After Count Baur finished speaking, the entire room fell into silence. After a mont, Jero Bonaparte, who had recovered, imdiately spoke.
"Grand Duke of Krakow-Galicia? So Franz Joseph is planning to reunite the territories of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Poland that were initially occupied by the Austrian Empire!"
"Exactly!" Count Baur nodded and said, "Our His Majesty the Emperor hopes to gain your support!"
"Support! Of course, I support it!" Jero Bonaparte replied with a smile.
"As for Prussia..." Count Baur, having received a definite answer from Jero Bonaparte, tentatively asked.
"Rest assured!" Jero Bonaparte hurriedly assured Count Baur, "Not only will I support you in this matter, but Palrston and others will also support your decision!"
"Your Majesty, thank you for what you have done for the Austrian Empire!" Count Baur sincerely expressed his gratitude, "I can assure you that the Austrian Empire will be your most loyal partner!"
"Mr. Bauer, your words put at ease!" Jero Bonaparte nodded graciously, then continued, "The French Empire and the Austrian Empire are a pair of natural allies! Because in many issues, our two countries have consistent goals!
For example, in the matters of Russia, Germany, and the Apennine Peninsula... If our two countries are hostile to each other, it will only benefit a third party.
However, while our French Empire can still endure in an isolated environnt, it may not be the case for your country!"
Jero Bonaparte’s ’cautionary’ remarks left Count Baur feeling a bit gloomy.
However, he had to admit that Jero Bonaparte was right; the current Austrian Empire indeed had limited options.
Having offended Prussia and Russia, without clinging closely to France, Austria might end up being marginalized in Europe like the Russian Empire.
"You are right! Between France and Austria, mutual support and assistance are fundantal!" Count Baur nodded in agreent and said, "No one, no organization can dismantle the union between us!"
Jero Bonaparte clapped his hands and said, "Mr. Bauer, you are absolutely right!"
Then, Jero Bonaparte asked Count Baur when Grand Duke Maximilian would arrive, so he could properly welco the future King of Poland.
Count Baur inford Jero Bonaparte that he had received a telegram from Austria, indicating that Grand Duke Maximilian would arrive in Paris alongside Pope Pius IX.
"Then I’ll be watching eagerly!" Jero Bonaparte replied with a smile.
After the brief yet significant diplomatic eting concluded, Jero Bonaparte, Valerovsky, and Count Baur began to quietly enjoy their afternoon tea.
An hour later, the afternoon tea ended, and Count Baur bid farewell to Jero Bonaparte and Valerovsky.
"Let see you off!" Jero Bonaparte said politely.
"Your Majesty, there’s no need! I can return to the embassy myself!" Count Baur replied considerately to Jero Bonaparte.
"Alright then!" Jero Bonaparte shrugged, seeing Count Baur off as he left the office.
After Count Baur left, Jero Bonaparte said to Valerovsky, "Let’s start the next round!"
Valerovsky quickly invited Jero Bonaparte to sit down, and then sat opposite him with a serious expression.
"Here’s the thing! My cousin, Queen Catherine of the Netherlands..." Jero Bonaparte began to talk to Valerovsky in a casual tone about the division of the Kingdom of Belgium, "What do you think about this matter for the French Empire — good or bad?"
Valerovsky pondered for a mont with his head lowered, then looked up again at Jero Bonaparte, "Your Majesty, the region promised by Queen Catherine is the Luxembourg Province of the Kingdom of Belgium, right?"
"Exactly!" Jero Bonaparte confird, "My cousin’s intention is that once the Kingdom of the Netherlands occupies the Kingdom of Belgium, they will imdiately hand over the Luxembourg Province to us!"
"Your Majesty!" Valerovsky clenched his fist, determinedly saying to Jero Bonaparte, "I believe we should not agree to Queen Catherine’s request!"
Jero Bonaparte showed a barely noticeable bewildernt on his face; he originally thought Valerovsky would lean towards supporting the Kingdom of the Netherlands’ return to Belgium, "Why?"
"Your Majesty, my opinion is based on three considerations!" Valerovsky analyzed systematically, "The first is that now more than twenty years have passed since Belgium’s independence, and twenty years is more than enough for a generation to grow up!
The previous generation may not have had the concept of the Kingdom of Belgium, but this generation has already ford that concept.
