While His Majesty the King was furious in the Tuileries Palace for the heir of the Bonaparte family, whom he deeply hated, another object of his disgust, Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orleans, was also troubled and troubled by that young man.
The business of the Bonaparte family is also the business of the Orleans family. It can even be said that they engaged in this business much earlier than the Bonaparte family.
As early as more than a hundred years ago, after the death of King Louis XIV, his nephew Philip II, Duke of Orleans, collaborated with the Supreme Court to annul Louis XIV's will of using his illegitimate son, the Duke of Mann, as the regent of Louis XV, and enjoyed the power of regency himself.
, and once appointed John Law to launch a spectacular financial scam in France.
The previous generation of the Duke of Orleans, in order to seek power, actively participated in the Great Revolution. He turned his residence, the Palais Royal, into a center of revolutionary incitement, united with the third estate to attack the royal power, and even later under Louis XVI.
He voted in favor of the death sentence; Louis-Philippe, who was still a young man at the time, also joined the revolution with his father and became a pioneer of civil rights.
It is a pity that although the Duke overthrew the royal power with great painstaking efforts, he himself was killed in the flames of the revolution and was guillotined by the Jacobins. Louis-Philippe fled France in advance and finally saved his life.
During his exile, the Duke of Orleans was once trapped in poverty. In order to make ends meet, he found ways to make a living in various places, and even worked as a tutor in Switzerland. But in the end he survived and married the sister of the beheaded queen.
Princess Amalia, daughter of Caroline, Queen of the Two Sicilies.
Later, with the defeat of Emperor Napoleon and the successful restoration of the Bourbon dynasty, the Duke of Orleans naturally rushed back to France.
Although King Louis XVIII disliked the son of the "regicide", he still recognized his royal status and returned to him all the former properties of the Duke of Orleans family. Regardless of the purpose of doing so,
He eventually created a rival for the Bourbons' renewed appeasement.
The Duke knew that he was not favored by the royal family, so he never set foot in the court, and consciously kept a distance from the upper class. He took his wife to live in seclusion at Neuilly Manor on the outskirts of Paris. During their married life
They gave birth to ten children together, forming a huge family. Compared with the thin Bourbon royal family, the Orleans family, which had always been a single lineage, suddenly became more prosperous, showing its strong vitality.
and determination to replace the orthodox royal family.
Although the Duke of Orleans has never extinguished his covetousness for the crown, due to strategic considerations, he has always been careful and low-key when he returned home, so as not to easily reveal his ambitions; he has focused his main energy on cultivating popularity.
He lives a simple life, treats others with humility and kindness, and is very generous. He deliberately displays the attitude of "a humble friend" and a "courteous and virtuous corporal".
In contrast, the current members of the Bourbon royal family are either reactionary, arrogant, or both at the same time, and they really cannot make people feel close to them.
Over time, the Duke of Orleans became the target of support from some opponents of the dynasty. Some moderate monarchists or constitutionalists who hated the reactionary and high-pressure Bourbon royal family and did not want another revolution regarded the approachable Duke of Orleans as his successor.
An ideal future monarch.
As time went by, his wings became more and more full, and his supporters grew more and more. He even formed a force that cannot be ignored in the parliament. At this time, King Charles X, who succeeded his brother to the throne, had also come to power.
The king was shocked to find that, quietly, the Orleans family had formed a new political force and was trying to launch a new challenge to the throne.
The king has not forgotten the disaster that the Duke brought to the royal family. He immediately regarded the Orleans family as a great enemy. However, now that the Duke has many supporters and no public accusations can be found, he can only be patient and vigilant for a while.
While looking for an opportunity to defeat the Duke.
In the past few years, the Orleans family has been causing trouble for the royal family in various ways. Seeing that the conflict between the two groups has reached a fever pitch, something unexpected happened.
That forgotten little guy, that poor fallen prince, actually fled Austria and made regaining the throne his life's work.
