After discussing with Edmond Dantès, Aiglon revised his strategic plan and decided on the strategy of "buying Haidee, and then using her as a puppet and banner to take the opportunity to enter Ioannina".
This means that they must use time as soon as possible to get Haidee in their hands before marching to Ioannina and raising Haidee's flag, lest she be chopped down by the angry Sultan.
In Aigron's heart, he has another hidden worry - that is the Russian Empire.
Ever since he came to Greece and raised his banner, the Russian Empire has already been ready to leave the merits of liberating Greece in the hands of the Tsar. For this reason, they have been concentrating their troops on the Danube River and the Caucasus border. Now the arrow is ready, whether it is Metternich or he
, knowing in their hearts that their advance is an imminent problem.
In this case, when Aigron considers the problem next, he must take the Russian Empire into consideration.
Before the Russian Empire came to an end, he had already gained enough victories and prestige for himself, and he would not dare to expect such good luck in the future.
Of course Aigron would not know that because the news was delayed due to distance, his news had lagged behind the reality - in fact, when he was talking secretly with Edmond Dantès, the Russian Empire was already marching towards the Balkans
Already.
Pushkin, a genius poet recognized by the upper class of the empire, was also in this army at this time, following the imperial army like a tide, and personally experiencing the upcoming historical events.
Originally, there was no need for this renowned poet to participate in military operations. He could have continued to stay in Tsarskoye Selo, enjoy the luxurious palace life, and gain the superficial respect of the Tsar.
But Pushkin, who had long been tired of the boring life in the court, sincerely requested the Tsar to grant him the honor of participating in the war. With his sincerity, His Majesty the Tsar finally granted the poet's request.
Therefore, he was then assigned to the Izmailovo Guards Regiment. As a member of this elite unit, he was transferred to the assembly area along the Danube River.
According to the plan, after the war begins, their army will, along with the larger army, cross Wallachia and Bulgaria and attack Adrianople, the gateway to Constantinople.
According to the palace's expectations, if they are lucky enough, they will continue to march and fight all the way to the glorious Roman capital; if they are not lucky enough and the Czar has to stop the march due to pressure from European powers, then at least they will also deal a heavy blow to the Turks.
Won a brilliant victory - and once again made the Tsar the savior of Europe.
After the bloody Decembrist turmoil when he succeeded to the throne, the Tsar urgently needed to win such a halo for himself in order to demonstrate the legitimacy of his throne to his subjects and the entire Europe.
Pushkin had already heard about the thoughts of the upper echelons of the empire, but at this time he did not care about these "national affairs". His entire mind was already focused on the various experiences he had experienced while serving on the front line, as well as his daydreams about what was to come.
On this late autumn morning, Pushkin was riding on his horse, heading southwest in the warm sunshine. On this narrow road, the Russian army was also advancing in a slightly hectic manner.
Not far away is the sparkling Danube River. As long as they cross there, they will enter the Balkan Peninsula and begin their glorious expedition.
When the leader of the marching column arrived, he could see no end. The surrounding woods had been dyed orange-red or dim in late autumn, and were swaying in the wind, just like the ladies waving handkerchiefs to see them off. He looked around.
Go, in the wilderness of Ukraine, there are all kinds of hats worn by officers and soldiers everywhere, and their bayonets are like a jungle, shining with a sharp cold light.
The strict formation made this army seem to be a whole, like the footprints of a giant, pressing unstoppably towards the crumbling Turkey.
Although their steps are so powerful and their military appearance is so solemn, there is no fear on the faces of these soldiers. They laugh and rush to the battlefield with hopeful eyes, as if they are just participating in a grand battle.
procession.
Pushkin knew that the army within his sight was only his regiment, and that along the entire front, there would be many regiments, countless infantry, cavalry and artillery, who would embark on the same journey as himself.
This is the great Russian power! Indestructible power!
Although this great poet loved freedom and had never liked the autocratic and high-pressure court, when he personally participated in this huge wave, he felt honored to be one of them.
