Until the renovation plans for the Tuileries Palace were completed, Jero Bonaparte only then considered following his ministers’ advice to move back to the Tuileries Palace from the Fontainebleau Palace.
However, Jero Bonaparte did not choose to proactively return to Paris.
Because Jero Bonaparte believed that the Emperor returning to Paris on his own initiative would give Parisians the impression that the Emperor could not do without Paris, thus fueling the "arrogance" of the Parisians. (In fact, every ruler could not do without Paris)
Therefore, Jero Bonaparte had to create an atmosphere in which all Parisians eagerly anticipated the Emperor’s return to Paris, just as they once eagerly awaited Emperor Napoleon’s return to Paris.
When Jero Bonaparte conveyed his intentions via telegraph to the Tuileries Palace, the Minister of the Seal, Mornay, who was responsible for guarding the Tuileries Palace and handling orders from Fontainebleau Palace, was the first to receive the telegraph.
After reading the contents of the telegraph, Mornay imdiately summoned the Vice Speaker of the Legislative Corps, Bijou, the Minister of Justice, Rue, and the Minister of Finance, Fuld, to the Elysee Palace.
[During Jero Bonaparte’s absence from the Tuileries Palace, all political consultations in Paris took place at the Elysee Palace.]
During Jero Bonaparte’s absence from Paris, all political affairs were delegated to the three present to manage.
The three did not disappoint Jero Bonaparte’s expectations and managed the whole of Paris in an orderly manner.
Upon arriving at the Elysee Palace, Mornay said to those present, "His Majesty has sent a telegraph saying he will return to Paris shortly!"
Upon hearing the news that Jero Bonaparte would soon return to Paris, the three of them imdiately broke into long-awaited smiles.
During the Emperor’s absence, although Paris maintained stable developnt with the joint efforts of the three, their control was far less than when the Emperor was in Paris, especially for governntal affairs that required the Emperor’s prestige to operate smoothly.
Each ti they encountered such affairs, they had to travel to the Fontainebleau Palace, and only after obtaining the Emperor’s approval could they implent policies by leveraging his prestige.
This back-and-forth travel left everyone feeling exhausted, both physically and ntally.
Therefore, no one hoped more than them for the Emperor to return from Fontainebleau Palace to the Tuileries Palace.
To encourage the Emperor’s return to Paris, each of them had advised him on the benefits of presiding in Paris and governing the nation.
Yet, the Emperor seed to be at odds with Paris, stubbornly refusing to return.
Now, the fact that the Emperor wished to return to Paris voluntarily filled them with excitent and anticipation.
"When will His Majesty leave for Paris?" Vice Speaker Bijou was the first to inquire from Mornay.
Mornay did not answer Bijou’s inquiry; instead, he handed the telegraph to Bijou, "This is the telegraph sent by His Majesty from Fontainebleau Palace!"
Bijou accepted the telegraph from Mornay and carefully read its contents.
Sitting to Bijou’s sides, both Rue and Fuld leaned in to read the telegraph contents together with Bijou.
After a mont, Bijou placed the telegraph on the table, took a deep breath, and said to Mornay, "I’ve read the telegraph, and if I’m not mistaken, His Majesty ans he will not return to Paris voluntarily!
Instead, he wants us to form a welcoming delegation to escort him back to Paris!
Am I right?"
With that said, Bijou directed his eyes towards Mornay.
"That’s correct!" Mornay nodded slightly in response to Bijou, "I believe His Majesty ans exactly that!"
At this point, Mornay suddenly recalled the scene during the Great Revolution when Louis XVI was escorted back to Paris by the Parisians from Versailles.
Jero Bonaparte’s request is remarkably similar, except that the forr (Louis XVI) was passively returned to Paris, while the latter (Jero Bonaparte) actively requested the Parisians to escort him back.
Your Majesty, you do enjoy emulating history!
Mornay couldn’t help but silently remark in his heart, yet, since the Emperor had already given this order, Mornay and the others had to comply with it whether they wanted to or not!
"Whom should we send as the representative of the delegation to welco the Emperor?" Bijou asked Mornay and the others again.
Mornay, Rue, and Fuld said nothing but fixed their gazes intently on Bijou.
Clearly, the three present unanimously thought no one was more suitable than Bijou to serve as the representative to welco the Emperor.
After all, it was Bijou who presided over the Emperor’s enthronent ceremony.
Nonetheless, Bijou realized that the three present intended to place the burden of welcoming the Emperor upon him, and he imdiately wanted to refuse.
"Mr. Bijou, no one is more suited to this task than you!" Mornay sincerely said to Bijou, "You are the Vice Speaker of the Legislative Corps and also presided over His Majesty the Emperor’s enthronent ceremony!
