"Could you bless me and my wife in a public ceremony and issue an edict in recognition of our services to Christendom?"
After hearing this request, the Pope pondered for a moment.
To be fair, although it is a bit difficult, this request is not too much.
Especially considering how "supportive" this young man is to him.
"Is that all?" After a moment, he asked in a low voice.
"That's all." Aiglon spread his hands, "I think if I ask for more, I'm afraid it will only make things difficult for you and not help."
"My child, you are indeed a smart man." His Majesty the Pope sighed softly, "Since you have been fighting for the cause of God so devoutly, it is natural for me to give you some encouragement. I am old and will be ready at any time.
You will return to the embrace of the Lord, but you are still young and have an infinite future. I cannot predict what achievements you will have in the future, but I hope that both of you will be able to stick to your beliefs in the future. Whether you are rich or poor, you
You must all remember that you are the Lamb of the Lord, and you must live according to the Lord’s teachings..."
His Majesty the Pope's tone was kind and solemn, and it sounded like he was being taught by a beloved elder. If he hadn't been familiar with the details of the church for thousands of years, I'm afraid Aigron would have been moved. He was indeed a professional, extraordinary.
And Teresa was even more excited when she heard it.
"Holy Father, we will remember your teachings. We will obey the will of the Lord and spread the mercy of the Christian Church to everyone around us; and our children and grandchildren will also be the most devout people of our Lord.
." She replied excitedly.
In fact, her impression of the church and the pope was not that good. In the history she had studied from childhood to university, she had seen many dark spots about the church. However, at this time, she acted like the most devout believer.
People are like this. When they are excited, they say all kinds of vows to change their minds and work hard, but when the excitement passes, everything will return to normal.
However, her answer also attracted the Pope's attention.
Because Aiglon's request was not too harsh, the Pope was in a good mood.
"Princess Teresa, I have heard about your deeds. I admire your steadfastness. The Lord has allowed you two excellent children to get married together. This must be His favor to you. Everything that happened before is just
It was the Lord's test, and you passed it perfectly... The Lord taught us, 'If one has a quarrel with another, bear with one another and forgive one another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.',
The dispute between the Bonapartes and the Habsburgs has caused too much tragedy. I am very happy to see that the old hatred has been eliminated in your marriage... This is a great good thing.
Nowadays, the world is in chaos, and the Lord’s faith has been severely disrupted and destroyed. We need to do everything we can to resist these evil intrusions and restore the purity of our faith. Therefore, I hope you can become a role model for Christians and follow the Lord’s precepts.
Be loyal to your family and your husband, and give the Bonaparte family a chance to make amends for past mistakes."
Regarding Teresa's deeds, what the Pope heard was naturally a beautified version. In this version, Teresa stayed in Vienna and insisted on fulfilling her engagement and marrying her fiancé, and finally got the Lord's mercy and got her wish.
If he knew that this seemingly delicate little princess was so bold as to threaten her parents and go hang out with her fiancé before marriage, he would probably have a different excuse...
"I will, Holy Father." Teresa nodded lightly and agreed. "No matter what, I will stand on the side of the most holy faith. Previously, because of my father-in-law's confusion, he committed a difficult crime.
Now that I am a member of the Bonaparte family, I have to bear this sin, so if the Roman Church encounters any problems in the future, I will do my best to protect it and help it, so that I can make up for it.
Our previous mistakes."
Although she knew the truth, she didn't feel the least bit embarrassed. In her opinion, what she did was completely clear, and pursuing her own happiness and love was the most reasonable thing in the world.
As for the following words, they are nothing more than to make the Pope happy. Anyway, this kind of rhetoric does not need to be truly fulfilled, so no matter how you say it, it will do.
The Pope smiled and nodded. Although he did not believe that Princess Teresa was really that pious, but... any normal person would be happy if such a beautiful girl said nice things in front of him.
"I remember, your lovely princess." He replied gently, "If you really follow the path you believe in in the future, I will bless you in heaven."
Because of this conversation, the atmosphere in the living room suddenly became harmonious. At the same time, because the scene was almost finished, everyone's subsequent conversations became much more casual and more life-like.
Due to human nature, the pope was the most kind to Teresa, and Teresa had adapted to the feeling of standing in front of the pope and had regained her etiquette education, so she was able to cope with it with ease.
In this way, amid the chatting and laughing, the meeting came to an end.
However, although they seemed to have a pleasant conversation, the Pope has always carefully avoided political issues, and has not asked Aiglon what he plans to do to France next, so as not to be forced to make any statements. For the Pope, he does not want to interfere.
I don't want to take any responsibility for everything in it, it has nothing to do with him anyway.
For Aigron, this was also expected.
The important thing for him when he came to Rome was not to get any results, nor did he expect the pope to be able to help him fight for the throne. He only needed to have an "informal meeting with His Majesty the Pope", which in itself was a political achievement.
Because of Emperor Napoleon's various "atrocities" against the church, the Bonaparte family and the Roman Catholic Church were at loggerheads. In a country like France where Catholic influence is still deeply rooted (especially in rural areas), this is a very troublesome public opinion obstacle.
.
However, if the pope takes the lead in putting aside past grudges and saying that things of the past are in the past and letting go of the past, then the problem will be easier to solve, and no one can accuse him of disrespecting God.
In any case, Aiglon doesn't expect the Roman Church to give him much practical help. He just needs to be able to leave such an impression in the hearts of the Catholic French people.
The honor of Emperor Napoleon is still remembered by those people to this day. As long as they don't feel that supporting the Bonaparte family is against God, then they don't have many psychological barriers.
