November 1, 1864

It was a desolate land, so harsh that anyone would believe that it was anything but uninhabitable. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

As far as the eye could see, the cloudless sky, under the shadow of the mist woven by the floating sand, showed a pale light blue mixed with a fragile and lifeless appearance.

And on the ground, there is a vast desert, a dead sea of sand.

This desert is majestic and quiet, with a straight face, and it is always a dazzling yellow. It is as if nature has frozen the turbulent waves and the empty angry waves here in an instant, making it stand still forever.

In the hot summer months, the heat can be terrible and uncomfortable for everyone who visits, and it's only in the winter that the climate becomes a little more comfortable.

However, although the weather conditions are still good, the wind is not strong, and there is no yellow sand flying in the sky, but the air mixed with a little bit of sand and dust in the dry air always makes people feel a little dry in their noses.

With no end in sight, the desert slowly expands at a speed that is indiscernible to the naked eye, ruthlessly devouring everything it passes, dispersing living beings everywhere it goes, turning the sea of sand into hell and making everyone loathe it.

What could attract people to such a barren land?

Yes.

At this moment, there is a group of people strolling among the yellow sand, and these "things" that are enough to make people rush here stand proudly in front of everyone.

These are tall stone structures, perfectly quadrangular pyramidal, glittering in the daylight, asserting their presence in a conspicuous way, casting their own huge shadows on the ground and mocking the world thousands of years later.

People call them pyramids.

These pyramids, large and small, stand quietly among the yellow sand, quietly telling the glory of themselves and the empire that no longer exists.

Everyone who passes in front of them will leave this world and become a cup of loess, and the deeds of each emperor will disappear, while they can continue to stand for a thousand years, as if time has frozen in them.

A group of people stood under the largest pyramid, looking at the gifts left by the ancients to the world.

Because it was already afternoon, their shadows were getting longer and longer, as if they had become giants lying flat on the golden carpet.

Standing at the front were a man and a woman, both middle-aged in their thirties, all dressed very formally, the man was wearing a black dress with a tie and a cane, and the woman was also wearing a gray dress, her gray hair was carefully coiled back of her head, and she also wore a pair of gray tortoiseshell-rimmed glasses.

Perhaps because of their pampering, they have not completely lost the handsomeness and beauty of their youth, and because of their years of experience, they have become a little more solemn and mature.

Looking at these tall pyramids, the middle-aged man seemed to be interested, he casually threw away his cane, opened his hands, and waved in the wind, and the small grit in his face did not affect his sense of complacent excitement.

"I am under the pyramid, looking at the world for four thousand years!" He said to the endless wind and sand and the pyramids.

His voice wandered between these massive buildings, like a giant's declaration to the world.

However, his proud and arrogant declaration did not have the expected effect, but caused a woman next to him to frown and complain.

"Alright, Charles, you're all too old, why do you want to talk like that...... Aren't you afraid to make your kids laugh? She tugged at his sleeve gently.

"What do you mean by big talk?" The middle-aged man was quite unconvinced and asked, "Napoleon said this back then, can't I say it now?" ”

This man is Charles de Treville, Duke of Kerson, who is now the prime minister of the French Empire, because Her Majesty the Empress is young, so he handles all state affairs alone, and can be described as the uncrowned king of France.

He was indeed entitled to be so satisfied, and in the political upheavals brought about by the sudden death of His Majesty the Emperor Napoleon III, he triumphed, proclaimed the young empress, drove out the other princes of the Bonaparte family, and monopolized power, and under his strong rule, the opposition in the country was wiped out.

Moreover, because of the efforts and abilities of the Duke himself, the original turbulent economy of the empire has regained its chances of victory, and the country has prospered again.

At the same time, under the impetus of the duke, the financial capital that had swelled out of the economic development of the empire also began to go out and began to invest a lot abroad, and Egypt became the focus of French investment - in order to connect Europe with the Far East and India's shipping, the French government headed by the duke decided to dig a canal in the Suez Isthmus to connect the arteries of the whole world.

