CHAPTER 609: CHAPTER 600: THE DETERIORATING NICHOLAS I

The day after the Victoria couple and Franz Joseph informed Jerome Bonaparte of their forthcoming departure from Paris, the official newspapers "Bonaparte Newspaper" and "French National Newspaper" respectively published the articles "Farewell, Victoria" and "Farewell, Franz Joseph".

Early in the morning, when the Parisians who subscribed to official newspapers saw this headline, they immediately realized that the monarchs of Britain and Austria might be leaving soon.

After they finished reading the contents of the articles, their speculation was indeed confirmed.

Thus, the Parisians who had a fondness for the two monarchs "spontaneously" went to the Paris City Hall to inquire from Prefect Ossman when the two monarchs would be leaving Paris.

Ossman also "considerately" informed them that the two monarchs would be leaving Paris the next morning, accompanied by Emperor Jerome Bonaparte, from the Paris Railway Station.

If the Parisians "wished" to bid farewell to the two monarchs, they could head to the Paris Railway Station early in the morning the next day to see them off.

That evening, a grand farewell ball was held at the Tuileries Palace.

During the speech before the ball, Jerome Bonaparte once again expressed his gratitude for Victoria and Franz Joseph’s visit, and also his regret for their departure.

Queen Victoria and Franz Joseph also delivered speeches respectively, expressing their happiness at being able to visit Paris and hoping that Jerome Bonaparte might one day bring Augusta along to London/Vienna.

During the ball, to express the friendship between France, Britain, and Austria, Jerome Bonaparte danced with Queen Victoria and Princess Elizabeth, and after the dances, he kissed the back of their hands to offer his blessings.

The ball ended amidst laughter and joy, and on Jerome Bonaparte’s suggestion, Franz Joseph, Albert, and others strolled in the garden outside the Tuileries Palace under the moonlight.

As the time pointed to 1 AM, Jerome Bonaparte and the others returned to the Tuileries Palace and the Louvre.

The next morning at 6 AM, Jerome Bonaparte got up from bed, dressed carefully, and lightly kissed Augusta’s forehead as she slept.

"Have they left?" Augusta, in a light sleep, opened her eyes lazily to inquire after Jerome Bonaparte kissed her.

"Not yet!" Jerome Bonaparte shook his head and replied to Augusta.

"Do you need me to go with you!" Augusta yawned and asked him.

Jerome Bonaparte pointed at Augusta’s swollen abdomen and said, "Given your condition, even if you wanted to go, they wouldn’t agree! If anything goes wrong, who could bear that responsibility!"

"That’s true!" Augusta replied in a slightly silly tone.

"Alright! You continue to sleep!" Jerome Bonaparte gently stroked Augusta’s forehead, then turned and left the bedroom, heading to the study to handle some documents.

There was no need to think about it; Franz Joseph and Prince Albert certainly hadn’t woken up yet!

At 7:20 AM, Mokar appeared in Jerome Bonaparte’s study to report that Franz Joseph and Prince Albert had already arrived at the dining room.

"Very good!" Jerome Bonaparte put down the document in his hand and, together with Mokar, entered the dining room.

After everyone finished a simple breakfast, Jerome Bonaparte again asked whether Franz Joseph and Albert preferred to ride in a carriage or on horseback.

"On horseback!" Franz Joseph and Albert answered, wanting to leave a good impression on the Parisians.

"Very well!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded and turned to Mokar, issuing the order: "Prepare three horses and a carriage!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Mokar bowed to Jerome Bonaparte and left.

"Jerome, you haven’t asked us yet?" Queen Victoria "protested" with a sentence.

"Lady Victoria, I assume you would choose to ride in a carriage!" Jerome Bonaparte replied to Queen Victoria.

Subsequently, the three of them, Jerome Bonaparte, rode on horseback, while Victoria and Elizabeth rode in a carriage, leaving the Tuileries Palace escorted by French Dragon Cavalry in silver armor.

From the Tuileries Palace to the Paris Railway Station, the crowd of onlookers was endless.

Some "Parisians" shouted at Franz Joseph and Albert riding on horseback, hoping they would visit again next time.

When the procession reached the Paris Railway Station, the soldiers stationed at the entrance hurriedly removed the barricades and, following orders from their superiors, saluted the three mounted monarchs with their rifles.

After dismounting, Jerome Bonaparte and others were greeted by General Vayan.

With Vayan’s guidance, Jerome Bonaparte and the others entered the railway station.

By that time, the diplomatic delegations from Britain and Austria had already been waiting on the platform for some time. In front of these two delegations, on two parallel tracks, were two trains; one headed for Normandy, the other bound for Strasbourg.

"I won’t see you off now!" Jerome Bonaparte gave Albert and Franz Joseph each a hug before watching them board the train with their delegations.

As the steam locomotive’s engine let out a loud whistle, a large amount of milky white steam was released, and under the propulsion of steam, the two trains gradually accelerated.

It wasn’t until both trains disappeared from Jerome Bonaparte’s sight that he turned and left the Paris Railway Station.

...

