CHAPTER 587: CHAPTER 578 WAR AND PEACE

Gazing at the departing figure of Jerome Bonaparte, Elizabeth fell into deep thought, unsure whether she should heed Jerome Bonaparte’s words.

"Alas!" Elizabeth sighed over her ill-fated destiny.

Just then, the voice of Franz Joseph reached Elizabeth’s ears: "Elizabeth, what’s wrong? Has something happened?"

Elizabeth, responding to the voice, turned around and revealed a false smile: "Nothing!"

"That’s good!" Franz Joseph, suspecting nothing, then lowered his voice to inquire, "What were you discussing with the Emperor of France earlier?"

Looking at her inquisitive fiancé, Elizabeth couldn’t help but recall Jerome Bonaparte’s remarks.

As the saying goes, like mother, like son; if her fiancé is so controlling, his mother must be even more so. (This is Elizabeth’s subjective thought.)

"I discussed many things with His Majesty Jerome Bonaparte; he told me how he came together with Empress Augusta and also mentioned that you are the youngest monarch he has ever met! The Austrian Empire will undoubtedly become even stronger under your leadership!" Elizabeth sincerely lied to Franz Joseph.

Trusting Elizabeth implicitly, Franz Joseph believed her words, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his face. He then took Elizabeth’s hand and said, "Let’s dance one last dance!"

Franz Joseph and Elizabeth began dancing to a new round of music.

Meanwhile, standing at the edge of the dance floor, Jerome Bonaparte was accompanied by another man, the Wurttemberg Envoy.

"Your Majesty, may I have a moment of your time?" the Wurttemberg Envoy respectfully asked Jerome Bonaparte.

"Of course!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded, then once again left the ballroom with the Wurttemberg Envoy, heading to the reception room of the Tuileries Palace for a conversation.

No sooner had they sat down than the Wurttemberg Envoy took a gemstone from his pocket and placed it before Jerome Bonaparte.

"Ambassador, what do you mean by this?" Jerome Bonaparte asked half-jokingly, "It’s not a special occasion today; why give me this?"

"Your Majesty, this gemstone is not from me but entrusted by the Saxon Envoy to be handed over to you!" the Wurttemberg Envoy replied to Jerome Bonaparte.

"The Saxon Envoy?" Jerome Bonaparte paused for a few seconds, then pointed at the gemstone and asked, "Who is it from?"

"Your Majesty, it is a gift from Minister Nieshierluodie! He said it’s to celebrate Empress Augusta bearing you offspring!" the Wurttemberg Envoy meticulously answered Jerome Bonaparte and then added.

"Empress Augusta isn’t even near her delivery date, yet they’re already sending gifts!" Jerome Bonaparte remarked with a double entendre, "A bit too eager, aren’t they!"

"Your Majesty, this quietly proves the strength of the French Empire!" the Wurttemberg Envoy complimented.

"Did you tell them my thoughts?" Jerome Bonaparte continued to inquire.

The Wurttemberg Envoy nodded in response to Jerome Bonaparte: "Your Majesty, I have informed the Saxon Envoy that you have no intention of seeking peace in the short term! The Saxon Envoy asked me to convey to you that although the French Empire and the Russian Empire are at war, there is no animosity between the two countries!

Whenever Your Majesty desires peace, peace will naturally follow."

Jerome Bonaparte asked the Wurttemberg Envoy, bewildered: "Did Nieshierluodie really say that? Nicolai I, that old stickler, agreed to unconditional peace talks?"

The Wurttemberg Envoy shook his head and replied to Jerome Bonaparte: "That, I do not know!"

Neither Jerome Bonaparte nor the Wurttemberg Envoy, nor even the Saxon Envoy knew that Nieshierluodie’s peace proposal was entirely a secret overture conducted secretly behind Nicholas I’s back.

However, this plan was authorized by Alexander II, Dolgorukov, and Orlov, making it a negotiation completely unbeknownst to Nicholas I.

Should the unlikely event of successful peace talks occur, they would collectively pressure Nicholas I to demand negotiations.

But Nieshierluodie himself had no real hope for success in this initial contact; his aim was merely to pry open a crack in communication between the French Empire and the Russian Empire, so that the two nations could immediately embrace peace whenever desired.

"I assume this is a move by Nieshierluodie and the others behind the Tsar’s back! If I were Nicholas I, I would never agree to peace talks at this time!"

