After agreeing on how to proceed, the two marshals Marmont and Bourmont did not want to delay any longer, so they said goodbye to each other and began their respective actions.
The two marshals who originally had a bad relationship with each other, at this moment, because of the sad mentality of the rabbit dying and the fox dying, they felt a little bit more "reluctant to say goodbye".
They all know that not only the king and the dynasty, but also the two of them are facing an extremely serious crisis at this time. If they make a wrong step, or even have a little bad luck, they may be in catastrophe.
But even knowing this, they can only continue walking helplessly because they have no other way to go.
Life is made up of choices one after another, and these choices will eventually face a day of reckoning at some point.
Now, it's time for reckoning.
After bidding farewell to Marshal de Bourmont, Marshal Marmont returned to his temporary residence, where a bunch of his cronies and attendant officers gathered.
These people usually rely on the backing of Marshal Marmont. It can be said that they have the best of both worlds. Their power in the army is expanding day by day. They also show off their power one by one, and they have the momentum to continue to form a party and hold power after the death of the marshal.
.
However, at this time, like the marshal, they were eclipsed by tension and anxiety, and they didn't even have the heart to whisper to each other.
They all know that Marshal Marmont has a bad relationship with the Orleans family, and has an old feud with the Bonaparte family. If the dynasty changes, no matter which family comes to power, the marshal will definitely not be favored.
If the marshal collapses, the fate they will face next will be clear - even if they are not liquidated or forced to retire, their future will naturally be bleak.
Just because they had foreseen this fact, they were naturally panic-stricken and no longer had the same spirit as in the past.
The people present here are all wearing crisp uniforms, and many of them are wearing multiple medals. However, what permeates the place at this moment is not the solemn military atmosphere, but the anxiety and hesitation of not knowing where one's future lies.
While the marshal and marshal Bourmont were not talking, they were all waiting here. The room was so dull that it could almost freeze. But after seeing the marshal return, everyone finally came to the backbone of the room and stood up to greet the marshal.
The marshal is now in his 50s, and his physical functions have begun to weaken, but because of his many years of military service, he is still much stronger than his peers. Therefore, even though he had spent too much energy in the secret conversation just now, when he saw this group of confidants and followers, he
He regained his composure.
At this critical moment, he must not show weakness or fear, otherwise, the hearts of the people below will definitely be scattered.
"I have just discussed with Marshal Bourmont and decided what to do next." Under the eager gaze of everyone, he spoke slowly. "He will take the people he summoned to Paris to rescue the besieged palace;
And we... go south, to Lyon."
"Lyon..." The marshal's words finally thawed the frozen atmosphere a little, and the soldiers looked at each other in confusion.
Of course they understand what this means. There is only one person who needs to go to the south to deal with now...
"Yes, we are going to intercept Mr. Bonaparte." In the silence of everyone, the marshal made the final decision.
The marshal originally spoke very fluently, but at the end, when he mentioned that famous surname, he suddenly stuttered as if he had knocked his teeth.
Fortunately, no one cared about the marshal's slight mistake. They were already shocked by the news.
"Go and intercept the King of Rome..." someone exclaimed.
Invariably, everyone present recalled what happened 15 years ago.
15 years is enough time for a child to grow up, but not enough time to erase people’s most profound memories.
Can we really do what Marshal Ney couldn't do at that time? This question instantly rang in everyone's mind.
There is no doubt that the King of Rome is not comparable to Emperor Napoleon, but Marshal Marmont's prestige in the army is naturally not comparable to that of Marshal Ney. The soldiers did not dare to shoot at the emperor back then, but now they will shoot at the emperor because of Marshal Marmont's order.
Did your son shoot?
Even though these people are all close associates of the marshal, no one dares to confirm this.
If the soldiers defected again, what would happen next? No one dared to think about it anymore - they knew that Emperor Napoleon would forgive Marshal Ney, but the King of Rome might not forgive Marshal Marmont.
