When Jero Bonaparte and Franz Joseph’s carriage, led by Viereid, arrived near the capital of the Kingdom of Poland, Warsaw, the carriage suddenly stopped.
Sitting inside the carriage, Jero Bonaparte opened his eyes upon sensing the vehicle had ceased moving, and he quickly pulled back the curtain.
The Polish cavalry riding alongside Jero Bonaparte’s carriage hastily spurred their horses to his side upon seeing him draw the curtain.
Through the carriage window, Jero Bonaparte asked the cavalry in French, "What happened up ahead? Why have we stopped moving?"
The Polish cavalry imdiately responded to Jero Bonaparte, "Your Majesty, please wait a mont! I will go ahead to take a look!"
"Go quickly and return soon!" Jero Bonaparte replied to the Polish cavalry, then pulled the curtain closed once more.
After a while, a knocking sounded outside the carriage, and Jero Bonaparte thought it was the cavalry who had just left returning to report.
Jero Bonaparte got up and pushed open the carriage door, only to find Maximilian, the current Grand Duke of Warsaw, standing outside smiling, with a group of Poles following him.
If Jero Bonaparte was not mistaken, they should be Maximilian’s cohort.
"Maximilian, what brings you here?" Maximilian’s unexpected appearance greatly surprised Jero Bonaparte, and he quickly jumped out of the carriage to embrace Maximilian.
Maximilian explained with a smile that as the host of the Kingdom of Poland, it was only natural for him to personally co to welco Jero Bonaparte and Franz Joseph.
After speaking, Maximilian introduced the mbers behind him to Jero Bonaparte.
"This is the commander of the Warsaw National Army, Joseph Pilsudski!" Grand Duke Maximilian first introduced a general clad in a gray military overcoat, sporting a mustache to Jero Bonaparte, "It was he who fired the first shot against the Russian Empire and liberated Warsaw from its grasp."
"Your na is Pilsudski?" Jero Bonaparte scrutinized the plain-appearing general before him.
If his mory was correct, the general who led the newly ford Poland to victory over the Soviet Union after World War I was also nad Pilsudski.
However, this Pilsudski was clearly not that Pilsudski, as the latter was born approximately twenty years later.
He couldn’t help but wonder whether there was any connection between the two Pilsudskis.
Quietly, Jero Bonaparte speculated about the relationship between the two Pilsudskis in his heart.
"Your Majesty, I am Pilsudski... Joseph Pilsudski!" Feeling the scrutinizing gaze of Jero Bonaparte, Joseph Pilsudski stood up straight and responded to Jero Bonaparte firmly.
"Commander Pilsudski, may I ask you a personal question?" Jero Bonaparte said amicably to Pilsudski, feeling that this Pilsudski must be related to the one decades from now.
"Your Majesty, please ask!" Pilsudski replied to Jero Bonaparte.
"Mr. Pilsudski, are you a Varsovian?" Jero Bonaparte first asked.
"No, I’m not!" Pilsudski shook his head and answered Jero Bonaparte, "I was born in Zalavas, which is still under the Russian Empire! My family is a minor noble there, running an estate!"
Jero Bonaparte pondered for a mont before nodding, patting Pilsudski on the shoulder, and saying, "Alright! I’ve finished my question, thank you for your cooperation!"
"It is my honor, Your Majesty!" Joseph Pilsudski replied humbly to Jero Bonaparte.
Now Jero Bonaparte could ascertain that this Pilsudski indeed had so relation to the future Pilsudski, as the latter was also from Zalavas.
Subsequently, Maximilian introduced Count Jozel Morazski, the first Pri Minister of the Kingdom of Poland, personally selected by Prince Czartoryski, to Jero Bonaparte.
As a Count of the Russian Empire, he served as the adjutant to the Governor of Poland before the uprising. The deploynt of troops and city defense plans for the Warsaw Region were secretly handed over to the leaders of the uprising on the eve of the uprising, allowing the insurgent forces to control various strongholds promptly, inflicting devastating blows on the troops inside the city.
Furthermore, when the uprising occurred, Mokazeski led the remaining Polish National Guard to completely seize control of the Governor’s Palace of Poland. Without the central nerve of the Governor’s Palace, the Polish troops in Warsaw City were like headless flies, not knowing what to do.
This allowed Pilsudski and his n to expel the Russian Army stationed in Warsaw City in just a few days.
One could say that without Count Morazski’s assistance, the restoration of Warsaw City would not have been possible.
"Mr. Mokazeski, I’ve heard so much about you!" Jero Bonaparte shook hands with Count Morazski.
