De Luyis nodded and explained to Jero Bonaparte eloquently: "Yes! Your Majesty! If the Empire were to obtain rental concessions for its own affiliated lands/buildings in the Suez Canal in Egypt, I think the Kingdom of Britain would probably acquiesce to transactions between the Empire and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Once the Kingdom of Britain is dealt with, the issue of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg can be easily resolved!"
After listening to De Luyis’s viewpoint, Jero Bonaparte lightly nodded and then modestly hinted: "Minister Luyis, please do not forget! The agreents we made with the Kingdom of Britain regarding Egypt a few years ago!"
What Jero Bonaparte referred to as agreents were the discussions between Valerovsky, whom he had commissioned to visit the Kingdom of Britain, and Palrston, who was then still serving as the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Britain, on the actions against the Russian Empire.
At that ti, Valerovsky not only discussed the issue of the Russian Empire with Palrston but also reached an "understanding" on issues regarding Egypt, Niger, Nigeria, etc. (See previous Chapters for details.)
It was after Valerovsky’s mission to the Kingdom of Britain that the official British stance (particularly the navy) against France slightly softened.
Now, just a few years later, Jero Bonaparte intends to overturn the original agreents, which may give an impression of unreliability.
Of course, Jero Bonaparte was not saying that the agreents must be strictly adhered to. To a pragmatist like him, no treaty is unbreakable.
After all, the greatest virtue of a Monarch is not adhering to agreents.
Therefore, Jero Bonaparte’s subtext was for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led by De Luyis, to act on Abbas using civilian forces, so that Said could legitimately inherit the position of Governor, without direct involvent from the official French governnt.
By that ti, even if the Kingdom of Britain knew Abbas was linked to the French Empire, they would have to swallow their loss alone for lack of evidence.
"Your Majesty, rest assured!" De Luyis naturally understood his subtext and hurriedly explained to Jero Bonaparte: "I guarantee that this action against Abbas will not involve any official from the French Empire!"
"What do you intend to do?" Jero Bonaparte curiously inquired of De Luyis, wanting to hear what clever thods the shrewd Diplomatic Envoy had in mind.
"Your Majesty, do you happen to rember Mr. Ferdinand de Lysps?" De Luyis asked Jero Bonaparte.
"Ferdinand de Lysps?" Jero Bonaparte murmured, pondering quietly: "Let think! That na sounds sowhat familiar!"
Seated beside Jero Bonaparte, De Luyis waited quietly, and after a while, Jero Bonaparte looked up and said to De Luyis, "I recall, wasn’t he the Consul stationed in Egypt previously?"
Jero Bonaparte rembered him because Laiseppe had once written him a letter, accompanied by a check.
In the letter, Laiseppe ntioned that his father, Matieu de Lysps, was a diplomat during Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign, and after the French Army withdrew, he followed Emperor Napoleon’s orders to beco Consul in Egypt, being a staunch Bonapartist.
Laiseppe himself was influenced by his father to beco a Bonapartist, always awaiting Napoleon’s return...
Despite Laiseppe’s efforts to explain how he endured under the flags of the Bourbon and Orléans Dynasties, Jero Bonaparte was still convinced Laiseppe was rely a traditional opportunist.
More importantly, Laiseppe’s opportunism did not manifest when Jero Bonaparte had just assud the presidency, but only after he had defeated Changarnier and firmly grasped half of France’s political power.
In Jero Bonaparte’s camp, the top-order ritorious figures were those like Percy, Mokar, Taylor, Rue, who unwaveringly stood with Bonaparte, or bankers and entrepreneurs like Fuld, Mane, Deco. The second-order ritorious figures were those like Saint Arno, Conrobel, Nie’er who assisted Jero Bonaparte in completing the coup (due to the fearful nature of bayonets, they beca second-order in Jero Bonaparte’s mind). The third-order were parliantary supporters of Bonaparte. The last order were those who joined last, and there were just too many of them.
Therefore, Jero Bonaparte chose to accept Laiseppe’s check, and offered him so encouragent!
"Your Majesty, Mr. Laiseppe has resigned from all positions at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and beco a speculator in Egypt!" De Luyis told Jero Bonaparte.
