After the palace celebration banquet, the grand celebration did not stop there. Every square was filled with citizens watching the excitement, and the imperial government used various fireworks performances and entertainment programs to take the opportunity to show that the royal family and the people were "together."
"Happy" atmosphere.
In this way, Aiglon spent his first Christmas Eve in power peacefully, without any commotion or any accidents. The whole country enjoyed the rule of this overly young emperor with a calm attitude.
This is a good start, but you still need to work hard to get it right.
One week after Christmas, New Year naturally follows.
As the New Year is an important festival, the palace naturally has to celebrate it. However, compared to the grand spectacle of the Christmas Eve celebration, the New Year's celebration is much more restrained, focusing on the families of Agron and Teresa.
Within circles and circles of friends.
Only a very limited number of people are qualified to be invited by their two majesties to spend the New Year together.
At the lunch banquet on January 1, 1831, the Aiglon couple, the growing Crown Prince François, and the just over one-month-old Princess Fonina, the four main members of the royal family, were having a great time.
They sat together on the ground and reunited with their relatives, and Duke Nordlyen's family, as well as Alice and his wife and their daughter Xia Lu, were all invited to go together as "friends".
Compared with those celebrations and public occasions that are deliberately solemn, this occasion was naturally much more relaxed and casual. Everyone laughed and chatted freely while eating, and the atmosphere was pleasant and harmonious.
As the empress of the empire, Teresa was naturally in a good mood. During this period of time, she had fully performed her duties as empress, and she was gradually becoming familiar both inside and outside. Her authority and influence were naturally recognized. In the past
After a few months, the "Agnes incident" was finally gradually forgotten by people.
Of course, this has something to do with Agnes deliberately keeping a low profile.
Therefore, during this period of time, Teresa gradually became accustomed to Agnes's presence in the court, and acquiesced to the reality that she and her husband had a "special relationship."
Of course she knew that her husband and Miss Agnes had been in contact privately and would continue their affair in the future, but as long as all this did not happen in front of her eyes, it was tolerable.
Currently, Agnes was sitting at the other end of the dining table, eating alone and uneasily. In order to relieve her discomfort and guilt, Teresa took the initiative to walk to Agnes' side.
"Miss Agnes, Happy New Year!"
"Happy New Year, Your Majesty the Queen." Faced with Teresa's proactive greeting, Agnes was obviously a little surprised, so she quickly returned the greeting.
"You don't have to be so nervous when facing me." Teresa smiled and said to her, "Today is a day for everyone to celebrate, and each of us should be happy. No matter what unpleasantness we have had in the past, it will be after all
It has passed, and now everything has calmed down. I am very grateful for your sacrifice and contribution to your family and to us.
Personally, I don’t want you to avoid me from a distance, or look at me with fear, because it will only make me appear unhuman... We are still very young now, and we may get along with each other a lot in the future.
Years old, if you keep facing me like this, how awkward it will be for us to get along! Why do you think this is necessary? Weren’t we friends in the past? Then let’s continue to be friends in the future, what do you think?”
Teresa's tone was cordial and friendly, full of initiative to seek reconciliation. On the one hand, these magnanimous words moved Agnes, but on the other hand, they aroused her greater guilt.
"Your Majesty... Of course I am very happy to be friends with you! But I feel that I am really shameless in playing such a role in front of you. After all, I have failed you in so many things." She lowered her head and answered.
"I told you, it's all in the past." Teresa still looked calm, and then looked at Agnes with relieved eyes, "If you think about it carefully, there are many things that you don't know.
There is a way. Your performance all along has also proved that you are by no means a dirty person who is greedy for wealth and wealth. Since I have already forgiven that bad guy, why should I still hold a grudge against you? "
After she finished speaking, she smiled again, then picked up the wine glass and handed it to Agnes on her own initiative.
"Come, let's have a drink, for the new year and for a better future."
"Okay, Your Majesty." Agnes was deeply moved, then quickly picked up the wine glass and toasted with Teresa.
And in the sound of clinking glasses, the grudge between the two people before disappeared.
Teresa chose to put aside her past feud with Agnes, not because she didn’t mind her husband’s affair with Agnes. Of course she minded, too much, but at this point she couldn’t change it. Even her natal family had accepted it.
Despite all this, she could not force Aigron to change his mind.
Therefore, after learning from the pain, Teresa decided to do the next best thing, acquiesce in their affair, and then maintain the relationship with Agnes, allowing her to continue to deliberately maintain a low profile and be a mistress who is not in the spotlight, at least not anymore.
affect one's own reputation.
This is also the last "bottom line" she can endure.
Fortunately, Agnes is also a woman who understands the general situation. She does not have that aggressive desire for power or materialism. On the contrary, she is easy to talk to and willingly agrees to this tacit understanding. This can be regarded as a blessing in the midst of misfortune.
After taking a sip of wine, Teresa bent slightly and leaned into Agnes's ear.
"I heard that you want to get pregnant, right? If that's the case, then drink less alcohol these days so as not to affect your health."
Agnes was so surprised that she couldn't speak for a while. She didn't expect Theresa to be so well-informed.
Yes, she had indeed been persuaded by Aiglon before and wanted to have a child belonging to them. It was difficult to talk about this kind of thing originally, but now that the "victim" revealed it to her face, her heart was filled with guilt and guilt.
"Your Majesty... I'm sorry..." She quickly apologized to Teresa in a low voice, "I just... I just..."
"Stop apologizing. Isn't this kind of thing expected?" Teresa shook her head. "Do you have to be childless for the rest of your life in order to serve the king? This is so unhuman. For a woman
, having her own child is the greatest happiness in her life. I should not deprive you of this right, so if you want it, just have it, just give birth to it. I can assure you that I will never
If you do something detrimental to your child, your child will also have a place in the empire."