After a series of political moves, France finally got the approval of the governor of Egypt and set up a special company to build the canal, and the duke himself decided to visit Egypt in person when the canal was under construction.

The woman next to him was the Duchess Matilda de Treville, who had been married for more than ten years and had always had a very good relationship.

To tell the truth, the Duke's decision to go to Egypt in person was also driven by Madame Matilda's opinion - Matilda liked to study book abstracts and literature, and she had long been fascinated by the ancient architecture and scenery of Egypt, so she wanted to take the opportunity to visit Egypt together.

So after a little work by the duke, the couple were on their way, and as soon as they arrived in Egypt they were warmly welcomed by the Pasha Seyed I, who had long been interested in meeting the powerful Duke of Kerson, and had given the duchess and his wife the courtesy of a foreign monarch - and no one thought it unusual.

The Duke also enjoyed the flattery and fear of the Egyptians, so it was normal for him to feel complacent when he visited the pyramids.

Seeing her husband's behavior like this, Matilda couldn't help but smile softly and bitterly, as if she were looking at a willful child.

"Alright, alright...... Stop it. She continued to tug at her husband's sleeve, coaxing him like a child. A lot of people are watching. ”

"It's rare to be able to play a heroic ......," Charles had to hang his hand a little indignantly. If you think about it, I also made such a bold statement under the pyramid, wouldn't this scene make biographers go down in history? ”

"You don't have to be a hero, you just have to do what a hero should do. As long as you serve the people and Your Majesty with your heart, make the country prosperous, and everyone lives and works in peace and contentment, you are a hero, do you need to do anything more? Matilda suddenly turned her head, looked at a child next to her, and asked with a smile. Caroline, is dad a hero? ”

"Daddy is a hero!" The child's eyes widened, and then he nodded in answer without hesitation.

The child was the eldest daughter of the Duchess and Duchess, Mademoiselle Caroline de Treville. She was now twelve years old, and like her mother, she wore a rather ordinary gray dress, without any frills, and also wore a pair of glasses, almost like a miniature version of her mother.

Like her mother, she was fond of reading from an early age, and was very interested in historical documents and materials from all over the world - which is why she wore glasses at a young age, and although she was a little confused in life, she was also very kind, and never proud of being the daughter of the duke.

After receiving this answer, Matilda turned to look at her husband with a smile on her face.

"Look...... Even children know ......"

Charles could only smile and nod, because he knew that his wife was taking the opportunity to persuade him this time.

However, his reaction did not satisfy his wife, and Matilda continued to stare at him, asking questions again. "Charles, I think you know what I'm talking about, right? You should be nice to Your Majesty, because she is Your Majesty after all. ”

"Alright, Matilda, I see." Charles waved his hand, seeming a little impatient.

"Don't do that!" Matilda, her gaze behind the lenses was full of persistence, "I don't interfere with your usual things, because I know you can do it well, but I have objections to this matter and I hope you listen to me, because she is not only Your Majesty, but also Victor's wife!" If you make her indignant, think about it, what a disaster it would be for the children! I want our son to be happy, and I want her to be as happy as possible. ”

"In Nanali's position, she will be indignant no matter what I do." Charles shook his head.

"But that's not a reason for you to be harsh on her." Although Charles didn't seem happy, Matilda stubbornly advised, "If we make her feel that everything is not so bad, then she can at least bear it." If we make her despair, then she will hate everything about us, even forgetting the fact that we are also her protectors, and she will not be able to keep the throne without us. And that's bad for you and the Trevile, isn't it? ”

Charles tried to walk away from the question, but Matilda held him back, refusing to back down.

Charles knew that Matilda was like this, she could be accommodating in everything, but once she became stubborn, she had to get a satisfactory answer.

"Okay, I'll be nice to Nanali." In the end, he could only nod his head and agree to his wife.

After Charles agreed, Matilda was finally relieved, and then suddenly laughed out loud.

"What's wrong?" Charles was a little surprised by her reaction.

