Under Duke Nordlyon's urging, even if they were unwilling to do so, the town mayors had no choice but to leave letters of allegiance under the watchful eyes of Aigron.
Although Aigron, who was self-reliant on his identity, did not threaten them publicly, it was obvious that as long as these people dared to defy his will, the only way to do it would be death.
As long as they have written a letter of allegiance and accepted the "pseudo position" appointed by themselves, they will definitely not be able to clean themselves up in the future.
As far as their personal interests are concerned, if Aiglon fails, even if they escape the most serious punishment, they will at least lose their public office and property, and they absolutely cannot afford such a price.
Therefore, Aigron believed that after he left, they would definitely look forward to his success without causing trouble.
After taking care of these people, Aigron didn't plan to delay any longer.
On the morning of that day, he called several of his important confidants, as well as two military representatives, Major Mippe and Major Laurent, to come to him.
"Are you ready?" Aiglon asked Major Laurent directly.
"It has been assembled and ready to go at any time." Major Laurent also answered him briefly with a military temperament. "Your Majesty, according to the reconnaissance, although the situation nearby is chaotic, we are not prepared for your return, whether you are a soldier or a civilian.
There is no resistance, and no one calls for unity to stop you. Most people adopt a wait-and-see attitude, and some even hope that you can succeed."
"This is public opinion..." Aigron smiled. "The people have made their own choice and abandoned the false king. We are just following the public opinion and overthrowing it completely."
The locals' indifference towards the Bourbons was not surprising to Aiglon. The Revolution had actually destroyed the foundation of the dynasty, and the emotional ties between the royal family and the local area had long since disappeared. The church had also collapsed due to the attack of the Republic. In fact,
For those marginalized places, "royal family" has become a distant word that has no impact on their daily lives, and no one cares whether the royal family's rule is stable.
And because the memory of the "glory" of the imperial era is still fresh, ordinary people feel more close to the Bonaparte family. Of course, it is impossible to want them to work for Aigron, but let them choose to be indifferent and neutral.
, that’s quite simple.
After sighing with emotion, Aigron returned to the topic. He looked at his subordinates solemnly, "Then let's set off. May God bless us."
Following his order, the assembled troops immediately set off, and a dozen carriages carrying Aigron, his family, and other dependents were surrounded by soldiers in the center of the procession.
The group of people walked northwest along the road.
According to the current intelligence, Aigron knew that there was no army gathering in front of him to stop him at this moment. It was obvious that the local chaos was still continuing. No one wanted to wade into muddy waters and chose to escape silently when facing him.
On the one hand, this is because the prestige of the Bonaparte family has not dissipated, but on the other hand, it is also the unrest caused by "fake news".
But Aigron knew that as he moved forward, he would soon leave the border area and also leave the scope of the influence of false news. Only at this time would he face the real test.
Thinking about it, the news of his intrusion into France had already reached Paris along with the chaos at the border. He was even a little curious about how people would react to his arrival in the chaotic Paris at this moment.
============================
As Aiglon expected, when he just set out, the news that "the King of Rome appeared at the border and is currently advancing towards Paris" also reached Paris.
In an instant, this news caused almost everyone to fall into consternation - just like the Hundred Days Dynasty 15 years ago.
No one thought that history would almost repeat itself again. At this troubled time, this young man would not be willing to be lonely and make his debut.
Unlike Louis XVIII, the "legitimate king" who ruled France at the time and could command all directions, the situation of the Bourbon royal family was much worse at this time. Because of the confrontation with the Parliament and the Duke of Orleans behind it, the dynasty was now in a state of decline.
In a state of near paralysis, it was difficult to issue orders out of the capital, and even the capital itself organized a National Guard organization loyal to the Parliament to confront the Bourbon royal family with force.
Faced with the aggressive offensive of the Parliament, the king could only stay in the palace at this time, relying on some of the still loyal palace guards to defend the palace to delay the situation, hoping for some change.
