Time flies, and in a blink of an eye, we arrive at June 18, 1826, exactly eleven years later.
During these eleven years, Europe entered an era that was completely different from the previous turbulent twenty years, with very few major events happening.
On May 5, 1821, Napoleon died silently on the desolate island of St. Helena after six years of imprisonment.
On September 16, 1824, the emperor's old enemy, King Louis XVIII, who restored the Bourbon dynasty in France, also died contentedly in the Tuileries Palace, and his younger brother, Count Artois, succeeded him.
The throne of Charles X.
Ancient Europe is resurrected.
The Bourbon Restoration, along with the three monarchies that formed the Holy Alliance - Russia, Austria and Prussia - firmly maintained the orthodox monarchy and tried to keep everything as it was.
The more than 20 years of history from 1789 to 1815 seemed to have been written off, as if nothing had happened, and nothing had anything to do with disgusting names like Robespierre and Napoleon.
It seems that nothing can affect the luxurious, peaceful and comfortable palace life of Schönbrunn Palace anymore.
On this day, the warm breeze of early summer echoed gently in the gardens of Schönbrunn Palace. In the wide gardens, the geometric flower beds and lawns were as beautiful as ever.
In this morning when the climate was gentle and comfortable, a young man with blond hair was walking among them.
He wore a plaid wool coat with a lapel on his upper body, a turtleneck shirt, velvet breeches on his upper body, and flat soft shoes with silver buckles on his feet.
These exquisite clothes, coupled with his handsome face, make him a handsome and handsome boy.
He walked forward slowly, and finally came to the top of the high ground in the large garden. There was a large building here, which was the triumphal arch of Schonbrunn Palace.
Standing under the tall pillars, overlooking the entire palace and gardens, the young man said nothing and seemed to be quietly meditating.
Logically speaking, this is the most vital time of the year, and his age is also the most vibrant and glorious time in a person's life. However, the expression on his face at this moment is too calm, making it difficult for people to see the young man.
Instead of being high-spirited and high-spirited, he has a melancholy temperament that is inappropriate for his age.
However, if you are familiar with his identity, this will not be surprising.
He is the unfortunate man who was ousted from the throne of France, the successor of the man who must not even be named. Now he is trapped in the country where his mother grew up. It is natural for him to be depressed.
However, no one could imagine that the soul inside this thin, agile body with excellent blood had already been replaced once on that disaster day.
Now, after spending eleven years in a new identity, Chu Ying, or Aigron, has become accustomed to the era he lives in, relying on the historical knowledge he learned due to his hobbies when he was studying, as well as people's respect for children.
He perfectly concealed the secret that he came from another country and another era, and lived in this magnificent and beautiful Habsburg palace with the title of "Duke Lechstadt".
However, he could not get used to this kind of life under house arrest no matter what.
No matter how luxurious a birdcage is, it is still just a birdcage.
Although it can no longer be compared with the luxurious ostentation when he was the crown prince of the French Empire, to be fair, the Habsburg Emperor did not deduct much from his living treatment. Here he lacked nothing, he had a steward and a family around him
Teachers also have a group of servants, but they lack freedom of action.
He could only huddle in the palace of the Habsburg family, bathing in the glory of the royal family, and living as a hostage.
In this unfree atmosphere, the poor Roman king in history only lived for 21 years and died of tuberculosis in 1832. Chu Ying herself did not know how long she could hold on or be driven crazy.
In order to deal with this anger, he had been forcing himself to find other entertainments since he was a child, reading various books and newspapers, and eagerly learning all kinds of knowledge. Finally, he survived.
When will this kind of life end?
The young man raised his head again, looked at the blue sky and white clouds over Schönbrunn Palace, and asked himself this question several times.
No matter what, you must escape, not for the glory of the Napoleon family or the glory of France, but for yourself to gain the freedom you deserve. This luxurious palace must not become your destination. What it should bury is Ha
The Busburg dynasty, not the successor to the French Empire.
"Your Highness——"
While he was still lost in thought, a tall man in military uniform came over to him while saying hello.
Aigron withdrew his gaze and then looked at the man approaching.
He is tall, has thick limbs, and has a square face, a typical Germanic military appearance. He is Captain Foresti, a member of his tutor group.
After Aigron reached the age of education, His Majesty Emperor Franz educated his grandson according to the practice of royal members and prepared a whole set of education team for Aigron. This team has been surrounding Aigron for several years.
He devoted all his money to teaching, carefully and conscientiously educated him, cultivating his knowledge and proper demeanor.
Of course, in addition to teaching him aristocratic education, this team also has the task of transforming Aiglon into a Germanized aristocrat and monitoring him nearby - this is tacitly understood by each other.
Ignoring the one thing that no one can change, he gets along quite happily with them. Except for the occasional conflicts due to different ideas during class, he can be said to be their proud disciple - at least Aigron has.
This confident one.