The Russian Empire would fight for the liberation of its Orthodox compatriots, marching towards Constantinople, and he would see it all with his own eyes and record it truthfully.
After coming to the army, although Pushkin took the initiative to take on the task, the Shangguan knew that the great poet had an extraordinary reputation in the court, so how could he dare to manipulate him casually? Therefore, the Shangguan arranged paperwork for him - so that he did not have to directly
Go to the front line and try your luck before the scythe of death.
Pushkin had no complaints about this. While quietly completing his work seriously, he wrote a diary every day to record what he saw and heard after joining the army. Sometimes he even took the time to write home letters to the illiterate soldiers in the regiment.
.
For others, this was a boring thing, but Pushkin enjoyed it because he used it to observe the most basic members of the army and understand what every soldier was thinking, as well as their joys, sorrows, and joys.
, this will definitely enrich his vision and provide him with countless writing materials.
Although his time in the army was still very short, Pushkin was pleasantly surprised to find that compared to the state where he was almost exhausted when he stayed in Tsarskoye Selo, he was now full of literary ideas, and he was able to write poetry and writing with ease——
So he was often secretly glad that he had found a good place for himself.
In the cool breeze of autumn, Pushkin breathed the fresh air of the wilderness and silently thought about his next poem.
Suddenly, he heard a whistle from the side.
"Alexander Sergeyevich, we finally marched, how do you feel?"
Without looking back, Pushkin knew that the person greeting him was his good friend Boris Petnovich Volkonsky, who also followed him on horseback.
His friend's family was quite prominent in the court, and he was also deeply loved by the upper class. It was precisely because of his help that he was so easily allowed by the Tsar to participate in this expedition.
And it was through his operation that Pushkin was able to come to his Izmailovo Guards Infantry Regiment.
After Pushkin came to the army, he must have had a lot of discomfort because he had no previous service experience. Fortunately, his good friend always took care of him, so he did not encounter any problems.
Because of this, he was very grateful to his friends for their help this time.
"Boris Petnovitch." He said, tilting his head and looking at his friend, "I feel very comfortable...more comfortable than ever before."
"It turns out that you are more eager for war than a veteran!" Boris Volkonsky whistled again, pretending to be surprised.
"No, I don't like war, and I don't like bloodshed." Pushkin shook his head, and then looked at the sparkling Danube River in the distance, "But I like the feeling of being in the torrent of the times. I can feel that we are creating
History, the history of our generation... In 1812, I was too young to be qualified to participate in it, but now, I can finally grasp the pulse of the times, and we are embarking on a great cause."
Peace is of course precious, but it will inevitably bring about mediocrity. However, mediocrity is also the enemy of poets, so at this time Pushkin felt like he was "lucky to attend the event."
If it is an unprovoked invasion of other countries and deprivation of the freedom of other peoples, he may feel disgusted; but the purpose of His Majesty the Tsar's sending troops this time is extremely justified, and it is a cause that is conducive to human freedom and liberation. This is what the poet felt in his heart.
There was no longer any resentment - no matter how selfish His Majesty the Tsar had in it, Pushkin was extremely supportive of Greece's independent liberation cause.
Just like in the great year of 1812, they will once again embark on the journey as liberators to rescue Greece from the hands of pagan tyrants.
"Many people may have different views on freedom or liberation, so I won't make any comments." Boris Volkonsky replied with a smile, "What I want to look for is excitement and merit. Only these things can make people happy."
My blood is burning, I just hope these damn Turks can resist for a little longer, so that I and my bastards can get a few more medals!"
Pushkin could only smile bitterly at this.
No matter what, the two people with different thoughts were now in the torrent of people, rushing towards their fateful destination.
The open river in the distance is flowing with the blood of history, and destiny is stirring and rolling in it, roaring and roaring, just waiting for the thunder to fall from the empire.
"Are you still interested in Duke Lechstadt?" After a moment of silence, Boris Volkonsky suddenly asked again.
