Under the watchful eyes of the entire Expeditionary Army’s officers, Jero Bonaparte solemnly draped a red ribbon over Pellissier and then adorned him with a golden Grand Cross dal.
The faces of all the generals lit up with joyful smiles, each of them clearly aware that the French Expeditionary Army was about to welco a new marshal.
After placing the dal on Pellissier’s chest, Jero Bonaparte gently patted him and saluted.
Pellissier swiftly brought his feet together and returned the salute to Jero Bonaparte.
Subsequently, Jero Bonaparte handed the Marshal’s Staff from the tray to Pellissier, saying, "Pellissier, from this mont on, you are the new Marshal of the French Empire! I hope you will continue to excel and not disappoint my expectations of you!"
"Your Majesty, I pledge on my honor that I will not betray your trust!" Pellissier straightened his posture, his eyes becoming particularly resolute.
"Very good!" Jero Bonaparte smiled slightly, speaking warmly, "I look forward to your future performance."
"Long live the Empire! Long live the Emperor!"
As soon as Jero Bonaparte finished speaking, the generals at the Expeditionary Army Headquarters simultaneously raised their arms to salute Jero Bonaparte and then loudly cheered in his honor to show their loyalty.
Amidst such cheers, two more attendants entered the headquarters hall, one carrying a tray and the other holding a red ribbon.
Almost all the generals stared fervently at Jero Bonaparte, indicating that the honorees of this ceremony were not limited to Pellissier.
Looking at the eager group of generals in front of him, eager to gain honor from his hands, Jero Bonaparte couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride. He raised his voice and said, "General Bosskey, General Canrobert!"
"Present!" responded Bosskey and Canrobert energetically, recognizing that His Majesty the Emperor was about to comnd them.
"General Canrobert, you two have demonstrated exemplary adaptability and perseverance of a distinguished French commander through your military actions in Strasbourg, Alma, and Sevastopol. Therefore, on behalf of the French Empire, I bestow upon you the Grand Cross dal, and I hope both of you will achieve greater glory!" Jero Bonaparte also placed the red ribbon and the golden Grand Cross dal on Bosskey and Canrobert!
"We shall not fail in our mission!" Bosskey and Canrobert stood upright, a determined spirit evident in their eyes.
"Excellent! I also look forward to your performances!"
...
As ti went by, one by one, attendants holding trays with dals entered the hall and then exited with empty trays. Each attendant’s departure signified the awarding of a dal.
The grand ceremony for generals was also drawing to a close, and the attending generals began to gather in small groups, heading to the headquarters’ lounge to enjoy coffee and tea.
Marshal Pellissier, one of the protagonists of today’s ceremony, was called out of the headquarters by Jero Bonaparte under the pretense of an inspection.
"Marshal Pellissier, how are things on your end?" Jero Bonaparte asked Pellissier while walking under the sun.
"Your Majesty, the entire Sevastopol has now been transford into a massive fortress by our army. Should the Russian Imperial Army dare to co over, they will crash and bleed here!" Pellissier reported to Jero Bonaparte.
"When do you think Gorchakov will launch an attack?" Jero Bonaparte asked Pellissier once more.
After a mont of hesitation, Pellissier replied to Jero Bonaparte, "Your Majesty, I estimate that Gorchakov will launch an attack no later than September! They are very likely to initiate it in the latter part of this month!"
"It seems we think alike!" As Jero Bonaparte spoke, he took out an opened pack of cigarettes from his pocket, offering two to Pellissier and asking, "Care for one?"
Pellissier took one from Jero Bonaparte’s hand and fished out matches from his pocket to light it for Jero Bonaparte.
White smoke rings puffed out of Jero Bonaparte’s mouth, and a look of satisfaction appeared on his face. He then trotted to a high point overlooking the distant Sevastopol Port.
Pellissier closely followed Jero Bonaparte to the high ground, hesitated for a mont, and said to Jero Bonaparte, "Your Majesty!"
"What’s up?" Jero Bonaparte asked casually.
"You..." Pellissier hesitated, unsure whether he should speak.
"What’s the matter with ?" Jero Bonaparte looked at Pellissier with a puzzled expression, "Go ahead and say it! This is the army, not the Tuileries Palace!"
