With the slow but unhesitating pace of time, another morning came. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 infoThis small port on the Mediterranean coast is still as beautiful as it is today.

The morning sun is rising, and the highly layered clouds have spread all over the blue sky, and the colorful glow dyed yellow by the golden light changes in the blue sky, rendering all kinds of strange lines. And just under the sky, the warm waters of the Mediterranean ripple slightly beyond the harbor, shimmering with a strange brilliance.

And between the glow and the golden sea, the dyed seabirds soar and hissed in the sky, as if to attract the world to take a good look at the spectacular sunrise.

Still, there is no shortage of spectators here today.

On the gently swaying sea, there was now a large number of ships, some of them of great size, with towering masts, and several decks stacked on top of each other like buildings that had been moved to the sea, casting huge shadows on the surface of the sea; Others are smaller, accompanying the periphery of the larger ship, cruising lightly, and the lines from the mast to the hull appear very elegant.

These ships are all gathered together at this time, and from a distance, the black-brown hull is connected, the seaweed is dancing under the water, and the golden sunlight is sprinkled on the white sails, which forms an unforgettable scene with this beautiful seascape.

However, not many of the people here were in the mood to admire this spectacle at this time, and these men in military uniforms came out of the barracks early in the morning, and then came to the edge of the plank road to assemble, and then formed a column under the orders of the officers, and then walked up the ladder from which the ships drooped.

On the other side, a group of engineers laboriously dragged a cannon and special machinery along a special passage, slowly rubbing towards the larger transport ship.

It was a busy scene, but it was not chaotic, and after careful preparation, coupled with the obedient cooperation of the soldiers, everything was so orderly, and with the enthusiasm of human solidarity and cooperation.

This is the Toulon military port, from today, this will be the starting point of the French Imperial Navy to the Ottoman Empire and the Black Sea Navy, and it is also the starting point of the French expeditionary force to the Black Sea coast.

Toulon was one of the Empire's main military ports in the Mediterranean, and it was also a sacred place for the Empire - it was in this small place that Napoleon, a young officer, made his mark during the turbulent and vibrant era of the Revolution. At that time, he was recognized by the commissioners of the National Assembly for his success in the war against the rebels by the army of the Republic, and he embarked on a path to success.

Now, nearly sixty years later, and the world has changed for an unknown number of times, the empire created by this genius has been destroyed and reborn, and he has once again looked at the Mediterranean and the entire continent with pride, and the imperial army he has cultivated has been through dynasties, but it has always been the same, thirsting for victory and conquest, and it is bound to make a mark in war.

At this time, everyone present was convinced that this expedition would be the peak of the Empire's achievements, and it would also be the best opportunity for the Empire to take revenge on the Russians again, and it would be the first time in nearly forty years that France had gone to war with a European power head-on, and almost every officer and soldier was gearing up, and the morale had entered a high state from the beginning, and the officers and men from all the legions were singing the war songs of their own regiments, so that this morning would no longer be as silent as before.

People strolling on the beach in the distance watched with satisfaction.

And these people are now the people who will decide the fate of this expeditionary force.

"The British have officially issued an ultimatum to the Russians, demanding that the Russians immediately negotiate peace with the French and withdraw their advancing troops." As Charles watched the sight of officers and cannons flocking onto the ship in the distance, he whispered, "I don't think our proud Russian friends will agree to them, so...... The British will soon be clearly involved. ”

"That worries me a bit." Field Marshal Treville, who was next to him, said calmly, "I wish the British would have acted later, so that we could show the world how powerful we are." ”

The old marshal, dressed today in the uniform of a marshal, with the medal he had been awarded by the Emperor Napoleon fifty years earlier, a two-horned hat on his head, gray hair peeking out at the brim, and a wrinkled face that is so solemn today.

From time to time, some of the officers and soldiers passing by cheered and saluted the commander, and he still had a serious face, but from time to time he gently waved his marshal's scepter to greet these enthusiastic subordinates.

"The British government has assured us that their navy is ready and that the Russians will not even think of crawling out of the Baltic Sea with a single sampan." His Excellency the Lord of the Admiralty, Mr. Jean-Dicoult, whispered, "I think that the Royal Navy is absolutely capable of fulfilling this promise." So France is now facing only a detachment of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea, and we are fully capable of suppressing them, and we will not hesitate to do so. ”

His Excellency the Lord of the Admiralty is very arrogant, but it is also true. Russia has only a small detachment on the Black Sea, and its strength is weak and the fleet is very backward, so it can only bully the even weaker Turkish navy, and as long as the French navy invests its forces in the Black Sea, then the suppression of the Russian fleet should be expected -- not to mention that when the British detachment is invested, the combined naval forces of the two countries can grasp complete sea supremacy, and let the Russians be completely defeated at sea.

