May 1, 1860

Spring has come to the rolling Alps, and the behemoth that almost cut the south of Europe in two has turned green under the power of nature. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 infoOn the hillsides everywhere, tough grasses creep out of the ground and spread out in clusters, dotting the steep slopes with boundless greenery.

When everything is revived, the warm wind blowing from the south wafts between the mountains and valleys, stirring up the branches of grass and leaves, as if to cheer the arrival of spring, as long as the peaks of the mountains are still a little white, looking down on all living beings with a proud and majestic attitude.

At the foot of the mountain, there is a beautiful garden, red and bright flowers, blooming in a tender green, the petals fall in the spring breeze, paving a bright red and pink carpet, and the white gardenias, wafting out a refreshing fragrance, around the mountain stream, in this garden snakes and snakes, moisturizing each cluster of flowers, these streams finally flow into a small lake, the water is clear and transparent, like a mirror embedded in the flowers and meadows.

Looking at the small lake, the mountains in the distance are undulating and imposing; The nearby sea of flowers is floating around, reflecting the beautiful and moving small lake, this scenery, both magnificent and delicate, like a spectacular picture scroll silently spread out to the earth, the glitz and noise of the world are isolated, let people immerse themselves in this natural scene, relaxed and happy.

At this time, there were a few people staying by the lake, led by a middle-aged man in civilian clothes with short golden hair, who was sitting on a low stool, holding a fishing rod in his hand, leisurely fishing, and looking up at the mountains in the distance from time to time, as if enjoying all this. And the few people behind him, who seemed to be entourage, looked a little anxious.

Everyone was silent, everything was so silent, only the birdsong echoing in the valley reached people's ears from time to time.

Suddenly, with a soft sound, another fish came out of the water and was caught, and then was thrown into the fish bucket next to it, jumping and slamming into the fish bucket, the crackling sound made the middle-aged man laugh, and whistled happily, as if he was very happy with his achievement.

"Your Excellency......" After enduring it for a long time, seeing that the other party still did not mean to stop, the young Duke Gaston de Choiseul Plasland finally couldn't hold back his temperament, "There are still so many things waiting for your instructions, don't you fish, deal with it first......?" ”

"Gaston, don't be in a hurry! Such a nice place, we should enjoy life and enjoy nature. However, the middle-aged man looked calm and relaxed, still fiddling with the fishing rod in his hand. Before and after, we didn't have the opportunity to enjoy such air. ”

"The air here is really good......" Gaston laughed a little when he received the reply, "but sir, we have to focus on our work, don't we?" If you want to breathe air, you can do it at any time. Otherwise, the government will be unhappy. ”

"Those things are all small things, and if they are not handled, they will be like that, so why should I be in a hurry?" The middle-aged man stretched, "Besides, if I am too positive, our Majesty and those big people in the capital will be nervous." ”

"That's why we can't do what they want, sir." Gaston seemed to be a little anxious, "Now many people are waiting, and some people are wavering, you must not show discouragement!" ”

"Wouldn't it be nice to get a chance to see who is not strong-willed, who likes to wait and see and speculate?" The middle-aged man smiled slightly, "Don't be disappointed, Gaston, it's actually a good thing to come to Austria, we can stay away from the whirlpool for a while, and at the same time observe who is not worthy of our trust in the storm, which is very important for our future actions." ”

"But...... We can't back down, Your Excellency! "Gaston is still a little confused.

"Okay, don't talk about it, Gaston, I know everything, you can do your current thing with peace of mind." The middle-aged man waved his hand, then refocused his gaze on the small lake in front of him, and tightened his grip on the fishing rod in his hand.

This middle-aged man is Charles de Treville, Duke of Kerson, a famous French politician in Europe today, who was previously powerful in France and won the trust of His Majesty the Emperor. However, just last year, the Duke and His Majesty the Emperor, who were firmly opposed to the war, had a violent quarrel over the war between France and Austria, and resigned from his post as Chancellor of the Exchequer in anger after the war between France and Austria was settled.

At the end of the war, he was appointed ambassador to Austria by His Majesty the Kaiser, not only as an attempt to repair Franco-Austrian relations, but also to officially announce the Duke being deposed from the imperial court and capital, and becoming a disgraced minister.

However, although everyone knows that the Duke of Kerson has fallen out with the emperor, he is still deeply feared or respected, and everyone knows that he still has great influence in French politics, and has the support of a large group of powerful groups, and is still a big figure in the diplomatic community that must be taken seriously, and his power is still not to be underestimated, at least for now.

Moreover, the Austrian government knew that the Duke had been deposed by His Majesty the Emperor for the war against France and Austria, and they wanted to repay the Duke's loyalty to Austria with courtesy. After the duke came to Vienna, he was soon warmly received by the court, and the official gave him a high standard, so the duke also lived very comfortably in Vienna.

