CHAPTER 337: CHAPTER 332: PREACH BY WORDS AND EXAMPLE

For Jerome Bonaparte, who attempted to amend history (referring to the 1848 suggestion for the Pope to implement reforms), the Apennine Peninsula after the surge of nationalism was just like Spain back then.

If the French Empire cannot conform to the will of the Italian Nation and acts unilaterally, it will only find itself in a situation more awkward than Spain.

Compared to falling into the Apennine quagmire, supporting a proxy is undoubtedly a good choice. However, history has once again proven that in the face of vast interests, even a proxy would brazenly rebel.

Over 200,000 French Army troops attacked and conquered under the firepower of Austrian troops, while the Sardinian Kingdom’s army slowly trampled over the originally demarcated territory boundaries, which was a direct challenge to France’s bottom line. However, when things reached that point, the French Empire could only swallow the bitter fruit.

If there were a Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, then everything might proceed according to the established plan.

The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the Pope State could serve as a buffer against the reckless moves of the Sardinian Kingdom.

Although historically the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies indeed could not pose a crisis to the Sardinian Kingdom, it doesn’t mean the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies couldn’t withstand an attack from the Sardinian Kingdom.

The Sardinian Kingdom’s army, at most, is a second-rate European army. It won against the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies mainly with Garibaldi’s help.

As long as Garibaldi’s Red Shirt Army is eliminated, the army of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, combined with France’s "help," would surely be able to successfully withstand the Sardinian Kingdom.

The French Army lacks everything except "Royalist Party" (Orthodox faction) officers.

Jerome Bonaparte will eventually replace them all and then train a batch of officers loyal to himself.

Thinking of this, Jerome Bonaparte looked at Francesco II with passionate eyes, involuntarily thinking: "What a valuable asset."

Then, Jerome Bonaparte thought about whether this might have been Ferdinand II’s original idea.

"Although I cannot resolve the situation on the Apennine Peninsula, I can teach you how to gain the army’s support! As long as you can gain the army’s support, you can be invincible," Jerome Bonaparte said to Francesco II.

Francesco II hurriedly asked how he could gain the army’s support!

"An excellent monarch must enable the army to understand and recognize you. Staying long in the court cuts off the monarch’s contact with the army!" Jerome Bonaparte said to Francesco II: "The monarch is sacred but not omnipotent! All orders issued by the monarch are carried out from top to bottom, and any mistake at any point means the monarch’s orders cannot be conveyed down.

If you command a division, you must let the battalion commanders know you! If you command an army, you must let the regiment commanders know you! Only in this way can you truly achieve uniformity in orders.

If you give up the right to command the army, your enemy will surely attempt to command it. Your enemy will use your army against you, and any failure will cause a decline in the monarch’s authority!"

Whenever dealing with military matters, Jerome Bonaparte was particularly serious and cautious.

Since the end of the Great Revolution, the Parisians had only ever given Emperor Napoleon the sole chance for a second comeback.

This also determined that Jerome Bonaparte absolutely could not fail, at least not suffer a failure like the Franco-Prussian War.

Otherwise, he could only roll down from the throne in disgrace.

Francesco II nodded a little knowingly.

"You are fortunate, the Bourbon Dynasty has been rooted in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies for hundreds of years. You have a group of peasants loyal to the Kingdom. They do not understand what a republic is; they can be said to be the most outstanding and loyal soldiers! What you need to do is use the nobility to command the army, at least replace positions above the battalion commander in the army with your people! Also, keep the army as far from the city as possible, so that some of the city’s thoughts don’t seep into the army!" Jerome Bonaparte said to Francesco II item by item: "Do not recruit all soldiers from a single region together; this easily triggers a mutiny!

Additionally, try to deploy the army from one region to another as far as possible. You can send the Naples troops to Sicily Island and the Sicily Island troops to Naples. In this way, with different armies stationed in the two regions, separating the military from the people, the risk of rebellion will be greatly reduced."

After finishing the preventive measures against coups, Jerome Bonaparte paused and continued: "In political matters, strive to maintain neutrality as a principle! Remember, you must incorporate everyone into a framework. Even those who oppose you, as long as they operate within the framework you designed, they cannot escape your grip. An excellent monarch must dominate to rule, as long as the army is in your hands, those people can’t overturn the sky!

