"Rue, please sit! I have sothing to discuss with you!"
Faced with Jero Bonaparte’s gentle deanor, Eugène Roué felt both pleased and anxious.
Pleased because the Emperor, whom he hadn’t t alone for a long ti, had personally summoned him, which ant he hadn’t lost the Emperor’s trust and still had room for advancent.
The anxiety stemd from the possibility that the Emperor suddenly summoning him might an there was sothing confidential he needed to entrust to him.
Having worked under the Emperor for nearly six years, Eugène Roué knew the Emperor’s way of doing things too well. Such sudden summons likely ant he wanted him to do sothing he couldn’t manage himself.
However, even though Rue had already decided he might be tasked with a challenging job by the Emperor, he needed to seize every opportunity, because as the Empire’s system stabilized, more and more newcors erged like bamboo shoots after the rain.
With the slightest mistake, the veterans who once assisted His Majesty might be replaced.
Once they lost their positions, it would be very difficult for them to climb up again. Maybe out of consideration for their past services, His Majesty might send them to the Council of State.
This world lacks for nothing more than people eager to climb up.
"Your Majesty, what are your orders?" Eugène Roué imdiately assud a posture of alleviating worries for his sovereign.
"You don’t need to do that!" Jero Bonaparte patted Eugène Roué’s shoulder and said kindly, "I called you over just to have a chat! Relax a bit!"
Chat? Impossible!
Eugène Roué couldn’t help but give a bitter smile inside, but outwardly, he obeyed Jero Bonaparte’s words, and his tense face relaxed a little.
Seeing Eugène Roué’s change, Jero Bonaparte nodded in satisfaction and said, "Isn’t this much better? Why make the atmosphere of chatting so tense?" He paused and then asked, "By the way, how have you been feeling lately?"
"Your Majesty, I feel great! The work of the Minister of Justice gives an unprecedented sense of fulfillnt!" Eugène Roué responded to Jero Bonaparte.
"As long as you’re satisfied!" Jero Bonaparte replied with a smile to Eugène Roué.
"However, although the work of the Minister of Justice brings fulfillnt, it also gives a kind of vexation!" Eugène Roué changed the topic to "complain" to Jero Bonaparte.
"What’s troubling you? Tell , and I’ll see if I can solve it for you!" Jero Bonaparte inquired in a friendly tone.
"The work of the Minister of Justice doesn’t allow to stay by your side to serve you!" Eugène Roué replied to Jero Bonaparte with feigned dismay, "Sotis, I think perhaps I should resign to focus on staying by your side!"
"You’re one of the pillars of the Empire! How can you only stay by my side? That would be a waste of talent!" Jero Bonaparte naturally understood that Eugène Roué was expressing his loyalty and was pleased to see it.
"I don’t have any talent! It’s only your discerning choice that has given the opportunity to serve the Empire!" Eugène Roué continued to flatter Jero Bonaparte, "There are so many talented people in this world and so few who can recognize talent! Without you, no matter how great my talents, they would be useless! Not to ntion, I don’t have any extraordinary talent myself."
"Rue, you’re too modest!" Jero Bonaparte responded with a stern face to Eugène Roué.
From Jero Bonaparte’s expression, it seed he was sowhat displeased with Eugène Roué’s excessive modesty.
"Your Majesty, I’m not being modest! I’m speaking the truth!" Rue also corrected Jero Bonaparte’s mistake with a serious face, "Without you, I might still be an unknown small lawyer! How many people would know ! It’s really because of you that I can stand here now."
"Alright, alright!" Jero Bonaparte decided to get to the main point, "I do have sothing to entrust to you!"
"Your Majesty, please give your orders!" Eugène Roué said, sitting upright and attentively.
"No need to be so serious!" Jero Bonaparte said, gesturing lightly, in a casual tone, "I told you it’s just a chat! If you don’t want to, then forget it!"
"Your Majesty, speak! I will do my utmost to accomplish it!" Eugène Roué said solemnly to Jero Bonaparte.
"Here’s the thing! I want..." Jero Bonaparte delicately conveyed to Eugène Roué his intention to leave Paris, "During the ti I’m away from Paris, I’d like you to preside over the daily etings in my absence!"
After all, Empress Augusta is still pregnant, and she cannot hold etings frequently! If so, it would be too taxing on her body!"
Upon hearing Jero Bonaparte’s "plea," Eugène Roué was montarily blank-minded, hardly able to believe what he heard.
