CHAPTER 620: CHAPTER 611: THE GROWING AMBITION

"Are you planning a rebellion?"

Jerome Bonaparte sternly scolded the captain standing in front of him, with an attitude that suggested he might dismiss the captain on the spot.

The surrounding sailors halted in their tracks upon witnessing this scene.

"Your Majesty, I wouldn’t dare!" The captain lowered his posture and bowed to Jerome Bonaparte.

"You wouldn’t dare? You surely have the courage now!" Jerome Bonaparte replied sarcastically to the captain, "You almost decided where I would go! I ask, who is truly in charge on this ship?"

"There is only one sun on this ship, and that is you, Your Majesty!" The captain complimented sincerely.

"Is this how you treat me, your sun?" Jerome Bonaparte mercilessly retorted and pointed to the surrounding sailors, saying to the captain, "Believe me, with just one command, your career as captain will end!"

The captain mustered courage to respond to Jerome Bonaparte, "Even if you dismiss me now, Your Majesty, I will not agree to you going to the Crimea Peninsula! You are the future of the Empire; for France’s sake, I absolutely won’t allow you to go to the Crimea Peninsula!"

"You stubborn guy!" Jerome Bonaparte smiled wryly, realizing he was dealing with a "foolhardy" person, "Aren’t you afraid I’ll directly dismiss you and feed you to the sea?"

"Your Majesty, even if you appoint anyone else on this ship as captain, they would not agree to you going to the Crimea Peninsula either!" The captain replied to Jerome Bonaparte, then loudly addressed the sailors, "After my death, you must not let His Majesty go to the Crimea Peninsula!"

After speaking, the captain displayed a demeanor of heroic sacrifice.

"You stubborn guy!" Jerome Bonaparte repeated what he’d said earlier, patted the captain’s shoulder helplessly, and said, "Stop overacting! I won’t go, fine!"

"Your Majesty is wise!" The captain quickly flattered Jerome Bonaparte, "I knew someone like you, Your Majesty, wouldn’t..."

"Alright! Alright!" Jerome Bonaparte waved his hand in response to the captain, "Just put me down at the port of Constantinople! Also, go get Richard Metternich out of the room!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The captain saluted Jerome Bonaparte and immediately jogged into the cabin to wake the reclining Richard Metternich.

A while later, Richard Metternich appeared before Jerome Bonaparte and sat with him on the deck steps.

"Ambassador Richard, how are you feeling today?" Jerome Bonaparte casually asked, hands dangling on his open thighs.

"Your Majesty, I feel much better now!" Richard Metternich answered Jerome Bonaparte.

Upon hearing this, Jerome Bonaparte closely examined Richard Metternich’s complexion, confirming it appeared so.

When Richard Metternich first boarded, he was pale as death, now his flushed cheeks showed a hint of pallor.

"We’ll be disembarking soon!" Jerome Bonaparte sighed and said to Richard Metternich.

Richard Metternich hesitated for a few seconds, then asked with a laugh, "Your Majesty, didn’t you say we were going to accompany this ship to the Crimea Peninsula?"

"Sorry!" Jerome Bonaparte shrugged and said helplessly, "Negotiations with the captain failed; he consistently refused my request to go to the Crimea Peninsula!"

Hearing Jerome Bonaparte’s words, Richard Metternich couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration.

In Richard Metternich’s heart, the authority of any monarch cannot be insulted; the captain’s behavior towards Jerome Bonaparte was undoubtedly a slap to authority. (Richard Metternich thought)

"How do you intend to deal with that disrespectful fellow?" Richard Metternich curiously asked Jerome Bonaparte.

"Deal with him?" Jerome Bonaparte wore a surprised expression, "Why should I deal with him?"

"He..." Richard Metternich fell silent for a moment before saying to Jerome Bonaparte, "He insulted you!"

"I think what he said wasn’t exactly wrong!" Jerome Bonaparte shrugged, placed a hand on Richard Metternich’s shoulder, and earnestly said, "Richard, this era is no longer the era of absolute monarchy! We cannot decide someone’s future over a couple of offensive words.

Since the new era, the rights of the King of France are no longer endless, and each use of power may deplete some authority.

When a monarch’s authority is entirely depleted, that’s when he falls!

