Gazing at the departing figure of Jero Bonaparte, Elizabeth fell into deep thought, unsure whether she should heed Jero Bonaparte’s words.
"Alas!" Elizabeth sighed over her ill-fated destiny.
Just then, the voice of Franz Joseph reached Elizabeth’s ears: "Elizabeth, what’s wrong? Has sothing happened?"
Elizabeth, responding to the voice, turned around and revealed a false smile: "Nothing!"
"That’s good!" Franz Joseph, suspecting nothing, then lowered his voice to inquire, "What were you discussing with the Emperor of France earlier?"
Looking at her inquisitive fiancé, Elizabeth couldn’t help but recall Jero Bonaparte’s remarks.
As the saying goes, like mother, like son; if her fiancé is so controlling, his mother must be even more so. (This is Elizabeth’s subjective thought.)
"I discussed many things with His Majesty Jero Bonaparte; he told how he ca together with Empress Augusta and also ntioned that you are the youngest monarch he has ever t! The Austrian Empire will undoubtedly beco even stronger under your leadership!" Elizabeth sincerely lied to Franz Joseph.
Trusting Elizabeth implicitly, Franz Joseph believed her words, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his face. He then took Elizabeth’s hand and said, "Let’s dance one last dance!"
Franz Joseph and Elizabeth began dancing to a new round of music.
anwhile, standing at the edge of the dance floor, Jero Bonaparte was accompanied by another man, the Wurttemberg Envoy.
"Your Majesty, may I have a mont of your ti?" the Wurttemberg Envoy respectfully asked Jero Bonaparte.
"Of course!" Jero Bonaparte nodded, then once again left the ballroom with the Wurttemberg Envoy, heading to the reception room of the Tuileries Palace for a conversation.
No sooner had they sat down than the Wurttemberg Envoy took a gemstone from his pocket and placed it before Jero Bonaparte.
"Ambassador, what do you an by this?" Jero Bonaparte asked half-jokingly, "It’s not a special occasion today; why give this?"
"Your Majesty, this gemstone is not from but entrusted by the Saxon Envoy to be handed over to you!" the Wurttemberg Envoy replied to Jero Bonaparte.
"The Saxon Envoy?" Jero Bonaparte paused for a few seconds, then pointed at the gemstone and asked, "Who is it from?"
"Your Majesty, it is a gift from Minister Nieshierluodie! He said it’s to celebrate Empress Augusta bearing you offspring!" the Wurttemberg Envoy ticulously answered Jero Bonaparte and then added.
"Empress Augusta isn’t even near her delivery date, yet they’re already sending gifts!" Jero Bonaparte remarked with a double entendre, "A bit too eager, aren’t they!"
"Your Majesty, this quietly proves the strength of the French Empire!" the Wurttemberg Envoy complinted.
"Did you tell them my thoughts?" Jero Bonaparte continued to inquire.
The Wurttemberg Envoy nodded in response to Jero Bonaparte: "Your Majesty, I have inford the Saxon Envoy that you have no intention of seeking peace in the short term! The Saxon Envoy asked to convey to you that although the French Empire and the Russian Empire are at war, there is no animosity between the two countries!
Whenever Your Majesty desires peace, peace will naturally follow."
Jero Bonaparte asked the Wurttemberg Envoy, bewildered: "Did Nieshierluodie really say that? Nicolai I, that old stickler, agreed to unconditional peace talks?"
The Wurttemberg Envoy shook his head and replied to Jero Bonaparte: "That, I do not know!"
Neither Jero Bonaparte nor the Wurttemberg Envoy, nor even the Saxon Envoy knew that Nieshierluodie’s peace proposal was entirely a secret overture conducted secretly behind Nicholas I’s back.
However, this plan was authorized by Alexander II, Dolgorukov, and Orlov, making it a negotiation completely unbeknownst to Nicholas I.
Should the unlikely event of successful peace talks occur, they would collectively pressure Nicholas I to demand negotiations.
But Nieshierluodie himself had no real hope for success in this initial contact; his aim was rely to pry open a crack in communication between the French Empire and the Russian Empire, so that the two nations could imdiately embrace peace whenever desired.
"I assu this is a move by Nieshierluodie and the others behind the Tsar’s back! If I were Nicholas I, I would never agree to peace talks at this ti!"
