CHAPTER 326: CHAPTER 322 THE END OF AN ERA

When Jerome Bonaparte pushed open the door to Surt’s bedroom, he saw Grand Marshal Surt swaying in a reclining chair.

Is this really Surt?

Looking at the Surt before him, the image of Surt in Jerome Bonaparte’s memory appeared in his mind. No matter how he compared, he could not connect the robust man in the portrait with the aged figure lying motionless in the rocking chair.

At this moment, Grand Marshal Surt lay quietly in the rocking chair without moving, as if he had fallen asleep.

In Jerome Bonaparte’s eyes, Surt was like a candle about to burn out, a slight breeze could extinguish him.

"Grand Marshal!" The attendant standing by quickly ran to Surt’s side and softly called out to him.

Surt slowly opened his eyes, those eyes once filled with ambition and aggression, now only vacant.

"Oh! It’s you!" Marshal Surt slowly looked at Jerome Bonaparte, a forced smile on his pale, bluish face, as he extended his hand to invite Jerome Bonaparte to sit down: "A rare guest!"

"Sorry to disturb you!" Jerome Bonaparte showed a false smile and said to Surt: "To see you remain in good health is truly a blessing for the French Nation!"

"Health?" Surt maintained his smile: "Please don’t comfort me! This decaying body of mine probably won’t last much longer! Then, I suppose I’ll go to Heaven to meet the merciful Lord!"

Surt paused, a wry smile appearing on his lips, answering himself: "Perhaps I’ll go to Hell!"

"Please take good care of yourself!" Jerome Bonaparte continued his insincere advice to Surt to take care of his health.

"I know my body better than you do!" Surt tactfully pierced through Jerome Bonaparte’s pretense: "The world moves forward, and you will be the ones to shape the future! I am merely a remnant of a bygone era, surviving in this new age!"

Jerome Bonaparte quietly watched Grand Marshal Surt without speaking.

Surt continued, "I’m very honored that you came to see me! I suppose you’re prepared to establish a brand new Empire! Oh, the Empire, how nostalgic! I feel like I’ve experienced another lifetime!"

"Thank you so much for your help back then!" These were heartfelt words from Jerome Bonaparte. Without Marshal Surt’s networking, it would have been impossible for Jerome Bonaparte to gather a military group larger than that of historical Bonaparte.

Of course, Jerome Bonaparte was now dedicated to weakening the existing Bonaparte military group and working to cultivate a new military group to replace them.

After all, the generals who, through Surt’s connections, defected to Jerome Bonaparte were only driven by interests to align with him, and Jerome Bonaparte neither had the kind of nurturing grace for them like Conrobel, Trocch, and Bazan, nor could he command them as easily as if they were his own limbs.

"This is all your own effort!" Surt softly replied, "Honestly, your coup surprised me!"

"Hmm?" Jerome Bonaparte looked at Surt in confusion.

"I originally thought you would initiate it near the end of your term! I didn’t expect you to act so swiftly!" Surt praised Jerome Bonaparte: "It was truly a perfect strike, sending those guys from the Legislative Assembly away in one blow!"

Finishing, Surt let out a hearty laugh.

It was apparent that Surt still harbored malice toward the Legislative Assembly.

Even near death, he was unwilling to forgive the Legislative Assembly.

"I merely seized a chance to exploit their disunity!" Jerome Bonaparte humbly responded.

"To grasp the enemy’s weakness and deliver a fatal blow at the critical moment—now that’s an excellent politician!" Surt lavishly praised, then shook his head and sighed: "Sadly, I am old now! Otherwise, I’d be honored to witness the rise of an Emperor!"

"You overpraise me!" Jerome Bonaparte modestly said, while a confident smile appeared on his face.

Just like!

In a trance, Marshal Surt seemed to see the shadow of the past Emperor in him—equally confident and believing they could transcend the mundane.

Though the later Emperor failed, he was more successful than anyone else.

"You will become a true leader!" Surt couldn’t help but repeat to Jerome Bonaparte.

"A leader?" Jerome Bonaparte pondered for a moment, then replied softly: "Rather than becoming a leader, I would prefer France to return to its rightful place in the past!"

"Aren’t you afraid of the whole of Europe forming another Anti-French Alliance? The Emperor defeated them six times, yet never managed to completely crush them, and ultimately, they united to overthrow the Emperor!" Surt seemed to intentionally mention.

"The Anti-French Alliance?" Jerome Bonaparte sighed and replied softly: "If only the Emperor had heeded Talleyrand’s advice to halt the advance back then; if only the Emperor hadn’t lavishly distributed titles to my father and uncles, perhaps France wouldn’t be facing the current predicament.

