"Cousin, you don't want to see the remnants of the Orleans family continue to control the Kingdom of Belgium!"
Queen Caterina's words made Jerome Bonaparte suspect that he had traveled to an indescribable world.
"This Japanese..." Jérôme Bonaparte paused, then quickly changed his words: "Cousin, I think it's not a good idea for the two of us here to discuss the carving up of a country so blatantly!
Although the Kingdom of Belgium did belong to you before, they have actually become a country with independent sovereignty.
At least you have to worry about international issues!"
"Cousin!" Queen Caterina obviously didn't care about the so-called international reaction. She bluntly said to Jérôme Bonaparte: "Now there is no country in Europe that dares to disobey your orders. What are you afraid of!
Before I came, William (King of the Netherlands) told me that we do not need you to send troops to help us!
As long as you can stand by our side when we send troops!"
"But..." Jérôme Bonaparte evaded: "Cousin, you should understand! The original Kingdom of Belgium was successfully established with the help of France!
So France’s feelings towards the Kingdom of Belgium are much more complicated than you think!”
Queen Caterina once again assured Jérôme Bonaparte: "This is not simple. After our troops completely occupy the Kingdom of Belgium, we will hand over the Province of Luxembourg to you. In this case, the area of the Principality of Luxembourg will be
Able to double the size out of thin air!”
"this……"
After hearing Queen Caterina's assurance, Jérôme Bonaparte felt a little moved in his heart.
As my cousin said, the friendship between the French Empire and the Kingdom of Belgium is far less than it was during the Kingdom of Orleans.
Jérôme Bonaparte had no obligation to protect them like the original Kingdom of Orleans. On the contrary, it was more in his interest to support the Kingdom of the Netherlands to annex the Kingdom of Belgium.
Don't look at the fact that the Kingdom of Belgium has sent its own crown prince here. In fact, it is just a formality.
"I...think about it!" Jérôme Bonaparte finally replied, "Cousin, you are not in a hurry anyway!!"
"Okay then!" Although Queen Caterina was a little unwilling, she still chose to give Jérôme Bonaparte some time to think about it.
Immediately afterwards, Jérôme Bonaparte left Queen Augusta's room on the pretext of handling government affairs. He was afraid that if this continued, his cousin would cause a lot of complicated problems for her.
Walking in the corridor, Jérôme Bonaparte thought for a moment and decided to go to the "Quiet d'Orsay" to ask Valewski's opinion.
So, I quickly went downstairs and came to the lobby of the Tuileries Palace.
Mokar in the hall hurriedly came to Jerome Bonaparte's side and asked Jerome Bonaparte what his instructions were!
"You prepare a carriage for me immediately, and I want to go to the Quai d'Orsay in person!" Jerome Bonaparte said concisely and concisely.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Mokar bowed slightly, turned and left.
Before Mokar could disappear into the corridor, Jérôme Bonaparte stopped Mokar again.
When Mokar turned around and asked Jérôme Bonaparte if he had any other instructions, Jérôme Bonaparte replied: "And prepare a wig and glasses for me in advance! Try to choose a simpler carriage, don't be like this
All the bells and whistles... Also, you don’t need anyone to follow you this time!”
"I understand!" Mokar nodded and disappeared into the corridor on the right side of the hall.
About 10 minutes later, Mokar appeared again and replied to Jérôme Bonaparte: "Your Majesty, everything has been prepared for you!"
"That's good!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded, and then asked, "By the way! If Queen Caterina comes to see me, just tell her: I have already considered what she said!
"
"Yes!" Mokar replied, bowing to Jérôme Bonaparte.
Later, Jérôme Bonaparte left the Tuileries Palace alone and took an unpretentious black carriage to the Pier d'Orsay.
The carriage rushed out of the gardens of the Tuileries Palace, along the Champs Elysées to the banks of the Seine River, and then all the way east along the banks of the Seine River to the vicinity of the Arrangement Pier.
When Jerome Bonaparte entered the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a clerk immediately blocked his way.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" The clerk asked suspiciously as he looked at Jerome Bonaparte, who was wearing a wig and glasses.
"Bring me to your Foreign Minister!" Jérôme Bonaparte lowered his voice and pretended to be hoarse as he ordered the clerk.
The clerk who did not recognize Jerome Bonaparte's disguise at all looked at Jerome Bonaparte up and down, and then asked with a hint of arrogance: "Do you have an appointment? If you don't have an appointment,
Otherwise, Minister Walewski will not meet you!"
