"It exists here not to record the glory of the past, but to provide the most reliable shelter for the new generation."
The Marquis de Treville's words made the Marshal slightly moved.
"Yes, the new generation..." he sighed, "At our age, we really should consider the new generation."
Then, he changed the subject, "I heard that you have a granddaughter?"
"Yes, thanks to your concern, I had a granddaughter last year, her name is Xialu." Marquis Treville replied with a little pride, "Although it may be a bit boastful, I think she is the most important person in my life."
The most beautiful baby I have ever seen, I dare say she will become a great beauty when she grows up!"
The marshal didn't quite believe in this kind of showoff, but he also knew that the Marquis' character was definitely not the kind of person who liked to boast. Since he said it to this extent, at least his granddaughter wouldn't be any worse.
"Then I really want to congratulate you!" He clapped his hands gently to express his congratulations. "It's a pity that I came at the wrong time and can't see with my own eyes the granddaughter you are so proud of."
"It doesn't matter, you will definitely have plenty of opportunities in the future." Marquis Treville replied unceremoniously, "She will be admired by everyone, and I will try my best to make her a star in the social world."
The marshal smiled slightly.
"In this way, it's really a coincidence. Although our family backgrounds and military experiences are very different, we ended up with the same destination by different paths. I only have an only son, and my only son gave birth to a granddaughter, and you are the same."
"This is probably our destiny!" Marquis Treville couldn't help but laugh, "I believe that our destinies may have more overlaps in the future."
He was hinting to Marshal Soult to join him in siding with the Bonaparte family as soon as possible. The marshals could also understand, but the marshal deliberately did not point it out and looked around again.
His eyes wandered around, looking at all the details in the hall, and seemed to be looking for the fragments of memories from those decayed and dim furnishings and objects.
"I remember when I came to your house for a banquet, what a noisy scene it was! Your wife is also very elegant and charming. Everyone who comes to your place will feel at home."
Hearing the marshal mention his wife who died young, the Marquis couldn't help but feel a little sad even though he had long been used to the fact that she was no longer alive.
"She is indeed a good daughter-in-law, but her luck is really bad. She lived in exile with her parents for so many years, and after marrying me, she also suffered silently with me for so many years. After all the hardships, she finally left me and Edgar behind...
…Alas, fate likes to play tricks on people sometimes. Sometimes I almost forget that she exists, but every time I lie down to fall asleep, I can’t help but shed tears when I think of her.”
"What an astonishing infatuation!" The marshal nodded in approval again, "To be honest, I was a little surprised. When we received the news of your wife's death, we all felt sorry and sad for you, but we thought you would be very happy.
Come out of your grief quickly and find a new life partner. This is understandable and even necessary for you. But we didn't expect that you would not remarry for the next twenty years - if you are really so loyal.
It's just for my wife, but it's obviously not the case. We all know that you have had some romantic affairs, and you don't seem to be such a hard-hearted person."
After finishing speaking, the marshal looked at the Marquis of Treville with interest, waiting for his explanation.
Logically speaking, it would be impolite for the Marshal to ask such a personal emotional question face to face, and the Marquis of Treville also had the right to refuse to answer.
However, at this time, the Marquis of Treville could not figure out the other party's background; secondly, he was determined to win over the marshal for His Majesty, so he did not have an attack, but responded to the other party seriously.
"Those things... were just a joke, or even just a routine matter. Getting married was another matter. Besides, the empire had been destroyed by that time, and I tried my best to save myself. A new marriage would only affect me.
Next career - after 1815, I have made up my mind to devote all my energy and intelligence to the restoration of the empire. Unless the emperor or his heir takes the throne, I will never again
Think about personal issues!”
Under the candlelight, the Marquis of Treville held his head high and made an impassioned speech. The brilliance on his face seemed to be smeared with a layer of golden holy oil. His attitude was so enthusiastic that not only the marshal was shaken, but even the people behind him were moved.
Several people were also impressed by it.
After the marshal was silent for a moment, he clapped his hands gently, and then praised again, "Admirable loyalty..."
Then, he shook his finger and made a sudden gesture.
The people behind him quickly stood up, then gave a military salute to the general and marshal, and then exited the living room and waited outside the door.
Now that the general was alone with the marshal, he felt the pressure from the marshal even more.
At this time, the marshal stared at him quietly, his eyes as terrifying as an eagle's.
"General Victor de Treville, I didn't see through you at first, and I still don't see through you now. Who are you?"
This question made Marquis Treville a little confused, and he even couldn't help laughing. "Don't you know who I am? We have known each other for so many years, and we have even fought side by side..."
"Yes, I do know a Victor de Treville, but maybe he is just another person who deliberately showed me the appearance." The marshal replied unceremoniously, "So, Victor, who are you?
What? You are a loyal and fearless warrior, a wise and brave general, an infatuated widower, a determined Bonapartist... These are the things you are praised and admired by the world, and these things have also accumulated.
I also admire your reputation. But is this person really everything you are? In addition to these, are there many other things that together make up this respectable general in front of me?
"
"What do you mean?" Marquis Treville could no longer hold his smile. "What do you doubt about me?"
"I doubt a lot about you, or I don't believe what you showed me." The marshal replied decisively, "If you are really as loyal and fearless as you show, then there is no way you can be safe.
You and I both know how ruthless the liquidation in 1815 was. Marshal Ney was shot, I, the marshal, was exiled, and many other marshals were forced to live in seclusion until they died in depression... But you
, you stood your ground, but not only were you not liquidated, you also stayed in Paris, living in your exquisite mansion and enjoying the property you accumulated in the past, why is this?!"
