With the arrival of spring, the bright sunshine fills every sea area of the Mediterranean Sea, including the small island of Monte Cristo.
On this day, Father Faria submitted an application to meet His Majesty the Emperor through Mademoiselle Chanel Noel, who took care of him.
His application was approved quickly.
"Father, what do you want to see me for?" When the priest came to his room, Aigron asked politely.
Father Faria has been on the island for nearly half a month. After escaping from the dungeon, after this period of recuperation, both his physical and mental state have improved greatly.
Although he was still partially paralyzed, for him, it was not enough to hinder his mental thinking.
He now seems to be full of endless mobility.
"Your Majesty, can you tell me what you plan to do next?" Father Faria was not polite, but went straight to the point, "According to my observation, you have been recruiting people, and these people will definitely not be limited to just a few.
On a small island, where are you going to use them?"
"I plan to establish a smuggling network to earn me a steady stream of profits, which requires a lot of manpower." Aigron answered.
"I saw this, you are indeed recruiting sailors, and you brought Edmond to the island for this purpose, but in my opinion, this is not all your plan." Father Faria did not give in, but
He continued, "You are not only recruiting sailors, you are also recruiting troops, which even exceeds the carrying capacity of Monte Cristo Island... It is obvious that you are trying to form an army of some size, so this must lead to the following
One question – where do you plan to take this army?”
Aigron didn't answer immediately.
"If you want me to be your counselor, then you have to be honest with me and at least let me know what you want to do next so that I can play my role, right?" Father Faria continued, "
You may think that I have just come out of prison and am not enough to entrust you with big things, but I think I am in a good state now. During this period, I have also been observing the current situation in Europe with great concentration... I think I can play a little role, so please
Please trust me a little bit."
Aigron hesitated.
"You certainly won't take them to land in France and then march to Paris, right? This is completely irrational." The priest said with a smile, "You don't need to take another risk like your father. After all, he has prestige in the army, and you are currently
not yet."
"Of course not." Aigron laughed at the joke.
If he took people to land in France now, he would probably be caught and sent to jail if he went less than thirty miles inland.
What to do next has always been a plan he was thinking about in his heart, and he didn't even say it to the people close to him.
However, it seems that now is the time to speak out.
It doesn't matter if you at least discuss it with the priest.
When he thought of this, Aigron no longer hesitated and expressed his plan.
"As long as the troops and horses are gathered and the combat effectiveness is somewhat formed, I will go to Greece. Then as a volunteer, I will assist the Greek rebels in resisting the Turks and help them gain independence."
"Oh! It's a little surprising." The priest opened his eyes wide and was surprised, but he didn't show much objection.
"Raising an army not only requires money and people, but also territory. This small island of Monte Cristo will never allow me to build an army. So I have to find a way to get a larger territory." Now that I have said it, Egger
Takashi no longer concealed it, "Considering my status, if I grab territory elsewhere, there will undoubtedly be an extremely violent counterattack, but if I volunteer to fight to regain the Christian country in the name of saving Greece,
Although I am an Orthodox Christian, people in the Christian world will still cheer for me——"
"That's a good reason." Father Faria nodded.
Then, he thought for a while, "But the situation in Greece is not good right now. The Turks and Egyptians are besieging them-"
"That's just right, this is where I can play!" Aiglon replied confidently. "The Turks seem to have the advantage now, but this is just because the Greeks themselves are too chaotic, not because they are so powerful. I think I have the upper hand.
The space within which to maneuver.”
The conversation between the two people also revealed the current situation.
Since being conquered by the Ottoman Turks, the Greek people have never stopped resisting, and starting in 1821, the Greek people's resistance ushered in an unprecedented uprising.
After several years of guerrilla warfare, the Greek rebel army, led by Krokotronis and others, repeatedly defeated the Turkish army and once regained almost the entire territory.
However, the nobles and local tycoons in Greece looked down upon the leaders of the rebel army who had a rough background, and the pro-European faction and the local faction were also fighting fiercely. As a result, before independence was completed, there was fierce internal strife within Greece.
In April 1824, Greece held its second National Assembly, and Krokotronis was dismissed from his post as commander-in-chief. Of course, the faction that supported him refused to accept it, refused to recognize the government, and established a new central government. As a result, two governments coexisted in Greece.
.
After two fierce armed conflicts, the internal strife in Greece finally ended with the arrest of Krokotronis himself. The internal war in Greece ended, and the Greek army suffered heavy losses.
At this time, Turkey was also eyeing Greece, desperately trying to extinguish the fire of the uprising. In July 1824, Turkey signed an agreement with Egypt, which was nominally ruled by it but actually controlled by Ali Pasha, to jointly suppress Greece.
People's uprising.
In February 1825, 90,000 Egyptian army and navy troops landed in the southern Peloponnese Peninsula and marched in force. Although the Greek army resisted heroically, it was still unable to stop the Egyptian attack. The Greek government, under pressure from public opinion, released the Greek army.
Loctronis and others once again appointed him as commander-in-chief. However, the war situation was difficult to reverse, and the Egyptian army occupied most of Greece.
