After sending Chanel away, Aigron stayed in the hotel, waiting for the results Chanel brought back.
As time passed and there was no reply from Chanel, Aigron began to feel anxious.
Although he believed that Chanel would be able to fulfill the mission he had given him, he was worried that something would happen in the city of Rome, making it impossible for Chanel to return to him.
When sending Chanel away, Aigron had already explained to her that if she didn't come back today, he would take people away from here in the early morning, flee Rome far away, and return to Monte Cristo Island first.
Find a way to rescue her.
Of course, this is just a worst-case scenario plan. Eglund does not want such a disaster to happen more than anyone else, because he currently cannot afford to lose Chanel.
In order to get rid of this meaningless worry, Aigron sat by the window and read popular popular novels to pass the time.
The hotel he is staying in was also chosen after a lot of selection - although the hotel has only three or four windows on the facade facing the avenue, it is actually very narrow and long, so it has a large area. Its courtyard is very deep, and the entire
The house is independent, close to a public dividing wall, the yard is very quiet, and the stable is at the end.
In such a terrain, even if there was a commotion outside, it would not reach him quickly, and he would have enough time to take advantage of the chaos and escape.
The sun's shadow was dipping to the west, and soon it was night. Shortly after nightfall, Aigron looked at the firelight flashing out of the window a few times, then flickering rhythmically, and then everything fell silent again.
Great! Aigron's mood suddenly cheered up.
This was the secret code he had agreed upon in advance. After the person keeping watch at the door was sure that Chanel had returned safely, he would send this signal to remind him that everything was going well.
Aiglon felt relieved, then threw down the book in his hand, preparing to welcome Chanel back.
Then, there was a burst of footsteps on the floor, and they were in different rhythms, some were light and some were heavy.
Chanel also came with someone - Aigron made a judgment in his mind instantly.
Before he could continue thinking, there was a knock on the door.
"Sir, I'm back!" Chanel whispered to the host. "There is another guest who is coming to see you."
"Chanel, come in." Aigron put down his thoughts and called them in.
The door was immediately pushed open, and then, Chanel's figure emerged in the dim candlelight, and Aigron immediately noticed that there was an elderly man in his sixties next to her.
The old man is short in stature, has a serious face, and his gray hair is neatly arranged. Although he is not wearing bishop's clothes, the solemnity of a clergy can still be seen in his behavior.
After seeing the young man sitting in the seat, he was obviously deeply touched, but he quickly controlled his emotions, walked calmly to Aigron, and bowed to him solemnly.
"His Majesty!"
His voice was rich and full of emotion. It was obvious that to him, the young man in front of him did not just represent the identity of "Your Majesty".
No introduction was needed from Chanel. Just based on his age and his behavior during the meeting, Agron had already guessed who he was - he must be his great-uncle, the former Cardinal Joseph Fish.
He stood up immediately and took the old man's hand.
Holding these wrinkled hands, Aigron suddenly felt a little emotional.
When he was a newborn baby, he was held in these hands and baptized.
At that time, the empire was at its peak with flowers blooming and fire cooking oil. Everyone felt that this baby would eventually take over the scepter from his father and rule the most powerful empire in Europe.
Who could have imagined that in just two or three years, this baby would experience such a terrible disaster and lose everything he could inherit?
But it doesn't matter, I'm still young, and everything can be started over again.
Perhaps this Lord Cardinal is also looking forward to the reappearance of everything in the past.
"I'm so sorry that I caused you trouble." Aigron was full of emotions, and finally only used a faint apology as a prelude to the meeting between the two people. "If I had a choice, I would prefer to meet in a more grand occasion.
you."
"I am extremely happy to be able to see you." The old man looked at the young man closely, tears suddenly flashed in the corners of his eyes, "I really didn't expect that I would still be alive to see you again! God bless.
"
"As long as we work together, I think we will have more opportunities to meet in the future." Aigron replied with a smile, trying to make the atmosphere in the room more relaxed.
Then, he asked, "Is my grandmother okay now?"
"She is in good health and misses you very much. She was even more happy when she learned that you came to see her. However, the situation is a bit delicate now, so she cannot rush to leave Rome to see you. To be cautious, she has to first
Let me come to see you. Because I occasionally go out to visit friends, it is not easy to arouse suspicion from the outside world." The cardinal quickly explained to Letizia.
Then, he conveyed the last words Letizia told him before leaving.
"My sister wanted me to tell you that she loves you and misses you very, very much."
Although he could not see his grandmother's expression with his own eyes, from the cardinal's narration, Aigron could feel her deep affection.
"I love her too." He replied in a low voice. "Among the few closest relatives I have left in this world, she is the most important one. I only hope that God can keep her healthy and live a long life, so that she can enjoy the most glorious life again.
honor, and I will dedicate it to her respectfully."