Thinking of this, these people couldn't help but become more and more uneasy.
"Why, don't you dare to go?" Marshal Marmont noticed the panic and wavering of his subordinates at this moment, so he asked with a cold face.
"For so many years, Your Majesty the Marshal has been taking care of us and showing great kindness to us; and His Majesty the King is the one we swear allegiance to. At this moment, the kingdom is in crisis. Since we have been so kind to us, how can we do it?"
Back down from the battle!" After a moment of silence, a tall officer stood up and encouraged his colleagues impassionedly, "This is the time for us to serve the country. I will follow the Marshal to the end, even if he goes through fire and water.
!”
The person who said this was Count Fernand de Morcerf, a colonel and brigade commander - although he is a brigade commander, in fact he only has a few hundred people in his hands now, and even these few hundred people
, he was not sure whether they were all loyal to the dynasty.
But even so, he still acted impassioned and seemed willing to die for the king and marshal.
Seeing the Earl's impassioned look, Marshal Marmont also felt slightly relieved.
Morcerf has been following him since more than ten years ago, and it was Marshal Marmont who slowly promoted him. However, he is one of his most trusted people. Now he can take the initiative when people's hearts are fluctuating.
Standing up and taking a stand truly proves that his hard work has not been in vain.
Under Morseff's instigation, facing the marshal, other people also expressed their willingness to fight with the marshal to the end.
Regardless of how true or false their statements are, at least at this moment, people's hearts have temporarily stabilized.
"Fernand." The marshal walked up to the count and looked at him kindly, "Are your wife and children still in Paris?"
"Yes, Your Excellency." Count Morcerf replied quickly, "After receiving your order to summon them, I left them in Paris and rushed here."
"You are really thoughtful..." the marshal sighed, "At this moment, Paris is in chaos and danger. It does take some determination to leave them behind and run over. I remember your son is only three or four years old, right?"
"Yes, Your Excellency." The Earl nodded in agreement, and then his expression became a little sad, "I entrusted them to the care of my friends, and they are still safe for now. Of course, it is impossible to say that I am not worried about them.
, but at this moment the dynasty is in such unprecedented turmoil, how can I delay my mission and obligations for my own family's private affairs? I am deeply favored by the country. Without His Majesty the King, without you, I would not be where I am today.
, so I must fight to the end to protect His Majesty the King and you, even if it means losing my life!"
The earl's words were so generous and decisive that not only the marshal was moved, but others also secretly admired him.
"Very good... When the country is in crisis, we can still find loyal ministers after all." The marshal nodded repeatedly, then took off his medal of Saint Louis from in front of him, and then hung it on the count, "This is for you.
, I hope that we, and your family, can all be safe."
Marshal Marmont knew that the origin of the title of Count Morcerf was a bit shady and that the noble blood could not withstand scrutiny, but he did not mind this because he himself was not from a noble family. Heroes never ask about their origins.
Being able to earn a family fortune on your own is a matter of skill.
Then, he turned back to look at the others, "Have you seen what Fernan said just now? This is what I am thinking too. At this moment, the kingdom is in danger. As a marshal, and as a trusted minister of His Majesty the King, I
I will never abandon him. I will be loyal to His Majesty the King to the end! If you dare to follow me and continue, then as long as we can survive the crisis, the kingdom will reward your loyalty with ten times the reward, even if you are sealed
It doesn’t matter if you are a prince; if any of you are timid, you can leave now, I can come and go freely here and will never embarrass anyone."
After he finished speaking, he spread his hands and made a look as if you were just going to do whatever you wanted.
At this time, of course, no one would say that they would back down from the battle. Like Count Morcerf, they all expressed that they would "definitely follow the marshal and fight to the end."
Therefore, after unifying their thoughts, Marshal Marmont and his cronies no longer wasted time. After they hastily studied the next march deployment for a while, they immediately dismissed the meeting and each began to prepare for the next trip.