And complete sea supremacy will also be the biggest trump card in the hands of the coalition forces, relying on this trump card, they can land and assemble in any place where the enemy is weak, and can also provide the smoothest supply for their own army, and only after mastering this trump card, the Anglo-French alliance is qualified to fight head-on with the Russians who have the advantage of the home field.

Therefore, in contrast to the apprehension of the army, the navy was extremely confident, and His Excellency the Minister of the Navy was also full of confidence, and repeatedly assured His Majesty the Emperor and His Excellency the Marshal that he would never allow the Russian Navy any opportunity to interfere with the operations and logistical supply on land.

"In my experience, the Russians are very brave in desperate situations and will fight to the end, so even if there is an advantage on paper, we have to be cautious." The old and respectful Marshal Treville did not agree with the declaration of His Excellency the Minister, so he politely admonished the other party, "Please remember that the main task of the naval forces is to maintain the safety of transportation, and we cannot afford to pay such a price if we neglect it for a while. ”

"Your Excellency, of course, your words are correct, and I agree with them very much." His Excellency the Admiral, who was highly respected in front of His Majesty the Emperor, did not dare to make a mistake with this old marshal, and hurriedly explained to him, "But I think that the Russians' ships are small and scattered, and if they are really spread out over the sea, I am afraid that it will be a little tiresome, so I think it is better to create some kind of opportunity for direct engagement, drive their fleet into the harbor in one fell swoop, and then blockade it, so that we can really maintain the security of the rear." ”

Then, as if to strengthen the marshal's confidence, he pointed to a huge ship in the distance. "Did you see that battleship? It's called the Napoleon, and it's one of our newest warships. Although it looks like a warship of the past, it is equipped with the latest steam propeller propulsion, which gives it a power that no other ship can match...... Well, it's Madame Pompadour in the battleship, and everyone wants to sleep in it. ”

His Excellency Chancellor Jean-Diet, who was in an extremely happy mood, could not help but make a slightly colored joke, "It is not affected by the weather, it can move quickly on the sea even when there is no wind, and it is also equipped with nearly a hundred cannons, it can cruise in front of the Russians in a grand manner, and then easily sprinkle the thunder in the hands of God on them." This is a manifestation of our superiority, and the technologically backward Russians cannot confront us. ”

It is no wonder that he was so excited, since Louis Bonaparte became president of the Republic, Jean Dicco, who was still a shipwrener at the time, saw the political wind and thought that the Bonaparte family would be a rising new force, so he immediately defected to the president and spent a lot of money to finance his activities.

And after the president took over the power, in order to reward him, he made him Minister of the Navy, and from then on, this gentleman devoted all his energy to the cause of developing the Imperial Navy.

At his urging, the Imperial Navy began to use the steam engine on its warships on a large scale, using this new power to transform the Imperial fleet—whereas before him, the steam engine was only used on small ships, and the large battleships of various countries could only be propelled by primitive sails.

And the Napoleon he was referring to was the result of his tireless efforts. The 92-gun battleship was the world's first steam-powered battleship and the first crystallization of the Imperial Navy's ambitions.

Under his guidance and introduction, Marshal Trevel and the others looked at the battleship with great interest.

"I want to build the most powerful new fleet in the world for the Empire, even inferior to the British sea power." In the midst of the sea breeze, His Excellency Chancellor Jean-Dicot said passionately, "I am convinced that I can do this, and that the time is not far off." ”

He really didn't say much, although in the original history, he died of illness in 1855, but thanks to his efforts, the empire has built a powerful fleet of steam warships, and even after his death, after further development, the French Navy has more new warships than the British Royal Navy at that time, and it was at that time that the British also became suspicious of the French Empire.

However, this did not change the fate of the Empire, which was destroyed by an invading enemy on land.

"I have to say, you have given me full confidence that you can achieve your goals." Field Marshal Trevil remained silent, listening to the Admiralty's explanation, and by this time he had finally spoken.