"It's weird...... You are usually so strict with her, but in private you only call her Nanali and never Your Majesty. Matilda replied with a smile.

“…… It's just a personal habit, and I really can't care about a child called Your Majesty. Charles froze for a moment, apparently unaware of the problem himself, "Maybe after assisting her for a long time, I see her as a daughter." ”

"Then you should be even more kind to her!" Matilda shook her head. "Forget it...... Your ordinary personality to outsiders is too tough, and I don't expect you to do this kind of thing well, I just want you to do a superficial effort, and I'll do the rest. ”

"What do you mean?" Charles was a little confused.

"When we return home, let me go to the court and be Your Majesty's teacher, it's almost time for her to find a teacher to learn things." Matilda whispered.

"You...... Why? Charles was really surprised.

"I want to be a good teacher, teach her what I know, patiently support her to grow up, let her master the etiquette and knowledge that an emperor should master, and at least let her not hate you so much." Matilda carefully explained to her husband, "Also, I can take this opportunity to get away from the usual boring banquets. You don't know, every time I attend, it's a whole bunch of people who greet me and flatter me, which is really annoying to watch, and I hate it. ”

“…… Isn't it good for others to flatter you? This shows that they fear you. Charles was a little puzzled.

"What do I want others to be feared for? Don't I know how sincere they are when they flatter me? False flattery is only harmful, and I can't enjoy the fun of communicating with people, but just waste my time. Matilda disagreed, "I've seen too much of that kind of flattery since I was a child, and if there's anything worth remembering, it's better to spend time reading books." ”

Charles was silent.

Matilda rarely asked him for anything, so he couldn't bear to refuse, and besides, it was always a good thing to keep Her Majesty in the palm of her hand.

"Okay...... I hope you can teach her well, I feel that she has a big temper, and she can't get used to seeing anyone, this kind of little hairy head that doesn't know the height of the sky is very difficult. Charles nodded and agreed to his wife's request.

"She's just insecure and loving, it's not her fault, who told her to be born in the royal family, and lose her father early, and go through so many changes? We owe her something, after all. Matilda sighed, obviously feeling a little bit about something, "We can't change the things of the past, but we can find a way to change them in the future - I will give her the things she lacks myself." ”

"If it were you, maybe you could do it." Charles looked at his wife, "You have a good heart. ”

"No, I'm not kind enough, we've done too many horrible things, I'm afraid we'll have to continue to do some in the future, and I'll follow you regardless of any moral concerns, because you're my husband." Matilda smiled wryly and shook her head, "I can only spread my kindness when we are safe, how can such a person be called a good person?" It's almost a hypocrisy. ”

"At least better than me." Charles looked at his wife, then suddenly took her hand, "I love you." ”

"Don't say such things, aren't you afraid of being ashamed? The kid is still around! Matilda blushed a little.

She immediately changed the subject, "Also, the children should simply follow me to accompany His Majesty to class, which can allow them to establish a relationship with His Majesty from an early age." ”

"Is it necessary?" Charles hesitated. "The kids are still young...... They'd better play first. ”

"Of course it's necessary! How can a child know how to play? You usually know how to do your own thing, and when you want to get closer to them, you like to use this way to get used to the children, what is the difference between this and bribing the children? In this way, you can't buy the love of children. The Duchess patiently persuaded her husband, "Besides, what does money mean to us now?" Our children must not learn to be extravagant and lose money like some gentlemen, they should learn to do something more meaningful. ”

Is it meaningful to look at the drawings and steles with a magnifying glass? Charles tried to ask Matilda, but she couldn't.

In general, it is better to indulge in the pile of old papers than to be arrogant and lascivious, Charles thought to himself.

At this time, the sun was gradually approaching the horizon, and there was more golden light in the sky, and under this light, the buildings on the horizon looked even more magnificent.

Matilda, whose blush had not faded, walked over to her daughter, and led her through the magnificent buildings, from the small pyramids to the largest, and finally stopped by the Sphinx.

It was here that two of the largest pyramids, the Pyramid of Khufu and the Pyramid of Khafre, stood in front of their eyes.

