During the French invasion of Russia in 1812, Marshal Ney distinguished himself in the bloody Battle of Moskowa, for which Napoleon made him Prince of Moskowa.
With the forced abdication of Napoleon in April 1814, Ney swore allegiance to Louis ⅩⅧ, the restored Bourbon king. When Napoleon returned to France in February 1815, Ney agreed to lead an army to stop Napoleon's march on Paris, and pledged to bring Napoleon back alive in an iron cage. "An iron cage?" Louis remarked. "What a canary!"
Napoleon, aware of Ney's plans, sent him a letter, which said, "I shall receive you as I did after the Battle of Moskowa." On 18 March 1815, Ney rejoined his emperor.
一八一二年，法軍侵俄，內伊元帥在莫斯科瓦戰役之中，表現不凡，獲拿破崙冊封為莫斯科瓦侯。
一八一四年四月，拿破崙被迫遜位，內伊向恢復波旁王朝的路易十八宣誓效忠。一八一五年二月，拿破崙回到法國，望巴黎進發，內伊答應率軍攔截，並誓言生擒拿破崙，囚於鐵籠之內，押返巴黎。路易十八說：「在鐵籠之內？那樣一隻金絲雀可真有趣！」
拿破崙知道內伊的計劃，寫信給他說：「朕之待卿，將與莫斯科瓦戰役之後無別。」一八一五年三月十八日，內伊就回到他的舊主公身旁。