However, although he has been holding the post of ambassador for several months, he has been a bit of an ambassador, and he has been handling official business in the embassy for almost a few days, and all kinds of miscellaneous foreign affairs have been handed over to the embassy secretary by him, and if it were an ordinary ambassador, he would have been reprimanded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but ...... Now no one dares to bother the Duke of Kerson, and the Foreign Ministry can only let it go untouched.

And this manor at the foot of the Alps was given directly to the duke's sister by His Majesty the Emperor in order to win over the Minister of Trevill.

The Duke's state of decadence made his loyal subordinate Gaston a little unbearable.

He had been following the Duke since he was a teenager, and he had great respect and admiration for him, and was dedicated to serving him. A few years ago, under the arrangement of the duke, the young duke served as a director of a bank and held great power, but after the duke was released from the capital to serve as an ambassador, he directly resigned from his position and followed the duke to Vienna, where he continued to serve the duke with his previous enthusiasm.

It was precisely because of his loyalty and enthusiasm that he especially didn't understand and couldn't get used to the duke's hanging, for fear that the duke would collapse and lose his past ambition and sharpness, so he couldn't help but remind the duke.

Fortunately, seeing that the duke was still determined, he finally relieved himself a little.

As he had said before, after the Duke was deposed from the capital, some of his original followers and followers were shaken and began to prepare to change their courts and take refuge in new patrons, and Gaston was very angry about this, feeling that these people were ungrateful, and therefore hoped that the Duke would rise again and punish these shameless people severely.

Under Gaston's anxious gaze, the Duke continued to catch the fish calmly, and it was not until the third day of the day that he finally stopped, laid down his rod leisurely, and then looked lazily at his followers.

"Alright, Gaston, don't worry about everything, I know it all." He smiled and said, "It doesn't matter what happens now, if I am too positive, the people in the capital will also be nervous...... In order for them to get a good night's sleep, I'd better behave, wouldn't I? ”

"So are we just going to watch your forces being expelled by them?" Gaston didn't quite understand it anymore.

Charles' smile deepened.

Gaston's loyalty satisfied him, but he was young and inexperienced, so it was difficult to explain to him the practices and benefits of "keeping the light in the dark" and "waiting for the opportunity", not to mention, he secretly had a lot of measures, and he was fierce and could not see the light, so there was no way to explain it to him.

With Gaston, he only needs to show a bit of determination.

"Let me tell you, I am not exaggerating, everything is under my control, and in a few months we will be able to turn the heavens and the earth upside down again, and then I will be able to return to Paris, or rather, His Majesty the Emperor will have to ask me to return to my country to clean up the mess...... And when that time comes, no one will be able to stop me from punishing enemies and traitors. ”

When he said this, his tone suddenly became stern, almost like the previous lazy and idle appearance, and this casual attitude also touched Gaston's heart.

"Okay, that's good...... As long as you're not discouraged, I'm relieved. Really, as long as you don't get discouraged, we have hope......" He nodded again and again, as if greatly relieved, "Sir, I am convinced that victory must be yours!" ”

"In that case, don't delay me fishing." The middle-aged man waved his hand again, and then returned to his fishing business.

At Charles' orders, Gaston left the lake to help him with the red tape of diplomatic correspondence, and Charles himself was merely signing his name if necessary.

To him, these things were meaningless, and he didn't want to waste time on them at all.

In the midst of this silence, there were suddenly two more figures by the lake.

Judging by their bodies and dress, they were two women, but it was impossible to tell their age because they both wore large wide-brimmed hats that covered their hair and faces, and their large, fluffy black skirts also covered their figures.

At the edge of the crystal clear lake, they followed the verdant and bright red path all the way to the back of the duke.

"Sir......" They stopped just a few steps behind him, and then the leader shouted excitedly.

Her voice is very delicate and tactful, which also reveals that she is not very old.

After hearing this shout, as if he had heard some call from outside the sky, the duke, who had been immersed in the pleasure of fishing, suddenly raised his head, and then looked back.

Then, with a heartfelt smile on his face, he threw away the fishing rod in his hand and beckoned to them.

"Miss Treville, Mary, you're finally here, how are you doing?"

"God forbid, it's okay......" She threw away her hat, her golden hair fell like a waterfall behind her shoulders, and her delicate face was revealed, and for a moment even the flowers around her seemed to lose their lustre. You...... How are you? ”

"Oh, I'm so good! Recently, I have been fishing every day, and it has been very interesting! Charles laughed, "It's you guys who are a little self-defeating when you come here dressed like this...... Do you think that when you leave France, the spies will not know? It's better to come over generously, what's wrong with going on vacation, who is qualified to care?! ”

"Are you still joking at this time!" Fran whispered, then stepped forward and hugged her brother, "I've been worried about you for a long time!" ”

"Hey, worry about what? I'm so comfortable here that I don't really want to go back. Charles hugged Fran and stroked her hair gently, then beckoned Mary to sit next to them. Okay, don't talk about those gossip, since you're here, let's have fun, tomorrow I'll take you to climb the mountain, the scenery of this mountain range can be magnificent, if you don't come to see it a few times in your life, it will be a great disadvantage! ”

"How can you think about playing all day long? So many things to do! However, Fran was not infected by Charles's leisurely complacency, and still complained about him, "We're working hard for you, you...... You can't just think about it......"