A golden glow weaves through the side-by-side pyramids, and the stunning view sends almost everyone to a sense of shock.

It's a building from thousands of years ago, and God knows how much the pharaohs paid for it.

In 1852, a French archaeologist named Auguste found a life-size statue of Havre carved in black volcanic stone near the Sphinx, near which was the remains of a building that later became known as the Valley of the Temples.

The statue was sent to France, where it is now part of the national collection, and Matilda and Caroline were so interested in these objects that they looked at the Egyptian artifacts—the obelisks, the statues, and a whole host of documents—in detail.

When they came to Egypt and saw the magnificence of the pyramids with their own eyes, the desire to learn could not help but rise, and they forgot the passage of time for a while. As they observed, they discussed with each other, made their own guesses, and prepared to let the archaeological excavation continue here.

Charles, as a husband and father, was not so interested, and he just stayed by their side with a smile on his face. Don't look at the sparsely populated here, in fact, there is a large group of cavalry around to pull out a cordon, and no one will come close within a radius of a few miles, and no one will come to disturb the Duke's family's tour here.

When she reached the bottom of the Pyramid of Khufu, Caroline was too young to walk anymore and wanted to rest, so Matilda finally stopped talking to her daughter and returned her attention to her husband next to her.

"Shall we go in and have a look?" Matilda asked Charles suddenly, as if she were just saying something ordinary, but her tone trembled a little.

The evening sun looked like a round of red balls hanging over the horizon, no longer with the vigor of midday, but a little more feminine—as red as Matilda's face.

She wanted to be alone with me for a while, and Charles understood what his wife meant.

In fact, she also has a little romantic feelings in her heart - just not like ordinary people.

"Okay." Charles smiled and nodded.

The two of them left Caroline behind and walked in along the passage of the pyramid.

In 1798, in order to escape the fierce political struggle within the Directory of the Republic, Napoleon led an expedition to Egypt with the consent of his patrons.

In addition to a large French army, he brought with him a "scientific expedition" of more than 200 experts and scholars, which on the one hand examined the antiquities and monuments scattered throughout Egypt - the focus was on the pyramids, of course, and on the other hand, on the excavation of antiquities to bring back to France.

Some of them entered the Pyramid of Khufu, but found nothing. One night the following year, Napoleon himself entered the tower. It is said that he ordered his entourage to withdraw, and then left alone in the funeral palace to meditate. When he walked out of the tower, his face was pale and he looked panicked. When someone asked him what was wrong, he kept silent and just ordered him to leave quickly.

This anecdote has also become an unsolved case for a time, and many people have speculated about what kind of revelation the meteor that once burst into brilliance on the European continent and was so blazing that people can't look at it directly?

With a subtle feeling, Charles accompanied his wife into the pyramid in the dim light.

Although there were vents in the pyramid, the air still made him feel a little stuffy when he entered, but Matilda was in high spirits. Although she had never been here, she relied on the memories of the documents in her head to take Charles through it.

As she walked, Matilda was explaining to her husband, and Charles was vaguely complimenting.

Finally, they passed through the deep corridors and aisles, and reached the deepest part, the king's funeral chamber where Napoleon once stood alone. There was a huge sarcophagus, and ironically, the inside of the coffin was empty.

There was nothing, and in order to rest his soul, Pharaoh spent countless material and manpower to build such a terrible structure.

In the end, however, his body did not rest here.

Maybe it's because of the uprising, maybe it's because of the tomb robbery, maybe that's what death is all about.

"A man who has to do so much for his own death! It's just horrible. Matilda looked around with a gaze that bordered on awe. And when we die, it is enough to bury ourselves together quietly, and the tomb is only a few feet wide. ”

Charles didn't speak, and it wasn't because the air was dull.

Rather, it was because he wanted to get a revelation like Emperor Napoleon.

Maybe it's about fate, maybe it's about his future deeds.

Finally, he got a revelation.