"She doesn't care much about this. She didn't care about it back then, and even more so now." The cardinal smiled bitterly, "She would rather see you live a safe life than the honor of the empress dowager. Of course, even so, we
I still hope that your career will succeed. After all, you are indeed born with a great mission, and historical setbacks should not hinder you."
"Having said that, I hope you can also participate in this great cause." Aigron climbed up the pole and proposed his purpose, "As you can see, I am now alone and need help urgently.
, even any small help is very useful to me."
Eggron's straightforward request made the cardinal feel that he had to speak out.
"Your Majesty, in my opinion, since we have received so much from your father, we are also obliged to be loyal to you and use our accumulated resources to help you when you need it. This is a matter of course. However,
With all due respect, your grandmother still has some concerns."
"Concerned? What are you worried about?" Aigron was a little confused.
"You are working hard for an extremely arduous cause. In a sense, you are even fighting against the giant of fate. This means great honor but it also means a terrible burden. She is afraid that your young shoulders will not be able to bear it. She takes on this heavy burden and is eventually crushed by fate. If this is the case, then the more she helps you, the more she will harm you! She thinks that instead of doing that, it is better for you to find a place to live anonymously early, then Although it's not that glorious, at least the family bloodline can be passed down - Your Majesty, please don't be angry, she is also thinking about you."
After hearing the cardinal's words, Aigron did not get angry, but just smiled bitterly.
"I understand her concerns, and I know her starting point is for my own good. But, how should I prove that I can bear the heavy burden? Can I suddenly make myself a few years older in an instant?"
"That's not necessary." The cardinal was amused by this joke. "She just wants to find out whether you act impulsively based on the blood of the moment, or whether you act after careful consideration. If it is the former, then although Being brave but reckless will not lead to any good results."
"I think that the two must be combined to achieve great things." Aigron retorted, "If you want to regain the throne, you really need the wisdom to make decisions and plan your future route step by step, but you must also have the ability to That kind of courage that is full of blood, the courage to take risks, but if you are timid in doing anything, you will achieve nothing in the end."
"What you said is indeed a wise saying." The cardinal nodded in agreement.
Then, he thought for a moment before speaking again. "Actually, I think what you have done so far is quite amazing. You have found a place for yourself and started to recruit supporters everywhere. And I have determined the next route to gain greater prestige for myself. From my personal point of view, all this is very appropriate, but I need to take care of the details when executing it. I want to ask you, do you How do you plan to complete the necessary details? For example, if you want to contact the church’s senior leadership, who specifically is it? And how should you impress him?”
For this question, Aigron naturally already had the answer.
"Of course I couldn't have rushed to Rome without preparation, Mr. Bishop." He smiled slyly, "In fact, I have a very reliable introducer - have you heard of Faria? Father?"
"Father Faria?" The cardinal was stunned for a moment, and then looked at him in disbelief. "Are you talking about Father Faria who once served Count Spada? I have met him. , but it seems that he has not been heard from for a long time - it is said that he was arrested for opposing the empire. This is really a pity, he is a very elegant and knowledgeable person..."
Looking at the cardinal's reaction, Agron confirmed that the French police did not notify him when they arrested the priest, but this was normal. It is known that the cardinal pays great attention to maintaining the dignity of the church. If he had been informed, maybe he would Stop it.
"Well, it is true that he had to stay away from the world for a long time due to a series of changes, but his desire to make achievements has never been extinguished. After escaping from Austria, after a series of twists and turns, I got to know him and sincerely invited him to serve me ——After a moment of hesitation, he agreed to my solicitation, and now he is working for me."
"Oh! Is that so?" The cardinal suddenly became excited. "That is indeed a huge gain for you!"
It seems that Father Faria was indeed quite famous at that time, so much so that after disappearing for more than ten years, the cardinal felt so excited when he heard that Father Faria had joined the service of his nephew.
This also proved the value of Father Faria, and Aigron's heart became more stable.
He walked to the package he had brought, then pulled out a few letters from it and handed them to the cardinal.
"In order to help me achieve my goal, Father Faria wrote several handwritten letters and prepared for me to hand them over to his old friends in the church. According to him, these friends are now in high positions. If they can help,
, then it’s not difficult to get through to the Pope——”
The cardinal took the letter and glanced at it briefly.
Although he is far away from the center of power of the church, he is naturally still familiar with the current personnel changes in the church, so he is familiar with several names in the letter.