This is what Aiglon needs.
Teresa also completed her task today. She acted as a lubricant and made today's talks proceed easily.
And now, it's almost time to call it a day.
Aigron estimated the time and then thought to himself.
Sure enough, the Pope yawned tiredly. This was not because he meant to be lazy. As an old man over sixty years old, he really didn't have much energy to spend on this kind of entertainment.
Seeing this scene, Aigron took the initiative to end the meeting today.
Therefore, the Pope took the opportunity to bid farewell to Prince Lucien Bonaparte. Lucien Bonaparte naturally accepted the order happily, and together with Aigron, sent the Pope and his entourage out of the living room.
"My nephew, you did a very good job." When he came to the vestibule, he whispered to Aigron, "I didn't expect you to be able to handle yourself so well in front of His Majesty the Pope."
"Of course I feel very excited, but I have already seen a lot of big scenes, and this thing today doesn't scare me." Aigron answered modestly.
What a joke, although he lived a life of confinement, he grew up with his grandfather after all. He had never seen any big scenes. How could a mere pope be able to frighten him?
"I feel relieved after seeing your performance..." The prince sighed slightly, "To be honest, until now I don't think you have a great chance of winning, but it doesn't matter, your demeanor and quality are enough to win.
You can live a good life in the future, even if you cannot ascend the throne in the end, you can still be a guest of many people."
At this statement, Aigron just smiled.
He didn't want to argue with his uncle about his chances of winning. Anyway, his uncle had done what he could do today.
"Thank you, my uncle." He sincerely thanked the prince. "The ups and downs in the past have cast a lot of shadows on the family relationship, but to me, these shadows do not exist. In my heart
I have no resentment or anger towards you, on the contrary, I have only respect..."
"Stop saying that." As soon as Aiglon spoke, Lucien knew what his nephew meant, so he waved his hand directly, "I have no interest in politics anymore. If you have any questions in the future, you can write to me and I will do my best.
I can give you some advice, but I don’t plan to bother anymore.”
"But that may not be the case for your descendants." Aigron replied seriously, "When we came in just now, you also saw that some of your sons are eager to try, with longing in their eyes... Their surname is Bonaparte.
They are in your blood, so you should know very well what they are thinking."
Lucien Bonaparte was speechless for a moment. He had been involved in politics for so long, how could he not understand?
He just avoided the question deliberately.
"As you can see, I face many difficulties and need a lot of helpers, and my family members are reliable helpers for me because our goals are one and our kinship ties allow us to
Have trust." Aigron continued, "Besides, a father cannot keep his children by his side forever. When the children grow up, they will always find their own way..."
Lucien Bonaparte raised his head, looked at the cold and dark sky, and then sighed.
"You're right, I know, I just... I just don't want to see my children repeat the tragedy of their parents."
"Do you call this a tragedy? Then I don't think so." Aiglon asked, "One brother became the emperor, several brothers became kings, and even you yourself have the title of prince. Even if you lose all the land in the end, the remaining
The things that came down are still enough to make most people in the world beyond their reach.
Without this 'tragedy', who would know about the obscure Bonaparte family? I don't think it is a tragedy. We worked hard, and although we failed in the end, we still have a lot of things. At least I am not a Corsican kid now.
Landlord, but a pretender to the throne, the husband of a Habsburg princess. Without your efforts, how could I have the lovely Theresa by my side?! Were you in Corsica?
Did you dare to imagine all this when you were in school? No, my uncle, I don’t think this is a tragedy, I think it is an unfinished business. Although the things my elders left me are not as much as expected, they are enough.
I want to leave more things to the next generation."
Lucien's eyes widened after hearing Aiglon's words.
Finally, he burst into laughter and patted Aiglon on the shoulder.
"Aigron... you are right, so right. He is indeed our next generation, our new leader! But I am a little too decadent... I have been a farmer for so long that I have forgotten that I was also a farmer back then.
Revolutionaries! Hahahaha..."
After laughing for a while, he finally looked at his nephew seriously and said, "My nephew, I personally have lost my heart and just want to spend the rest of my life. I have done everything I can for you, so please let me
I will continue to rest... As for my children, if anyone is willing to take refuge with you, I will never make any obstruction. I think you are worthy of becoming their leader, and I also hope that if that day comes,
You try to take good care of them."
"I will." Aigron nodded, "I will never mistreat anyone who sincerely serves me."
Prince Lucien Bonaparte nodded.
"You are much cuter than him, although this does not mean that you can win. In fact, you are far from it... But I sincerely wish you can win, because I love you, my nephew."
Then, he and Aiglon hugged each other for a while in the cold wind.
It is naturally self-evident who the "he" in the prince's mouth refers to.
Aigron and Lucien Bonaparte watched the Pope get on the carriage, and at this time, in the shadows, a vague figure approached Aiglon.
His face was livid, and he couldn't see clearly, but the red robe on his body was enough to prove his identity.
"Cardinal Esposito, thank you for your efforts to mediate for me." Aigron bowed to him gently and thanked him, "I will never forget those who have given me favors."
The cardinal stood there, looking at Aigron quietly.
"I know what you mean, I will take good care of your 'nephew'." Aigron continued, "I am very satisfied with Leon's work, and he is doing his best to serve me. I think
Thanks to your education, he is indeed very talented."
The cardinal nodded slightly, but seemed to be still waiting for something.
"If there is such a day in the future, I support you to become the Pope of Rome." Aigron raised his head and said softly to the sky.
When he looked back, the cardinal's figure had disappeared, as if it was just an illusion.