At the urging of the Marquis of Treville, Charles told him as concisely as possible about the political situation during his recent absence.

"In other words, now everyone can't do anything about each other?" After listening to Charles's account, the old man sneered and asked, "They actually thought of a military coup d'état if we came back!" ”

"The idea has been dismissed by the president, who thinks the time is not coming." Charles calmly replied, "So, we'll have to play with them slowly......"

"It was a wise decision." The old man nodded, "When I was in Italy, it was obvious when I interacted with those high-ranking officers that they were still hesitant to wait and see, but those middle- and lower-ranking officers were eager to return to power of the Bonaparte family, because that meant that their hopes of becoming generals and nobles would be greater......"

"After all, he has just come back, and it's good to have such a result, anyway, we still have time." Charles replied.

"In other words, are you still optimistic that he will be able to succeed in seizing power in the end?" There was suddenly something indescribable in the old man's tone. "Charles, I think you can see that in a certain way, we can now act independently......"

"Yes, he was able to seize power successfully, I still see it that way." Charles nodded, "Is the situation even more difficult now than it was back then?" He survived then, and he certainly survives now, and I firmly believe that he will be able to return to the throne one day, and it is not far off. ”

"Well, since you say so. Let's continue to be good servants to him. The old marquis shrugged, "Still, I've taught you so many times. Loyalty is only effective when it is useful, and you should not forget this phrase. ”

"I won't forget jì, don't worry."

"Well, I knew you remembered." A hint of kindness suddenly appeared on the old man's face, and then he reached out and patted Charles on the shoulder, "My good grandson, this military parade is very good. It's been hard for you, it must have taken you a lot of energy, right? ”

"Actually, it didn't take much time, it just cost some money. But now that you and the president are happy with the results, the money is well worth it. It's just that at the beginning, some republicans wanted to demonstrate at the parade, but fortunately our people knew about it in advance and dispersed it. ”

"Hmph. I'd love to see these people! Our troops fought bloody battles on the front. They want to wreak havoc on the parade! If they dare to come, see if the soldiers don't beat them up. The old marquis was obviously a little unhappy, "These people just don't know what to do." ”

"The French Republic sent troops to destroy another republic, of course some people will not understand, because they put doctrine above national interests......" Charles smiled and comforted him, "You don't have to take them seriously, they are harmless, they can only be chattered by the side." ”

"That's right." The old marquis also smiled. Then, as if he remembered something. He looked at Charles again, "By the way, as for the matter of the staff that you mentioned earlier, when I was in Italy, I had already written to Mr. President, and told him your idea, and this time at the banquet at the Elysee Palace, I talked to him for a while, and he was very interested in this construction...... Charles, you know what he means, right? ”

"Well, of course I do." Charles nodded, "But even so, we shouldn't deny the positive significance of this, right?" ”

Louis Bonaparte wanted to take the opportunity of establishing the General Staff of the Army to take command of the army in his hands, and when he heard the Marquis de Treville's proposal, he naturally rejoiced.

"But of course you can see the risks involved, right?" There was some hesitation on the old marquis's face, "The army has always been unruly and willing to show its independence in front of the political leaders, if Mr. President rashly intervenes, it will inevitably encounter a backlash from the army, and it will be bad if it makes everyone unhappy at that time." ”

"Even if it's risky, we're going to try to do it." Charles replied firmly, "Moreover, the army is, after all, an instrument of the state, and cannot be detached from the state." This unruly horse should be tamed, and it should be worth paying any price. At least for now, there's a president who shelters us from the elements, isn't there? ”

The old marquis looked at his grandson and tried to say something, but in the end he didn't say anything.

Forget it, young people should still have some ideals after all.