He tried his best to cause trouble, and in the end he actually made a career. But now, it is obvious that he is already eyeing France.
On the one hand, the Duke of Orleans was fortunate that someone shared his pressure and attracted the king's hatred; but on the other hand, he was more troubled because he had a terrible opponent compared to the old and unpopular Charles X.
As far as the king is concerned, this young man who is full of energy and daring to fight is definitely not an easy target to defeat.
And his judgment was quickly confirmed. Just yesterday, he received news from the eastern border area. This restless little guy really dared to sneak into France, appeared in front of the public, and made a speech.
After the speech, he quietly escaped.
The Duke of Orleans quickly obtained the full text of the speech from his own information channels, and then he felt even more timid. Although the young man's speech avoided many questions, it was emotionally impassioned enough to touch people's hearts, and it pointed directly at the royal family.
, there is a strong intention to overthrow it immediately.
This little guy is really not simple! The Duke confirmed this fact again.
"We must not take him lightly." The Duke of Orleans put down the letter in his hand, then raised his head and looked at the adviser Mr. Finick Gordon in front of him. "Compared to him, I would rather Bourbon continue to sit on the throne.
, because then we can still stay here... But if this kid ascends to the throne, France will no longer have a place for me and my whole family!"
Phoenix Gordon's expression was as stern as ever.
He knew why the Duke summoned him alone, because he was the only one among the supporters of the Duke of Orleans who had met Duke Lechstadt in person and communicated with him. His evaluation of Duke Lechstadt was also based on this.
The most authoritative.
"When I met him, I felt his unscrupulous arrogance and ruthlessness. It's really not unexpected that he could do what he did today." After a moment, he replied to his benefactor in a low voice.
, "And his eloquence is indeed very good. When the two of us were arguing, I was speechless."
Hearing that his adviser had been praising the little guy, the Duke of Orleans was not angry, but he was just a little annoyed.
"We must not take advantage of the Bonaparte family!" He concluded again, "He is also a disaster for me."
"Yes, it is also a disaster for the French people." Finick Gordon nodded, "This unscrupulous and eloquent careerist will only lead the French nation into another disaster. We will never
We can't afford another bloody storm...so we must stop him."
The Duke of Orleans was convinced.
"Now is a good opportunity for us." Phoenix Gordon suddenly changed the subject.
"How should I say this?" The Duke was a little surprised.
"From what I know about His Majesty the King, he will definitely not be able to stand this kind of provocation... He will definitely be furious and order the government to severely punish and suppress those Bonapartists. This is an opportunity for you." Philippines
Nick Gordon quickly expressed his thoughts, "You can cooperate with His Majesty the King and even add fuel to the flames. The more suspects are dealt with, the more losses the supporters of the Bonaparte family will suffer; at the same time, His Majesty the King will also
You will be blamed for his rudeness and further lose the confidence of those in the middle. As long as both sides are weakened, you will reap the benefits, and you can make a magnanimous gesture on the surface and help those who are innocently affected.
Speak good words and try your best to help them. Then people will find that you are the best choice compared to the reactionary Bourbon and the radical Bonaparte."
"What a good idea." The Duke of Orleans' eyes lit up, "If the king wants to crack down hard, we will comply with his wishes!"
The more he thought about it, the more reasonable it became.
Then, he frowned slightly, and then expressed his judgment, "Now we have to hurry up... We can't wait quietly for that little guy to continue to accumulate his fame and supporters. If we delay it any longer, maybe it will be the most effective
The time that is good for us is about to pass..."
The Duke of Orleans has always been a calm and pragmatic person. He will carefully estimate the situation and make judgments. Therefore, he knows that compared with this young man, his courage and eloquence are far inferior. The only advantage is that he has many years.
The experience accumulated during the bloody turmoil, as well as the power accumulated after returning to France early.