As if he was being pulled by someone, he looked at his wife's eyes as she glanced around, and suddenly his heart was filled with an indescribable love.

She wanted to be buried with me.

"Matilda, I love you."

Matilda turned her head and looked at her husband in amazement.

Instead of letting the passion fade, Charles suddenly stepped forward and hugged his wife from behind.

"Matilda, I love you...... I've had so many things I'm sorry for you before. He stuck it on Matilda's back, almost crying, "But I really love you"

Matilda looked at her husband in bewilderment, but was moved by his affectionate confession.

"You don't have to apologize to me, our fathers and grandparents, who didn't come over like this? It's good that we love each other. She smiled slightly.

"No...... No, I owe you so much. Charles hugged his wife tightly, "Time is short, the pyramids can exist for thousands of years, but what about us?" After a few decades, it disappeared. ”

"At least we can be buried together, won't we." Matilda replied in a low voice.

When he heard this, Charles couldn't hold back any longer, and he grabbed Matilda's waist sharply, then gently pushed her shoulders forward.

Caught off guard, Matilda nodded and almost bumped into the sarcophagus, but she quickly reached out and grabbed the sarcophagus, then looked back at her husband in horror.

"Charles, what's wrong with you?" She asked, alarmed.

In her eyes, her husband changed from his usual gentle and elegant, and suddenly became a little rough, and his eyes were a little red, as if he was crazy.

However, Charles didn't go berserk, he just got emotional.

He wasn't an easily emotional person, but now, when he was alone with his wife, he found that feeling again.

The excitement of the first union with Matilda.

It's like finally finding the only person in the world.

He wanted to grab this person and keep her around...... Want to bond with her......

It was more than a decade ago, and it's still true more than a decade later.

At this point, the Duchess was in a somewhat strange position, with the Duke standing behind and the Duchess forced to bend down, her hands having to hold on to the pharaoh's sarcophagus to maintain her balance, and her hips were cocked.

But something even more shameful is yet to come.

Charles suddenly picked up the hem of Matilda's skirt, and then casually lifted it, and then he ripped off the cover under him, and suddenly a large dazzling white seemed to make the dim funeral palace a little brighter.

"Are you crazy?" Matiel has reached the point where she certainly understands what is wrong with her husband.

But in this kind of place......

A feeling bordered on shame arose in her heart.

"No, I'm not crazy!" A strange smile appeared on Charles' face, "I want to prove to the world that Pharaoh and Napoleon, no matter what they do, at least one thing is no match for me." There is one ......"

Matilda struggled frantically, but she couldn't match Charles's strength, and soon, something familiar to her entered her body like a soldering iron, and made her feel a little painful.

You bastard! She couldn't help but curse in her heart.

"You...... You...... We ......" she wanted to say something, but she couldn't get it into a sentence. She kept being pushed forward, but her waist was in her husband's hands, so in the end she couldn't move half a step, and the clothes on her breasts swung towards the edge of the sarcophagus again and again, almost scraping on it.

In this environment, the two of them now seem to be alone, but they don't, and she is also in pain and shame, but she has a wonderful feeling.

And Charles's confession of "Matilda, I love you" just now is still wafting in her ears.

Shire...... Actually, I love you too.

As the feeling of happiness rose in her heart, the secreted liquid also made the sensation of her husband behind her smoother.

When she was pushed again and again, her reason was finally a little lost, and she couldn't care about anything else, and she couldn't help but let out a slight snort.

"Charles, wait...... Well...... Wait for us to get out, it's time to ...... What to do? She asked, humming.

"Isn't that just right? Isn't it good to have the lion's head outside bear witness to our love? Charles replied with a laugh. Rest assured, no one dares to gossip about us. ”

"Stupid! This is...... This is...... Sphinx, not a lion's head! She mustered up the last bit of strength to correct her husband in a low voice.

"Okay, though, whatever!" Charles laughed, then continued to speed up the tugging beneath him.

His laughter, mixed with Matilda's muffled grunt, then the snapping of his body, and the ticking of water, echoed through the stone chamber. (To be continued.) )