"I hope that after Austria defeats Prussia, the Rhine Land region can provide so convenience to France!"
Count Baur finally understood what Jero Bonaparte really wanted.
After all that, the French Empire is still willing to give up its ambitions for the left bank of the Rhine Land.
However, it’s just as well! The Austrian Empire doesn’t have to worry about involving the French Empire when dealing with the Kingdom of Prussia in the future.
Count Baur thought silently to himself.
"Count Baur, what do you think of my proposal?" Jero Bonaparte’s voice reached Count Baur’s ears, "I can support the Austrian Empire in taking over Silesia, re-establishing your hegemony in Germany!
And all you, the Austrian Empire, need to do is transfer part of the land that wasn’t originally yours to us!"
"Your Majesty, this is not a matter that I, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, can decide!" Count Baur replied to Jero Bonaparte.
"I know!" Jero Bonaparte nodded and said to Count Baur, "You just need to relay everything I said to you to Franz Joseph as it is!
Trust , I will not treat you unfairly!"
"Your Majesty, I will convey your words verbatim to our Emperor!" Count Baur said to Jero Bonaparte.
"Alright! We’ve talked for quite a while! If we don’t return, they might think we are plotting sothing improper!" Jero Bonaparte decisively concluded the conversation.
Isn’t that so?
Count Baur thought to himself but still maintained a humble expression as he replied to Jero Bonaparte, "Yes!"
Jero Bonaparte and Count Baur returned to the banquet hall one after the other.
The guests in the banquet hall surrounded Jero Bonaparte upon seeing him again, engaging in conversations with him.
anwhile, Count Baur was similarly intercepted by the British Minister of Foreign Affairs, Earl of Clarion. After a brief conversation, realizing he couldn’t extract any useful intelligence from Count Baur, Earl of Clarion left.
...
The entire banquet lasted nearly 4 hours before it concluded, with Jero Bonaparte and Augusta shaking hands with each diplomat in turn and offering blessings.
When Jero Bonaparte shook hands with the last guest, Mr. Cavour, he glanced at him and said calmly, "Mr. Cavour, I just had a brief conversation with Mr. Bauer regarding the issues of Lombardy and Venice."
"Your Majesty, what did Count Baur say?" Count Cavour inquired of Jero Bonaparte.
"Mr. Bauer told that the Austrian Empire doesn’t plan to give up these two territories anyti soon, so the Sardinian Kingdom needs to wait for so ti!" Jero Bonaparte conveyed this to Cavour as diplomatically as possible.
Upon hearing Jero Bonaparte’s words, Cavour’s face slightly showed so disappointnt.
Although Cavour always told himself not to hope for peaceful purchase, he still clung to a sliver of hope for it.
If the Austrian Empire, swayed by the French Empire’s power, agreed to a peaceful purchase, that would be ideal.
Therefore, when Jero Bonaparte inford him of the unsuccessful negotiations, he felt so dejection and disappointnt.
"Your Majesty, on behalf of the Sardinian Kingdom, I thank you for speaking up for us!" Cavour said to Jero Bonaparte.
"Mr. Cavour!" Jero Bonaparte continued, "Since Lombardy cannot return in the short term, I hope you’ll consider what I said to you earlier!
The future of the Sardinian Kingdom should not be limited to the Apennine Peninsula; there is vast territory beyond awaiting our exploration!"
"Your Majesty, I will respond to you as soon as possible!" Cavour replied to Jero Bonaparte.
"By the way, there’s one more thing!" Jero Bonaparte suddenly rembered an important matter he hadn’t told Cavour: "I will host a European Currency Union seminar this October! I hope the Sardinian Kingdom doesn’t forget!"
"I understand, Your Majesty!" Cavour nodded again in response to Jero Bonaparte.
"Alright! That’s all I have to say!" Jero Bonaparte released Cavour’s hand, "You should go back and rest early!"
Count Cavour bowed to Jero Bonaparte and then left the Tuileries Palace.
Watching Cavour leave, Jero Bonaparte stretched and yawned before saying to Empress Augusta beside him, "It’s getting late! We should also go back and rest!"
Empress Augusta and Jero Bonaparte, hand in hand, returned to their bedroom.
...
Early the next morning, newspapers in Paris, London, Vienna, Berlin, and even St. Petersburg published the news of the official signing and implentation of the peace treaty.