Revolutionaries are also divided into factions, and there are different interests among them. What you need to do is make them fight each other; the more intensely they fight, the more stable your rule becomes! You can even use covert means to achieve what you want to achieve!

The times have changed, and blindly following past governance ideas will only plunge the country into difficulty."

Subsequently, Jerome Bonaparte summarized, "The property-owning class is your target to woo. You should try to share some power with them, but don’t trust them blindly. Excessive trust will only fuel undue ambition. The farmers are your most reliable assistants, so ensure they don’t catch the disease of the cities. Lastly, the aristocracy is your foundation; as long as the aristocratic pillar doesn’t collapse, you won’t face the peril of overturning."

"The aristocracy will disappear?" Francesco II said tremblingly, with fear and trepidation showing on his face.

"The noble titles won’t disappear!" Jerome Bonaparte sighed and said, "But the aristocracy will gradually be replaced, replaced by this era! We cannot reverse the tide of our times, we can only conform to this era and then carve out a path of our own.

This is what you must do, and it is what I must do as well!"

To Francesco II, Jerome Bonaparte’s image suddenly grew larger, his eyes revealing a look of admiration.

"Remember what I’ve told you!" Jerome Bonaparte gently stroked the tabletop with his hand.

"Why are you telling me this?" Francesco II asked Jerome Bonaparte.

"Interests!" Jerome Bonaparte replied plainly, "The interests of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies align with those of the French Empire, which is why your father wanted you to come here and learn more about this empire, and why I am teaching you this!

Did you know? During your stay in Paris, the new Prime Minister of the Sardinian Kingdom tried several times to come over!"

"Why?" Francesco II asked, puzzled.

"Aside from unification, they have no reason to curry favor with me!" Jerome Bonaparte shrugged and told Francesco II.

"You... you mustn’t agree to it!" Francesco II was instantly flustered, he quickly said to Jerome Bonaparte, "If Italy were to unify... if it were to unify..."

"If I were willing to let Italy unify, why would I tell you all this!" Jerome Bonaparte reassured Francesco II, then changed his tone, "But I also cannot openly reject Cavour’s request!"

"If that’s the case, then it’s the best outcome!" Francesco II breathed a sigh of relief, then put on a friendly smile and mimicked an adult as he said to Jerome Bonaparte, "The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies is unwilling to unify the Apennine, and we also wish to cooperate closely with France!"

"That’s the best outcome then!" Jerome Bonaparte smiled as well, extending his hand to the future king, "May the friendship between the French Empire and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies endure forever!"

Francesco II shook hands with Jerome Bonaparte.

In the following days, Jerome Bonaparte, Emperor of the French Empire, attended a military parade with Francesco II.

The parade was a means of showcasing France’s strength externally and also a method to enhance the credibility of Jerome Bonaparte’s words.

Francesco II, seeing the mighty and majestic army before him, couldn’t help but show a trace of envy in his eyes.

If the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies could have such a mighty army, they wouldn’t fear the Sardinian Kingdom.

At Jerome Bonaparte’s command, a train carrying the French Army moved swiftly, and aboard a special train, Jerome Bonaparte explained to Francesco II the connection between trains and the army.

Francesco II listened attentively to Jerome Bonaparte’s explanation.

After the parade, Jerome Bonaparte took Francesco II on a tour of Paris.

During this period, Prime Minister Cavour of the Sardinian Kingdom tried several times to speak with Jerome Bonaparte but was repeatedly refused by Mornay for various reasons.

Cavour grew increasingly anxious and once again attempted to reach Jerome Bonaparte through Mathilde Bonaparte.

Eventually, Jerome Bonaparte agreed to meet with him, but the meeting place was not in official venues like the Tuileries Palace, but rather during a literary salon organized by Mathilde Bonaparte, where Jerome Bonaparte discreetly met with Cavour.

"Your Majesty!" Cavour immediately saluted Jerome Bonaparte.

"Mr. Garibaldi!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded slightly to Cavour, "I have a general understanding of your intentions! I can now tell you that the Sardinian Kingdom and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies are both the most important partners of the French Empire, and I personally do not wish to see any conflict between them!"