After two years of fierce fighting, although the Greeks resisted bravely, all the Greek territory north of Corinth fell into the hands of the Turkish army again. Only part of the Peloponnese and the Aegean Sea remained in the Greek territory.
several islands on.
The situation in Greece looks precarious.
However, this is just the darkness before dawn. As the armed uprising in Greece continues, the attitudes of European countries are also changing. In the end, the European powers that were originally unwilling to support the uprising and hoped to maintain the old order changed their attitudes and strongly responded to the
Turkey exerted pressure and then forced Turkey to withdraw from Greece.
According to original history, Greece finally gained formal independence in 1829.
Eggron knows that just like stock trading, the stock "Greece" is now at its lowest point. As long as he enters the market and works hard, he can reap huge benefits during the stock rebound.
The worse Greece is in now, the more room he has to "greed for heaven's merits".
Of course, he would not explain all this plan clearly to the priest, but Father Faria was also able to keenly observe the benefits.
"Aren't you afraid of taking risks? That is the Turkish army, a regular army." Father Faria asked.
"I hate taking risks, Father, at any time. But I know better that if you want the throne, you must take risks. Compared with the benefits I can get, the risks are not worth mentioning." Aigron said with emotion.
Answer, "As soon as I have raised an army of volunteers, I will go about my business."
After a pause, he explained, "Besides, I am not without support. I have veterans and officers who are loyal to me, and tens of millions of francs in capital. I will definitely be able to subdue the Turks. I think Turkey is like
A shaky old house, if you stand at the door and kick it hard, it will shake and collapse!"
"Then if you succeed, what do you plan to ask for? The Greek crown?" Father Faria asked again.
"I don't want it. No one can govern the Kingdom of Greece well. Didn't you see? They were fighting among themselves with swords and guns before they succeeded in independence! No one can manage this country, and it is not worth my waste of energy. I want it.
It’s France, the richest European country.” Aigron shook his head, “I just need to gain a sphere of influence and use Greece as a bargaining chip to negotiate better terms with the European powers.”
Very good... Father Faria nodded slightly in his heart.
It can be seen that his Majesty has a quite mature plan - it can even be said that it exceeds his original expectations.
In this case, let’s give it a try!
I can also help your Majesty to add fuel to the fire.
"Your plan is quite good. I have nothing to refute. But..." Father Faria smiled slyly, "But I think I can do my best to make your plan smoother.
, and get more solid protection.”
"What do you mean?" Aigron suddenly became interested and asked quickly.
"When those big countries abandoned Greece for their own despicable interests, your righteous act of single-handedly saving Greece will be recognized by all Christians. Even those who are most opposed to you will not be disappointed in this matter.
There are ways to find out your faults...and I think the Roman Church will be one of the people who cheer you most." The priest explained to him in a low voice.
Then, his eyes shone with excitement, "Your Majesty, think about it, what an honor it would be if the Pope personally issued an edict to praise your feats in the Christian world?"
Infected by his tone, Aigron couldn't help but feel relaxed and fascinated.
Of course he has no good impression of the Roman Church, but he knows that France is still a Catholic country, especially French farmers, who hate this set of religious rhetoric - if the Pope personally issues an edict to commend him, it will be
How much of a stir did the vast countryside of France cause?
At that time, he used picture albums and other means to launch a wave of propaganda bombing against those farmers...
Hey! What an exciting scene that would be!
When he thought of this, Aigron couldn't help but feel fascinated.
However, he quickly calmed down and looked at Father Faria suspiciously.
"My father has a very difficult relationship with the Roman Church. Would the Pope be willing to do this?"
What Aigron said is indeed the truth.
During the French Revolution, the relationship between the government of the Republic and the Catholic Church was very bad. On the one hand, the Republic ideologically hated the so-called Catholicism that suppressed reason and encouraged ignorance; on the other hand, it coveted the assets of the Church, so it extended its butcher knife at the beginning of the Revolution.
To the clergy, the church in France was also severely weakened.
After Napoleon came to power, he began to rebuild French order. He picked up the Catholic Church as a tool, so he began to lift the ban on the church, and then deliberately established a good relationship with the church.
Thanks to his efforts, the church quickly repaired its relationship with Napoleon.
In 1804, when Napoleon ascended the throne, it was Pope Pius VII who crowned Napoleon.
However, although he used the church as a tool, Napoleon was still very disdainful of the church in his heart. During the coronation ceremony, he snatched the crown from the pope and put it on himself, clearly showing the world that he was the one who won the throne.
What came down was not awarded by the Pope - and the relationship between the two parties also took shape.
After that, the relationship between Napoleon and the church took a turn for the worse.
The Pope originally thought that Napoleon's empire would become the pillar of the Catholic world like the Bourbons. However, Napoleon regarded the empire as a tool for his personal ambitions.
In 1809, Napoleon attacked Vienna and then annexed the states under the Papal State. Pius VII was furious and announced that Napoleon would be excommunicated. On July 6, 1809, Napoleon arrested Pope Pius VII in the Vatican and escorted him back to Rome.