"Well, since this is your wish, then I will do my best to help you." Eventually, he sighed softly, "Charles, I heard that Count Dilier has passed away, right?" ”

"Yes, it seems to have a sudden stroke, and there is no warning beforehand, and it ...... suddenly"

"After all, I'm old! It wouldn't be a surprise when he died......" the old marquis suddenly sighed again, "he is only a few years older than me, and my brother is about the same age as him!" I don't think we older generations have much time left, and I need to get things done. ”

Charles tried to comfort him, but was glared back by the old man. "What? Still want to say something boring to comfort me? There's no need for this, I've had enough in my life, and as long as you're doing well, I'm already very satisfied. If you really have compassion for me, marry Charlotte sooner and let me see my great-grandson before I die. ”

"Uh......" Charles' face suddenly felt a little embarrassed, "As long as I finish all these things at hand, I will ...... soon"

"Hahahaha, what a good thing this is, don't drag it out as if you are reluctant," seeing his grandson's embarrassed appearance, the old man couldn't help laughing, "Okay, since you have already decided on a family matter, I won't rush you, just finish it." ”

"Well, I can't wait long." Charles nodded.

Then he turned his head to look at the clock by the fireplace, and it was nearly early morning.

There's nothing more to say, let's let the old man rest first.

"I heard that Fran almost fell off her horse a while ago? Fortunately, it's okay, but I can relax when I see you today......" Just when he wanted to say goodbye. The old marquis suddenly asked, "Charles, take care of your sister more." She's already pitiful, but don't let her suffer again......"

"It was just an accident, and I was very worried. Don't worry, I won't let her suffer any grievances. Charles thought about it at this moment, and there were some palpitations in his heart, "Speaking of which it was really thrilling that day, but fortunately the horse was frightened and only ran to Princess Cadion's manor." Otherwise, the consequences are really unpredictable, and I will definitely be more careful in the future. ”

To Charles's surprise, after hearing the title of Princess Kadiyan. The old marquis's face suddenly became very ugly, and even his breathing was a little short, "Princess Kadiyan? There she is? ”

"Yes......" Charles nodded, a little surprised by the other man's reaction. The princess seems to have lived there in seclusion for many years. I've never been a fan of the world, and I've only visited her twice since I got there. ”

The room fell silent.

"What a strange fate, I really didn't expect it to be her who saved Alice's daughter......" After a long time, the old man sighed. It turns out that in the past ten years, she has been hiding in the countryside? Hey, I don't blame her, why do you suffer from this crime......"

That princess turned out to be really deeply involved with her own family. Charles was a little amazed in his heart.

Frankly. He had long been curious about his father and the princess, but when he wanted to ask. A very strange and dangerous premonition suddenly rose in his heart, and he couldn't ask anything.

After a few moments of curiosity and fear, he finally reluctantly asked the doubts in his heart.

"The princess, uh...... Isn't it and ...... She has a deep relationship with my father," he pondered his words, "and I think she seems to be familiar with him, and ...... There are also many portraits given to her by her father. ”

"He's got to draw, this dog thing." The old marquis suddenly cursed.

Then, he glanced at Charles again, "Looks like you know a lot of things, right?" Looks like you've been wondering for a long time. ”

"I don't know much," Charles shook his head with a wry smile, "I only know that my father had a close relationship with the princess when he was young, and maybe even ...... Well, there is that kind of relationship, and, I also know, the princess has an illegitimate child. Therefore, I have been wondering in my heart for a long time, will it be, will it be ......"

"You're right." The old marquis interrupted him directly, "They do have an illegitimate child. ”

…………

After his suspicions were confirmed, Charles was speechless.

In the end, he barely suppressed the emotion in his heart and asked softly. "Older than me, or younger than me?"

It's not that he really cares whether the other party is an older brother or a younger brother, he mainly wants to know if this illegitimate child was made by his father after marriage.

The old marquis glanced at Charles with a wry smile, and then replied.

"There's no need to beat around the bush, I don't know much about it. However, judging by his description, it should be ...... It must have been born after his marriage. ”

Charles couldn't help but take a deep breath.

That's really ......

He tried hard to recall his parents in this life, but found that his childhood memories had long been blurred, and he couldn't recall the two people's daily interactions.

Were they happy or unhappy? Judging by the truth that has been unearthed, it is probably ...... Not so good, really.

Charles suddenly felt empty in his heart, and he didn't know what to say.