"Cardinal Vittorio Esposito...I didn't expect him!" When he turned to one of the letters, he couldn't help but read out the name, and then looked at Aiglon with joy, "
This cardinal comes from a well-known family, and he is easy-going and generous. He is also very popular within the Holy See. He is also one of the most powerful supporters of His Majesty the current Pope. If you can get his nod, then it is not a big deal to have a dialogue with the Pope.
Difficult thing. Indeed...this is a good candidate!"
As he spoke, the cardinal clenched his fists excitedly.
The inside story he just learned gave him a little more confidence in his young nephew's career.
Obviously, although resources are limited and can only have a grass-roots team, the resources this young man can use are not small.
"I need a reliable person to serve as an intermediary for me to contact these friends of Father Faria. Lord Bishop, can you please be a little grudge and complete this task for me?" Aiglon asked.
"I am very happy to serve you." The cardinal agreed immediately without thinking.
But soon he hesitated again, "But Your Majesty, although they are friends of Father Faria, and I have some old popularity, it is difficult to guarantee that they will work hard for your cause - after all, today
The world has long since lost its simplicity, especially in the church, where it is difficult to see true love."
"Of course I have heard about this for a long time. The Roman Church is more realistic than anywhere else." Aigron smiled sarcastically, "So I also made the proper preparations -"
He deliberately prolonged his tone, and then took out a bunch of small items from the package.
The brilliant brilliance instantly brightened the dark room.
"Oh!" the old cardinal couldn't help but exclaimed.
There was clearly a pile of jewelry in front of him. The huge gems were worth a lot of money at first glance, and what held these gems was a huge piece of emerald. Even the cardinal who was once the uncle of Emperor Napoleon was a little dazzled.
"If this was the era when the church sold indulgences, I'm afraid I could even atone for the sin of killing the pope, right?" Aiglon patted the jewelry gently and then made a bad joke.
"Although it's not quite that, it's almost there..." the cardinal replied seriously.
Then, he looked at Aigron solemnly, "Now I am more confident, Your Majesty... You are indeed not acting just out of hot-blooded recklessness. You have done a very good job, even better than I imagined. However, may I ask?
Where did you get these treasures?"
"I got it from my supporters, who have been obsessed with restoration since the day the empire was destroyed." Aiglon replied, "Of course, they also got it from Italy."
Joseph Fish curled his lips slightly, obviously he also wanted to understand the origin of these things, and for the sake of the glory of the two people, he stopped asking questions.
"Then I will act according to your will, Your Majesty... I think your grandmother has nothing to worry about." He changed the topic again, "However, I have one more thing to tell you, which is very important.
.”
"Please tell me." Aigron nodded.
"Your former fiancée, Princess Teresa, visited our house today." The cardinal became serious again.
"What?!" Even Aigron, who has always been calm, couldn't help being shocked when he heard the news. "How could it be?"
"She was traveling to relax in name, but in fact she came to Rome specifically to find your grandmother in order to get news from you..." the cardinal replied in a low voice, "I was also present when Letizia received her.
To be honest, I was also moved by her deep affection. Your Majesty, she insisted to your grandmother that she would continue to fulfill the engagement... She said that no matter what happened, she would still be the daughter-in-law of the Bonaparte family."
Aiglon opened his mouth slightly, not knowing what to say. The impact of this sudden news made him a little overwhelmed.
"So, what does my grandma think?" After a long silence, he asked again.
"Your grandmother hit it off immediately after meeting her and was very fond of her. She expressed her willingness to recognize this marriage and accept Princess Teresa into the family..." The cardinal smiled and then replied.
Your Majesty, when she left your grandmother, she left her address, begging her to convey your message to her at any cost, otherwise she would remain in Rome."
Aigron blinked, still not knowing what to say.
He knew what terrible things he had done to Theresa, so even though he left a letter when he escaped, he still felt a lot of guilt in his heart. He felt that Theresa would definitely hate him, but he didn't expect how things would turn out.
Got this result.
Teresa...am I worthy of you? He asked himself.
"Don't you have any feelings for Princess Theresa?" the cardinal couldn't help but ask.
"Of course not, I think she is a very good person." Aigron replied.
"Isn't that the end of the matter? It's rare for you and her to have some understanding of each other in your position. Don't forget that the first time your father and your mother met, it was already at the wedding ceremony.
"The cardinal laughed again, "Your Majesty, since everything is so correct, then I think it is best not to regret some things - please meet her. I believe that everything before can be made up for, as long as
If you like."
"It sounds like you already have an idea?" Aigron asked.
"This is not just my idea." The cardinal shook his head, "This is my sister's opinion. She told me that she can give you all the help you want, but the condition is that you don't let Theresa down.
Your Highness."
"It sounds like her grandson looks more like Teresa!" Aigron couldn't help but made a small protest.
Then, he couldn't help but smile bitterly again, "Okay, okay!"