CHAPTER 504: CHAPTER 498: THE LAST LESSON

"I will certainly report your request to our government in full!"

Richard Metternich assured Jerome Bonaparte with a sincere attitude.

"Then I will await your news, Mr. Richard!" Jerome Bonaparte responded to Richard Metternich in a calm tone.

Afterward, Jerome Bonaparte politely issued a dismissal to Richard Metternich, who tactfully bid farewell to Jerome Bonaparte.

When Richard Metternich was about to leave Jerome Bonaparte’s study, Jerome Bonaparte suddenly called out to him: "Wait a moment!"

"Your Majesty, is there anything else you wish to instruct?" Richard Metternich stopped and turned to ask Jerome Bonaparte.

"It’s nothing!" Jerome Bonaparte paused for a moment, then continued: "I just wanted to ask, when is my brother (monarchs always refer to each other as brothers) Joseph Franz planning to get married?"

"Your Majesty, I am not quite sure about that either!" Richard Metternich replied.

"Oh!" Jerome Bonaparte responded with a slight hint of disappointment.

From Richard Metternich’s reply, it seemed that Joseph Franz’s wedding had not been finalized yet, and it was uncertain whether that poor princess from the House of Bavaria (Princess Sisi) could successfully escape the clutches of the Habsburgs.

[PS: Here, Jerome Bonaparte’s memory seems faulty; historically, Emperor Franz and Princess Sisi were married in August.]

"Your Majesty, if you have no other instructions, I will take my leave!" Richard Metternich answered Jerome Bonaparte cautiously, perplexed as to why Jerome Bonaparte asked such a question.

Poor Richard Metternich couldn’t possibly imagine that the emperor who ruled the entire empire still had a penchant for gossip at heart.

Standing at the window of his study, watching Richard Metternich leave, Jerome Bonaparte also left the study and, descending the stairs, called Mokar to his side, instructing him to set off for Pasteur’s laboratory.

Considerable time had passed since Jerome Bonaparte sent the first batch of medical personnel to Louis Pasteur’s laboratory; it was time to review the results.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Mokar hurriedly responded to Jerome Bonaparte.

A moment later, a plain-looking black two-horse carriage appeared in the courtyard of the Tuileries Palace.

[PS: Since Jerome Bonaparte himself did not like excessive escort in non-public occasions, for the emperor’s safety, Mokar could only convert Jerome Bonaparte’s luxurious carriage into a uniformly inconspicuous modified one. To prevent any possible accidents, a steel plate was added to the bottom of each carriage. This made the whole carriage several dozen kilograms heavier than a regular one, with significantly enhanced protection capability.]

Jerome Bonaparte and Mokar entered the carriage one after the other. The door closed, and the black translucent curtains covered the window, preventing those outside from seeing the interior.

Once everything was prepared, the coachman gently pulled the reins, and the carriage set off.

They quickly arrived at the entrance of the research institute where Louis Pasteur was located. Jerome Bonaparte and Mokar arrived at the scene and, led by the institute’s staff, were brought to the preparation room.

"Your Majesty, should I bring Director Pasteur over? It might be better if you don’t go in!" The staff suggested to Jerome Bonaparte, noting that, although the laboratory had undergone multiple decontaminations, there was no guarantee against any unexpected occurrences.

If the emperor were to contract some unknown virus in their research institute, they would not escape blame even if they jumped into the Seine River!

"No need to trouble yourselves! You medical personnel work day and night in such an environment without any issues, so how could I possibly have a problem!" Jerome Bonaparte decisively declined the staff member’s suggestion, half-jokingly adding, "Besides, I’ve been to this research institute at least five times already! Isn’t it a bit late to say I shouldn’t enter now?"

"This..." The staff member responded awkwardly.

"It’s alright! My health isn’t that fragile! Just lead the way!" Jerome Bonaparte replied to the staff while putting on the mask provided in the preparation room.

"Alright, please follow me!"

Under the staff member’s guidance, Jerome Bonaparte and Mokar entered the interior of the research institute.

They found Director Louis Pasteur, who was at that moment delivering a lecture in a room filled with desks and chairs to nurses about to depart for the Eastern Region with the French Army. Below, the nurses were attentively listening to Louis Pasteur’s course.

"Students, this is my last lecture for you! After this class concludes, you will be assigned to battalions in the Eastern Region to save French comrades with your own hands. I hope each of you remembers your mission— you are the angels on the battlefield..." Louis Pasteur passionately conveyed his heartfelt message to the nurses below.

Many nurses were moved to tears after hearing Louis Pasteur’s words.

After Louis Pasteur said "thank you," the nurses applauded him warmly from the audience.

Outside the room, Jerome Bonaparte and Mokar also clapped their hands for Louis Pasteur’s final lesson as they opened the door and entered.

