"'Where the big countries go, the small ones should be deterred.' - Charles, you are quite right, not at all, really, I agree with every word of your speech. This is indeed my will. ”

Louis Bonaparte, standing on the watchtower of the castle, looked up at the dark clouds in the sky, and said in his characteristic tone of indifference. "But I'm sorry, I had to reprimand you for saying the right thing, I hope you don't take it to heart."

"Saying the right thing at the wrong time is making a mistake." Charles, who was standing behind him, replied respectfully, "There are so many things to deal with before us that we don't have time to fight the big names in the capitals of Europe, so it's really inappropriate to provoke them now." ”

"If only you knew that," Louis Bonaparte's tone seemed to relax a little, "it is inevitable that young people will be a little impatient, it is normal to make some mistakes, you have a lot of time to improve yourself, since I have publicly rebuked you, then there will be no actual investigation, don't worry, just pay attention later." ”

"Thank you for your leniency." Charles hurriedly thanked him.

"No," Louis Bonaparte waved his hand lightly, "we have always been magnanimous to our loyal men. ”

Seeing that the other party was not interested in talking, Charles stopped talking, but looked at the scenery outside the castle as he did. Although the autumn wind is already a little cool, the fields in the distance are still green and the air is still full of life. And in the distance, the majestic figure of the Pyrenees looms. This vibrant and imposing picture made Charles's originally tense mood relax a lot.

It is a rather intricately built castle, and the masonry has been built for a long time. However, it is not as old and decayed as a castle, but it is somewhat comfortable. The castle was surrounded by tall walls, and green water flowed quietly in the moat. The battlements of the city were intact, the perforations were not blocked by shrubs, and the creeper did not completely cover the turret, but instead embellished it with a touch of light makeup.

Apparently. Ever since its owners bought the castle for millions, along with the surrounding gardens and other buildings, it has been lovingly maintained. Until the owner returned from Paris to live in seclusion.

This is the southern town of Saint-Armand-Sirte in France, the southernmost part of France, and further south is Spain. When Louis Bonaparte had made his tour to the south, Charles accompanied him to visit his master.

Let's be honest. The castle does have a deep connection to Spain. This origin is not only geographical, but also economic - a large part of what its owners used to buy it was taken from Spain......

The Duke of Dalmatia had made a fortune in Spain, and Charles sighed without any emotion.

Just as Charles was still immersed in this rambling association, Louis Bonaparte, who was next to him, suddenly broke the silence.

"Our dear Generalissimo, I'm afraid we won't have long to live."

"Really?" Charles didn't react for a while, and asked directly, and then he quickly regained his thoughts. "He's 80 years old, so it's normal if his body can't support it now, right?"

"Nope. It's not because of age, it's because of power, and only power can make a person suddenly go from infinite energy to decay and decay. Louis Bonaparte said coldly.

"Huh?"

"A person who was once in the center of power, once abandoned by fate and becomes an insignificant person, then he will be riddled with all kinds of diseases, and it can even be said that he has died." Looking at the dark clouds in the sky, Louis Bonaparte muttered to himself, "Power is the best elixir of life, Charles." Because of the loss of power, the Duke of Dalmatia, Nicolas Sirte, will not live long, and his king, Louis Philippe, will not live a few more days - they leave power, that is, embrace death, which is one thing. So, we must learn a lesson and never leave power, otherwise we will not survive. ”

He looked up at the sky, his face expressionless, as if he were commenting and sighing for his fate in the dark.

"You're absolutely right." Charles bowed his head and echoed his claims. "You must not back down, you must always have power in your hands."

That's right, indeed.

At this time, Louis Bonaparte, of course, did not know that in the original world, after losing the empire in 1871, he died in 1873. However, he knew that for someone like himself who had already tasted the sweet taste of power, once he lost power, it meant death.

Perhaps because of the impending rain, Charles suddenly felt a little dull in his heart.

Will Louis Bonaparte be like that again? Or, more importantly, what will I become in this life?

He tried to imagine the scene where he suddenly lost the power and power he now had. However, the sudden chill soaked into his bone marrow and made him shiver.

No, never, it's unbearable.

No matter what, I must not leave the power field, it is how much effort I have used to squeeze in, and I can't get out until I die.

Suddenly, a sound of footsteps came from the steps outside the doorway, pulling Charles out of her unspeakable discomfort.

The two men looked at the sound at the same time, and saw an old man in a servant's uniform bowing to them.

"Mr. President, the Duke is feeling much better now, and the doctor says he can see the guest."

"Very well, take us there." Louis Bonaparte nodded, and strode out.

"Sir......" The servant seemed to hesitate, as if he was worried about something, "although the situation has improved a lot, but the doctor has also instructed him not to be too excited......

"Hahahaha......" Louis Bonaparte laughed rarely, perhaps sensing the marshal's current state of weakness, "don't worry. We don't make enemies of the old man, we just come to talk calmly. ”

Because he is dead. Charles added coldly in his heart.

Yes, Generalissimo of France. Duke of Dalmatia, Nikolai Soult is dead, albeit alive.

Guided by the servants, they walked through the various paths within the castle and headed straight for Marshal Sirte's bedroom.

Despite his preparations, the moment the door opened, Charles was still surprised by the former prime minister's current state.

It's been less than two years. He was ten times older than he had been. His hair was completely white, and his face was pale with a shaved beard. But it was faintly cyan, and most importantly, the flame that burned in his eyes had completely disappeared. Only the dead ashes remained.