Under his gaze, the man walked up to him and bowed respectfully to the young man. "Are you meditating again? Do you want us to wait a little longer?"
People around him have long been accustomed to him falling into deep thought from time to time, and some even think that the melancholy His Highness is more charming than usual.
"No, I'm just staring at the scenery in a daze." Aigron shook his head, "Let's start at the scheduled time."
"Okay." The captain nodded.
Foresti is an officer in the Austrian Imperial Army. Although he has a low military rank, he has considerable military experience. He is responsible for Aiglon's military education.
It is worth mentioning that in 1809 he participated in the Battle of Wagram between France and Austria, and was seriously injured and almost died there.
However, the captain had never hated Napoleon or Aigron because of this. In his opinion, it was natural for soldiers to be injured in battle. He even had some vague admiration for Emperor Napoleon - of course, that was just the admiration of soldiers for soldiers.
The captain opened his hands, revealing the two practice swords he was holding.
Then he handed the hilt of one of the swords to Aiglon.
Yes, today as usual, they will practice swordsmanship here.
For several years, in addition to strictly teaching Aiglon military knowledge, he also taught swordsmanship. He is a very excellent swordsman in the army.
Learning swordsmanship from him was something Aigron himself strongly requested a few years ago.
He knew that the Roman kings in history were weak and sick since childhood, and this was also related to their early death from illness. Therefore, in order to avoid this bad luck, he decided to exercise from the beginning of his education.
In order to make this request acceptable to the court, he decided to use swordsmanship as an excuse - after all, this could gain more understanding and approval from the court than doing gymnastics or other fitness methods.
His innocuous request was quickly agreed to by the court, and from then on, he started practicing with the captain who was proficient in swordsmanship every one or two days.
Although the captain had paid great attention to restraint, at first, as a young man, he would fall and be bruised almost every time.
However, Aigron didn't complain at all. Every time he fell down, he would get up again and continue the strict contact, refusing to slack off.
As time went by, his height grew little by little, and his movements began to become more agile and powerful. Even when two people were fighting, he was able to parry and counterattack, which was a great improvement.
The amazing willpower of His Highness the Duke amazed the people in the palace.
Aigron casually took a sword from the captain's hand, and as usual, the two of them took two steps back, then saluted and made a starting gesture.
Aigron narrowed his eyes slightly, stared at his opponent, and lowered his upper body slightly to adjust his breathing; while the captain seemed quite calm, just standing there and looking at his distinguished student, gesturing for him to attack.
Aigron leaned forward, then took a lunge, raised his sword and stabbed straight into the opponent's chest.
The captain swung his sword to block, then twisted it hard, and then slashed it down diagonally.
Aigron stepped aside to avoid the captain's attack, and then stabbed him in the shoulder again during the gap between his movements.
In this way, the two people fought together with swords, and Aigron kept using his own steps to attack his opponent while moving.
Captain Foresti, on the other hand, calmly blocked his attacks and launched counterattacks from time to time, allowing the students to learn how to deal with them.
The two people kept moving, circling between the pillars, and Aigron became more and more happy as he fought. In this completely selfless state, he no longer had to think about any troubles, and only needed to enjoy the excitement of competing with others.
However, it is impossible for the troubles in the world to leave him, even at this moment.
"Can you please stop for a moment, Your Highness?" The two people were fighting fiercely when they heard a greeting from the side.
Captain Foresti was the first to stop his movements and quickly retreated, while Aigron had no choice but to end his practice.
He turned around and found that the person who interrupted his elegance was Count Maurice von Dietrichstein, the head of education beside him and the real guardian appointed by His Majesty the Emperor.
The earl is thin in stature and has a rather long face. At first glance, he looks like a very serious person.
He was rich in knowledge and grace, and was even once a close friend of Beethoven.
When he was in charge of Aigron's education, he was very strict and abided by his duties, but the relationship between the two was not bad.
"What's the matter?" Aigron asked impatiently.
"Your Highness, I'm sorry to disturb your pleasure -" the count also bowed slightly, "but there are important things now that force me to interrupt your practice in advance."
"Okay, it doesn't matter." Aigron replied with an obviously unhappy expression, "Then what is it?"
"His Royal Highness Prince Metternich would like to see you——" the count replied.
Metternich.
This name, and his position as prime minister, were certainly enough to interrupt Aiglon's elegance.
His Royal Highness has no obligation to wait for him.
"Okay then." Aigron had no expression on his face and did not want to show his emotions to anyone.
He handed his sword to Captain Foresti, "Thank you for your guidance."
"Your Highness, you have made great progress. Although you are not my opponent yet, I believe that as long as I give you a little more time, you will be able to surpass me." Captain Foresti's face showed pride that could not be concealed.
, "Although I am only your student, I think the judgment I make should be very objective."
Eggron looked at the captain.
It is always a pleasure to get along with pure soldiers.
What's more, who doesn't like to hear compliments?