"Your Majesty, thank you for your contribution to Poland!" Count Mokazeski answered Jero Bonaparte respectfully, "Without you, Poland wouldn’t have been restored."
"It’s nothing!" Jero Bonaparte responded with a smile to Count Morazski: "France and Poland are two nations with historical ties, we will never forget the Polish generals and soldiers who fought bravely for France during the First Empire!"
"Your Majesty, Poland will also not forget the French soldiers who are buried here for the cause of Poland’s independence!" Count Mokazeski replied to Jero Bonaparte with a tone full of emotion.
After Jero Bonaparte initially got acquainted with Count Morazski, Maximilian once again introduced Poland’s internal affairs, diplomacy, judiciary... and various ministers to Jero Bonaparte.
Jero Bonaparte smiled and shook hands with them, offering encouragents.
Once everyone had been introduced, Jero Bonaparte asked Maximilian: "Maximilian, haven’t you forgotten sothing?"
Maximilian was silent for a few seconds, and suddenly his expression changed drastically.
Preoccupied with introducing the cabinet ministers to Jero Bonaparte, Maximilian had forgotten an important guest left in the carriage, naly Franz Joseph.
Even worse, it had been nearly half an hour since Maximilian started introducing cabinet mbers, and Franz Joseph must have already been impatient waiting in the carriage!
"Quickly go!" Jero Bonaparte urged Maximilian to hurry over.
Maximilian had no choice but to express his apologies to Jero Bonaparte, then led the cabinet mbers away.
Jero Bonaparte returned to the carriage, shaking his head with a smile: "That Maximilian, really..."
Jero Bonaparte and Empress Augusta sat quietly in the carriage, waiting for Maximilian and Franz Joseph to finish their conversation. After about ten minutes, Maximilian appeared in front of Jero Bonaparte, with Franz Joseph alongside him.
It seed that Franz Joseph forgave Maximilian’s carelessness.
Afterward, Maximilian invited Jero Bonaparte to ride alongside him into Warsaw, to welco the cheers of the Varsovians for the arrival of the two monarchs.
Jero Bonaparte happily accepted Grand Duke Maximilian’s proposal, and the three monarchs proceeded together, quickly reaching the front of the procession.
"Brother, Your Majesty Jero, let’s go!" Maximilian mounted the prepared warhorse.
Jero Bonaparte and Franz Joseph also mounted their horses, their saddles, as cavalry wearing silver armor quickly ford a human barrier around the three monarchs to ensure their personal safety.
The procession continued forward, quickly reaching the entrance of Warsaw City.
Walking along the streets of Warsaw, Jero Bonaparte looked at the yet uncleared ruins on both sides of the road and the smiling Polish citizens, a contemplative expression appeared on his face.
Throughout Poland’s nearly two hundred years of partitioned history, its people never ceased resisting, perhaps it’s indeed comforting that the persistent resistance of the Polish people granted them the right to independence.
"Long live the French Empire! Long live the Austrian Empire! Long live Franco-Austro-Polish friendship! (French)"
"Long live France! Long live the Austrian Empire! Long live Franco-Austro-Polish gas! (German)"
As Jero Bonaparte was lost in thought, he was brought back to reality by the sounds of shouting; he saw Polish crowds on both sides of the street hysterically shouting in both French and German.
Although their pronunciation wasn’t precise, it was enough to represent their sincere emotions.
Jero Bonaparte believed that the "lesson learned" Kingdom of Poland would cling tightly to the support of France and Austria, preventing invasion by the Russian Empire.
Amidst the shouting, the three monarchs simultaneously extended their hands to greet the residents inside Warsaw City.
Riding on horseback, the three took nearly 30 minutes to reach the "Royal Palace" of the Kingdom of Poland amid the cheers of the Varsovians.
The reason for enclosing "Royal Palace" in quotes is that this wasn’t the newly built palace by Maximilian, but the forr Governor’s Mansion which now served as the royal palace.
Entering the Polish "Royal Palace," Jero Bonaparte looked at the interior decoration and jestingly said to Maximilian: "Your palace truly doesn’t match a king’s stature!"
Maximilian replied with a bitter smile to Jero Bonaparte: "Currently the whole of Warsaw is in a phase of reconstruction, how can I bear to hinder Warsaw’s progress for my own selfish desires?
I can only ask you and brother to endure a bit!"
"I don’t mind at all!" Jero Bonaparte shrugged.
Even in a rundown house on the Cria Peninsula, Jero Bonaparte could sleep with no ntal burden, let alone sothing better than the Governor’s Mansion.
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