Unexpectedly, what he was waiting for was not a turn of events, but such explosive news.
At this time, the palace was already filled with gloom and gloom.
Not only is the king now a bit older than before, but even the normally arrogant royal family members are now in a state of panic, not knowing what fate will await them next.
As usual, after receiving the news, the king immediately summoned his closest courtiers to discuss countermeasures.
Looking at several ugly-looking courtiers and confidants, the king felt even more depressed and uncomfortable, but he still held such a meeting as a routine - perhaps this was the only way he could feel that he was still "ruling the country"
.
"What do you think of the news we just received?" He asked everyone in an old and trembling voice, "That Bonaparte boy actually took advantage of the chaos and ran to France, and he also brought a large number of people with him, and he is advancing towards Paris at this time.
.”
"He came to take advantage of the situation," one courtier whispered. "He saw that Paris was in chaos, so he couldn't wait to seize power."
Nonsense, do you even need to say this? The king thought to himself, but he still did not curse him.
"We should quickly order the army to intercept that kid!" Another person shouted.
It's still nonsense, the king cursed in his heart. If he could mobilize the army at will, he would have put down the rebellion in Paris long ago. Why should he worry about the Bonaparte boy?
He knew in his heart that the courtiers didn't know what to do, so they could only say some "correct nonsense" to excuse themselves, so he looked at Duke Treville expectantly.
"Philip, do you have any comments?"
As the confrontation with the Parliament became more and more disadvantageous, the king could summon fewer and fewer people. The previously submissive ministers either saw that the situation was not good and chose to stay at home and wait for the wind to blow. Some of the more cautious people even simply decided to
Choose to flee to a country manor or abroad first, waiting for the opportunity to be loyal to the new regime again.
Only the Duke of Treville, after being given the important task by the king, has been faithfully accompanying the king, carefully performing the guard work of the palace, and not giving the outside world an opportunity; his loyalty in this difficult moment has been won by the king and the king.
The royal family members spoke highly of him, and the king began to regard him as his reliable confidant and often asked him for advice.
The Duke frowned, as if he had something to hide.
"Your Majesty... I have some words that may be inappropriate. If they are wrong, you... can you forgive me?"
"Of course, you can speak freely." The king waved his hand, indicating that he could speak casually, "At this critical moment, any opinion is valuable."
"Okay, then I'll tell you the truth." The Duke nodded, seeming to have made up his mind, "In my opinion, your biggest enemy is only in Paris. If you can't quell the turmoil in Paris, then... then
Our dynasty will face the crisis of overthrow, and it has nothing to do with you what Bonaparte's boy wants to do.
If you can quell the turmoil in Paris, then there is no point in that kid jumping around, you can make him disappear with just one finger."
The king nodded, he knew this was the truth.
But...how can it be so easy to achieve it?
At present, he has ordered the army to go to Beijing countless times to "serve the king" and eradicate the rebellious parliamentary chaos. However, a few days have passed, and the turmoil is still there. There is no army to exterminate the rebels. This shows that he has lost control of the country.
The most important thing is the control of violent machines.
If this continues for a few more days, God knows what else will happen.
So, he looked at Duke Treville again and motioned for him to continue.
"Marshal Marmont and Marshal Bourmont are our last hope." The Duke did not hesitate anymore and spoke loudly, "These two marshals are mortal enemies of the Bonaparte family and have a bad relationship with the Orleans family.
They will definitely be on your side. You can appoint them as special envoys to leave Paris, find garrisons from various places, and ask them to bring people over to relieve the predicament of the capital. As for other marshals, such as Oudinot or Moncey,
I think most of them cannot be trusted, and in a crisis, they would probably just sit on the fence and wait and see, let alone unstable elements like Marshal Sirte."
The king thought for a moment, then nodded, agreeing with the Duke's judgment.
Marshal Marmont betrayed the Bonaparte family and secretly took the army to surrender when the anti-French Allied forces pressed the border in 1814; Marshal Bourmont sneaked away before the start of the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 and surrendered to the enemy in front of the battle.
