After bidding farewell to the Count of Monte Cristo and others, the Marquis of Noirtier wandered blankly through the cold streets.
Although it was early spring, it was still very cold everywhere at night, and the cold wind blowing against his face made his mood even more gloomy.
He had just received instructions from His Majesty from the count: to go to his son in person and then take him to the Palace of Fontainebleau.
This order is tantamount to asking him to push his son into the whirlpool with his own hands. This is quite cruel, but it is not a sign of respect.
He knew that no matter how things developed in the future, his son's fate would not be very good.
Although he and his son were strangers for various reasons, this was his only son after all. Thinking of the cruel future that awaited his son, even a tough guy like the Marquis couldn't help but feel a little sad.
He deliberately did not ride in a carriage, but walked alone in the windy and rainy streets, without any men or followers, in order to use physical pain to wear away the psychological pain.
At his age, the physical and mental torture was enough to make him miserable. When the pain reached its peak, he gently raised his hand and wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes.
The sadness and lamentation should end here. Now that things have happened, what's the point of thinking about it? Let fate decide everything.
After all, he has seen too many strong winds and waves, witnessed too many tragedies and deaths, so his spirit has been tempered to the point of extreme toughness, and he can withstand even such a blow.
The Marquis of Noirtier, where Villefort lived, naturally knew it. It was in the Latin Quarter of Paris, close to the famous Sorbonne University. It was a gathering place for scholars and cultural people. After being transferred to Paris from Marseille, Prosecutor Villefort
The official purchased a simple house here and settled down with his family.
He has now reached the vicinity of this house.
This house is indeed not amazing in appearance and is old. Although it has been repaired with every effort, there is always an air of disrepair between the brick walls, but it is better than being quiet.
In fact, Prosecutor Villefort is very rich. If he likes, he can live in a mansion. After his mother passed away, she left all her property to her son; after his wife passed away, she also left him a large estate.
A sum of assets, and the two inheritances combined are enough for him to live a prosperous life for a lifetime.
This is still money obtained legally. During these twenty years of legal career, Villefort has also made himself a lot of money through various shady means. The total amount is no less than the money he obtained through legal channels.
, but there is no need to study these in detail.
But even though he is already considered extremely wealthy, Villefort has never engaged in extravagant enjoyment, and he almost never participates in the extravagant activities of the upper class, let alone living in a mansion. For him, the more he appears, the more
The more he dares to be "poverty-free", the more everyone will believe that he is indeed an honest and upright legal worker.
Prosecutor Villefort fulfills his duties in every position he holds and tries his best to handle every case he encounters in accordance with the legal provisions. Even if he takes advantage of others, he is cautious and never makes a big deal like his colleagues.
Under his deliberate building, he gradually became a prosecutor who was feared by everyone, as ruthless as the incarnation of the law.
Using his position and reputation in exchange for power is exactly Villefort's pleasure.
If the state is a machine for the ruling class to legally exploit the general public, then in order to maintain this machine, "power" must be derived. The sword of the soldier is a kind of power, the pen of the official is a kind of power, and the judges and prosecutors
With the same power of law, it can easily ruin a person's fortune, deprive a person of his freedom or even his life, or he can open the door to the real evil. From heaven to hell, it is often just a thought of the hammer falling.
.
Isn't it a pleasure to use this kind of power to decide a person's fate like God?
Without time to pause and express his feelings, Noirtier walked to the gate and expressed his intention of coming, hoping to see his son.
The porter was quite surprised by the arrival of the Marquis of Noirtier, but of course he knew the Marquis, so he immediately informed the prosecutor. After a while, the Marquis was brought to the prosecutor.
This is also the first time that father and son have met this year - although neither of them feels happy about it.
Although the faces of the two people are similar, an onlooker would not be able to believe that they are actually a father and son if they are not explained in advance. Although the Marquis is old, he is full of energy, with an aggressive light in his eyes, and there is a command in his movements.
However, Prosecutor Villefort has no expression on his face because he has been in the office and study all year round. At first glance, he is the kind of person who always hides his thoughts. His skin is pale and there is a vague feeling of inhumanity.
His face was livid, and he wore gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose, which not only improved his eyesight but also obscured his sight. As long as you stood next to him, you could feel the discomfort of not being close to strangers.
The Marquis of Noirtier has a charismatic personality that makes it easy for people to believe that he is worthy of trust; while his son is so frightening that ordinary people avoid him even if they admire him as an "upright" prosecutor.
"Father, I have been worried about your safety recently. It is great to be able to confirm that you are safe and sound." After a short silence, Prosecutor Villefort spoke first.
This was not a false compliment. Although father and son had always stood on different sides, at this moment, his father's survival was also very important to Villefort.
Over the years, in order to cater to his superiors, Prosecutor Villefort has always played the role of a royalist in politics. He has no tolerance for republicans and Bonapartists and is loyal to orthodox principles. This firm political stance has made him
He was appreciated by the Restoration Dynasty and promoted all the way up.
Originally, Villefort hoped that things could continue like this, but the recent turmoil was like a bolt from the blue to him.
During the turmoil, he had been hiding at home uneasily, and at the same time tried to inquire about outside news. Although his information was not well-informed, he now also knew that the palace fell after the siege, and that His Majesty the King had given up the throne.
The situation is not yet completely clear, and we still don't know who will take the throne, but one thing seems certain, the restoration dynasty of the Bourbon family has come to an end in the turmoil.
If the dynasty collapses, the extreme royalists will lose their political backing and will either become idle and withdraw from politics, or they will have no choice but to follow the deposed king into exile.
No matter which path Villefort wants to choose - he has finally climbed to this position and has a terrifying reputation and power. How could he be willing to give it all up?
Therefore, he needs to jump ship and change his career.
