CHAPTER 562: CHAPTER 553 PREPARING TO STOKE THE FIRE

"Mr. Algou, if it were you, what would you choose?" Jerome Bonaparte asked Count Algou candidly.

"Your Majesty, I fear I cannot answer your question!" A moment later, Count Algou replied to Jerome Bonaparte, "I cannot fathom the mind of a great man with the thoughts of a mediocre person!"

"A great man?" Jerome Bonaparte’s lips curled into a self-deprecating smile. This so-called "great man" was merely benefiting from the advantage of foresight, observing this world with a mindset nearly two hundred years ahead of its time.

Setting aside the perspective of being a century ahead, Jerome Bonaparte considered his talent and level far inferior to his late cousin, or even to the original owner of this body.

However, the most valuable asset he possessed was the knowledge and vision that surpassed this world by more than a hundred years.

In these more than a hundred years, predecessors had risked their lives to experiment with all possible failures under the conditions of past productivity, and all solutions (Keynesianism) were documented one by one.

Although these solutions could not solve problems permanently, they could alleviate them.

Jerome Bonaparte living in this era was like a fly perched at the mouth of a well; though frogs (such as Bismarck, Cavour, Metternich, Thiers) could easily extend their tongues to destroy him, he could see the sky that these frogs of this era couldn’t.

By relying on his advantage of perceiving the "sky," Jerome Bonaparte was able to package himself as a determined "great man."

"I can’t claim to be a so-called great man; I’m merely a gambler!" Jerome Bonaparte said plainly, "I’ve staked everything on this war!"

"That is what makes a great man!" Count Algou responded to Jerome Bonaparte, "Wasn’t His Majesty the Emperor like that back then!"

"Alright, no more flattering!" Jerome Bonaparte laughed as he shook his head.

"This isn’t flattery! I’m just speaking the truth!" Count Algou replied to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Then I will shamelessly accept your praise."

...

Jerome Bonaparte and Count Algou chatted for a long time, until the appearance of the Chief Steward abruptly ended their conversation.

"Your Majesty, my lord! Dinner is ready!" The Chief Steward said respectfully to Jerome Bonaparte and Count Algou.

"So soon!" Jerome Bonaparte said in surprise.

"Your Majesty, look outside the window!" Count Algou pointed out the window to Jerome Bonaparte.

Jerome Bonaparte instinctively glanced outside, and it was already pitch black.

"What time is it now?" Jerome Bonaparte inquired of the Chief Steward.

"Your Majesty, it is now seven o’clock in the evening!" the Chief Steward quickly replied.

"Time really flies!" Jerome Bonaparte couldn’t help but exclaim.

After that, led by the Chief Steward, Jerome Bonaparte and Count Algou went to the dining room together.

After a sumptuous meal, Count Algou instructed his Chief Steward to escort Jerome Bonaparte back to the Tuileries Palace.

"There’s no need!" Jerome Bonaparte waved his hand, declining Count Algou’s offer.

"Your Majesty, the night in Paris is unsafe! It’s dangerous to return alone; let my butler take you back!" Count Algou pleaded with Jerome Bonaparte.

"Who said I’m returning alone!" Jerome Bonaparte said to Count Algou, while pulling out his pocket watch to check the time.

It was now 8:40, with 20 minutes left until his meeting with Mokar.

"In 20 minutes, someone will come to pick me up!" Jerome Bonaparte said to Count Algou.

"That’s good!" Count Algou breathed a sigh of relief; he did not want to see the Emperor encounter any accidents on his way back.

The time soon arrived at nine o’clock, and the carriage from the Tuileries Palace appeared punctually at the entrance of Count Algou’s estate.

The Royal Chief Steward Mokar descended from the carriage, entered the estate directly, and took Jerome Bonaparte home.

...

Early the next morning.

The news of Count Algou’s resignation as President of the Bank of France appeared in major newspapers in Paris. Parisians, who had been indifferent to the Bank of France, were surprised to discover that the departing Count Algou had been in charge of the Bank of France for nearly twenty years, prompting speculation about the reasons behind his departure.

Could it be true, as the newspapers said, that Count Algou resigned due to age?

At the same time, impacted by the change of presidency at the Bank of France, the Paris Stock Exchange fell by 2% right after opening, and further declined to 3.56% mid-session.

Fortunately, under the guidance of some invisible hand, the stock market at the Paris Stock Exchange closed down by only 1.2%.

