CHAPTER 591: CHAPTER 582: INCITING EGYPT

De Luyis nodded and explained to Jerome Bonaparte eloquently: "Yes! Your Majesty! If the Empire were to obtain rental concessions for its own affiliated lands/buildings in the Suez Canal in Egypt, I think the Kingdom of Britain would probably acquiesce to transactions between the Empire and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Once the Kingdom of Britain is dealt with, the issue of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg can be easily resolved!"

After listening to De Luyis’s viewpoint, Jerome Bonaparte lightly nodded and then modestly hinted: "Minister Luyis, please do not forget! The agreements we made with the Kingdom of Britain regarding Egypt a few years ago!"

What Jerome Bonaparte referred to as agreements were the discussions between Valerovsky, whom he had commissioned to visit the Kingdom of Britain, and Palmerston, who was then still serving as the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Britain, on the actions against the Russian Empire.

At that time, Valerovsky not only discussed the issue of the Russian Empire with Palmerston but also reached an "understanding" on issues regarding Egypt, Niger, Nigeria, etc. (See previous Chapters for details.)

It was after Valerovsky’s mission to the Kingdom of Britain that the official British stance (particularly the navy) against France slightly softened.

Now, just a few years later, Jerome Bonaparte intends to overturn the original agreements, which may give an impression of unreliability.

Of course, Jerome Bonaparte was not saying that the agreements must be strictly adhered to. To a pragmatist like him, no treaty is unbreakable.

After all, the greatest virtue of a Monarch is not adhering to agreements.

Therefore, Jerome Bonaparte’s subtext was for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led by De Luyis, to act on Abbas using civilian forces, so that Said could legitimately inherit the position of Governor, without direct involvement from the official French government.

By that time, even if the Kingdom of Britain knew Abbas was linked to the French Empire, they would have to swallow their loss alone for lack of evidence.

"Your Majesty, rest assured!" De Luyis naturally understood his subtext and hurriedly explained to Jerome Bonaparte: "I guarantee that this action against Abbas will not involve any official from the French Empire!"

"What do you intend to do?" Jerome Bonaparte curiously inquired of De Luyis, wanting to hear what clever methods the shrewd Diplomatic Envoy had in mind.

"Your Majesty, do you happen to remember Mr. Ferdinand de Lysps?" De Luyis asked Jerome Bonaparte.

"Ferdinand de Lysps?" Jerome Bonaparte murmured, pondering quietly: "Let me think! That name sounds somewhat familiar!"

Seated beside Jerome Bonaparte, De Luyis waited quietly, and after a while, Jerome Bonaparte looked up and said to De Luyis, "I recall, wasn’t he the Consul stationed in Egypt previously?"

Jerome Bonaparte remembered him because Laiseppe had once written him a letter, accompanied by a check.

In the letter, Laiseppe mentioned that his father, Matieu de Lysps, was a diplomat during Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign, and after the French Army withdrew, he followed Emperor Napoleon’s orders to become Consul in Egypt, being a staunch Bonapartist.

Laiseppe himself was influenced by his father to become a Bonapartist, always awaiting Napoleon’s return...

Despite Laiseppe’s efforts to explain how he endured under the flags of the Bourbon and Orléans Dynasties, Jerome Bonaparte was still convinced Laiseppe was merely a traditional opportunist.

More importantly, Laiseppe’s opportunism did not manifest when Jerome Bonaparte had just assumed the presidency, but only after he had defeated Changarnier and firmly grasped half of France’s political power.

In Jerome Bonaparte’s camp, the top-order meritorious figures were those like Percy, Mokar, Taylor, Rue, who unwaveringly stood with Bonaparte, or bankers and entrepreneurs like Fuld, Mane, Deco. The second-order meritorious figures were those like Saint Arno, Conrobel, Nie’er who assisted Jerome Bonaparte in completing the coup (due to the fearful nature of bayonets, they became second-order in Jerome Bonaparte’s mind). The third-order were parliamentary supporters of Bonaparte. The last order were those who joined last, and there were just too many of them.

Therefore, Jerome Bonaparte chose to accept Laiseppe’s check, and offered him some encouragement!

"Your Majesty, Mr. Laiseppe has resigned from all positions at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and become a speculator in Egypt!" De Luyis told Jerome Bonaparte.

