Eagle’s Glory

Poor thing.

Anyone who sees Edmond Dantès today can easily find this adjective for him.

He is clearly in his early 30s, but he looks much older than he actually is.

This man, who has been imprisoned in the dark Castle Ifou prison for twelve years, has become as pale as a dead man because of his years of living in seclusion in the cell. His face also has wrinkles caused by trouble and malnutrition. His eyes were also full of sorrow, as if asking the Almighty God why he would give such a terrible fate to an innocent person.

In the eyes of the jailers, anyone who comes to this prison will basically be imprisoned for life. So Edmond Dantès not only squandered his youth here, but if nothing else happened, he would also waste his middle age and old age here, and finally became unknown to this prison and was swallowed up by everyone. He was forgotten and became another unknown ghost on the island.

Why was he imprisoned?

Although in theory prisoners cannot be discussed in prison, there are no real secrets in the Ifburg Prison. Almost everyone knows that this poor young man was poured in because he participated in the conspiracy to restore Emperor Napoleon. A truly dangerous political prisoner.

That's what he said, but the jailers didn't have much dislike for this young man. After all, Emperor Napoleon's reputation is still a topic of conversation between them to this day. When the emperor was in decline, Edmond Dantès's loyalty to Emperor Napoleon turned out to be Let them feel respect and think that he is a resounding hero.

"If the emperor's restoration had been successful, maybe the person sitting in his room today would be the one who sent him in!" Once, the jailers made a joke during a private chat.

Of course, even so, this prison still treated Edmond Dantès with its usual indifference and harshness, and would never show any mercy to the poor young man.

They are screws who have been raised and domesticated by the bureaucratic machine and the ****. What they only want to do is carry out the orders from above, ensure that the prisoners inside will never endanger society again, and at the same time get enough salary for themselves.

As for who is locked in and whether the prisoner is innocent, they never care.

As long as the government says he's guilty, he must be.

If the government wants him to be held to death, then he must be held to death.

This is the inviolable rule of heaven above Chateau d'If, and the only reason why it exists in the world.

In the evening of this day, the jailers of Chateau d'If were conducting their usual inspection after dinner. The jailers walked around the door of various cells, and the cell where Edmond Dantès was held was naturally among them.

The jailer who came over for inspection saw Edmond Dantès at the door, sitting on the edge of the bed in a daze as usual, and left with satisfaction.

Although he made a big fuss when he first came in because he couldn't adapt to Castle Eve, after a few years, the young man seemed to have accepted his fate. He cycled through eating, sleeping, praying and being in a daze every day, almost Never make trouble If every prisoner was as sensible as him, their job would be much easier. :(/

Of course, the jailer could not see the strength contained in his thin body, as well as the compassion and unyielding deep in his bones.

After the jailer left, Edmond Dantès's eyes gradually changed from indifferent to alert. His eyes also began to be bright, burning with the fire of longing for freedom and revenge.

If anyone could see this look at this time, he would definitely exclaim.

scare! This person will definitely try his best to escape from prison.

In this world, countless people die every day, or have to endure the pain of losing their freedom and being enslaved. This poor man has tasted enough of all these pains.

But he has not yet submitted to the torture of fate, he must resist.

He wanted to clear up the injustice and pain he had suffered for no reason,

I want to repay my blood debt for losing more than ten years of freedom, losing the best and most precious years of my life, and losing my fiancée.

Ever since he figured out why he ended up in such a situation with the help of the priest, a fire was burning in his heart. Every year that passed, instead of being able to extinguish the fire, it made it burn stronger and stronger. .

Ten years, eleven years, twelve years... He has given more and more things, and he has to get more and more things back. He must regain his freedom, and once he is free, he must let this A flame burned away all his enemies, leaving no one behind.

As if echoing the roar of revenge in his heart, at this moment, there was a slight noise under his bed.

He stood up like a cheetah, rushed to the door, first confirmed that the jailer had really left, then returned to his bed, pulled out his bed, and then moved a stone away.

Then, a dark hole appeared in front of him.

Without any hesitation, he directly drilled into the narrow hole, and then slid down the slope.

Soon, he slipped into another dungeon.

At this time, the "residents" of this dungeon were already waiting for him.

