Albert and Jero Bonaparte, after agreeing to drag Franz Joseph into the situation, Jero Bonaparte said to Albert, "Once Nicholas I orders his soldiers to attack Sevastopol Fortress at all costs, there’s only one thing we need to do, and that’s to drag the defense of Sevastopol into the winter! Let those Slavs feel the harshness of the Crian winter. When they want to retreat, we’ll send out troops to cut off their route to the heartland of the Russian Empire! This is what’s called ’shutting the door to beat the dog’!"
After listening to Jero Bonaparte’s description, Albert imdiately felt a surge of excitent.
Jero Bonaparte’s strategy of shutting the door to beat the dog was indeed much more reasonable than the cabinet’s discussion of opening a second (Sweden) and third battlefield (Caucasus).
After all, Britain itself does not have much manpower to spare.
The current plan for a large army corps of over a hundred thousand n proposed by the British War Departnt is actually only less than 40,000 n.
These troops are simply not capable of taking on the task of opening new battlefields and at most only serve to fill in the severely depleted British Army in the Crian Peninsula.
It should be known that Commander Lagren’s telegrams requesting reinforcents are sent to London every two or three days, and currently, the cabinet is extrely annoyed by Commander Lagren.
Therefore, a few days ago, Palrston had no choice but to convene a cabinet eting to discuss Britain’s manpower issues, and in that eting, the Duke of Newcastle’s plan to recruit rcenaries received unanimous approval from the cabinet ministers. The Duke of Newcastle planned to recruit German rcenaries, especially Hessians, in the German Region to fight for the Kingdom of Britain.
They hoped that the recruited Hessian rcenaries would be as loyal and reliable as they were during the Napoleonic Wars!
However, no one, including the Duke of Newcastle, realized that the era of Hessian rcenaries had passed.
With technological advancents, the once destitute Hessians can now go to prosperous regions like the Rhine Land to work.
As long as they’ve saved enough for a ticket to the New Continent, Germans can leave the highly competitive German Region and go to the New Continent they’ve dread of.
In the New Continent, they no longer have to endure the layers of exploitation by local princes. Those with a bit of courage could even establish a foundation in the New Continent.
With the option of the New Continent available, very few people are willing to beco the lackeys of the Kingdom of Britain.
After all, the Kingdom of Britain treats its soldiers worse than livestock... No, it could be said it’s even worse than livestock. At least livestock needs to be well-fed and cared for to produce, but the food of those rcenaries is even worse than that of the regular British army. As long as it doesn’t imdiately kill, anything can be eaten by both rcenaries and regular troops.
Because the Kingdom of Britain cannot recruit enough suitable manpower dostically, and Albert himself is a potential German nationalist (Albert’s German national sentint is secondary to British interests), he was quite displeased with Palrston’s plan to recruit fellow Germans in Hesse as cannon fodder.
Therefore, Prince Albert imdiately agreed to Jero Bonaparte’s war of attrition tactics. However, Prince Albert also hinted at Jero Bonaparte that the Royal Family could not imdiately express clear support for France’s opinion. France needed to pressure the British Cabinet through Lagren, then the Royal Family would assist.
"Only in this way will our stubborn Palrston change his view!" Prince Albert shrugged and replied to Jero Bonaparte.
"I understand!" Jero Bonaparte nodded and answered Prince Albert.
"By the way! How do you plan to appease Franz Joseph? It’s never pleasant for anyone to be used as a pawn!" Prince Albert asked Jero Bonaparte.
"I think if our two countries respectively provide a loan to the Austrian Empire, the Austrian Empire should consider the money and swallow its pride!" Jero Bonaparte suggested to Albert.
"Provide a loan?" Prince Albert asked Jero Bonaparte with a hint of doubt, "Are you sure the Austrian Empire still has the ability to repay debts?"
"It should have!" Jero Bonaparte deliberately used an uncertain tone to reply to Prince Albert, "After all, the market of the Austrian Empire is not too small; it should have the ability to repay debts!"
"Although the Austrian Empire has a large territory, its market is very small, and many people are tied to the land!" Albert is clearly not too keen on investing in the Austrian Empire.
During the Napoleonic Wars, the Habsburg Kingdom once defrauded Britain because of debt issues.
Currently, the Austrian Empire owes the Kingdom of Britain a large sum of money that’s yet to be repaid.
It can be said that the British Governnt has a trust crisis with the Austrian Empire Governnt.