"Going into business!" Jerome Bonaparte rubbed his chin, then asked, "Do you intend to use him for this matter?"

"Your Majesty, Mr. Laiseppe was once the equestrian instructor of Governor Muhammad Ali, so he has a little influence in Egypt," De Luyis replied to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Given his connections with Egypt, why would he want to eliminate Abbas?" Jerome Bonaparte asked in return.

De Luyis explained to Jerome Bonaparte that since Laiseppe started his business ventures in 1852, he faced many setbacks, and his plans for developing the Suez Canal were completely ignored by Abbas and the Ottoman Empire government, leading Laiseppe to believe Abbas’s existence was a threat to his plans.

Laiseppe had been seeking an opportunity to realize his Suez Canal plan, so he quietly bribed the guards around Abbas, hoping to one day eliminate Abbas.

After listening to De Luyis’s description, an image of a cold-faced hero involuntarily surfaced in Jerome Bonaparte’s mind.

"Mr. Laiseppe is indeed bold!" Jerome Bonaparte smiled slightly, tapping the table to set the tone: "However, we need such bold people! Go and tell Mr. Laiseppe that if he really has the ability to assassinate Abbas, the Empire would not mind giving him a hand!

Even if the assassination fails, the Empire will help him clean up the aftermath, but he must guarantee to me that the assassination should not have any connection with the French Empire!

If it is discovered that the Empire is connected to the assassination, then he will have to bear the consequences alone!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" De Luyis quickly responded.

"Of course, as a return, the Imperial Government will purchase his shares at a price of 300 francs per share after he obtains the rights to widen the Suez Canal!" Jerome Bonaparte said to De Luyis.

De Luyis nodded and expressed to Jerome Bonaparte that he would certainly convey Jerome Bonaparte’s words to Laiseppe.

"It’s just a Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, yet it affects so many countries!" Jerome Bonaparte sighed.

If it weren’t for France’s own strength being insufficient to take on all of Europe alone, Jerome Bonaparte would not choose to leverage interests to move European diplomacy.

"Your Majesty, the German Region has always been like this!" De Luyis shrugged and responded to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Now I somewhat envy my uncle! If he were here, there would be no need for such complexity!" Jerome Bonaparte sighed deeply: "Now is no longer the era of one country taking on all of Europe. Only cooperation between great powers can lead to mutual benefit!"

De Luyis also nodded in agreement with Jerome Bonaparte’s view.

Subsequently, Jerome Bonaparte encouraged De Luyis and advised him to rest well.

Under De Luyis’s farewell, Jerome Bonaparte and Mokar once again boarded the carriage they came in, and the carriage, carrying Jerome Bonaparte, gradually disappeared into the night.

...

June 23, 1854, 8 AM.

Jerome Bonaparte, awakened from his sleep, yawned and rubbed his sleep-bleary eyes, mumbling, "What time is it now?"

"Your Majesty, it’s already eight o’clock! If you don’t get up now, you’ll miss the train of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert!" Empress Augusta, standing by Jerome Bonaparte’s bed with a bulging belly, said to him.

"Right!" Jerome Bonaparte immediately thought of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s visit today, and hurriedly started putting on his clothes.

"Your Majesty, you don’t need to be too anxious!" Seeing Jerome Bonaparte in a fluster, Augusta said again: "Did you forget! Victoria and Albert’s arrival time is 11 o’clock!"

"Oh, right!" Not fully awake, Jerome Bonaparte stopped dressing and lay back down, lazily saying, "Then I’ll sleep a little more!"

Empress Augusta, looking at Jerome Bonaparte in a mix of amusement and helplessness, said, "Your Majesty, Emperor Franz Joseph and Prince Metternich are heading to the dining room for breakfast!"

"Damn!" Jerome Bonaparte couldn’t help but curse, "Are they made of iron?"

Jerome Bonaparte still remembered that he returned to the Tuileries Palace at 3:30 AM, and the lights in Joseph Franz’s room were still on.

This meant that Joseph Franz had slept for at most four and a half hours.

"I don’t know that!" Augusta replied to Jerome Bonaparte in a teasing tone: "But they are at least much more diligent than some people!"

"Alright! I get it!"