Then, he gently raised his marshal's scepter and pointed at the battleship, "Then I'll take that battleship over there, it will be my command ship." ”

"It doesn't matter if you like it...... Your Excellency was slightly surprised, "but we have newer, larger warships that can better reflect your authority and protect your safety." ”

"That's it, if the Russian Black Sea Fleet is really as no threat as you say, then I'll be fine with any battleship." Without hesitation, the marshal decided, "I think this battleship is more representative of the Empire." ”

As soon as the marshal said this, His Excellency the Minister immediately understood.

There really is no more suitable way to use the "Napoleon" as the command ship of the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Expeditionary Force.

"Alright then, the ship will be yours from today onwards!" He immediately laughed and bowed slightly to the marshal, "I wish you a smooth journey, Your Excellency the Marshal!" ”

"I wish you all the best, too." The old marshal nodded slightly.

Then the group continued down the beach, patrolling the busy harbor and watching the bands of soldiers enter the transports, their blue and red uniforms everywhere, dazzling them, and the eagerness of the soldiers involuntarily infected them, making them equally excited.

"Charr......" Marshal suddenly greeted his grandson next to him.

"Grandpa?" Charles hurried to his side.

Recently, because of Charlotte's matter, the grandfather and grandson have been very unhappy, and the old marquis has always been angry that Charlotte gave birth to such a strange-looking child, and wanted Charles to investigate the matter thoroughly, but Charles insisted that Charlotte could not be suspected for no reason, so he didn't want to conduct any investigation, and even sternly asked the old man not to do it on his own, so they quarreled a few times, and the relationship that was almost innocent also cast some shadows.

"You really don't doubt it at all?" The old man asked in a low voice that no one else could hear.

"I don't doubt it." Charles replied without hesitation.

"My grandson, that's how stubborn!" The old man's tone was both helpless and bitter, but it also seemed to carry a little relief and pride. "Well, since you are my grandson, then I can only accommodate you...... This should be regarded as a fate, and I recognized this great-grandson. However, you have to promise me that your eldest son is your heir, and he is the one who is destined to inherit your business and lead the family...... You have to promise me! ”

"Thank you!" Charles was surprised and delighted, but he didn't expect that his grandfather finally let go of the mustard at this time and no longer blamed Charlotte. "I promise you that Clovis will be our heir."

In addition to being happy, Charles felt a little sour.

Yes, at the moment, there's nothing to fight about.

The old marquis still had no expression on his face, he just raised his head and quietly looked at the morning glow in the distance.

"Everything in the house will be handed over to you after all." It was not until the golden sunlight drove away all the glow and dyed the earth brightly that the old man finally spoke again, "This family has decayed before my eyes, and it has flourished again before my eyes...... Everything we once had, we took back on our own. My father must have been relieved at this moment when he risked his life to send us out of Paris, and my brother and I lived up to him and fulfilled the mission he had given us. ”

The old man's tone was full of emotion, and then suddenly became desolate again,

"Promise me that if I'm no longer alive, I won't let it fall again. I've given my life for this family, and I've spent half my life cultivating you, don't let me down, okay? ”

"I will never fail you...... I will carry forward the family business that you have passed on to me and make all your expectations come true. Charles's nose was slightly sour, "But you must come back safely and take a good look at my achievements......"

"Heh, I'm this age, where do I dare to expect so much......" The old man smiled bitterly, and then looked back at the battleship in the distance, "But ...... At least before I die, I will give the Russians a good look, I am not defeated by them, but by the emperor, who was carried away by victory...... I had to do my best to make a break with them. ”

"You're going to win, so enjoy the future wins." Charles couldn't help but look away and look at a young officer standing next to his grandfather, "George! ”

"Your Excellency, Chancellor?" The young Viscount Georges de Del Lieion leaned over and said, "Command." ”

He was Charles's old boss, son and future heir to the Count de Dielion, and was sent to the military academy on the behest of his grandfather when he died, and then, after graduating, at the age of nineteen, he was chosen by Marshal Treville to serve as an adjutant.

His face is white and ruddy, with a hint of youthful youth, and although the military uniform on his body is very fitting, it doesn't have much masculinity no matter how you look at it, but it makes people feel handsome. However, his eyes are very clear and smart, and he can see that he is a smart person.

"Please take care of my grandpa." Charles whispered to him.

Although his words are very short, this is a rare expression of his true feelings, so it has more and more unquestionable meaning.

"Yes." Under Charles's terrifying gaze, George immediately subconsciously straightened up.

"Come on, he's not God, he's just a little hairy head, and he can't manage so many things!" The Marquis of Treville laughed, then reached out and pinched the little child. "Don't worry so much, I can stand it myself!"