"I don't have an appointment!" Jerome Bonaparte shook his head and methodically took off his glasses and wig. "I wonder if I can meet with your ministers like this!"
The clerk's expression became more and more frightened as Jérôme Bonaparte gradually took off his disguise.
I'm afraid he never imagined that the mighty emperor of the French Empire would one day choose to pay a "private visit" in casual clothes.
"I...I..." There was an embarrassed expression on the clerk's face, and he hesitated and said to Jérôme Bonaparte: "Your Majesty, you...of course you can! You can come here anytime, anywhere.
!”
"Hahaha!" Jerome Bonaparte smiled slightly, then patted the clerk on the shoulder and said: "Don't be nervous, I'm not a man-eating monster!"
"Yes...yes!" The clerk could only reply solemnly.
"Let's go! Take me to see your minister!" Jerome Bonaparte motioned to the clerk to lead the way.
The secretary led Jérôme Bonaparte up the stairs. When he reached the corner between the second and third floors, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs appeared in the corridor.
He first glanced at the clerk, then at Jerome Bonaparte, and then bowed to Jerome Bonaparte.
"Just in time, please take me to see Valewski!" Jérôme Bonaparte said with a smile when he saw the Secretary of State, then gently patted the secretary on the shoulder and said: "Thank you for your hard work."
Got it!"
"It's not hard work! It's not hard work!" the clerk shook his head and replied to Jérôme Bonaparte.
Afterwards, the State Secretary and Jérôme Bonaparte continued to walk upwards. When they reached the floor where Walewski's office was, the State Secretary told Jérôme Bonaparte that Minister Walewski was having a conversation with someone.
.
"Who?" Jérôme Bonaparte asked curiously.
"Count Bauer, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria!" the State Secretary replied decisively.
"Paul? When did he come here?" Jérôme Bonaparte was stunned for a few seconds, and then asked.
"Count Bauer has arrived in Paris for more than a week!" the State Secretary responded immediately.
Jérôme Bonaparte frowned slightly. Four days had passed since he arrived in Paris, and no one had told him about Count Bauer's arrival.
(Actually, Queen Augusta said it once, but Jérôme Bonaparte was too tired from dealing with domestic government affairs and forgot all about it in the blink of an eye.)
"Do you know the content of Count Bauer's conversation with Valewski?" Jérôme Bonaparte asked the Secretary of State again.
"It seems to be a problem in Poland!" the State Secretary replied, "Your Majesty, I don't know the specific situation! They just talked!"
"Then what did you do when you came downstairs just now?" Jérôme Bonaparte asked the Secretary of State.
"Ah!" The State Secretary realized at this moment that he seemed to have forgotten the important matter, "Minister Walewski just asked me to prepare two cups of black tea for him!"
Jérôme Bonaparte shook his head, and then responded to the Secretary of State: "Make three cups of black tea right away...Forget it, you might as well make a pot of tea!"
"Your Majesty, do you want to go in too?" the State Secretary asked subconsciously.
"That's right! Go quickly!" After Jerome Bonaparte said that, he immediately came to the door of Walewski's office, and then gently pushed open Walewski's office.
"Why are you so..." Valewski's scolding came first in the room, and then came the surprised voices of Earl Bauer and Valewski: "Your Majesty!!!!"
"Mr. Bauer!" Jérôme Bonaparte closed the door gently and nodded to him with a smile.
Count Bauer and Valewski quickly stood up, saluted Jérôme Bonaparte, and gave up their seats for Jérôme Bonaparte.
Jérôme Bonaparte slowly sat behind the main seat of the sofa and invited Count Bauer and Walewski to sit down, before they sat down separately.
"I came here uninvited!" Jérôme Bonaparte made it clear from the beginning that his coming over was an emergency. "I didn't expect that Valewski and you were still talking before I came here.
!”
"Your Majesty, Minister Walewski and his ministers are discussing the issue of Poland!" Count Bauer hurriedly explained to Jerome Bonaparte.
"Yes! Your Majesty!" Walewski nodded and said to Jérôme Bonaparte: "I was originally planning to submit it to you after the results of the discussion were reached!"
"Discuss? Discuss what?" Jerome Bonaparte looked at Count Bauer in confusion, "Is it possible that Maximilian is unwilling to serve as the Grand Duke of Warsaw?"
"No! No!"
Count Bauer shook his head and replied to Jerome Bonaparte: Franz Joseph is preparing to make Maximilian Grand Duke of Krakow and Galicia, and he has been specially ordered to come and inquire about Jerome.