He lay quietly on the recliner. It slowly swayed as the recliner swayed, as if he had fallen asleep.

The tiger that pulled out its claws is probably like this, right?

"Monsieur Bonaparte, Monsieur Treville, I am glad that you are still here."

After the two men entered, the Duke slowly opened his eyes and greeted him in a very calm tone. Naturally, the other two people also took off their hats and saluted.

"You've been a rare visitor since I've been here." After making a gesture to sit down. A smile appeared on Duke Mu Ran's face, "I'm really happy. ”

"To see you again. I'm very happy too. Louis Bonaparte replied with the same smile, "I am glad that you are still so healthy, marshals of the imperial era, each of them is the essence of the nation, and we sincerely hope that you will always be healthy." ”

His manner was kind and gentle, as if the man who had just said that the marshal was dead was not him.

"We are now old and decaying, ready to be forgotten." The Duke still smiled, "The future era will still need to be created by you after all." ”

Then, he closed his eyes slightly and suddenly sighed. "Oh, Empire, what a nostalgic word."

"Yes, the empire is so glorious, how can we let it disappear?" Louis Bonaparte nodded, "I'm going to rebuild it." The Republic is nothing to France, only the Empire can bring her glory. ”

After hearing this, the Duke just smiled and nodded, and did not speak again.

"I think you know exactly why we're here." Louis Bonaparte ignored his attitude, but continued, "You, as the only remaining generalissimo, are already in retirement, but you still have enough influence over the army, yes, we need your help to restore the Empire. ”

"Thank you for thinking so highly of ......," the Duke replied indifferently, "but I think you can also see that I have been retired for a long time, and I am afraid that I will not be able to help you much." ”

"We don't need you to go to the front of the crowd, or even to go to Paris in public, we just need to show your support for us in private or in letters." Louis Bonaparte replied immediately. "Sir, the Bonapartes are in need of help, and they are happy to help others...... At all times, both my uncle and I were very generous to those who helped us. ”

After receiving Louis Bonaparte's solemn promise, the duke frowned slightly, and his lips pursed slightly.

"If you don't think that an old man like me is in the way, I would be happy to help the Emperor's descendants regain the power they deserve......" he replied softly after a moment of silence.

Both Louis Bonaparte and Charles breathed a sigh of relief in their hearts.

To tell the truth, since the other party was able to change from the emperor's loyal subordinate to the king's loyal courtier, now that the conditions are right, of course, he can change back without hindrance. However, it was able to transform so smoothly, which still surprised both of them.

Even at this age, does he still have a keen sense of smell?

"Monsieur Bonaparte, there is one thing I would like to tell you, that I have not chosen to support you for personal reasons alone, and that what benefits can I enjoy at this age? Just a man waiting to see God - but God knows if he can. Just as both of them were sighing, the Duke's emotionless voice rang out again, "Rather, after considering all the circumstances, I do think that only you are fit to lead the country." ”

"Really? Thank you. I won't disappoint you. Louis Bonaparte thought he was a compliment, so he thanked him flatly.

"Only you can build an empire, only an empire can save this country, this is the truth that I have finally seen in forty years." The Duke continued, "There are enough thinkers in this country, but it takes someone to choose an idea to carry out...... Yes, there is no point in thinking, it is meaningful to implement, and for the government, as long as it can act, even if it is thoughtless. In today's France, only you can establish an absolute monarchy, so that people can get rid of their rhetoric and start acting again. ”

After a pause, the former prime minister continued.

"Today, the over-publicized modern equality and unbridled self-aggrandizement are bound to perpetuate the three major ills of society: pride, arrogance, and vanity. Yes, everyone thinks they are so clever that they either see the government as a madhouse full of stupidity, or as a mouthpiece for tyrants who are bent on oppressing them, but doesn't the government want them to do well? Aren't they doing well and the government being able to overtax?

Everyone is self-righteous, but they don't know that this kind of person is the easiest to deceive. Fools think that others think of them as wise, and that wise people want others to think of them as geniuses. As for the geniuses, hehe, they are more modest and agree to be only a half-immortal! This prevailing ideological tendency at present has led to envy and slander everywhere, and every institution is permeated with this kind of madman bite, which has led to discord and inefficiency. Parliamentarians are jealous of the leaders, factory owners are jealous of the government, officials are jealous of the poets, fools slander the wise, clever people slander the talented, the talented slander of those who are slightly more than themselves, and the half-human and half-god geniuses threaten to subvert the system, the kingship, and all those who do not worship them blindly. Anti-intellectualism and anarchism run rampant, and a people is very careless in the pride of overthrowing recognized greats and moral codes......"

Perhaps it was because he was inadvertently overturned by the revolution, or perhaps because he was old enough to fall into delirium, as soon as this issue was mentioned, the former prime minister, who was still very gloomy and silent just now, suddenly said indignantly, venting his frustration after being ousted from power, "This country must be completely reorganized, establish an absolute political center, and then let everyone obey it." We have exhausted the harm of decentralization, but we have not seen the benefits at all! In a country that likes to mock and overthrow, you must practice absolute dictatorship in order to do great things. ”

After a moment's pause, the marshal looked at Louis Bonaparte.

"Yes. I've seen that the country needs an absolute center of power, and you can be such a center. (To be continued......)