Pushkin was quite surprised by this question, but he quickly nodded.
"Indeed I'm still interested. Do you have any news?"
"That young man is really impressive!" Boris Volkonsky rode closer, and then lowered his voice, "Let me tell you a piece of news - not long ago, he led his men to capture the
Mesolonghion Fortress and accepted the surrender of the defenders."
"What? So fast?" Pushkin was slightly surprised.
Although he did not have much practical knowledge about the war itself, after joining the army, Pushkin did more or less homework and learned about the geography and humanities of Greece. In addition, he was also familiar with the great poet Byron.
, so of course he understood the meaning of the news.
"This means that he has cleared the obstacles in western Greece!" Pushkin blurted out after a moment.
"It is indeed an amazing achievement." Boris Volkonsky narrowed his eyes narrowly, "So you should understand why the superiors did not allow others to spread this news, right?"
Pushkin immediately understood why his news was delayed - the empire did not want its soldiers to know how many honors the young man had received.
Since his arrival in Greece, Greece's previously precarious cause of independence and liberation has experienced such a dazzling turn of events that the empire has not even been able to keep up with the situation.
There is no doubt that, judging from the current situation, even without the Russian Empire's march, Greece would have won the War of Independence under his leadership and help...
And this is a fact that the Tsar and other important officials in the palace are absolutely unwilling to face.
Therefore, the Tsar ordered his army to march in advance in order to forcibly take the crown of victory for himself.
When he thought that the originally glorious cause of liberation had been cast in so many shadows due to the political selfishness of all parties, Pushkin felt a little discouraged for a moment.
"I hope our victory will be glorious enough." He could only reply dryly, "I believe we can destroy the Sudanese army."
"I believe so too." Boris Volkonsky nodded, "But, my friend, the more glorious victories we achieve, the more we will suffer the hatred of those Western European powers. I doubt that they will eventually
Instead, I hope the Duke of Lechstadt will be more successful."
"This must also be Duke Lechstadt's plan!" Pushkin also suddenly realized.
He also saw that Duke Lechstadt was not afraid of the Russian Empire's entry. On the contrary, he was happy to see the European powers quarreling over this.
Although he saw through his plot, Pushkin did not feel any disgust in his heart, but instead felt a sense of admiration.
"What does His Majesty the Tsar plan to do with him?" Pushkin asked quietly, "Boris, have you received any secret orders?"
"I'm sorry, no, at least I haven't heard of it at my level." Boris Volkonsky spread his hands, "I think His Majesty the Tsar and his ministers also have a headache for this little guy."
Then, he smiled and said, "It would be easy if the Austrians declared him a fugitive after he escaped, but it's a pity that those old swindlers didn't do that! So what is he now? He is still the Habsburg royal family.
Member, was by all accounts the Duke of Lechstadt, and no one even claimed that he was engaged in illegal activities - after all how could the liberation of Christians be called illegal?"
Pushkin also nodded with deep understanding. "So His Majesty the Tsar would rather turn a blind eye to him for the time being."
"You can only turn a blind eye." Boris Volkonsky replied with a smile, "Of course, if Duke Lechstadt himself bumps into him for no reason, that would be another matter - after all, in this world
There are always surprises, and you don’t need a special order from the Tsar, right? But I believe he won’t be that stupid, he seems quite smart.”
Indeed... Pushkin once again praised in his heart.
He found that he could no longer contain his curiosity about the young man.
After all, there are people in the world who are destined to be different.
If I could find a way to meet him...
"Okay, my friend, let's leave him alone, wait until we set up camp tonight, and let's go have a good drink -" Boris Volkonsky suggested.
Pushkin immediately agreed.
The imperial army has a distinct hierarchy. For officers like Boris Volkonsky, his salute is enough to fill several baggage carriages with all kinds of uniforms. Naturally, there will also be caviar, cheese snacks and necessary
Vodka was indispensable, and Pushkin was happy to share it with him during the march.