When Minister of Finance Mane reported the closing figures to Jerome Bonaparte, Jerome Bonaparte nodded and said, "It seems now that the stock exchange can still accept the reshuffle of the Bank of France!"

"Yes!" Minister Mane responded to Jerome Bonaparte.

Honestly, the 2% drop at opening today indeed made Mane break into a cold sweat.

"Alright! You’ve worked hard!" Jerome Bonaparte replied to Mane.

"This is what I should do!" Minister Mane respectfully said to Jerome Bonaparte, then left Jerome Bonaparte’s study.

With Mane’s departure, the study was once again left with only Jerome Bonaparte alone reviewing documents.

After a while, Mokar’s voice appeared outside the door: "Your Majesty, General Nier requests an audience!"

"Nier? What’s he here for?" Jerome Bonaparte was stunned for a few seconds, then replied to Mokar outside the door, "Let him in!"

"Yes!" Mokar quickly responded.

The door opened, and Nier’s figure appeared at the entrance.

And in his hand, he was holding a telegram: "Your Majesty!"

"Hmm! Have a seat!" Jerome Bonaparte gestured inviting Nier to sit down.

Sitting opposite Jerome Bonaparte, Nier quickly placed the telegram in front of Jerome Bonaparte and said, "Your Majesty, this is the entire process from the end of the Alma battle to the occupation of Sevastopol!"

Jerome Bonaparte took the telegram from Nier’s hand and carefully went through its contents.

From the content of the telegram, it seemed the Allied Forces occupied Sevastopol when its defensive system was not yet fully constructed, catching the Sevastopol defenders completely off guard.

However, even if the Allied Forces occupied Sevastopol using a "trick," it was enough to prove that the Allied Forces—or rather, the French Army’s combat power had already far surpassed that of the Russian Imperial Army.

And all this could not have been achieved without General Nier opposite Jerome Bonaparte, and General Pelissey far away in the Crimea Peninsula.

If not for Nier reorganizing logistics and changing the conscription age, the French Army’s combat power would not have significantly improved.

A military force having advanced weapons is important, but the logistics system and the quality of the troops are even more important than advanced weapons.

After all, it’s people who use weapons.

The same weapon in the hands of different people will produce different effects.

Just like in later times, baked buns versus dirt workers; baked buns have more advanced American equipment (PS: Since the end of the Hundred Regiments Offensive, the dirt workers’ army never again conducted large-scale group operations. Many units conducted guerrilla warfare in the rear as regiments. Therefore, in the early stages of the Liberation War, due to a lack of experience in group army operations, various units were suppressed by the five main forces of the baked buns. At one point, the Shandong Liberation Army had only a few scattered cities left), yet in the end, it was the dirt workers who won the victory.

It was the logistics system and the quality of the troops that allowed the dirt workers to defeat the baked buns.

After being reorganized by Nier, the French Army had an even stronger sense of nationalist fervor (though their nationalism was a castrated version modified by Jerome Bonaparte).

Their combat effectiveness was also higher than before.

Of course, the contributions of General Pelissey were also indispensable.

If it weren’t for General Pelissey decisively giving the order to attack the Sevastopol Fortress, then Sevastopol might have followed the historical trajectory.

The Allied Forces would need to expend a great deal of manpower and resources to break through, enduring harsh weather and logistical difficulties in the process.

Now, the Allied Forces no longer have to endure the harsh weather of history, comfortably enjoying the conveniences brought by Sevastopol.

And the Russian Empire might have to play the role of the historical Allied Forces, and Jerome Bonaparte had reason to believe that Nicholas I would spare no expense to order Menshikov to attack Sevastopol.

However, the Russian Imperial Army, now playing swapped roles, likely lacked the logistics that the Allied Forces had, and the difficulties they faced would be far greater.

It was likely that this time the Russian Empire would face more severe casualties than the historical ones!

Thinking of this, Jerome Bonaparte couldn’t help but gloat.

No way! I need to egg on Nicholas I, so he embarrasses himself and stubbornly clings to the Sevastopol Fortress.

Jerome Bonaparte’s lips curled into a sly smile, as a sinister plan took shape in his mind.

The Nier General sitting opposite Jerome Bonaparte saw Jerome Bonaparte’s expression and inwardly wondered, "Your Majesty, what are you thinking about?"