Although Jero Bonaparte was not aware of the current political situation in Russia, he was still able to make certain inferences based on historical premises.
After listening to Jero Bonaparte’s inferences, the Wurttemberg Envoy said in shock, "They are so bold!"
"If behind Nesselrode is Crown Prince Alexander, then this action does not count as overstepping!" Jero Bonaparte responded calmly: "Crown Prince Alexander himself, unlike his father, is not a devout Slavism Eastern Orthodox believer! His thinking is more aligned with Britain!"
The Wurttemberg Envoy stared at Jero Bonaparte, realizing why Jero Bonaparte insisted on personally communicating with them.
Seeing the Wurttemberg Envoy’s inner thoughts, Jero Bonaparte spoke again: "Mr. Envoy, a qualified diplomat must not only adapt to circumstances but also be good at analysis! The character of a monarch influences the direction of diplomacy to a certain extent, especially in an absolute monarchy!"
"Your Majesty, you are truly a formidable character!" The Wurttemberg Envoy was fortunate that his country could forge a connection with Jero Bonaparte.
For a mont, he felt that he was not facing a man, but a ghost, the ghost of a Cardinal.
"Can I take that as a complint from you?" Jero Bonaparte said with a pleased smile.
"Of course!" The Wurttemberg Envoy replied to Jero Bonaparte without hesitation.
"Alright! I’ll accept the gift on Augusta’s behalf!" Jero Bonaparte put the gem in his pocket, then jokingly urged the Wurttemberg Envoy to prepare a gift.
The Wurttemberg Envoy jokingly responded to Jero Bonaparte, his gift would arrive at the Tuileries Palace only after the birth of the little prince/princess.
"I look forward to your gift!" Jero Bonaparte said with a smile, getting up and speaking to the Wurttemberg Envoy, "It’s getting late! We should hurry back to the ballroom!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" The Wurttemberg Envoy also stood up and left the room with Jero Bonaparte.
Upon returning to the ballroom, Jero Bonaparte danced a few more dances at the invitation of several noblewon, and gradually it was midnight.
The ball concluded with the chi of the clock at midnight, and Jero Bonaparte, along with Franz Joseph and other German States’ royalty, received the guests’ formal farewells.
After all the guests in the ballroom, except those invited to stay at the Tuileries Palace (Franz Joseph, Elizabeth, King William I of Württemberg, Prince tternich), had left, Jero Bonaparte called Mokar over and instructed him to take Franz Joseph, Elizabeth, and Prince tternich to the prepared rooms.
"Your Majesty, Princess, Your Highness, please co with !" Mokar respectfully said to Franz Joseph and the others.
After Franz Joseph and the others left, William I spoke, "Joseph (full na Jero Joseph Bonaparte)!"
"Father!" Jero Bonaparte respectfully responded to his father-in-law in front of him.
"What exactly is going on between you and Emperor Franz’s fiancée, Elizabeth?" William I asked Jero Bonaparte sternly.
Being a king, William I was well aware of what a man with power could do, and he was sowhat worried that Jero Bonaparte might do sothing inappropriate.
If the French Empire and the Austrian Empire fell out over a woman, that would be terrible!
"Father, you misunderstand !" Jero Bonaparte shook his head and responded to William I, "Am I that tasteless?"
William I thought for a mont, indeed, it seed his son-in-law was not particularly interested in soone like Elizabeth.
"The reason I am willing to converse with Princess Elizabeth is to cultivate her love for Paris, thereby stabilizing the alliance between the Austrian Empire and the French Empire!" Jero Bonaparte shrugged and responded to William I, then used Augusta as a shield: "And your daughter is a bit concerned about Princess Elizabeth, so she asked to bolster her influence! A princess with Bavarian backing and a princess with Parisian backing are treated differently!"
"My daughter? Why would she want to help Elizabeth?" William I was sowhat puzzled.
"How should I know?" Jero Bonaparte shrugged, speaking helplessly, "Maybe that’s the friendship between won! Let’s not talk about this! Father, has there been any outco from my brother-in-law?"
William I glanced at Jero Bonaparte and said in an annoyed tone, "How could there be a result so soon, you’ll just have to wait a bit longer!"
"Ah! How much longer!" Jero Bonaparte responded to William I with a bitter expression.
"I’ll ask again after I return to Württemberg! Will that do?" William I responded to Jero Bonaparte with a look of disdain.
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