"Hey, don't say that, I need to take a break once in a while, it's a vacation, a vacation." Charles continued to stroke her hair, as if teasing the cat, "I'll be back in France in a while, but I won't have the opportunity to vacation like this again, and it would be a pity not to hurry up and enjoy the lake and mountains, right?" ”

"Well, since you say so...... Then it's not a bad idea to take a good rest. Fran finally accepted her brother's explanation, but immediately remembered another question, "What about Charlotte?" Is she here too? ”

"Charlotte she doesn't like this side, it's so lonely, she likes the hustle and bustle of Vienna." Charles shrugged, "She can stand it for a few days, she can't stand it at all after a long time." ”

"Really, how could she do this! You're getting entangled with so much right now, and she's the one who needs support the most, and she should be there for you all the time! Fran was a little dissatisfied, and couldn't help but complain, "Can't a lady like her endure loneliness for a moment!" ”

"Hey, don't say that, in fact, if you don't like the scenery, it's really boring to stay here." Charles defended Charlotte, "Besides, that's not bad, she makes more friends there, and it will be very helpful for us in the future." ”

"You like that, don't you?" Mary, who had been silent, finally smiled and said, "The shepherdess under the Alps or something, it's very emotional when you hear it, right?" Look at how happy you are...... You must have had enough of it lately, right? ”

As soon as Mary said this, Fran immediately raised her head and glared at her brother angrily, as if to warn and rebuke him.

"Don't be like this, am I so hungry?" Charles hastened to defend himself.

"Aren't you that the kind of person you are? If no one cares, God knows what ridiculous things you'll do! Fran interrupted.

Then, she blinked sharply, obviously a little uneasy, "No, you can go back to China quickly...... God knows what would have happened if you hadn't been with us all the time. ”

"It's not something I can decide whether to return to China or not, and now I'm the ambassador to Austria."

Charles couldn't help but sigh, and all of a sudden the cheerful atmosphere was diluted a lot.

"I really hate the emperor, he actually treats you like this...... He'll pay for his ingratitude, and I'll make him regret it. As soon as she said this, Fran's eyes glistened with tears, and then she hugged Charles tightly, "Sir, I really miss you!" ”

Charles sighed again, then continued to stroke the other's hair.

Although the two had only been separated for a few months, Charles already missed her very much, and he knew that the opposite side was even more missed, and at this time, when his sister buried her head in his arms and confided, he himself had an urge to cry.

However, after all, he was a strong-willed person, and he quickly reined in his thoughts, "I believe that as long as we follow the plan, I will be able to return to China soon...... It's a mess, and His Majesty can't find anyone else to help him clean it up. Of course, it depends on how well you execute your plan. ”

There was a strong confidence in his tone, and his attitude was serious and a little aggressive, which was completely different from the lazy appearance of the hanger just now.

"We're here to report to you." Mary replied immediately, and she became equally serious, "Sir, it is still going well, the country's economy is becoming more and more disordered, the waves of the exchange are rising and falling, and there are calls everywhere for you to come back and take charge of the overall situation, after all, you have always made a significant contribution to the stabilization of the country's economy, and no one has more experience and means than you. ”

Then, she lowered her voice again, took out a few pages from her bosom and handed them to Charles, "We have been careful to control the amount of banknotes and gold exchanges, and we have closely monitored the speculative trend in the bond exchange, I believe that as long as we grasp the right time, then we can carry out a major wave at any time and completely paralyze the market." ”

Charles took the pages, which were densely packed with numbers, and if they were handed over to others, they would probably be unclear, but in the eyes of those who really knew it, they would feel a real thrill.

The Duke knew that although His Majesty the Emperor had deposed him from the court in fear of his power and influence, there was no one in the government who was better able to control the precarious financial situation of the country.

Therefore, in order for His Majesty to realize his importance, he decided to let his party members create an economic upheaval, which caused the country's economy to fall into a state of disorder and even paralysis, forcing His Majesty to recall him to France. In order to hit the country's economy as soon as possible, they also secretly sacrificed a more ruthless trick, directly found a hidden den to print a large number of counterfeit banknotes, after several months of quiet action, these counterfeit banknotes have been put into the market on a large scale, and the Tréville family and his vassals also began to exchange gold in large quantities, causing a crisis in the exchange of francs and gold.