"Why, lost so quickly? Wasn't it quite energetic just now? The old marquis was keenly aware of his grandson's affection, so he smiled and quipped, "Don't worry, what if you really have an illegitimate child?" He can't rob your property, it's only natural that illegitimate children don't have any rights, and even when Jesus came to the mortal world, didn't he have to find a legal father for himself? ”

"I'm not worried about this ......," Charles shook his head bitterly, "Forget it, it's not too early, you can get some rest." ”

Then he stood up and prepared to take his leave.

"No, Charles, sit down for a while." The old man suddenly stopped him, and then sighed again, "Forget it, you've grown so big, I should tell you all those things, I can't bury all the secrets in the coffin......"

Seeing the old man's strange expression, Charles suddenly felt an even more intense sense of fear.

"What's the secret?" He asked in a whisper.

His grandfather hung his head slightly, and after a moment he sighed again. "Your mother died because of your father."

"What!" Because he was too out of shape, Charles exclaimed. "What's going on?"

"What's going on......?" The old man smiled bitterly, "I didn't even understand what was going on today!" ”

Then he lowered his voice and began to speak.

"That was more than a decade ago." His tone was both a little sigh and a kind of indifference peculiar to an old man, "At that time. Your mother was about to give birth with Fran, and of course, I didn't know if the child was male or female. I'm just very happy that I'm going to have a grandchild. Until...... Until that night......"

"What happened that night?" Charles hurriedly asked.

"It was a long time ago, but it almost felt like it happened yesterday, and I still often recall what I saw that night. Yes, what a terrible scourge! ”

Charles didn't dare to speak anymore. It's just that my heart is beating wildly. Waiting for the old man's narration.

"That night, it wasn't anything out of the ordinary, I was out catching up with my friends and then ran back. Then I prepared for bed, under the care of the servants, but ...... It didn't take long for me to hear a loud noise and an argument, followed by another scream. Yes. I soon found out that it was your mother's scream.

It was 1832. Not long after Louis-Philippe usurped the throne, the whole country was not very peaceful, and I heard such a noise, of course, I did not dare to take it lightly, and quickly got up, and then ran towards your mother's bedroom. Results ......"

The old man closed his eyes slightly.

"When I opened the door, I saw Alice lying on the carpet beside the bed, as if unconscious, and the carpet was covered in blood...... You don't know how terrifying this scene was at that time, I was a person from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, and I couldn't help but feel worried at that time. ”

Charles listened, and his heart suddenly tightened.

"Then I saw your father. He sat slumped on the ground, as if his whole soul had been lost, the six gods had no master, and his face was as white as a dead man. He came back to his senses when he saw me coming, and then he kept talking to me in a trembling way, saying that he didn't mean it, phew, what's the use of saying this at that time? Because of the recollection of this unpleasant past, the old marquis's face was also extremely ugly, "He said that he did not mean it, and I believe it, because he looked like a person who could do great things at that time?" Phew, garbage! ”

"What the hell is going on?!" Charles forgot to calm down for a while, and hurriedly asked.

"What else could it be?" The old marquis smiled bitterly, "Alice doesn't know what's going on, she learned that your father and the princess had an illegitimate child, and thought that your father had betrayed her, so she had a big quarrel with him, and under the quarrel, he inadvertently pushed her away, and it turned out to be like that." Of course, this was all after the fact that he told me, how could I have the time to listen to this at that time? I immediately called the servant to the doctor, but ...... But everything was over, and he couldn't be saved, so he could only barely save the child...... God, you can't imagine how I was feeling! ”

"So, the miscarriage of love—my mother—was not an accident, but a human fault?" Charles asked softly in a calm manner that he himself was surprised by, "It was because of her father's fault that she died?" ”

"That's right, that's it, if it weren't for his push, how could your mother have died?" The old marquis nodded slowly, "Having said that, fortunately, our family was very depressed at that time, and there were few servants in the family, so only a few people knew about this matter. ”

And then ...... And then you just let him go? Charles asked in a trembling voice.