God! Is this a dream? If it’s a dream, then please don’t let wake up!
In his heart, Eugène Roué was wildly shouting, and the "task" Jero Bonaparte entrusted to him excited him more than he imagined.
Being given the authority to convene daily etings! It is tantamount to being granted a portion of the administration of the Empire.
Even if it’s only a part of the administrative power, it surpasses the authority of any Minister of the Seal or Minister of State.
In the ti when the Emperor is away from France, Eugène Roué is practically the "Vice Emperor" of the whole Empire.
"Rue, Rue!"
Just as Eugène Roué was lost in thought, Jero Bonaparte’s voice reached his ears, and he quickly apologized to Jero Bonaparte: "Your Majesty, I was discourteous!"
"It’s nothing!" Jero Bonaparte waved his hand magnanimously, then smiled and asked, "Do you have sothing you’d like to ask ?"
Eugène Roué pondered for a mont before cautiously inquiring of Jero Bonaparte: "Your Majesty, where are you headed?"
"Constantinople! I’m going to award dals to those soldiers!" Jero Bonaparte imdiately responded,
"Constantinople!" Eugène Roué exclaid, then tried to dissuade Jero Bonaparte: "Your Majesty, the entire Empire exists because of you! You cannot go to Constantinople under any circumstances!"
"Rue, are you teaching how to do things?" Jero Bonaparte said in a cold tone.
"Your Majesty, that’s not what I ant!" Eugène Roué hurriedly explained: "I was just..."
"Just what?" Jero Bonaparte continued.
"Just worried about your safety in Constantinople!" Eugène Roué said, gritting his teeth.
"There’s no need to worry about that; a troop will accompany !" Jero Bonaparte replied to Eugène Roué: "Do you accept this task or not?"
At this point, Eugène Roué knew he couldn’t stop Jero Bonaparte from going to Constantinople, so he nodded, indicating that he would do his utmost to assist Her Majesty the Empress.
"With you in Paris, I can rest assured!" Jero Bonaparte reached out and patted Eugène Roué’s shoulder once again.
Then, he subtly issued a dismissal order: "While there’s still ti, you can go prepare!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
...
After Eugène Roué left, Jero Bonaparte sent soone to the National Intelligence Bureau to find Marcel Yale.
"Your Majesty!" Marcel Yale responded respectfully to Jero Bonaparte.
"While I’m away from Paris, you must closely monitor Eugène Roué! If there’s any sign of rebellion, eliminate him on the spot!" Jero Bonaparte’s voice was devoid of any warmth as he spoke.
The reason he chose Eugène Roué was because, as the Minister of Justice, Rue had long been on the periphery of Jero Bonaparte’s core group, and his influence on other core mbers would not be like that of Fuld, so even if Jero split so administrative power, Roué couldn’t threaten the stability of Jero Bonaparte’s regi.
Neither Fuld, Mornay, nor Percy would fully submit to Eugène Roué, and even if Eugène Roué wanted to sell out the country, he couldn’t agree with the Cabinet mbers.
Not to ntion, once Jero Bonaparte left, the troops near Paris would be in the hands of Nie’er.
Nie’er himself was already considered a core mber of Jero Bonaparte’s military group, and the future Chief of Staff was already certain.
Jero Bonaparte really couldn’t think of how the opposition could sway Nie’er.
Unless they promised Nie’er the Pri Minister’s position, but soone like Nie’er wouldn’t risk it for an empty promise.
Dispatching Marcel Yale to monitor Eugène Roué was just an extra precaution, to prevent Rue from acting recklessly and causing an explosion in Paris.
"Yes!" Marcel Yale responded imdiately.
...
In the following days, Jero Bonaparte showed no sign of departing, as if his previous ntion of going to Constantinople was just a casual statent.
Until three days before departure, Jero Bonaparte summoned Richard tternich to his office and asked if he would be willing to accompany him to Constantinople.
"Your Majesty, you’re going to Constantinople?" Richard tternich asked in astonishnt.
"Didn’t I tell you long ago?" Jero Bonaparte asked Richard tternich, "So, what have you decided?"
Richard tternich hesitated for a mont before asking Jero Bonaparte: "Your Majesty, when do you plan to depart? So I can prepare!"
"Three days from now, we will depart!" Jero Bonaparte answered.
"So soon!" Richard tternich exclaid, then continued, "Alright! I’ll go prepare right away!"
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