Although this prisoner is the "old crazy priest" as the jailers call him, at this moment, there is no confusion or numbness on his face, only a loving smile.

The priest was paralyzed due to an illness not long ago, and half of his body was paralyzed. He could no longer move his right hand or foot. However, he was not discouraged and calmly accepted his fate.

His thin and withered body has endured too many disasters. These disasters have tempered his soul and made his will extremely strong, and he is no longer afraid of any new disasters.

Due to an accident of fate, when he opened the tunnel to escape, he accidentally chose the wrong direction and met his cellmate Edmond Dantès. Although he was very disappointed and annoyed at first, he soon discovered that this was God's wish. The best compensation for his troubled life.

Maybe he can't do anything anymore, but he firmly believes that the young child in front of him will do everything, and he will give this child the key to changing his destiny.

During this period of several years, he taught this child everything he had, and taught this disciple his knowledge, various languages, scientific knowledge, and subtle demeanor when getting along with the upper class society. Recently, he also told this child a huge treasure that was the deepest secret in his heart.

"My child." He raised his still mobile left hand and gently pulled Edmond Dantès to his side. "Our time is limited, please recite it to me quickly."

Edmond Dantès looked at the priest and nodded solemnly.

Then, he began to recite.

"Today is April 25, 1498. I have been invited to a banquet by His Holiness Pope Alexander VI. I am afraid that he may be dissatisfied with the money I have donated to my title and wish to become my successor. ...

...You only need to open the twentieth rock on the right hand side of Niaodong Port to obtain it. There are two entrances to this cave; the treasure is tied in the deepest corner of the second entrance; I bequeath all of this treasure to my sole heir. "

Under Father Faria's gaze, Edmond Dantès once again recited the entire contents of the two pages given to him by the priest.

Since they met, they have been plotting to escape from prison and have worked hard to achieve it.

But after the priest got sick last time, he was afraid that he would not survive the day of escaping from prison, so he told Edmond Dantès all the secrets of his treasures in the hope that if he unfortunately died in Chateau d'If, , children who escape can still receive huge gifts.

Although Edmond Dantès was a little skeptical at first, at the priest's request, he still recited every word on the paper verbatim.

However, Edmond Dantès was very resistant to the idea of ​​​​the priest asking him to dig for treasure alone. For Edmond Dantès, the priest was like his father, and he could not imagine that he would abandon it at all. his consequences.

He could only pray that God would be merciful just once and stop tormenting the two poor people.

After Edmond Dantès recited the entire text, Father Faria seemed much more relaxed. He began to chat with the young man, sometimes in Italian and sometimes in French, to exercise his grace and cultivation.

The two chatted until midnight and finally stopped.

Then, Father Faria looked at his "child" with great admiration.

"Oh, it's a pity that Napoleon's career failed, otherwise you would really be a wise minister to him now." After a moment, he sighed softly, "Your demeanor must make him make you a noble!"

"The Emperor..." Edmond Dantes was silent, and after a moment he spoke again, "I hope he can rest in peace."

Although Edmond Dantès was thrown into the Chateau d'If prison before the Battle of Waterloo and lived a life of isolation from the outside world, they still knew about the restoration of Emperor Napoleon through the occasional words of the jailer for more than ten years. What is the result of his death, and he also knows the ultimate fate of his death on the island.

Edmond Dantès, a young sailor, became a tragic burial victim of Napoleon's empire just because he landed on Elba Island and delivered a letter, and received an ending similar to that of Napoleon himself. The trick of fate is so cruel and ruthless.

However, Napoleon's tragedy made him a great tragic hero and did not diminish his halo. Who will remember the victim who was destined to be forgotten at a young age in the dark and damp dungeon of Chateau d'If?

Just when the two were silent because they had their own concerns, Edmond Dantès' heart tightened suddenly with a sense of fear instinctively felt by sailors.

He could feel that a dangerous storm was approaching them.

Then, faint footsteps appeared next to his ears.

A jailer is approaching his cell!

It is rare for jailers to come out for activities in the middle of the night, and generally only occurs when prisoners have escaped from prison.

Edmond Dantès' heart was beating violently. Could it be that his dealings with the priest and his escape plan were discovered by the jailer?

A sense of despair almost made him stop breathing.