While Jerome Bonaparte was seeing off Prince Albert and Franz Joseph from Paris, in Tsarskoye Selo, a thousand miles away, Nicholas I once again began his customary outburst of rage.

At that moment, in the Summer Palace, Nicholas I, full of anger, threw a newspaper in front of Nesselrode and loudly questioned, "Speak! What exactly is going on here?"

"Your Majesty..." Nesselrode paused for a moment, then replied to Nicholas I, "I don’t know!"

"You don’t know?" Nicholas I sneered upon hearing Nesselrode’s reply, "I don’t believe that as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, you wouldn’t know about this! Do you truly not know, or are you deliberately concealing it?"

Facing Nicholas I’s interrogations, Nesselrode maintained a composed yet deferential attitude, "Your Majesty, I truly am unaware of this news! Ever since our war with England and France began, our Ministry of Foreign Affairs has ceased concerning itself with any news from those two countries!"

"Then what is this newspaper about!" Nicholas I sternly asked Nesselrode, "Jerome Bonaparte, that brat, held a review parade on such an important day, and then it was blatantly published in the newspaper. Your Foreign Affairs Ministry claims ignorance? I think your Ministry of Foreign Affairs might as well be called the Ministry of Uselessness! I’m asking you again, are you aware of this or not!"

"I don’t know!" Nesselrode continued to grit his teeth and refuse to admit his involvement. He knew that once he admitted it, it would inevitably implicate the Minister of War Dolgorukov, and the head of the Third Hall, Orlov, as well as Crown Prince Alexander. Such deceit could not be accomplished alone.

It required the cooperation of the Ministry of War and the Third Hall to create an information vacuum around Nicholas I, preventing him from receiving any useful information, along with the endorsement of Crown Prince Alexander. Without the Crown Prince’s involvement, Orlov would not have been willing to act with them.

If those three fell because of him, the Imperial Government’s situation would deteriorate further.

Although Nesselrode looked down upon Orlov’s sycophantic ways, he had to admit that, in such a critical situation, Orlov was somewhat useful.

"Fine! So, you won’t speak!" Nicholas I shouted, pointing at Nesselrode, "Guards!"

The guards at the door entered the room upon hearing Nicholas I’s call.

"Arrest this traitor for me!" Nicholas I ordered the guards.

The guards glanced at the bowing Nesselrode and said, "Minister!"

"He is no longer a minister! He is a traitor to the Russian Empire!" Nicholas I said, tapping the armrest of the throne.

Just then, Crown Prince Alexander, who had been silent, stepped forward to take responsibility, "Father, I issued the order! If you wish to punish anyone, punish me!"

"Alexander, why would you do this?" Nicholas I showed a devastated expression, "I’ve given you everything, what more do you want! Are you in that much of a hurry?"

Gazing at Nicholas I on the throne, Alexander hurriedly explained, "No! Not at all! I just don’t want you to be upset anymore! Your health can’t handle such anger!"

"I’m perfectly healthy!" Nicholas I retorted coldly.

"Cough... cough... cough," a violent fit of coughing left Nicholas I speechless, and Alexander quickly ascended the throne and gently patted Nicholas I on the back.

After a while, Nicholas I stopped coughing, yet his spirit seemed slightly more wan than before.

"Father, I just didn’t want these matters to burden you, so I issued the order to Nesselrode!" Alexander sincerely said to Nicholas I.

Feeling Alexander’s honesty, Nicholas I’s tone softened considerably. After all, he was still his son; Nicholas I couldn’t possibly strip him of the succession, could he?

However, Nicholas I’s words still carried a tinge of rebuke: "What good is this? Even if I don’t know, won’t those people in St. Petersburg (referring to the nobles) know?"

"I don’t care what they think! Your health is what’s most important!" Crown Prince Alexander said to Nicholas I.

"You, you!" Looking at his filial son, Nicholas I felt a warmth well up inside.

Alexander was a good son, but he might not necessarily be a good Tsar. (Nicholas I was wrong about this!)

At Alexander’s pleading, Nicholas I forgave Nesselrode for his wrongdoing and issued orders to Dolgorukov to take Sevastopol at all costs.

"Our troops are not ready yet!" Crown Prince Alexander tried to prevent Nicholas I’s reckless move.

"Even if the army is unprepared, we must attack!" Nicholas I resolutely stated.

He then explained to Alexander II why he was adamant about the Sevastopol operation.

"Jerome Bonaparte, that brat, wants to use this method to announce our defeat to Europe, then collaborate with the Kingdom of Prussia and the Austrian Empire to dismember the Russian Empire! If we don’t choose to attack, our ’friends’ in Central Europe will think we’ve lost the will to attack! At that point, they’ll turn into a pack of eager wolves, ready to pounce at any moment!" Nicholas I, slightly unhinged, analyzed.

"Father, the Kingdom of Prussia and the Austrian Empire should not help the French Empire besiege us, right?" Alexander had some doubts about Nicholas I’s deduction.

"Trust me! They definitely will!"

At this time, Nicholas I did not know that he had fallen into a carefully designed trap by Jerome Bonaparte.