Now, the economic situation in the country is already very worrisome, although Charles is enjoying the mountains and rivers in Austria, but through his subordinates, he is also methodically controlling the political and economic circles in France, preparing for an unbearable tragedy for His Majesty.

It is precisely because of these measures that Charles's heart is very determined, and he has a calm attitude in front of Gaston and others, he knows that it is only a matter of time before he makes a comeback, but he can use this time to screen his own party members, see who is trustworthy, and who is a traitor who must be punished in the future.

In the midst of the lake-lined garden, Charles, Fran and Mary discussed the next steps nervously, calculating the inflow and outflow of wealth, calculating who to trust and rely on, so much so that the fish bit the hook a few times and did not pay any more attention

At this time, he was already very devoted, for him, the foreign affairs in his hands were not important at all, but these things were too important, related to whether he could return to France as soon as possible to make a comeback for a counteroffensive, and it was impossible for him not to devote all his attention.

It wasn't until the shadow began to set west that the secret conversation ended, and the three of them felt relieved.

I'm afraid that this manor is the only place to carry out such a conspiracy.

After the conversation, they were able to return their attention to the scenery of the lake and the mountains.

By this time, the sunlight had turned golden, and it was scattered softly and softly among the peaks and valleys, as if a golden curtain had been laid over this majestic mountain range, and it was so magnificent that it made people's hearts tremble.

By the lake, breathing in the fragrance of flowers, watching the golden mountains and the clear reflection in the water stretch together, it is like reading a picture scroll.

"How beautiful is this place......" Fran, who was still in Charles's arms, couldn't help but sigh as well. I'd love to paint this place. ”

"If you want to do it, do it!" Charles replied with a smile, "I said just now, I want to take you up the mountain, or we will go over tomorrow, you bring your painting tools, I didn't say it, looking at us from the halfway up the mountain, it's so beautiful that people want to cry......"

"Alright, then we'll go tomorrow!" Fran looked eager to try, and her blue eyes were also jumping with a look, clearly looking forward to tomorrow's action. At this time, she returned to her usual innocent behavior, and the appearance of the thoughtful and unwavering conspiring with her brother just now was almost like two people.

And her performance also fascinated Charles's eyes.

Although she is getting older little by little, her beauty still remains, and most importantly, she has not lost her original charm at all, and she is still so cute.

What's even more touching is that she only showed this cuteness to herself.

There will never be another person in the world who is so stubborn to regard me as a beacon in life, right? Thank God she stayed with me.

The thought crossed his mind.

Along with this thought, there is an irrepressible desire, he wants to hold her in his arms all the time, so that the two of them will merge forever.

Unconsciously, his breathing began to become a little heavy, and his hands slowly moved down from the hair behind her back.

"You...... What's wrong with you? Fran began to struggle uneasily, and she saw a familiar and terrifying meaning in Charles's eyes.

However, this struggle did not lead her to break away from Charles's embrace, but only aroused his lust even more.

"Since we have something to do tomorrow, then ...... There's still so much time left for today, so let's just do something more, shall we? Charles hugged her tightly and whispered in her ear. Look, how beautiful it is, we ...... Don't we make any memories? ”

"You!" Fran was startled, struggling harder and harder, "Here...... How does it work here? ”

However, her efforts were unsuccessful, and Charles hugged her tighter and tighter, and her lips pressed to her earlobes.

"At least...... At least let's go back to our room first, shall we? Feeling the heat from her hand, Fran's face was so red that she almost dripped, and her voice trembled, "Here...... Here's too...... It's horrible, too! ”

"It's right here." Charles replied in her ear, as stubborn as a child. "Nobody can see it."

"Mary is here, too!" Fran shouted in shame.

"Wouldn't it be nice to let her come along?" Charles asked rhetorically. "Wouldn't it be nice for us all to enjoy it together?"

This answer made Fran almost speechless for a while, "You...... You ......"

"It's been a few months, and I really miss you too." Charles kissed her on the cheek, and then his hand rubbed open the gap under the hem of her skirt and went deep into the slippery skin, "Thank you for staying by my side, we will be together forever." ”

The words, along with the gentle kneading of that hateful hand, made her whole body begin to soften, and Fran finally closed her eyes and gave up resistance.

"Yes, sir...... We will be together forever, and no one can stop us. She closed her eyes and murmured softly in a tone that only two people could hear.

"It's a good day to work on, isn't it?" Looking at the two men who were tired of being together, Mary shrugged her shoulders and gently threw herself into Charles's side.

Under the sunshine of the west slope, the shadows of the three people merged together, and finally accompanied by the lake water began to ripple, and the soft and continuous gasping sound also floated on the lakeside, accompanied by the spring wind, what a beautiful day.