"We can designate the loan to be invested in specific fields!" Jero Bonaparte quickly responded to Albert, "For example, in railways and infrastructure! No country can ignore the construction and maintenance of these two. We just need to withdraw at the right ti, then not only will we be safe, but we can also make a big profit!"
"You an railway speculation?" Prince Albert imdiately understood Jero Bonaparte’s aning.
"Exactly!" Jero Bonaparte nodded in response to Prince Albert.
"This is indeed a good project!" After thinking carefully for a mont, Prince Albert raised his head again and replied to Jero Bonaparte, "Let’s see how it goes! If Franz Joseph shows real resistance, only then do we tell him about providing a loan!"
Afterwards, Jero Bonaparte and Prince Albert discussed the issues of Sweden, Denmark (essentially Germany), and the Apennine Peninsula. After exchanging opinions, they both agreed that it was best to maintain the status quo regarding Sweden, Denmark, and the Apennine issues.
Finally, Prince Albert stood up to return to the Louvre, and Jero Bonaparte also stood up to see Prince Albert out of the Elysee Palace.
Watching Prince Albert’s carriage leave the Elysee Palace, Jero Bonaparte was about to take a carriage back to the Tuileries Palace when Mokar appeared before Jero Bonaparte and reported to him: "Your Majesty, while you were speaking with Prince Albert, Mr. Cavour from the Sardinian Kingdom ca looking for you!"
"Cavour?" Jero Bonaparte was stunned for a few seconds, then showed a pained expression and said, "What does he want this ti?"
Although Jero Bonaparte was not prepared to help Cavour unify the Apennine Peninsula, it didn’t an that Jero Bonaparte didn’t care for Sardinia, this little brother!
The existence of Sardinia could be said to be a stake Jero Bonaparte planted in the Apennine to warn the Austrian Empire not to oppose France; otherwise, Sardinia would invite France into the Apennine to sweep the entire peninsula.
How to utilize Sardinia without being bound by it is indeed a problem.
Especially when faced with talents like Cavour, who are skilled in both diplomacy and dostic affairs.
If Cavour were not in Sardinia, his stage might have been much broader than now.
"Where is Cavour now?" Jero Bonaparte asked Mokar.
"Mr. Cavour said he is currently waiting for your audience at Princess Mathilde’s residence!" Mokar said to Jero Bonaparte.
"My sister!" Jero Bonaparte shook his head and sighed again, "Alright, I won’t return! Let’s take this opportunity to et our guest from afar! Let’s go to my sister’s residence!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Mokar hurriedly responded.
The carriage carried Jero Bonaparte to Mathilde’s residence.
...
Jero Bonaparte stepped down from the carriage in front of the residence and walked straight to the front door, knocking gently.
"Who is it?" ca the voice of the residence maid from outside.
"Open the door quickly, I am a suitor of Princess Mathilde!" Jero Bonaparte said in a high-pitched voice through the door.
"You’re late; the Princess is holding a salon!" the maid from inside responded to Jero Bonaparte.
"I don’t care! I must see the Princess!" Jero Bonaparte continued in a high-pitched playful manner.
"What’s with you, being so rude!" The maid’s voice grew nearer, and as the door opened, she realized: "My apologies, Your Majesty!"
The maid, who had been angry, suddenly turned her anger into fear when she saw it was none other than Jero Bonaparte standing outside.
Oh my! What was I doing just now!
"Shh!" Jero Bonaparte made a silencing gesture and then asked the maid, "Mr. Cavour is inside, isn’t he?"
"Yes!" The maid quickly nodded and replied.
For the corpulent gentleman, the maid rembered him vividly.
"Then take to an empty room first, and then quietly inform my sister that I wish to et with Cavour, and have her call Cavour out! Do you understand?" Jero Bonaparte instructed the maid word by word.
The maid nodded and then led Jero Bonaparte to an empty room: "Your Majesty, please wait here for a mont!"
Then, the maid left Jero Bonaparte’s room and went to the room where Princess Mathilde was.
At this mont, the gentlen and ladies surrounding Princess Mathilde were quietly listening to her reviews of Parisian literature. The sound of the maid entering the room attracted everyone’s attention.
"What’s happened?" Princess Mathilde paused her review and asked the maid.
The maid ca to Princess Mathilde’s side, leaned to her ear, and conveyed Jero Bonaparte’s ssage to her.
"Ladies and gentlen, please excuse for a mont!" Princess Mathilde paused the ongoing literary review and then turned her gaze to Cavour: "Mr. Cavour, could you step outside with for a mont?"
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