If Teresa was dissatisfied with her husband's affair, she was very indifferent to her illegitimate children.
Because her ancestors, the Habsburg family of all generations, also had illegitimate children. For example, the HRE Emperor Charles V, whom she admired, had several illegitimate children; and Emperor Napoleon also had illegitimate children.
When she asked Chanel to serve Aiglon, she had already prepared herself mentally for Chanel to be pregnant with a child.
After all, it was just the result of the emperors' fun, it was insignificant, and it would not affect her and her children.
Teresa said it so calmly, but it relieved the biggest knot in Agnes's heart.
It's one thing to secretly give birth to a child, but it's another thing to be "approved" by Her Majesty the Queen.
If her child does not have an official status, then even though she has had enough food and clothing since she was a child, she will still be a little disappointed. But now that Her Majesty the Queen has personally promised that the child will have an "official status", she has nothing to worry about anymore.
.
She breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Teresa as if relieved, "Your Majesty, thank you for your magnanimity! I promise you that my child will always be you and Your Majesty, and the most loyal servant of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
, I will educate him about his obligations from a young age and let him remember your kindness!"
"I firmly believe so, you are such a person." Teresa smiled and nodded, accepting Agnes's assurance.
This proactive reconciliation also made the originally stiff and awkward relationship between the two people suddenly become much more harmonious.
After all, as Theresa said, they really need to get along with each other for many years to come.
After comforting Agnes, Teresa turned to find Alice who was sitting not far away.
"Your Majesty the Queen, do you have any orders?" Alice asked her quickly.
"It's nothing, Alice." Teresa's expression looked a little confused, "The folding fan I usually use is missing. I can't find it these days."
"You haven't found it for several days?" Alice was a little surprised. "Do you remember where you last used it?"
"I remember I finally put it on the dressing table..." Teresa frowned slightly, "but I couldn't find it."
"Could someone have stolen it?" Alice asked quietly.
But soon, she felt incredible again.
In the palace, there are some servants who have dirty hands and feet and commit petty theft. But even if they want to steal something, they will steal something that is unnoticed and placed in a corner where no one cares. Who would be stupid enough to steal something?
What about stealing items from Her Majesty's dressing table? The risks and benefits are obviously not proportional.
Obviously, Teresa had the same idea as Alice. She didn't believe it was stolen, but it was really strange that she couldn't find anything.
"Anyway, if you have time, please ask someone to help me find it. I've been using that thing for a long time and it's quite easy."
So, she casually warned Alice and walked away again.
After all, although the ivory folding fan was indeed precious and exquisite, Teresa had many precious ornaments and objects, so she naturally didn't take it too seriously. It was just a little strange because it suddenly disappeared.
"Okay, Your Majesty, I will try my best to help you find it." Alice quickly agreed to the matter.
After Theresa left, Alice quietly found Aiglon.
Of course, she didn't want to report the missing fan to Aigron, but to report another matter to him.
"Your Majesty, what you told me before has been done. I have chosen a place for Agnes."
"Oh? Where?" Aigron asked.
Aigron had promised to give Agnes a manor before, so that she could live the secluded life she liked; as the day when the palace moved away from Paris got closer, this matter naturally became more urgent, so
Aiglon privately handed over the task to Alice.
If Alice is asked to choose a future residence for her sister, she will naturally take care of it.
Sure enough, it didn't take long for Alice to give Aiglon a reply.
"It is just a few kilometers southwest of the Palace of Fontainebleau. The environment there is quite secluded, and the land is quite large, enough for her to live without being disturbed by the outside world. The original owner of the manor is old, and he heard that His Majesty wants to buy it privately
It is also very willing to cooperate. The only problem is that the houses in the manor are old and need to be renovated and rebuilt."
"This is no problem." Agron laughed, "Just buy it and renovate it carefully. You don't have to worry about the budget. You must make Agnes satisfied."
"Okay, Your Majesty." Alice immediately knelt down and accepted Aigron's order.
As Agnes's sister, she certainly knows more inside information.
His Majesty is moving the palace to live in Fontainebleau, so it is natural that he should keep his sister by his side. It is natural that he should find a private residence for his sister next to the palace. He gave the manor to his sister, and it will not only be her future home.
The place of residence will also be a place for her to "prepare for pregnancy", "give birth" and even "raise children". As a sister, Alice naturally does not want to be careless about this matter.
"Mrs. Alice, you have worked hard all along. I have always been very satisfied with your work efficiency and results." After getting satisfactory results, Aigron also took the initiative to praise Alice, "But because of this, I
I am also full of guilt for you because you have sacrificed so much time and energy for us. On a day like today, you can put your official work aside and spend time with your family. I sincerely hope you can enjoy the joy of the New Year."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Alice bowed again and watched Aiglon leave.
However, although she had a warm smile on her face, her heart was as cold as ice.
Family? Happiness? Now these are almost completely incompatible words for her.
Her troubles and unresolved pain were all caused by the people closest to her.
Fortunately, she can now finally return the pain she suffered to the perpetrator step by step.
Now that the web has begun to be woven, she will not hesitate or show mercy.
Alice returned to her husband Edgar with calmness and calmness.
"Alice, what's wrong? I seemed to see His Majesty praising you just now."
"It's nothing, Edgar, it's just that I completed a small task assigned by His Majesty." Alice responded to her husband with a smile. "As for you, have you been going well recently?"
"It went well, of course it went well, I'm all inspired!" Edgar replied with a cheerful face, and then he took a sip of wine.
Of course it went smoothly, because it was me who asked my father to arrange for people to secretly reveal her whereabouts to you bit by bit...