Marquis Treville's expression changed drastically, and his eyes changed from modest to stern in an instant, as if he was a different person.
"Well, yes, this is what you should look like." The marshal did not panic at all, but nodded slightly, "Victor, this is what you should look like."
General Treville squinted his eyes slightly and looked at the marshal in front of him. He remained silent, as if thinking about how to deal with this uninvited guest.
"Of course you can remain silent, or even use your master's rights to drive me away immediately. And I will leave immediately and sincerely apologize to you for coming without telling me and for what I just said.
But..." Marshal Soult said unhurriedly, "Once you do this, from tonight onwards, never expect me to work with you or have any cooperation, because I can't be trusted.
No soldier would show his back to a person who has completely hidden himself from me."
Then, he raised his head arrogantly and said, "Then, choose, Victor, do you continue to be friends with me and tell me something; or do you let me go and never set foot in your home?!"
While the marshal was threatening, Marquis Treville finally spoke slowly.
"My brother, the Duke of Treville, as you know, he has been following the exiled court and did not respond to Emperor Napoleon's call to return home. So after the restoration of the royal family, he returned to the country with the royal family, and then he was trusted and reused. He kept
Got me."
Seeing that the other party finally revealed some truth, the marshal finally showed a satisfied smile.
But just getting such a small gain is not enough.
"This answer does not surprise me. We have already had this speculation." He made an honest evaluation, "In other words, you and your brother are not as quarrelsome as they appear to be. In fact,
They've been going back and forth secretly, even hedging their bets, right?"
"If you insist on saying that, then I admit that it is." Marquis Treville nodded reluctantly, "But I want to say, in fact, I am not that cunning. In my heart, I admire the emperor very much and very much.
I am happy to serve the Bonaparte family...The emperor has given me many things, and I know how to be grateful."
"Okay, I'm not a police officer here to interrogate you. Let's leave the conversation about this kind of situation to later." The marshal waved his hand impatiently, interrupting the Marquis's self-defense. "What we can confirm now is that you are not yourself.
You acted so determined. In 1815, you relied on your brother's secret protection to escape the liquidation. It is even possible that you were protected by him later, so nothing happened to you. So, which side are you on now?
?”
Only then did the Marquis of Treville realize that it turned out that the marshal had already guessed that he and his brother were secretly colluding, and further suspected that he had actually defected to the Wang family a long time ago, so he was so wary of himself.
"Of course I will continue to stand on the side of the Bonaparte family." He quickly defended himself. "You may not believe in my loyalty, but even from the perspective of interests, my brother and I stand on the side of the Wang family.
What's the benefit? The Wang family can't give us any more grace. On the contrary, if my brother and I are tied to death on this ship, if it capsizes, then we will be buried with it. Who will come then?
Protecting our brothers? So we still do our own thing. Now that he has protected me, maybe one day in the future, I will be the one to protect his family..."
"I do believe what you said." The marshal nodded, "Victor, you should have been so sincere in front of me."
The Marquis of Treville was speechless and could only smile helplessly.
To be honest, he may have told more truths that night than he had told in the previous ten years.
The marshal's reputation put too much pressure on him, and he was caught off guard by the marshal and interrogated him into a blind corner. When there was no way to escape, he had no choice but to tell the truth, and in the end, the marshal had the upper hand.
This feeling of being overpowered made Marquis Treville feel very unhappy.
But now he has no way to take down the marshal.
And in the foreseeable future, there is nothing that can be done for the time being - if the Bonaparte family does not gain power, he will naturally have no power and power to do anything to the other party; even if the Bonaparte family is restored and he ascends to heaven, the marshal will still
Being reused, he still has no choice for the time being.
So I can only endure it.
But it doesn't matter, he has been dormant for so many years, and he is not afraid of dormant anymore. He believes that as long as he spends more time, he will finally have the last laugh.
After all, His Majesty will trust himself more, rather than Marshal Soult, who is so powerful and ambitious, and he is the most suitable candidate to take over the army for him.
While the Marquis of Treville was still calculating his little plan in his mind, the Marshal suddenly spoke again.
"So now, Victor, we have a basis for negotiation—"
"What do you mean?" asked the Marquis.
"We need to have a good talk to see what to do next." The marshal answered him stiffly, "Since you are not loyal to the Bonaparte family, you must care more about your personal future. So, in this case, why bother
How about playing the role of your loyal minister all the time? I won't tell anyone your true identity, and you might as well find other ways in private - "
The Marquis of Treville seemed to understand, so he continued to look at the other party suspiciously, waiting for the marshal to give his answer.
"To tell you the truth, I have already won over Talleyrand before, and he said that he was very happy to work with me. Of course, I have never trusted that bedbug for a second, but at present, if we get closer, what will happen to us?
I am afraid that we are also very beneficial to each other. I and Talleyrand are both remnants of the old era. Although our personalities are completely different, we have seen the world and know what each other wants. And you, Victor, you are also one
, but your chips are not enough - but if you add your brother, it will be enough."
"You want to see my brother?" The Marquis finally understood.
"Yes, you must have your own contact channel. Call him over, and we will do the calculation together." The marshal clenched his fists with confidence, "He is in the center and can give us the latest news, and we have
The mind has prestige, so why not give it a try?"
After finishing speaking, he looked at the Marquis with a hint of mockery, "Or is it that your brother is actually a loyal minister?"
The Marquis disliked the Marshal's ridicule, but he was somewhat moved by the Marshal's proposal.
After thinking for a moment, he decided to at least give it a try.
As long as he temporarily cooperates with the two of them, no matter how the situation develops, it seems to be beneficial to him.
"My brother is not that loyal to the Wang family." Finally, he answered.