Both marshals have grudges against the Bonaparte family. In today's situation where "no one can be trusted", they are the two most trustworthy.
"Is there any news about Marshal Soult now?" At this time, the king suddenly remembered something. "Has he made any public statement?"
In the king's opinion, among the marshals, the most fearful one is Sirte, because Sirte has been deliberately alienated and suppressed by the royal family for more than ten years, and he must be holding a grudge.
"No, he has not spoken." The Duke shook his head and denied, "He seems to be still waiting and watching. I heard that the Orleans family has already approached him, but he still has not expressed his position."
The duke's answer aroused a glimmer of hope in the king's heart, and he immediately ordered the duke, "Then send someone to find him quickly and tell him that as long as he is willing to publicly declare his allegiance to the king and help me put down the rebellion, I can appoint him
Be the Minister of War!"
It's too late to think about finding him now... He won't jump on this sinking ship. There is no shortage of places to go anyway. The Duke sneered in his heart and replied.
Of course, on the surface, he still agreed respectfully. "Okay, Your Majesty, I will send someone right away."
Then, he seemed to stop talking.
"What's the matter, Philip?" the king noticed something strange about him and asked.
The Duke looked at the people next to him.
The king understood what he meant, so he waved his hand, and the others quickly walked out, leaving the spacious room to these two people.
"Now you can speak freely." The king urged the other party.
"Your Majesty, what I say next is very likely to make you unhappy, but I ask you to believe that I dare to say these out of loyalty from the bottom of my heart. If I have even a little selfishness, I will
I won’t offend you with such words..."
"Go ahead." The king interrupted impatiently.
He was even a little curious in his heart, what kind of "rebellious" words made the Duke so cautious?
The Duke did not speak immediately, but remained silent for a moment, perhaps considering his words.
After a long time, he finally spoke again.
"Your Majesty, we are facing a critical moment now. No matter how hard it is for me to admit it, I must tell you the truth - the orthodox dynasty is facing a crisis of survival. If you are not careful, it may overthrow."
Hearing this, the king's heart twitched painfully, and even breathing became difficult - who wants to be the king of subjugation?
But reality is reality after all, so he nodded slightly and agreed with what the other person said.
"The reason why we are in this situation is entirely due to the shameless conspiracy of a group of careerists, and the worst and most shameless among them is the Duke of Orleans. The royal family has been so lenient to him, but he has no gratitude. He takes advantage of
In order to satisfy the dissatisfaction of the people, he can display his family's ambition for generations and covet the royal power just like his father and ancestors. He is your most dangerous enemy!"
Under the deliberate instigation of the Duke, the king suddenly became furious because these words were true.
The ones who are more hateful than the enemy are always those ungrateful "own people".
"Yes, viciousness and shamelessness are inherited in their blood. They have always made it their mission to defeat us! My brother's biggest mistake was to tolerate them. He should have been banned from returning to his country forever because of his sins!" the king issued.
An angry roar.
"Even not from an emotional point of view, but from a political point of view, he is the most dangerous to you." The Duke continued to advise the king, "He is a branch of the royal family, the highest-ranking noble in the kingdom, and he has the aristocratic class
With his appeal, he can take away some of your supporters, and these are very valuable to you, especially after the possible exile..."
"Exile!" Hearing this word, the king's heart twitched again.
In fact, he had thought of this word countless times in the past few days, but he never wanted to think about it too much.
However, if even a person with the character of Duke Treville is already planning the future of the dynasty, then the dynasty may really have a running out of time.
The pain left the king speechless for a moment, and he could only use his eyes to suggest the duke to continue speaking.
"In the worst case scenario, you may have to face exile, and at that time, you should leave in a way that best preserves yourself and the strength of the royal family. Even if you can no longer hold the throne, your children and grandchildren will one day be able to return to the throne.
Those who set foot in France urgently need these powers..." The Duke used the most persuasive tone to convey the words he had thought of to the king.