Why, why fate would torture myself like this!

But, after a while, he forced himself back to consciousness.

"Someone is coming, I'll deal with it first." He hugged the priest, and then quickly climbed up through the small hole.

His expression was calm, even a little solemn.

In the face of this sudden sense of despair, he even forgot to be afraid.

Aggrieved, he was thrown into a cell, lost everything, and endured twelve years of imprisonment. He cried and begged countless times.

But this time he will not surrender or beg for mercy. If this is the worst case scenario, then he would rather die in front of the priest. Even if he dies just a moment earlier than the priest, he will not let down the father-son love between them.

With a solemn calm he crawled quickly through the hole, then covered the entrance with stones, then pressed it with the bed, and then lay down on it.

Just when he was doing all this, the owner of the footsteps also stopped at the door.

"Number thirty-four?!"

A call rang out from the small cell, and it was indeed the voice of the jailer who brought him meals.

Yes, number thirty-four, this is the name of Edmond Dantès in the Chateau d'If prison. No one cares about his real name. It is destined to be just a handwriting that will be lost in the filing cabinet.

"Yes." Edmond Dantès tried hard to suppress his nervousness, and asked the other party in an angry tone of being woken up, "What's the matter?"

"Come out with me, someone wants to see you." The person at the door obviously lowered his voice.

Although his tone was ordinary, it sounded like a voice from outside to Edmond Dantès.

"What...?" he asked in a trembling voice.

"Are you deaf?" The jailer was not surprised by his reaction, and impatiently pushed aside, "I told you to come out!"

As if to prove what he said, there was the sound of a key turning at the door.

Then the door was opened, and the jailer came in, and gestured to him arrogantly.

"hurry up!"

Edmond Dantès wanted to ask what happened, but seeing the jailer's expression he didn't dare to ask any more questions. He had to straighten his body with trembling hands, then stood up and walked out of the door.

Just stepping over the threshold made him tremble all over.

Is this what freedom feels like?

Has the French government decided to release itself?

"Hurry up!" The jailer turned his head impatiently and urged.

Along the way, his hands were constantly moving, and he instinctively wanted to attack the jailer and then escape, but his reason told him that attacking the jailer would only cause him to be quickly caught by other jailers and then hanged, and would also be implicated. Father Faria.

So he could only follow silently, waiting for the fate's ruling.

Edmond Dantès had to go forward with the jailer, bypassing the corridors and steps, and finally came to the shadow under the watchtower of the Chateau d'If.

There were several people standing here, including prison management officials and a few people in civilian clothes.

Standing in the middle of the group was a young man wearing a velvet hat. When he saw Edmond Dantès approaching, he whistled.

"Edmond Dantès?" he read the name. "Or should I say, Monsieur No. 34?"

Edmond Dantès looked at the young man blankly, then nodded. "That's me, sir."

"Just call me Louis." The young man shrugged, and then he showed a gentle smile, "You were once an excellent sailor, and you were caught here for participating in Emperor Napoleon's restoration conspiracy, right? ?”

"Yes." Edmond Dantes nodded again.

"Very good." The young man smiled and nodded, "Congratulations, Mr. Dantès, you will be free."

Such a relaxed and freehand sentence made Edmond Dantès feel like he was struck by lightning.

Free, free!

Could it be that the thing he longed for so much but was so desperate for, the most precious thing he had no choice but to lose, was actually such an understatement in someone else's mouth?

is this real?

Tonight's sudden experience made him fall into a dream, so much so that he even suspected that this was not a trick to deceive himself.

Is it because the prison leadership is so bored here that they direct and act in a farce and want to see their own performance as a joke?

In an instant, so many thoughts ran through his mind that he almost lost the ability to speak.

"What, don't you want freedom?" the young man asked. "Perhaps you have fallen in love with the lovely Chateau d'If Hotel?"

"How can someone not love freedom... Sir, I know its preciousness better than anyone else." Edmond Dantès showed a tragic smile, "Because of this, I suspect that I am dreaming now. Has France changed its dynasty again?"

"Then let me tell you, you are not dreaming, but unfortunately, the government has not changed yet." The young man shrugged again, "It is not the French government that wants to set you free, but I..."