Captivity in Savona.
Pope Pius VII spent five years in prison before being released after Napoleon abdicated in 1814.
Obviously, the final relationship between the two parties turned into a state of rupture.
His grandmother Letizia Bonaparte's brother, his great-uncle Joseph Fesch, was a cardinal of the church. He was also prominent in the church at that time and even presided over his baptism ceremony.
; But he was a cardinal in France entirely because of Napoleon's relationship. After the relationship between Napoleon and the church broke down, his status in the church also declined greatly.
Finally, after Napoleon abdicated, he returned to Rome and was thrown into disuse. Now he can only live a retired life in Rome. It is impossible to expect him to exert influence in the church.
Therefore, Aigron, who was familiar with these anecdotes, did not expect the Roman Church's attitude towards the Bonaparte family at all.
"If Pius VII was still alive, I think it would be really difficult for them to change their minds, but the situation is different now. We have a new pope to deal with." Father Faria smiled again, "Your Majesty, this is also the case with God.
Help you."
Indeed, Pope Pius VII, who had a deep hatred for Napoleon, passed away in 1823. He was replaced by Pope Leo XII. As emperor and courtier, naturally there were a lot of personnel changes within the church. The hatred that once existed is now
It seems like it doesn't matter - after all, King Philip IV of France kidnapped and imprisoned the Pope. Didn't subsequent kings continue to be filial sons of God?
"What you said does make sense." Aiglon nodded, "Then how do you think it should work?"
"You have found the right person!" A trace of pride flashed in the priest's eyes, but he covered it up skillfully, "You have forgotten that I am originally an Italian priest, a member of the church, and I have many people in it.
Old friend."
"Oh..." Aigron suddenly realized.
"I looked at the recent Vatican Annals, and found out that one of my best friends has now been promoted to a cardinal... Oh, sixteen years!" The priest sighed, feeling sorry for himself wasting himself in the dungeon.
He felt regretful about his time, but he soon cheered up again, "Your Majesty, I can contact my old friends and ask them to help me and open up the door to the church."
"How sure are you?" Aigron asked solemnly.
"If you have no money or are unwilling to spend money, you are honestly not sure. But as long as you are willing to spend money and have enough money, it is not difficult to get the church to admit that the devil is an angel. It is just a matter of finding the right way." Fr.
He replied calmly, "If you think about it, people from the Medici and Borgia families could become popes. What else could not happen in Rome?"
"It makes sense..." Aigron nodded with deep understanding.
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Unintentionally, he found that he had opened another path.
Sure enough, Father Faria was indeed very useful... He was once again grateful for his wise decision.
Yes, the church has been a sophisticated and sophisticated organization since ancient times. What it is best at is turning decay into magic, or magic into decay. As long as you find the right way, bribe senior priests and the pope, and let them reward you.
What does it matter?
When he thought of this, Aigron suddenly became excited.
Then, he was thinking about how to bribe the Pope.
In the original work "The Count of Monte Cristo", Edmond Dantès, Count of Monte Cristo, bought the Pope's pardon at the cost of a huge piece of emerald, and saved the life of a robber on the execution ground.
And this piece of jade is now in his treasure house, quietly waiting for him to use it at any time.
There is no doubt that what he wants to get is much more important and valuable, but he believes that as long as he pays a little more, he can still buy what he wants from the Pope - after all, he and now
The pope has no grudge.
"Your Majesty, if you think my suggestion is feasible, then you'd better make up your mind as soon as possible." While Aigron was thinking, Father Faria whispered, "The sooner you prepare, the sooner you can master it."
Take the initiative to understand the situation. Regardless of whether you think highly of the church in your heart, but since you want to show the glory of a hero in the Christian world, the praise of the church will be very helpful to you. No one can certify your great achievements more than the Pope. This
All the price is nothing more than the loss of some dead things, nothing worth remembering."
Yes, all the conditions are already met, so why hesitate? Aigron made up his mind.
If it fails, it will be nothing more than a loss of some property, but if it succeeds, it will be a huge political capital.
"Okay, then let's work hard for it." He clenched his fist in vain and shook it suddenly to express his determination, "You can find a way to contact your friends now and let them know that you are here
Serve me."
"I have already written the letter." Father Faria replied with a smile. "You can have it sent to Italy and delivered to them at any time."
"Then I will host it myself." Aigron replied.
"Huh?" Father Faria's eyes widened. "You...?"
"Yes, I had planned to go to Rome before." Aigron looked at him with a smile, "Now it seems that I have even more reasons to go."
"...You have to be careful about your own safety." Father Faria thought for a while and did not say anything to stop him, but just warned him.
After all, Rome is now under the direct rule of the Papal State and is not within reach of Austria. As long as the church does not search for his master and the young man does not appear in public, there is indeed not much danger.
"Did you go to Rome to meet your family members?" Then he guessed Aigron's reason.
"Yes, I plan to meet my grandmother and other family members." Aigron's smile gradually disappeared, and then he looked calmly into the void, "They probably miss me very much too..."