Marshal Pellissier subtly inquired of Jero Bonaparte when he plans to return to France!
"Depart? To where?" Jero Bonaparte was stunned for a mont. A few seconds later, he suddenly realized and said, "Oh! You an to embark on the journey back to France?"
"Yes!" Pelissier nodded and said to Jero Bonaparte, "The Cria Peninsula could erupt into a war at any mont; staying here for too long is extrely dangerous!"
"Then where should I stay? Paris? Or London?" Jero Bonaparte asked in return.
Pelissier remained silent, understanding that Jero Bonaparte’s question was not a genuine inquiry but an expression of dissatisfaction.
"If my marshals, generals, and my most loyal army cannot give a sense of security, then I truly don’t know what in this world could!" Jero Bonaparte extinguished his cigarette butt, threw it on the ground, and waved towards the patrolling French soldiers in the distance. "Sotis, the rear is far more dangerous than the frontline!"
"Your Majesty!" Pelissier did not know what to say and could only softly call out.
"Pelissier, if you are trying to persuade to leave, then there’s no need to say any more! I will not leave the Cria Peninsula until this war is over! You should know what I need!" Jero Bonaparte responded firmly to Pelissier.
Pelissier clearly understood Jero Bonaparte’s needs; His Majesty the Emperor, like them, also needed the blessing of honor.
The title of "Emperor’s Nephew" indeed brought huge political capital to Jero Bonaparte, but this political capital did not co without a price.
His Majesty the Emperor must obtain enough honor to make the French people feel that he is worthy of the title "Emperor’s Nephew."
Nothing is a faster channel to honor than the army.
"But if sothing happens in Paris..." Pelissier remarked with a trace of concern to Jero Bonaparte.
He feared that if sothing went wrong in Paris, their expeditionary force might find themselves in a situation where their logistics were cut off.
"As for Paris, I have already appointed a batch of bureaucrats loyal to the Empire to manage it on my behalf!" Jero Bonaparte answered Pelissier confidently. "So there’s no need to worry about issues in Paris, and..."
Jero Bonaparte paused, showing a contemptuous expression, and then continued, "Moreover, I don’t think those lurking rats in Paris would act at this ti!"
He was not afraid of those lurking in Paris taking action because once they moved, Jero Bonaparte would have a reason to openly put them on trial under the charge of "colluding with external reactionary forces of the Russian Empire to undermine the Crian War."
For France now, everything must make concessions to the Crian War.
Moreover, even if Paris were lost, he could just follow Thiers’ later example and lead the army back in.
Paris indeed is a capricious city, but its capriciousness is based on the complete downturn in various economic aspects and the accumulation of contradictions to the point where turmoil is inevitable, only then would those lurking in the shadows start to act.
And now, under Jero Bonaparte’s governance, Paris is still in a stage of rapid developnt, and the contradictions between the various classes have not yet reached the extent to necessitate a war for alleviation.
Moreover, under Jero Bonaparte’s strategy of enticing and suppressing the Republican Faction, the Orthodox Faction, and the Orléans Faction, it is difficult for them to regain their forr strength in the short term.
Thus, the possibility of an incident in Paris is minimal.
Faced with Jero Bonaparte’s resolute demand to stay, Pelissier could not directly refuse Jero Bonaparte’s stay in the army.
Since the Emperor has arrived at the frontline and is unwilling to leave, he can only choose to acquiesce.
...
In the next few days, Jero Bonaparte, accompanied by Pelissier, Conrobel, and others, reviewed the French Army in Sevastopol and Kashmi Port.
Many soldiers fervently cheered for Jero Bonaparte upon seeing him dressed in Lev’s formal suit.
It had been a long ti since a monarch personally visited the frontline as Jero Bonaparte had; the last one to do so was Emperor Napoleon.
anwhile, upon receiving the news that the Emperor of the French Empire had arrived on the Cria Peninsula, the commanders of the armies of England, Turkey, and Italy imdiately rushed to the French Expeditionary Army on the south shore of Sevastopol to seek an audience.
Under the leadership of French Imperial Marshal Pelissier and Renio, the commanders of England, Turkey, and Russia t with Jero Bonaparte at the barracks on the south shore of Sevastopol.
"Long ti no see! Commander Largren!"
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