"Going into business!" Jero Bonaparte rubbed his chin, then asked, "Do you intend to use him for this matter?"
"Your Majesty, Mr. Laiseppe was once the equestrian instructor of Governor Muhammad Ali, so he has a little influence in Egypt," De Luyis replied to Jero Bonaparte.
"Given his connections with Egypt, why would he want to eliminate Abbas?" Jero Bonaparte asked in return.
De Luyis explained to Jero Bonaparte that since Laiseppe started his business ventures in 1852, he faced many setbacks, and his plans for developing the Suez Canal were completely ignored by Abbas and the Ottoman Empire governnt, leading Laiseppe to believe Abbas’s existence was a threat to his plans.
Laiseppe had been seeking an opportunity to realize his Suez Canal plan, so he quietly bribed the guards around Abbas, hoping to one day eliminate Abbas.
After listening to De Luyis’s description, an image of a cold-faced hero involuntarily surfaced in Jero Bonaparte’s mind.
"Mr. Laiseppe is indeed bold!" Jero Bonaparte smiled slightly, tapping the table to set the tone: "However, we need such bold people! Go and tell Mr. Laiseppe that if he really has the ability to assassinate Abbas, the Empire would not mind giving him a hand!
Even if the assassination fails, the Empire will help him clean up the aftermath, but he must guarantee to that the assassination should not have any connection with the French Empire!
If it is discovered that the Empire is connected to the assassination, then he will have to bear the consequences alone!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" De Luyis quickly responded.
"Of course, as a return, the Imperial Governnt will purchase his shares at a price of 300 francs per share after he obtains the rights to widen the Suez Canal!" Jero Bonaparte said to De Luyis.
De Luyis nodded and expressed to Jero Bonaparte that he would certainly convey Jero Bonaparte’s words to Laiseppe.
"It’s just a Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, yet it affects so many countries!" Jero Bonaparte sighed.
If it weren’t for France’s own strength being insufficient to take on all of Europe alone, Jero Bonaparte would not choose to leverage interests to move European diplomacy.
"Your Majesty, the German Region has always been like this!" De Luyis shrugged and responded to Jero Bonaparte.
"Now I sowhat envy my uncle! If he were here, there would be no need for such complexity!" Jero Bonaparte sighed deeply: "Now is no longer the era of one country taking on all of Europe. Only cooperation between great powers can lead to mutual benefit!"
De Luyis also nodded in agreent with Jero Bonaparte’s view.
Subsequently, Jero Bonaparte encouraged De Luyis and advised him to rest well.
Under De Luyis’s farewell, Jero Bonaparte and Mokar once again boarded the carriage they ca in, and the carriage, carrying Jero Bonaparte, gradually disappeared into the night.
...
June 23, 1854, 8 AM.
Jero Bonaparte, awakened from his sleep, yawned and rubbed his sleep-bleary eyes, mumbling, "What ti is it now?"
"Your Majesty, it’s already eight o’clock! If you don’t get up now, you’ll miss the train of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert!" Empress Augusta, standing by Jero Bonaparte’s bed with a bulging belly, said to him.
"Right!" Jero Bonaparte imdiately thought of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s visit today, and hurriedly started putting on his clothes.
"Your Majesty, you don’t need to be too anxious!" Seeing Jero Bonaparte in a fluster, Augusta said again: "Did you forget! Victoria and Albert’s arrival ti is 11 o’clock!"
"Oh, right!" Not fully awake, Jero Bonaparte stopped dressing and lay back down, lazily saying, "Then I’ll sleep a little more!"
Empress Augusta, looking at Jero Bonaparte in a mix of amusent and helplessness, said, "Your Majesty, Emperor Franz Joseph and Prince tternich are heading to the dining room for breakfast!"
"Damn!" Jero Bonaparte couldn’t help but curse, "Are they made of iron?"
Jero Bonaparte still rembered that he returned to the Tuileries Palace at 3:30 AM, and the lights in Joseph Franz’s room were still on.
This ant that Joseph Franz had slept for at most four and a half hours.
"I don’t know that!" Augusta replied to Jero Bonaparte in a teasing tone: "But they are at least much more diligent than so people!"
"Alright! I get it!"
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