If the Kingdom of the Netherlands wants to return to the Kingdom of Belgium, they will not only have to defeat the army of the Kingdom of Belgium but also gain the support of this generation, which would be too difficult for the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Saying this, Valerovsky paused, swallowed, and continued, "The second point is that among the older generation of the Kingdom of Belgium, there are still mories of the past violent suppression by the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
If the Kingdom of the Netherlands were really to attack, those old folks would also likely beco their obstacle.
```
The third and most important point..."
Valerovsky asked Jero Bonaparte solemnly, "Your Majesty, what is the purpose of your engagent in the Crian War?"
"The purpose of crushing the Russian Empire is, of course, to shatter the shackles imposed on us by the Holy Alliance!" Jero Bonaparte responded without hesitation, "Haven’t I told you this many tis?"
"So, Your Majesty, have we already shattered them?" Valerovsky continued to ask.
After pondering for a mont, Jero Bonaparte said, "Shattered, but not completely! We have only shattered one corner of the Holy Alliance—the Russian Empire, and then replaced the position of the Russian Empire!"
Indeed, regardless of the new order Jero Bonaparte spoke of, he is currently enacting a version of Prince tternich’s European balance of power.
"So, Your Majesty, since we have beco the creators of this new order, we should do our utmost to maintain the existing order, rather than disrupt it as before!" Valerovsky advised Jero Bonaparte earnestly.
"You are right!" Jero Bonaparte suddenly realized, patting his thigh as he spoke to Valerovsky, "We are the creators of the European order and should no longer approach this ga with a mindset of destruction!"
Valerovsky’s face lit up with a smile; he was pleased that Jero Bonaparte could heed his advice.
"However, shouldn’t we also do sothing!" Jero Bonaparte rembered a certain alliance in later generations, thinking if he were to...
"Your Majesty, what do you want to do?" Valerovsky asked, puzzled, looking at Jero Bonaparte.
"Isn’t Leopold at the Luxembourg Grand Hotel? I think it’s ti to give them a warning!" Jero Bonaparte ordered Valerovsky, "In a mont, you will go personally to the Louvre Grand Hotel where Leopold is staying and tell him that I have sothing to discuss with him! Ask him to et at the Elysee Palace!"
"As you command!" Valerovsky imdiately responded to Jero Bonaparte.
After arranging everything, Jero Bonaparte stood up from the sofa, lightly adjusted his cuffs, and responded to Valerovsky, "Alright! I’ll go to the Elysee Palace to prepare now!"
Having said that, Jero Bonaparte, under the astonished gaze of Valerovsky, put on a wig and glasses again, quickly completing his disguise.
...
Leaving Ossai Pier, Jero Bonaparte ordered the carriage to take him to the Elysee Palace; the carriage sped along, quickly arriving at the gates of the Elysee Palace.
The soldiers guarding the Elysee Palace stopped him upon seeing Jero Bonaparte.
After Jero Bonaparte removed his wig and glasses, only then did the soldiers salute him.
"In a while, a carriage will arrive at the Elysee Palace! At that ti, you need not worry!" Jero Bonaparte said to the soldiers.
"Yes!" the soldiers replied vigorously.
...
Entering the Elysee Palace, Jero Bonaparte was led into a reception room by a maid left at the palace, and he also instructed the maid that if anyone ca, to bring that person to him directly!
The maid, like the soldiers, accepted the orders and left, leaving Jero Bonaparte alone as he stood by the window, quietly watching the setting sun slowly dip away into the distance.
Half an hour later, as the sun gradually disappeared behind the densely packed buildings, the servants placed candles and oil lamps prepared in advance in the reception room.
"Your Majesty, would you like to have a little sothing to eat?" a servant asked with concern.
"No, thank you!" Jero Bonaparte shook his head and replied.
The servant left once more.
...
Ten minutes later, the door of the reception room opened once again, and this ti appeared the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Belgium, Leopold, who would beco the infamous "Spendthrift" Leopold II.
During his reign, the spendthrifts of the entire Congo Colony could be said to have accounted for half of the colony’s population, which was exceedingly rare in the entire history of colonialism.
It can be said without polite reservation that France’s atrocities in Algeria were not as severe as his, with only the Kingdom of Britain comparing or exceeding him.
After all, the Kingdom of Britain not only engineered multiple famines in India.
Even the white compatriots in Ireland also suffered intentionally engineered, heartbreaking famines.
However, the British Empire’s formidable strength made it impossible for anyone to voice any opposition.
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