Under the ticulous guidance of Jero Bonaparte, Minister Dico finally saw the light.
Soon after Jero Bonaparte left, Minister Dico contacted the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, hoping the Ministry could assist the navy in selling a batch of "obsolete" warships.
These so-called obsolete warships were nominally outdated, but in reality, they were only one generation behind the ironclads.
Once any country equipped itself with this battleship, its naval combat capability could be significantly enhanced.
To ensure the successful sale of the warships, Minister Dico also "bundled" so navy officers with the fleet for sale, even coming up with "packages."
At the sa ti, he spent a substantial amount of money in many countries promoting the idea that warships were a symbol of national prestige, that large ant beautiful, and such rhetoric indeed fooled many countries into the pitfall of purchasing warships.
As a result, many nations were willing to take loans to buy a warship for the sake of face, and the high naval budget was barely kept from massive "losses" due to the continuous sale of warships by the French Navy.
Future French citizens would place titles like "Father of the Ironclad" and "Creator of the New Navy" collectively on Minister Jean Dikko.
However, no one knew that Minister Jean Dikko’s approach was all thanks to Emperor Jero Bonaparte.
Of course, these are all future matters.
At present, Minister Dico was still playing the role of a qualified listener, not understanding why His Majesty the Emperor had so many strange and novel ideas, ideas he had never heard of before.
But the more he thought about these thods, the more feasible they seed.
"Your Majesty, I understand what you an!" Minister Dico hurriedly said to Jero Bonaparte, "You intend to use the thod of selling warships and earning loan differences to indirectly subsidize dostic enterprises!"
Jero Bonaparte’s face showed an expression of "you can be taught," and he nodded to Minister Dico, "Exactly! We must seize the opportunity while our economy has not yet slipped into decline to create a new source of inco! Only in this way can we mitigate the impact of the cessation of war on the entire society! Do you understand what I an?"
"Understood!" Minister Dico slightly nodded in response to Jero Bonaparte.
"Of course, this thod is just to give us a little breather; the core of the Empire lies in industrial upgrading and taxation!" Jero Bonaparte casually ntioned.
"Your Majesty, what is industrial upgrading?" Minister Dico, hearing this term for the first ti, curiously asked Jero Bonaparte.
"Is there any difference between the looms of the early century and the looms now? What differences do they have?" Jero Bonaparte inquired of Minister Dico.
"The amount of fabric produced by early-century looms is not as much as what is produced now!" Minister Dico answered decisively.
"You see, that’s industrial upgrading!" Jero Bonaparte stated to Minister Dico, "With the progress of ti, the speed at which we can manufacture things is also continuously accelerating. When old technology can no longer satisfy current society, new technology will erge to replace them. Just like how the railway replaced the carriage and the telegraph replaced the postal station!
I dare to bet with you; within ten years, an entirely new era will arrive! And the first product of this new era will be the alternative to kerosene lamps!"
The confident look and speech of Jero Bonaparte made Minister Dico start to believe in his words.
Perhaps His Majesty Bonaparte was like the current Emperor back then! Minister Dico thought to himself.
After finishing his explanation, Jero Bonaparte chatted casually with Dico for a while before Dico left the study.
...
As the first ray of dawn pierced the darkness over the sea, the crowing of roosters echoed, and the mist rising over the sea began to gradually dissipate.
Once again, the dockworkers, dragging their weary bodies, beca busy, transporting boxes of strategic materials to the cargo ships, which then set sail under the escort of warships departing from the dock to the Cria Peninsula.
And today was precisely when Jero Bonaparte and Richard tternich were leaving Toulon for Constantinople.
Jero Bonaparte, who had gotten up early, was escorted by Minister Dico to the pier, where Richard tternich had already been waiting on the gangway for so ti.
Seeing Jero Bonaparte, Richard tternich’s serious expression broke into a smile.
"Mr. Richard, let’s go!" Jero Bonaparte said to Richard tternich.
The two of them proceeded along the way and soon arrived in front of the ironclad "Friendship."
The captain in charge of reception, upon seeing Jero Bonaparte arrive at the naval port, rushed to personally greet him.
"Thank you for your hard work!" Jero Bonaparte said with a smile to the captain.
"No! It’s no trouble!" The captain shook his head in response.