However, given his personality, he cannot make it too obvious to jump ship, because this will make people accuse him of not being firm in his stance and destroying his personality, so he needs to change his family unknowingly and quietly.
This is easy to say, but difficult to do, but Villefort has a life-saving straw - that is, of course, his father.
The Marquis of Noirtier was a staunch Bonapartist, which Villefort knew very well, and he knew even more clearly that when it came to employing people at this time, the King of Rome would definitely reuse his famous, experienced and skillful father.
In other words, as long as the King of Rome gained power, his father would rise to the top, even higher than the position he climbed back then. At that time, with his father's secret protection, Villefort could continue to maintain his position without putting in too much effort.
In terms of status, no one can ridicule him for being inconsistent.
He also believed that his father would protect him. Although the two had different political opinions, he was an only son after all. How could a father let go of his only son?
Because of this idea, when he saw his father, Villefort's first reaction was rejoicing and joy. At the moment, he wanted his elderly father more than anyone else to make a mistake.
"Gerard, I am also worried about you, so I came here to take a look." The Marquis of Noirtier replied calmly, and then he asked, "Where is Valentine?"
"I have just finished dinner and am resting. Let me bring her over." Villefort replied quickly.
Then, he returned to his daughter's room and brought her over again.
Soon, a little girl of about seven or eight years old was brought to the Marquis. She had a beautiful face, was slender and cute, and was wearing a fluffy and simple thick cotton dress. Although she was young, her demeanor and movements were extremely steady when she walked.
, it can be seen that he has received a strict tutoring.
This is Valentine, the granddaughter of the Marquis.
"Grandpa!" Valentine was also very happy when the family arrived. She walked up to the Marquis and hugged his leg, "It's great that you're okay!"
"Valentine, you have grown a little taller..." The Marquis showed a loving smile, and then gently stroked his granddaughter's face and hair, "What a good girl."
The dispute with his son did not affect the relationship between the Marquis and his granddaughter. Every time he saw Valentine, the Marquis felt a blood connection, and no matter how bad his mood was, he could get better.
"How have you been doing during this time?" After teasing his granddaughter for a while, the Marquis asked his son again.
"It's as bad as the others." Villefort spread his hands, showing a helpless look, "I have been hiding at home with Valentine since the riot. I have not experienced any disasters with weapons, but I have always been able to
Living here is really suffocating us, and we really hope this damn mess ends as soon as possible."
Villefort felt so uncomfortable not only because of the inconvenience in life caused by the chaotic situation, but also because of the depression of losing power - after all, in such a chaos that shook the country, no one took the law seriously.
And when people lose their respect for the law, what are judges and prosecutors?
Villefort hoped from the bottom of his heart that everything would get back on track as soon as possible. No matter who came to power, it would be fine as long as the machine of the law was running again.
"It will end soon. The person who can bring peace and prosperity to France is now very close to Paris." The Marquis replied in a low voice, "And we will do our best to achieve this."
"So, you are really working for the King of Rome, right?" After his suspicion was confirmed, Villefort was not surprised, and his mentality relaxed a lot. "I think he should rely on you very much."
"That's natural. There are very few people who can compare with me now." The Marquis answered his son with undisguised pride, "To tell you the truth, I just met Talleyrand. If nothing else, he is very good."
Soon they will be on our side... Then we will see who has the last laugh!"
This information surprised Villefort again.
From his father's proud attitude and high-pitched tone at this moment, he judged that his father had not lied to him.
For Villefort, this was a good thing, because the Bonaparte family's rise to power meant that his father would surely prosper, but it was inevitable that he would still feel a little sour in his heart.
"You can finally feel proud, after fifteen years of waiting! I hope this time you can be happy for a longer time, instead of just a hundred-day dream."
"You don't have to worry about this. Although His Majesty is young, he knows how to make this country love and follow him." The Marquis of Noirtier glanced at Villefort, and then expressed his purpose of coming with a strange calmness, "
It just so happens that His Majesty also wants to see you, so please make time to go to Fontainebleau as soon as possible."
This news shocked Villefort.
"King of Rome, you know my name?" He didn't know whether he should be happy about this for a moment, but it was not a bad thing after all. "He wants to see me? Why?"
"He has a case that requires you to assist him in the investigation and trial in order to prosecute the Duke of Orleans." The Marquis remained calm and calm.
Villefort's expression was confused at first, and then suddenly froze.
"Valentine, go back!" Then he waved to his daughter.
Valentine bowed obediently to her father and grandfather, then quietly left and returned to her room.
"Prosecute the Duke of Orleans? What is going on?" After his daughter left, Villefort finally no longer concealed his panic and doubts.
"This is an assassination case, and your Majesty believes that it is related to the Duke of Orleans." The Marquis simply relayed the information he had just learned to his son.
Prosecutor Villefort really couldn't stand it anymore.
He originally hoped that he would be able to exercise power as soon as possible, but he did not expect that fate would actually play such a joke on him.
How can he keep playing with such a big game...?
He took a few deep breaths, tried to clear his thoughts, and then looked at his father.
"Father, I am very grateful to the King of Rome for showing me favor, but we are father and son, so we don't have to talk in cliches here... Do you really think this is good for me? If I take over such a case, it is tantamount to
I have become the target of public criticism. If the evidence is conclusive, then it’s okay. If the evidence is insufficient, what should I do? If I don’t accuse the Duke of Orleans, then I will offend the King of Rome; if I accuse, then I will be the Duke’s mortal enemy...
…What good does this do to me? I can’t stake my life and reputation on such a turmoil.”
"Gerard, maybe you are right, but what I am giving you now is not an invitation, but an order that must be fulfilled." The Marquis of Noirtier still looked at his son calmly, "I said it
, His Majesty hopes to see you at Fontainebleau, and as soon as possible."