At 2 PM, the cannons at the Paris Veterans Hospital sounded once again, declaring the complete end of the Crian War, which had lasted over a year.
The French Empire and the Kingdom of Britain achieved victory in this war with absolute advantage. This conflict not only divided the once unified Russian Empire into two governnts but also forced them to lose Poland, Finland, the Cria Peninsula, and Bessarabia. (Strictly speaking, the territory of Bessarabia was not lost, but its demilitarization is indeed a disgrace.)
The Russian Empire experienced humiliation unprecedented since Peter the Great.
The French Empire once again demonstrated through actions to all of Europe that even after facing defeat, it remained the strongest army on the continent.
Jero Bonaparte also gained unprecedented prestige by stepping over the body of the Russian Empire.
In the following week, tens of thousands of people gathered daily on the streets of Paris, and the business at cafes and restaurants beca exceptionally booming.
The Century Exposition also attracted a wave of foreign tourists by leveraging the signing of the Paris Peace Treaty.
When the Ministry of Finance handed over the entire financial revenue of April to Jero Bonaparte, he was astonished to find that April’s revenue had increased by 10% compared to Paris’s revenue in April of the previous year.
It should be noted that last year’s April revenue was maintained only by large-scale monetary easing.
This year’s April revenue was achieved entirely through the strong influence of Paris itself.
After reviewing the financial statents, Jero Bonaparte beca even more confident in Paris. As long as Paris could continuously maintain its position as the vacation center for European aristocrats, there would be no need to worry about financial issues.
The expenses required for those luxurious mansions and streets could be entirely covered by European aristocrats. Parisians would live much better than people in other places solely by enjoying the benefits brought by the aristocrats.
As long as the Parisians’ bread supply is not significantly affected, there will be no revolution in Paris.
After all, only those who have nothing would be willing to risk their lives.
The glamorous gentlen certainly wouldn’t risk their status and lives on an elusive revolution.
In Jero Bonaparte’s heart, the future Paris should beco an industrial city while also being a service-oriented city.
Therefore, Jero Bonaparte once again summoned Baron Haussmann, the governor of the Seine Province, for a conversation.
"I want to build Paris into a super tropolis, making it the brightest jewel of Europe!
Only in this way can we continuously attract more and more wealthy individuals to settle in Paris and guide them to consu!"
Upon hearing Jero Bonaparte’s grand ambition to make Paris the jewel of Europe, Baron Haussmann was equally excited.
Thus, Baron Haussmann once again requested Jero Bonaparte to annex the surrounding areas of the Seine Province.
Faced with Baron Haussmann’s request, Jero Bonaparte did not lose his head. He decisively rejected Haussmann’s request and then warned him to first complete the reorganization of the existing regions before seeking expansion.
Baron Haussmann had no choice but to agree with Jero Bonaparte’s advice and temporarily put aside the idea of further expansion.
Subsequently, Jero Bonaparte instructed Baron Haussmann to relocate the chemical industry (mainly the dyes used for silk fabrics) away from the Seine River to ensure that it does not endanger the lives of the Parisians. He also inquired about the conditions of Paris’s water supply and public carriages.
Baron Haussmann inford Jero Bonaparte that, thanks to the efforts of Isaac Pereire at the Paris Industrial Bank, all small and dium-sized water supply companies within Paris had been completely rged into one Kangcaien Group, responsible for supplying water to the Parisians.
"You must tell Isaac Pereire that the price of drinking water should not be set too high! A trickle of water runs long!" Jero Bonaparte reminded once again.
"Your Majesty, please rest assured!" Baron Haussmann assured Jero Bonaparte with a pat on his chest, promising that the water used by the Parisian residents would be slightly cheaper than before.
Public carriages are also under the responsibility of Isaac Pereire, and the fares would only be moderately more expensive than before.
However, the comfort level is far superior to before.
"Then I am relieved!" Jero Bonaparte patted Baron Haussmann on the shoulder, painting a bright future for him: "Haussmann, you just need to work hard for a few more years! Once Paris is completed, I will promote you to Minister of State!"
"Your Majesty, I will certainly not disappoint your expectations!" Baron Haussmann said excitedly to Jero Bonaparte.
"By the way! There is one more thing: Prince Albert and Queen Victoria may visit Paris to attend the Century Exposition!
At that ti, if I am not able to attend, you, as the governor of the Seine Province, will host them on my behalf!"
Reviews
All reviews (0)