Everyone simultaneously looked at the entering Jerome Bonaparte and Mokar, facing these "strangers" with curiosity, confusion... and surprise (Vilnius).

"Mr. Pasteur, your lecture was excellent!" Jerome Bonaparte praised Louis Pasteur, "It’s been a long time since I’ve heard such a passionate speech!"

"Your Majesty, you flatter me!" Louis Pasteur humbly responded to Jerome Bonaparte, then invited Jerome Bonaparte to step onto the stage.

Jerome Bonaparte advanced to the stage, looked at the faces in the audience, cleared his throat, and said, "Mr. Pasteur was right; you are like angels descending from heaven to the mortal world, about to head to a place called the battlefield. Here, as someone fortunate enough to have personally visited the battlefield (in videos from my past life), the first piece of advice from a senior to you is: you must absolutely ensure your own safety! If there is no alternative, you can surrender to the enemy. This is the special right I grant to you lovely angels; no one will look down on you for surrendering.

Your safe return is the greatest contribution to France, and your parents and teachers will be proud of you."

Jerome Bonaparte spoke eloquently to the nurses present: "Although you are participants in this war, you are not responsible for it... Your task is to save the wounded, whether the war is won or lost has nothing to do with you, as that falls under the Ministry of War... Therefore, I hope every one of you will return safely..."

Jerome Bonaparte admitted he may have a bit of a patriarchal mindset; he did not want to see the young nurses on the battlefield wither away. Since he talked them into entering battle, Jerome Bonaparte also had to consider their safety.

If the cost of victory is too high, then victory loses its meaning.

"...You are the heroes of France, bringing honor to France because of you... It’s precisely because of the successive sacrifices of people like you that France gets back up and continues fighting despite its falls! There is no challenge that the children of France cannot overcome!" Jerome Bonaparte raised a tightly clenched fist and said passionately, "France will win! Justice will prevail!"

The girls in the audience, inspired by Jerome Bonaparte on stage, shouted loudly, "France will win! Justice will prevail!"

At that moment, everyone except Jerome Bonaparte believed that France was engaging in a righteous action.

Only Jerome Bonaparte knew that the main purpose of this war was to solidify his reign as Emperor, and secondly, to dismantle the Holy Alliance.

Jerome Bonaparte’s speech concluded amidst applause, and he and Louis Pasteur left the "classroom."

Walking through the corridor, Jerome Bonaparte and Louis Pasteur began discussing this group of nurses. Jerome Bonaparte inquired, "Mr. Pasteur, are they truly capable of handling this work? Cholera and typhoid are no small matters; if mishandled, they could lead to big trouble!"

Despite these trainees having furthered their studies at the institute for several months, Jerome Bonaparte still worried that they might not be up to the task, considering both the army’s needs and the safety of the nursing staff.

"Your Majesty, rest assured! They have already learned how to prevent cholera. Please have confidence in them! They are the best group of students I’ve taught so far!" Louis Pasteur responded to Jerome Bonaparte with certainty.

"Shouldn’t they be considered the worst..." Jerome Bonaparte murmured softly, recalling the teacher’s favorite phrase: "You are the worst bunch of students I’ve ever taught."

"Your Majesty, what did you just say?" Louis Pasteur asked Jerome Bonaparte.

"Nothing!" Jerome Bonaparte shook his head and replied to Louis Pasteur.

"Moreover, Your Majesty, haven’t you already emphasized in the army not to drink water that hasn’t been boiled?" Louis Pasteur asked Jerome Bonaparte.

"Indeed! Is there a problem?" Jerome Bonaparte nodded in agreement.

"Research shows that the origin of cholera bacteria is mostly from water sources! As long as the army stops drinking unclean water sources, the possibility of sudden illnesses can be contained!" Louis Pasteur explained to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Hmm! This was already known," Jerome Bonaparte nodded in response to Louis Pasteur.

"Your Majesty, please follow me!" Louis Pasteur led Jerome Bonaparte to a room filled with rows of glass test tubes, each containing a colorless, transparent liquid.

"Are these all vaccines?" Jerome Bonaparte asked Louis Pasteur, pointing at the rows of test tubes with curiosity.

"Your Majesty, as you can see! These are liquids we’ve extracted from patients suffering from cholera... um, liquids!" Louis Pasteur tactfully referred to saliva as liquid, "After several rounds of dilution and inactivation, this is what we obtained. Now it can be supplied in batches!"

"How effective are they? What is the cost of each vaccine?" Jerome Bonaparte asked Louis Pasteur.

Louis Pasteur shook his head and replied to Jerome Bonaparte: "According to clinical data, while these vaccines can treat cholera, they are not one hundred percent preventative and still pose certain risks! Only patients with severe cholera can use them! As for the cost, each unit costs approximately 6 francs."

"Mr. Pasteur, you’ve done well!" Jerome Bonaparte praised, shaking hands with Louis Pasteur.