Although Jerome Bonaparte was not aware of the current political situation in Russia, he was still able to make certain inferences based on historical premises.

After listening to Jerome Bonaparte’s inferences, the Wurttemberg Envoy said in shock, "They are so bold!"

"If behind Nesselrode is Crown Prince Alexander, then this action does not count as overstepping!" Jerome Bonaparte responded calmly: "Crown Prince Alexander himself, unlike his father, is not a devout Slavism Eastern Orthodox believer! His thinking is more aligned with Britain!"

The Wurttemberg Envoy stared at Jerome Bonaparte, realizing why Jerome Bonaparte insisted on personally communicating with them.

Seeing the Wurttemberg Envoy’s inner thoughts, Jerome Bonaparte spoke again: "Mr. Envoy, a qualified diplomat must not only adapt to circumstances but also be good at analysis! The character of a monarch influences the direction of diplomacy to a certain extent, especially in an absolute monarchy!"

"Your Majesty, you are truly a formidable character!" The Wurttemberg Envoy was fortunate that his country could forge a connection with Jerome Bonaparte.

For a moment, he felt that he was not facing a man, but a ghost, the ghost of a Cardinal.

"Can I take that as a compliment from you?" Jerome Bonaparte said with a pleased smile.

"Of course!" The Wurttemberg Envoy replied to Jerome Bonaparte without hesitation.

"Alright! I’ll accept the gift on Augusta’s behalf!" Jerome Bonaparte put the gem in his pocket, then jokingly urged the Wurttemberg Envoy to prepare a gift.

The Wurttemberg Envoy jokingly responded to Jerome Bonaparte, his gift would arrive at the Tuileries Palace only after the birth of the little prince/princess.

"I look forward to your gift!" Jerome Bonaparte said with a smile, getting up and speaking to the Wurttemberg Envoy, "It’s getting late! We should hurry back to the ballroom!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The Wurttemberg Envoy also stood up and left the room with Jerome Bonaparte.

Upon returning to the ballroom, Jerome Bonaparte danced a few more dances at the invitation of several noblewomen, and gradually it was midnight.

The ball concluded with the chime of the clock at midnight, and Jerome Bonaparte, along with Franz Joseph and other German States’ royalty, received the guests’ formal farewells.

After all the guests in the ballroom, except those invited to stay at the Tuileries Palace (Franz Joseph, Elizabeth, King William I of Württemberg, Prince Metternich), had left, Jerome Bonaparte called Mokar over and instructed him to take Franz Joseph, Elizabeth, and Prince Metternich to the prepared rooms.

"Your Majesty, Princess, Your Highness, please come with me!" Mokar respectfully said to Franz Joseph and the others.

After Franz Joseph and the others left, William I spoke, "Joseph (full name Jerome Joseph Bonaparte)!"

"Father!" Jerome Bonaparte respectfully responded to his father-in-law in front of him.

"What exactly is going on between you and Emperor Franz’s fiancée, Elizabeth?" William I asked Jerome Bonaparte sternly.

Being a king, William I was well aware of what a man with power could do, and he was somewhat worried that Jerome Bonaparte might do something inappropriate.

If the French Empire and the Austrian Empire fell out over a woman, that would be terrible!

"Father, you misunderstand me!" Jerome Bonaparte shook his head and responded to William I, "Am I that tasteless?"

William I thought for a moment, indeed, it seemed his son-in-law was not particularly interested in someone like Elizabeth.

"The reason I am willing to converse with Princess Elizabeth is to cultivate her love for Paris, thereby stabilizing the alliance between the Austrian Empire and the French Empire!" Jerome Bonaparte shrugged and responded to William I, then used Augusta as a shield: "And your daughter is a bit concerned about Princess Elizabeth, so she asked me to bolster her influence! A princess with Bavarian backing and a princess with Parisian backing are treated differently!"

"My daughter? Why would she want to help Elizabeth?" William I was somewhat puzzled.

"How should I know?" Jerome Bonaparte shrugged, speaking helplessly, "Maybe that’s the friendship between women! Let’s not talk about this! Father, has there been any outcome from my brother-in-law?"

William I glanced at Jerome Bonaparte and said in an annoyed tone, "How could there be a result so soon, you’ll just have to wait a bit longer!"

"Ah! How much longer!" Jerome Bonaparte responded to William I with a bitter expression.

"I’ll ask again after I return to Württemberg! Will that do?" William I responded to Jerome Bonaparte with a look of disdain.