking at Charles with a formulaic smile.

He was fluent in French, which was normal - in the 19th century. It is strange that the Russian aristocracy did not speak French.

"Not if it doesn't hurt our feelings." Charles smiled and nodded, "But...... I gotta say you hurt our feelings. Because we, especially our President, are extremely peace-loving, and we also value our relations with your country very much, and we are eager to receive a gesture of kindness from your country...... I don't want your few unintentional quips to hurt our fervent hearts. ”

"A fervent heart does not cool down with a few words - otherwise it would not be eager." The ambassador still forced a smile, "Besides, how much can we expect from Napoleon's nephew?" ”

"His Majesty the Emperor has made some sad mistakes, and of course we want to make amends." Charles hinted sternly, "As a follower of the president, I will not shy away from saying this, and even the president holds the same opinion." ”

However, continuing to oppose Russia is not among them, Charles said with a sneer in his heart.

After hearing Charles's words, the ambassador's eyes were a little more inquiring, as if he wanted to see from Charles whether he was sincere or not. "Russia never rejects friendly kindness, as long as it is genuinely preserved. We are a hospitable people, and the more friends the better. ”

"I don't dare to be your friend now...... Charles shrugged his shoulders regretfully, "after all, even though I wear your clothes, I don't dare expect to have the same demeanor as you." ”

This irony made the minister stunned for a moment, and then burst out laughing.

"In any case, if you come to Russia, you will always be able to enter my living room, Mr. Trevier."

Undoubtedly, the Treville family is beyond his scoff.

"I'm looking forward to that day." Charles replied with the same laugh.

In the laughter between the two people, the previous small unpleasantness disappeared in an instant, as if the distance had really suddenly narrowed.

Just then, Charles and the Count suddenly heard a commotion from the viewing platform.

The two men stopped talking, and then looked at each other at the same time.

Under their gaze, His Excellency President Louis-Bonaparte was standing in front of the Marquis de Treville, dressed in military uniform, talking to him with a smile on his face.

Is it finally here?

…… Charles's heart fluttered suddenly.

As if in response to the expectation in his heart, Louis-Bonaparte turned back to his attendant officer, who bowed respectfully to him.

Then Louis Bonaparte took a wooden staff from the hand of the officer in charge and stood before Charles' grandfather again.

It's coming, it's coming...... Charles only felt his mouth dry, and the excitement in his heart at this moment was more intense than what he had gained.

Time seemed to freeze, and everyone was standing solemnly, waiting for that moment to come.

Under the watchful eye of the public, Louis-Bonaparte slowly handed over the wooden cane, and the Marquis of Treville accepted it with a solemn face.

When the cane was received, a thunderous roar suddenly burst out from the audience.

Because...... This means that France has one more marshal!

Everywhere there were cheerers, salute to the new marshal. What kind of honor is it to receive the marshal's staff in the eyes of the representatives of the whole army?

Although Grandpa's face was still calm, Charles's heart was already full of mixed feelings at this time.

Yes, no one could feel more than he did, and his grandfather had reached the pinnacle of glory.

After 20 years of hard life and indomitable struggle, I finally got the rewards I deserved.

Despite all his shortcomings and many wrong things, he is still proud of his grandfather.

He tried to suppress the passion in his heart so as not to shed tears on the spot.

"Congratulations, Mr. Treville." At this moment, the voice of the earl next to him suddenly rang out. "Your grandfather became a marshal, although he had an unpleasant trip to Russia."

This joke poured cold water on Charles, and Charles's excitement suddenly turned into anger.

In fact, he was mocking the Marquis de Treville's gold content.

"In 1812, the Emperor had already entered Moscow among the 500,000 men, most of whom were not French; Today, France alone has nearly half a million soldiers...... What you see here is only a tiny fraction. After suppressing the anger in his heart, Charles looked at the other with a smile, "So, I advise you to be polite to us, sir. ”

This sentence made the Count stunned.

He pondered whether the youthful harshness of the young man or the inevitable burst of the hidden hostility of Bonaparte's successors.

"Goodbye." Charles shrugged his shoulders and walked away from him. (To be continued......)