And these things will be slowly leveled out by time. Now, the boy Bonaparte, who is only seventeen years old, has already accumulated such a reputation and done so many great things. If he had been given a few more years,
Time, God knows what else he could do?
If you watch the situation continue to develop like this, maybe it won't be your turn to covet the throne by then.
And this means that he must unseat the Bourbon royal family as soon as possible and sit on the throne himself in a short period of time to fulfill the long-cherished wish of the ancestors of the family.
Must be as soon as possible!
The Duke felt anxious in his heart.
Fenique Gordon glanced at the Duke of Orleans unhurriedly. He had been serving the Duke for many years, so he could easily understand the Duke's thoughts.
"Your Excellency, your idea is indeed correct, but it does not solve the fundamental problem." He spread his hands, "You are right to step up and sit on the throne before that boy defeats the Wang family. But if you just do this
If so, then you are just replacing poor King Charles
Naba boy is still watching, and the crisis you are facing will still give you a headache."
Fenique Gordon's words were like a basin of cold water, calming down the excited Duke instantly.
He thought about it and felt it was right.
"Is there nothing we can do?" the Duke asked dejectedly, "No...even if it's just a taste of the sweetness, I have to ascend the throne. I have been preparing for that day for too many years. Now the royal family is on the verge of collapse.
, is my best opportunity...I can't imagine myself doing nothing in this situation and dying miserably without ever wearing a crown. In that case, I will have no face to face my ancestors."
"No, I'm not saying you shouldn't do it, I'm saying you should do it to the end." Phoenix Gordon shook his head, "Since your biggest obstacle and concern is no longer the king but that little Bonaparte, then
Why not just wipe him off the ground?"
The Duke was stunned for a moment.
"This is not an unimaginable thing... In fact, annihilating the opponent's body once and for all is the most reliable method." Phoenix Gordon said coldly, "If it weren't for the fact that the Duke of Guise and Henry III were killed one after another,
How could Henry IV win the throne so easily and become the founder of the Bourbon dynasty?"
The Duke thought that Bonaparte was too young now and had no other legal brothers. As long as he died, all problems would be solved.
It is said that his wife Teresa is pregnant, but that does not matter. Even if she is lucky enough to give birth to a son, it will be more than ten years before she wants to stir up trouble again. Besides, it is still difficult to see whether he can have the ability of his father.
It is possible once and for all, but it is not that easy to achieve.
"It's not that old age anymore. It's not that easy to murder." The Duke regained his composure, and then answered unhurriedly. "And the impact on his reputation is too bad."
"As long as no one knows that you did it, it will be fine. Apart from you, there are many people in the world who want his life. And you will definitely not be the biggest suspect." Phoenix Gordon whispered to his master,
"Imagine, if Duke Lechstadt really dies unexpectedly, everyone will guess that His Majesty the King avenged Duke Enghien and Duke Berry, right? Their anger will reach Bourbon, which will be of great benefit to you.
!You could have publicly denounced this murder and made the supporters of the Bonaparte family favor you."
"Then...is there any reliable way to achieve it?" After pondering for a moment, the Duke asked in a low voice.
And this question also means that he has agreed to Fenique Gordon's proposal.
"There are few things that can be 100% guaranteed to succeed, but... I do know a candidate who is capable of carrying out this task." Phoenix Gordon answered cautiously. "Whether it succeeds or not, it is at least worth a try.
try."
The Duke of Orleans looked at his advisor in confusion, as if he had just met him today. "I really didn't expect you to make such a suggestion."
"I hate doing this, but I think that for France... I need to do this." Phoenix Gordon replied seriously.
"Okay, don't tell me this anymore." The Duke suddenly waved his hand and stood up, "This kind of thing is not suitable for us to talk about."
Then, the Duke nodded slightly, turned and left.
There was no disappointment on Fenique Gordon's face. He knew that his benefactor did not reject his proposal but that he was responsible for everything.
"Then, I am willing to take responsibility." He whispered to himself.