"Of course not!" The old marquis replied unhappily, "I gave him two ways at that time, either like a decent person, face the consequences of what he has done, honestly turn himself in, accept the punishment, and if he can't do it, he will take a gun and solve himself, so that he will not lose his reputation; Or, just like a real Treville family member, live in peace and quiet, as if nothing had happened! What's the big deal about killing an individual? What about even if it's your own wife? Now that it's been done, what's the use of hesitating and tangling? Ahem......"

"Doesn't anyone doubt it? Doing such a thing......" Charles's tone grew nervous, "you're shielding him like this." If it had been tracked down at that time, I was afraid that it would have been ......."

"Heh, of course some people doubted. But what's the use of doubt? We say she had an accident and miscarried, and who can argue with that? Who can come up with proof? Anyway, Alice couldn't get up and correct us on her own...... Well, her mother's family was a little suspicious that this accident was not an accident, but they didn't have much to do with us, so they had to cut off contact with us......" The old marquis smiled bitterly again, but his tone was suddenly much lighter, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his heart because he had revealed the secret. "Charles. What else could I have done then? Sending his only son to a prison cell? Take a member of the Trevill family to court? ”

As he spoke, the old marquis coughed violently, and he wheezed very hard. Obviously, after all these years, he was still very excited when he brought it up.

Charles bowed his head, not knowing how to answer. No wonder my grandfather's family had never been associated with the Marquis de Treville's family for many years. It's as if there are no relatives in this class. It stands to reason that no matter how dissatisfied you are with this family business, you won't be able to do it so absolutely, it turns out that this is because of this...... Well, it's no one else's fault.

Hey, what a thing! It's just a lot of trouble. For a moment, Charles's heart was filled with an inexplicable anxiety.

"Charles, so, I said it a long time ago. You have to be a real man, and don't follow your father's example. That just broke my heart! The old marquis coughed again, "I'm not angry that he made a big mistake in a momentary confusion, it's not this that disappoints me the most, but ...... Rather, it was your father's later actions.

Think about it, my brother and I tried our best to help him cover up, how much effort it took to do so? How much effort did it take us to make his mistake so that it didn't become a scandal that caused a stir in the social world, but what about him? He lost his soul, he had no owner, and even my wife's funeral was done by me. Not long after, he ran away...... What kind of thing is this? Bah! There is no manly spirit at all! He didn't look like a decent man or a Trelville, he chose to run away! How could I have such a son! Hell, I really shouldn't have let him learn to draw! Hellish drawing, hellish art! Those who engage in art will only be sentimental, and none of them will be heroes when the time comes! Bah! So I never let you learn to draw again, nor did I learn music, I kind of see that all men should stay away from those ghost things, except to please the girls, nothing else is useless! ”

The old man's complaints, Charles had not listened to them at all, and he was already distraught at the moment.

It only took him a few minutes before he knew at once that he had a half-brother whom he had never met; also knew that his "father" was the culprit who indirectly caused the death of his "mother".

Oh, my God! What is this called?

Even Charles, who has always been calm and calm, can't help but feel confused at the moment.

If I don't ask anything and don't know, that's fine! He thought helplessly.

He ...... Where is he now? After a long time, Charles finally asked.

"I don't know, I've never gone to him, this person is not worth my waste, it's better if he disappears." With a kind of anger, the old man replied categorically, "After he left, I never cared about him again, anyway, as long as there are two of you, I will not be dead, let him die!" ”

Then, he slowly calmed down and looked at Xia Er emotionally, "Xia Er, now that I've told you everything, to be honest, I feel a lot more relaxed." Remember, this is a secret that only we know, and remember, don't tell Sù Fran, she's pitiful enough. ”

"Of course I won't sue her." Charles smiled bitterly. "Don't worry, I wish I never knew about it."

After he finished speaking, both of them fell silent again, and for a moment they both felt that they didn't know what to say again.

"Hey, forget it, it's been so many years, leave him alone." In the end, the old man broke this dead silence. "Isn't it good now?"

Then, he patted Charles on the shoulder heavily, "Charles, now that you have your life, don't let the shadow of the past affect you anymore, live a good life......

I hope so...... Charles could only sigh inwardly. (To be continued......)