If you lead the representatives of the Legislative Corps to the Fontainebleau Palace to welco the Emperor, it will undoubtedly be twice as effective with half the effort!"
Realizing he could no longer evade the task, Bijou decided to undertake the duty of welcoming the Emperor.
However, he also voiced his concerns to the three people present, "I am willing to go to Fontainebleau Palace to welco the Emperor, but will the representatives of the Legislative Corps be willing to listen to us and go to Fontainebleau to welco the Emperor?"
"We don’t need to send all the representatives; we just need to dispatch those willing to cooperate with the Empire." Mornay suggested a solution to Bijou’s concerns, "At least half of the Legislative Corps is willing to listen to the Empire’s representatives!
As long as these people are willing to follow us, it will sufficiently represent the entire Legislative Corps’ welco to His Majesty the Emperor!"
Bijou thought for a mont and then nodded to Mornay, saying, "That works too! However, I need about a week to persuade so representatives!"
"That’s fine!" Mornay nodded to Bijou, saying, "Use this ti to persuade those representatives to agree to go to Paris to welco His Majesty, and I will use this ti to organize a group of Parisians to follow you, while also preparing a welco ceremony for His Majesty’s return to Paris!"
After speaking, Mornay shifted his gaze to Minister of Finance Fuld.
"Minister Fuld, which departnt should be responsible for the expenses incurred from welcoming His Majesty?" Mornay asked the Minister of Finance.
After a mont of silence, Fuld replied to Mornay, "I will allocate a special fund from the Ministry of Finance to cover the expenses of welcoming His Majesty’s return!"
"Thank you very much!" Mornay responded with a smile to Fuld, while silently calculating how much benefit he could gain from this return ceremony.
However, Fuld’s next words shattered half of Mornay’s plans.
"But, Mr. Mornay! I hope to see the specific amount for each expense, and I also reserve the right to refuse any unreasonable expenses!
After all, money from the Ministry of Finance doesn’t fall from the sky.
Especially now that France is in an economically bleak period, I must be responsible for every penny!
I hope you can understand!"
After speaking, Minister Fuld rose and bowed to Mornay.
Mornay recognized this as Fuld’s "revenge" for accepting Georges Ossman into his circle.
However, Mornay did not want to fall out with Fuld over this matter at the mont, so he responded with a smile, "You are absolutely right!
We are in difficult tis now, and we must practice frugality!
Therefore, we welco oversight and criticism from colleagues at the Ministry of Finance!"
...
After everyone’s discussions, the specific procedure for the welco ceremony was quickly decided.
Minister of the Seal Mornay imdiately stated that he would inform the Emperor of their conversation today in the form of a telegraph, and once the Emperor approved their plan, they would imdiately proceed with execution.
No one had any objections to Mornay’s words, and afterwards, everyone left the Elysee Palace one after another.
Riding alone in a carriage returning to the Tuileries Palace, Mornay imdiately conveyed the contents of the political consultation eting to Bashirio, ordering him to transmit the content to the Emperor at Fontainebleau Palace in the form of a telegraph.
Bashirio received the order and went to the telegraph room. Accompanied by the ticking telegraph sounds, the entire discussion at the Elysee Palace was transmitted to Fontainebleau Palace through Morse code and electric signals.
About ten minutes after the telegraph was sent from the Tuileries Palace, it was received at the telegraph room at Fontainebleau Palace, which is over a hundred kiloters away from Paris.
The telegraph personnel translated the Morse code back into French and imdiately handed it over to the Emperor’s secretary André von Beichu.
Upon receiving the telegraph, André von Beichu imdiately sought out Empress Augusta, who was staying at Fontainebleau Palace, and handed the telegraph to her.
Upon glancing at the telegraph content, Empress Augusta responded calmly, "Alright, I understand!"
Shortly after André von Beichu left, an unexpected visitor arrived at Fontainebleau Palace, and Empress Augusta personally received the guest, promptly sending soone to notify the Emperor at the nearby military camp.
Indeed, at this mont the Emperor was inspecting the Guard Army camp near Fontainebleau Town, accompanied by the Crown Prince in military attire, and bestowing honors on the troops who perford excellently in the recent "Grand Competition."
The officers and soldiers in the camp expressed their enthusiastic welco upon seeing the Emperor and Crown Prince, with every soldier wishing to display the word "loyalty" on their faces.
In the eyes of these Guard Army officers and soldiers, the Emperor and Crown Prince are their providers, and their favorable treatnt is entirely due to the Emperor’s generosity.
(The benefits received by the Guard Army are theoretically the sa as those of ordinary French soldiers, but the Emperor frequently gives bonuses to the Guard Army.
Nearly every Guard Army soldier has received a bonus from the Emperor.)
Without the Empire, where would these soldiers find such a generous Monarch!
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