The times are changing! When the monarchy faces external forces, royal friendships will yield to geopolitics! The once massive monarchic coalition is destined to fragment, and I only need to win over a part of them!"

In fact, relying solely on France’s own power is no longer enough to establish an absolute dominance in Europe. We must ally with some countries to jointly maintain control.

Marshal Surt, have you noticed? We have all been subconsciously avoiding one thing."

"What is it?" Surt asked, puzzled, looking at Jerome Bonaparte.

"France is gradually moving towards decline!" Jerome Bonaparte’s tone was calm and undeniable.

"Great men can lead France to rise, while mediocre ones will only drag it down!" Surt’s tone revealed a hint of disdain, clearly misunderstanding Jerome Bonaparte’s meaning.

Jerome Bonaparte shook his head and said, "France’s decline or not indeed depends on the skills of those in power, but more importantly on the potential of the nation itself. Both the Kingdom of Prussia and the United States of America have the potential to surpass France! Especially the Kingdom of Prussia, given enough time, they will completely trample France underfoot!"

"The Kingdom of Prussia? Just them? A country that almost perished!" Surt responded with a proud demeanor.

"German nationalism is integrating the Germans into a whole!" Jerome Bonaparte sighed.

If it weren’t for his uncle eliminating large and small feudal obligations back then, German nationalism wouldn’t have swept across Germany so quickly.

"Approximately 30 million Germans, combined with the developed waterway network and coal and iron environment of the Rhine Region, plus Prussia’s unique reservist system... they will be France’s strongest opponent!" Jerome Bonaparte explained to Surt one by one about the advantages of telegraphs, railways, and the mobilization, industrial strength, and population between France and Germany.

As a once outstanding chief of staff, Surt instantly understood that with the coordination of railways and telegraphs, the marching speed of the army would far exceed their era back then. He also realized the possibility of France being surpassed as mentioned by Jerome Bonaparte.

Ultimately, France relies on its system advantages and manpower. If both these conditions are surpassed, France will indeed be in danger.

"40 years! It’s only been 40 years!" Surt’s gaze was somewhat complicated as he couldn’t help but sigh.

"The most crucial thing is, the era is still moving forward continuously! If we do not continue to progress, then we will be abandoned by the times!" Jerome Bonaparte also sighed.

"Is this the purpose of your call for reform?" Surt asked softly.

"You already know?" Jerome Bonaparte looked at Grand Marshal Surt in surprise.

"Some of my former subordinates wrote to me a while ago!" Grand Marshal Surt admitted calmly.

"They must have spoken quite a lot of ill words about me!" Jerome Bonaparte smiled disdainfully: "Those soldiers are still immersed in the wars of decades ago, yet do not develop with the progress of the times! Excessive nostalgia will only rust their minds!"

Marshal Surt smiled, nodding in agreement: "You are right!"

After chatting with Surt for a long time, Jerome Bonaparte left.

After Jerome Bonaparte left, Surt called his servant and asked him to bring paper and pen.

Under the dictation of Marshal Surt, the servant wrote a letter.

The content of the letter was advising those old subordinates to follow Bonaparte’s pace and try not to conflict with Jerome Bonaparte.

"Grand Marshal, why are you helping Jerome Bonaparte?" the servant asked in confusion.

"Am I helping him?" Surt said with a bitter smile: "What ability do I still have to help him, I am just preventing those foolish subordinates of mine from courting death, otherwise, they will meet a very ugly end!"

From the conversation with Jerome Bonaparte, Surt understood Jerome Bonaparte’s determination; he had no doubt that this nephew had the same determination as his uncle. If his subordinates continued to feign compliance, they might face orders for forced retirement.

"Send it to Paris immediately! Let those guys see it!" Marshal Surt said sternly to the servant.

"Yes!" The servant turned and left, and Surt lay back in the rocking chair, swaying back and forth, and soon entered a dream. In his dream, he returned to that era, following the Emperor he served loyally.

Soon the rocking stopped swinging.

...

On November 7th, Jerome Bonaparte, who left Saint-Amand Town, returned to Paris after four days.

At the same time, Georges Ossman, who served as the Governor of Seine Province, also completed the comprehensive suppression of the Municipal Committee.

The first phase of Paris’ construction project was gradually being implemented under Georges Ossman’s guidance.

In the first phase of the project plan, the priority was to build an east-west street crossing the city, and the extension of Rivoli Street became the most important link in establishing an east-west thoroughfare in the city.

On November 8, 1851, after a constant discussion by the City Hall Committee, it was decided to extend Rivoli Street by 800 meters on its original basis, stretching all the way to the City Hall, thus establishing Paris’ first main city thoroughfare.