Count Morcerf, who had just made a splash, walked out of the conference room with no trace of pride on his face. Even the secret disgust and jealousy of his colleagues nearby did not bother him.
All the energy has been put into thinking about where to go next.
As he walked, the Grand Cross of Saint-Louis medal he had just received on his chest was shaking slightly. This was originally the honor he had longed for, but now that he had received it, he did not feel much joy in his heart. Instead, he felt a pressure on his chest.
He was carrying a heavy burden, like a boulder that made him unable to breathe.
This is the highest honor of the kingdom, but if the kingdom collapses, it may become a reminder for oneself.
Although he had acted impassionedly in front of Marshal Marmont and seemed ready to die for the king and marshal at any time, in his heart, Count Fernand de Morcerf had never even thought for a second that he would die for them.
Dedicate your life.
What a joke, how could Fernand, a descendant of Catalan fishermen living in Marseille, have any loyalty to the Bourbon family?
In the past ten years, Fernand has relied on his own business and the changes in current affairs to get almost everything that others dream of, including military rank, title, wealth, and a lovely wife and son... He still enjoys these things.
It’s too late, how can you be willing to lose?
Although Fernand has always been in the army, he is ambitious and has been deliberately making friends with people in the upper class. Therefore, compared to his colleagues, his ability to wait and see is stronger, and he has always been watching the current situation.
.
After arriving at this place, he also saw the performance of Marshals Marmont and Bourmont in the past few days. The marshals were anxious and hesitant and could not summon the army to counter the rebellion. Paris fell into chaos, the palace was besieged, and the King of Rome also
He took the opportunity to run back to France... All signs convinced him that the dynasty was on the verge of collapse and was about to end.
The only question is, who can win? The Orleans family or the Bonaparte family?
Fernand couldn't think of an answer to this question, but he knew that he had to jump off the ship as soon as possible. No matter where he jumped, it would be better than sticking to a ship that was about to sink.
Marshal Marmont had no way to go, so he had to fight his way to the end, but Fernand had never thought about being buried with the king. He still had a way to go.
It can be said that Fernand has no psychological burden at all for betraying his benefactor - you, Marshal Marmont, were able to sell Emperor Napoleon in exchange for wealth. Why can't I, Fernand, sell you, Marshal Marmont, in exchange for wealth?
At the beginning, he relied on a whistle-blower letter to send his love rival to the dark prison of Eve Castle and never saw the light of day again; he also relied on betraying Ali Pasha in exchange for a huge bounty and became his own fortune.
The foundation; now he is naturally able to be cruel enough to betray someone who has been supporting and caring for him for more than ten years.
It was through betrayal step by step that he got everything he has now, so as long as he can get a better career in exchange for it, what does it mean to betray the marshal and the king?
In his current situation, how should he betray the marshal in order to get the best price? Fernan's face was as calm as water, but he had been pondering this question in his heart.
The marshal will now take them south to meet the King of Rome, and the King of Rome will obviously not back down. He is ready to march north until Paris - just as happened 15 years ago.
Back then, Marshal Ney led an army to confront Emperor Napoleon, but the army turned against him after seeing the emperor. Since that happened 15 years ago, why can't it happen again now?
Marshal Marmont would definitely not surrender - he had a grudge against the Bonaparte family, and he knew that the King of Rome would not forgive him, and there would be no benefit in surrendering.
But what about myself? The situation is completely different.
Compared with others, Fernand felt that he had a great advantage - when the King of Rome was staying at Schonbrunn Palace, he visited the King of Rome with the marshal, and with his deliberate flattery, the King of Rome
He had a very good impression of himself, and the two of them had a great conversation. They even praised themselves personally and wished their son a smooth birth.
Now, he must still remember himself.
At this time, the King of Rome was employing people. If he performed such a great service for him... what kind of reward would he give?
Fernan's eyes slowly moved down, and then he saw the Medal of Honor on his chest, and then a disdainful chuckle appeared at the corner of his mouth unconsciously.