Of course, this will also be the case for the future Austrian Empire!"

Richard Metternich pondered Jerome Bonaparte’s words repeatedly, recalling the Great Revolution of 1848.

At that time, indeed, the Austrian Empire Government’s continuous internal struggles eroded authority, and when disaster struck, the Emperor’s authority could no longer restrain the subjects within the Empire.

If not for Prime Minister Felix Schwarzenberg, the whole Austrian Empire might have...

"Also, do not overly comply with the will of the Monarch!" Jerome Bonaparte whispered to Richard Metternich: "Sometimes, the actions of the Monarch may not necessarily be correct! He could very well lead a country into dangerous territory!"

Richard Metternich immediately felt there was more to Jerome Bonaparte’s words than met the eye.

"Your Majesty, God teaches us that subjects cannot defy the Monarch! Even if the Monarch himself makes a mistake!" Richard Metternich said piously.

"God! Give me a break!" Jerome Bonaparte showed a disdainful expression on his face, as if to say, "You still believe in God."

Indeed!

To Richard Metternich, God was just rhetoric to placate Jerome Bonaparte.

Influenced by the pragmatism of Prince Metternich, Richard Metternich also did not believe in God.

After all, no matter how powerful God is, He could not send angels to earth.

Richard Metternich even maliciously imagined that if God really did send someone to earth one day, the Roman Curia might be the first to oppose the coming of the angels.

An organization that has existed for a thousand years, burdened with sins too numerous to count.

Quite possibly, Pope Pius IX would declare the angels’ descent as "malicious."

Even though Richard Metternich did not believe in God, he still needed to use God as a shield.

"Your Majesty, the Monarch’s rights originate from God’s will! As God’s lamb, I must comply with God’s will!" Richard Metternich responded earnestly.

"Why was your tithe abolished then?" Jerome Bonaparte’s lips curled into a mocking smile.

"That was also God’s will!" Richard Metternich replied, bracing himself.

"So it turns out God guided the revolution! It seems the Austrian Empire is the target of God’s wrath!" Jerome swiftly seized on Richard Metternich’s verbal slip.

"No! It’s not..." Richard Metternich also realized the problem.

The abolition of the tithe in the Austrian Empire was during the same time as the emancipation of the serfs in 1848.

If the abolition of the tithe represented God’s will, then their Austrian Empire would become the great villain.

"Alright! Let’s not talk about God anymore!" Seeing the topic veering further off course, Jerome Bonaparte decisively steered it back on track, "What I mean is, if your Monarch believes that France and the Austrian Empire are destined for war, what will you do? Will you agree with his actions, or stop him?"

"His Majesty Franz will not declare war like you!" Richard Metternich replied.

"Suppose! Suppose!" Jerome Bonaparte emphasized, "If you really face such a choice, what will you do?"

"I will do everything in my power to stop His Majesty Franz!" Richard Metternich responded resolutely.

"You see! Your answer just now didn’t care about the Monarch’s feelings at all!" Jerome Bonaparte spread his hands to Richard Metternich.

"I..." Richard Metternich was silent for a moment.

"Richard, sometimes you must be forceful!" Jerome Bonaparte urged, "Think about your former Prime Minister Felix Schwarzenberg, did Franz agree with every decision he made? Now look at your Foreign Minister Bao’er... Although I don’t want to overly criticize the Austrian Empire, your Foreign Minister is simply like Franz’s echo, with no ability for independent thought!"

Richard Metternich understood that Jerome Bonaparte was criticizing the previous foreign policy of the Austrian Empire.

Although the policy’s general direction was not within Bao’er’s control, Bao’er was also largely responsible.

"Richard, my friend, you must rise!" Jerome Bonaparte said seriously to Richard Metternich.

"Your Majesty... I..." Richard Metternich opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found himself at a loss.

"In fact, you are more suited to lead the Empire than Franz! You are more resolute, and your thinking is more flexible!" Jerome Bonaparte said meaningfully.

Richard Metternich, after a moment of silence, denied it without too much severity.

Not bad! At least it wasn’t an immediate denial!

Looking at Richard Metternich in front of him, Jerome Bonaparte’s mood immediately brightened, now feeling like a diligent gardener, continuously nurturing a seed called ambition with his words.

"Your Majesty, we have arrived in Constantinople!"