The young man raised his thumb and pointed at himself, "I bribed the warden here and asked him to let you go free. It's sad to say that your life and death are just a short line on the island's roster. As long as you bribe Relevant people, you will be dead on the roster tomorrow, and then you will disappear from Castle Eve immediately like air..."

That's it...that's it!

Edmond Dantès's heart was immediately swallowed up by ecstasy, tears flashed in his eyes, and for a moment the young man in front of him seemed to have a halo.

Has God finally let me down? he asked himself.

"Why...?" The remaining rationality made him ask, "Why did you rescue me? Did Mr. Morel pay for it?"

"What Morel?" the young man laughed disdainfully, and then replied seriously, "No, it's my boss. He wants to recruit sailors and people who have served Emperor Napoleon, and you happen to be both... So I was ordered to fish you out. So sir, do you accept the deal?"

"I am willing." Without any consideration, Edmond Dantès agreed.

Is it still possible not to agree?

But at the same time, the poor man thought of another person.

Does he really have the heart to leave the other person alone?

He calmed his heartbeat, and then looked at the young man again, "But, before that, can I have a few words with you alone, sir?"

Louis looked at the sloppy man with some doubts.

Logically speaking, a guy who has been in prison for more than ten years must be going crazy with the thought of freedom. When he hears that he has a chance to be free, he will immediately be ecstatic and even kneel down in front of him with tears of gratitude. right under your feet

This is not a fantasy. Recently, he has encountered similar situations more than once when he was performing the tasks assigned by His Majesty.

But today, this Edmond Dantes is different.

Although he was ecstatic when he first heard the news, his subsequent reaction seemed to have something unspeakable.

interesting.

Anyway, there is still some time now, so let’s listen to what this guy wants to do.

Louis made a gesture to signal the others to wait where they were, and then led Edmond Dantès to the corner.

"Can you tell me now?" he asked calmly.

"Sir, I...I have a request, a request that may be a little shady." Edmond Dantes tried his best to look at the other person with the most sincere eyes, "Since you can buy the prison and send me away, then I hope you’ll be able to send one more person away.”

"Who?" Louis asked.

"Father Faria, one of my cellmates." Edmond Dantès' tone unconsciously carried a hint of affection, "He is a father to me, a mentor, and my guide. I... I am willing to share with him everything, including freedom."

"Wait, cellmate?" Louis became alert, "Can the cellmates in Chateau d'Eve still communicate?"

"Of course it's not possible according to the regulations." Edmond Dantès smiled miserably, "But we dug a hole, which allows us to come in and communicate together."

"Good guy!" Louis couldn't help but sigh.

"So you know what I'm worried about. If I'm sent away, my room will soon be cleaned again, and new prisoners will move in, and this hole will be discovered, and maybe it will become a crime against the law." Father Leah's fatal blow." Edmond Dantès replied tremblingly, "Even if there is no punishment, maybe he won't live long. He is seriously ill and he won't be able to survive without my care..."

"It's very touching, but there is no part of my mission to rescue him." Louis replied, "He is a priest, not a sailor. If there is one more person, we will have to spend a lot of money."

"Sir, please have mercy...!" Edmond Dantès begged softly, "I can do the work of two people by myself. If you take us away, I will do his share too... If he doesn’t leave, then I can’t leave either.”

"Hey, are you threatening me?" Louis frowned. "I set you free and gave you such a favor, but you negotiated terms with me instead? Do you think God just sent down a punishment from heaven and made all the sailors in the world disappear, so we can only come to beg you?"

"I don't know who your master is, but I will use all my efforts to serve him! I only have one condition." Edmond Dantès said to the young man in front of him in a tone that was almost pleading. The man said, "And we will repay him with a fortune, maybe millions, I guarantee it!"

When he heard millions, Louis couldn't help but laugh.

"Come on, do you really have millions to end up in this situation?" He retorted in a low voice.

However, Edmond Dantès's touching words did not completely touch him.

It’s not my money anyway, he thought to himself after hesitating for a moment.

"Okay, remember what you said." After a moment, he nodded arrogantly.

Is this divine grace?

Edmond Dantès could no longer control himself and weakly knelt down on the ground. Then, he looked up at the bright starry sky above Chateau d'If.

Whoever you are and whatever you want to do, may God bless you.