Jero Bonaparte and Richard tternich boarded the small boat, which carried them to the "Friendship" ironclad ship.
As soon as they boarded the ironclad ship, they were imdiately surrounded by the sailors inside (especially Jero Bonaparte), with many sailors eager to shake hands with him. If the captain hadn’t shouted angrily for them to return to their posts, the sailors probably wouldn’t have stopped encircling Jero Bonaparte.
"Your Majesty, I..." The captain showed a look of sha on his face.
"Isn’t this quite nice!" Jero Bonaparte smiled and replied to the captain unhurriedly, "I see in them their loyalty to the Bonaparte Clan. Such loyalty is worth cherishing!"
"Thank you for your magnanimity!" The captain said excitedly to Jero Bonaparte.
"By the way, how long until we can depart?" Jero Bonaparte inquired about the departure ti of the warship.
The captain inford Jero Bonaparte that the ironclad ship needed to wait for all the cargo to be loaded before it could leave.
Of course, if Jero Bonaparte insisted on leaving now, the entire crew of the ironclad ship would resolutely carry out his orders.
"Let’s wait a little longer!" Jero Bonaparte shook his head in refusal, "I cannot disrupt the entire transportation plan!"
...
Nearly two hours passed, and the sun in the sky gradually moved from east to south.
"Your Majesty, all the ammunition, cannons, and supplies destined for the Cria Peninsula have been loaded! We can set sail!" The captain reported to Jero Bonaparte.
"Very well! Then let’s depart!" Jero Bonaparte nodded in response to the captain.
...
As the ironclad ship began to leave the naval port under the dual power of the steam engine and the sail, the figures on the shore beca increasingly blurred. Jero Bonaparte withdrew his gaze and looked at Richard tternich inside the deck.
At this mont, Richard tternich was no longer as composed and calm as before. His face turned an ashen white along with the continuous movent of the ironclad ship, and he looked extrely pained.
Seeing Richard tternich’s expression, Jero Bonaparte instinctively thought of seasickness and quickly approached Richard tternich to ask, "How are you? Can you hold on?"
"Your Majesty, I’m not... not well!" Richard tternich showed a face more unsightly than crying and stamred, "I might be sowhat unaccustod to being far from land; this is my first ti away from land..."
Seeing Richard tternich look nearly lifeless, Jero Bonaparte had to order the captain to have soone help Richard tternich inside the warship, then commanded the captain to summon the ship’s doctor for treatnt while he himself stood on the deck, gazing into the distance.
After a while, the captain ca up to Jero Bonaparte and reported on Richard tternich’s situation: "Your Majesty, Ambassador Richard has taken the dicine provided by the doctor and is now sleeping."
"Is he seasick, or is there another illness..." Jero Bonaparte inquired to the captain.
"Based on the current situation, Mr. Richard tternich is likely seasick for the first ti, causing dizziness! Many first-ti sailors have experienced similar symptoms! It only takes a few days to pass!" The captain answered Jero Bonaparte.
The captain’s words relieved Jero Bonaparte; he certainly didn’t want Richard tternich to die on the ship.
For soone like Richard tternich from the Pro-French Faction, it would be best if he lives to a ripe old age.
"Alright! As long as he’s fine!" Jero Bonaparte said indifferently, "For the next few days, serve Richard with slightly lighter als!"
During the subsequent period at sea, Richard tternich almost ate exclusively the light als Jero Bonaparte specifically instructed, and gradually, his complexion beca rosy again.
anwhile, the ironclad ship advanced quickly and soon reached the vicinity of Constantinople.
"Your Majesty, we will drop you and Ambassador Richard tternich at the appropriate harbor of Constantinople! At that ti, mbers of the French Embassy will be there to greet you!" The captain reported to Jero Bonaparte?
"Who said I was going to disembark at Constantinople?" Jero Bonaparte retorted.
"Didn’t you say you wanted to go to Constantinople..." The captain asked in confusion.
"That was what I thought a few days ago; now I have only one thought!" Jero Bonaparte pointed in the direction of the Cria Peninsula and responded to the captain, "That’s to head to the Cria Peninsula!"
"The Cria Peninsula?" Upon hearing Jero Bonaparte’s words, the captain shook his head vehently in refusal, "Your Majesty, for the sake of your safety! I must stop the ship at Constantinople!"
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