After hearing Jerome Bonaparte’s reply, Wilson pondered for a moment, then nodded to Jerome Bonaparte to express his gratitude.

"Your Majesty, thank you so much for telling me such important news!"

"It’s nothing!" Jerome Bonaparte waved his hand in response to Wilson, "I blame myself for not informing Isaac Pereire beforehand about the annexation of Savoy, which has caused you some trouble.

I believe you should be able to handle the affairs of the Savoy Bank, right?"

Wilson replied to Jerome Bonaparte with determination on his face, "Your Majesty, please rest assured! We will definitely handle the issues regarding the Savoy Bank, and we will not cause you, nor the French Empire, any trouble!"

Since the issuance banknote function of the Savoy Bank is destined to be taken over by the Bank of France, Wilson planned to manipulate the situation by fabricating a non-existent gold mine, inflating the stock price of the Savoy Bank, attracting investment from the Sardinian nobility, and finally cashing in on the stocks.

Once France annexes Savoy, the fabricated gold mine would disappear like bubbles, leaving the greedy Sardinian Kingdom’s nobles without a dime.

Wilson could also perfectly resolve his financial entanglement through this manipulation.

"That’s good!" Jerome Bonaparte patted Wilson’s shoulder and said with authority, "And do not use the real estate speculation methods you employed in the United States of America in Chambéry.

What I need is a financially sound Chambéry, not one filled with real estate speculators.

Do you understand?"

Wilson instinctively swallowed his saliva and replied with a slightly trembling voice to Jerome Bonaparte, "Your Majesty, I understand!"

Jerome Bonaparte released Wilson’s shoulder, nodded in satisfaction, and said, "Good that you understand!"

Subsequently, Jerome Bonaparte asked Wilson why he saw many people in French National Guard uniforms while touring the palace with him.

Wilson informed Jerome Bonaparte that those people were hired as security personnel to protect the palace. Each of them was a genuine French veteran, and they had all joined the Chambery National Guard.

Upon hearing Wilson’s answer, Jerome Bonaparte couldn’t help but sigh, "Wilson, you were born in the wrong era!"

Wilson smiled faintly and did not respond.

"If you had been born decades earlier, I believe with your intelligence, you would have found your place in those turbulent times!" Jerome Bonaparte did not hesitate to praise Wilson.

Feeling overwhelmed by Jerome Bonaparte’s evaluation, Wilson modestly said, "Your Majesty, you flatter me! I’m just an ordinary person, undeserving of such high praise!"

"Ordinary? The sages of the past, which one of them didn’t start as ordinary people and step by step ascend to prominence!

Didn’t my uncle Napoleon also rise from a downtrodden second son of a minor aristocratic family to the throne of the French Empire!" Jerome Bonaparte said to Wilson, "If my uncle hadn’t ascended to the supreme position in France, I wouldn’t be here today either!

The Bonaparte Clan wouldn’t have leapt from being obscure minor nobility in Europe to a royal dynasty of the continent!"

Though today Europe generally holds a superior attitude toward the Bonaparte Royal Family’s status, they are forced to acknowledge the Bonaparte Royal Family because of Napoleon’s military conquests across Europe.

"Your Majesty, the late Emperor (Emperor Napoleon) was able to stand out due to his extraordinary abilities!" Wilson continued to modestly reply to Jerome Bonaparte, "And I’m just an ordinary businessman!

Even in that era, I wouldn’t avoid the gallows!"

"You are way too modest!" Jerome Bonaparte shook his head at Wilson.

"Your Majesty, I’m speaking from the bottom of my heart!" Wilson steadfastly responded to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Forget it! Let’s not talk about it anymore!" Jerome Bonaparte interrupted the topic and then changed the subject to ask Wilson, "How many people have you enrolled in the National Guard at present?"

"Your Majesty, only 200 people!" Wilson promptly replied, "However, the total number of the National Guard in the whole of Chambéry is only about 1000 people!"

"Alright! I got it!" Jerome Bonaparte said to Wilson.

Afterward, Jerome Bonaparte asked Wilson some other questions about Chambéry, which Wilson answered one by one, including why Chambéry has a considerable French influence.

Finally, Jerome Bonaparte asked Wilson another question.

"If I were to hold a public referendum to annex Savoy into France, how many Sardinians from the Savoy Region do you think would vote in favor?" Jerome Bonaparte asked Wilson again.

Wilson was silent for a moment and then solemnly asked Jerome Bonaparte, "Your Majesty, do you want the truth or a falsehood?"

"Nonsense! Of course, I want the truth!" Jerome Bonaparte laughed and reproached lightly.

"Your Majesty, if France does not interfere with the referendum, I can guarantee that those in the entire Savoy region supporting annexation to France will not exceed 30%!" Wilson said earnestly to Jerome’s BMW.

"Thirty percent!" Jerome Bonaparte smacked his lips and then nodded, "Not bad, it’s not far from what I expected!"

Although Chambéry is filled with French elements, the majority of the people living here possess a simple nationalist mindset, therefore, convincing them to agree to annexation is essentially impossible.

"Your Majesty, if we can gain control of the rural areas of Savoy, we will have a far larger population as a voting base compared to the city!

The farmers who have lived on the land for generations understand nothing at all!

Buying their support is much more cost-effective than buying that of city dwellers!" Wilson proposed a solution to Jerome Bonaparte.

"You and I thought the same thing!" Jerome Bonaparte clapped his hands and answered Wilson, "Mr. Wilson, didn’t I say you were brilliant!"

Wilson smiled modestly and then responded to Jerome Bonaparte, "Your Majesty, I also learned from the election experience of the French Empire!"

The Second Empire initially relied on the strategy of encircling the cities with rural areas, gathering the majority of France’s votes around Jerome Bonaparte, thus granting him the legitimacy to contend with Parliament.

Otherwise, no matter how capable Jerome Bonaparte might be, he couldn’t have mobilized the military.

The military will only assist when there’s a higher chance of victory.

When your empire is on the verge of collapse, the military will just watch from the sidelines.

Charles X, Louis Philippe, and even Cafenak were no exceptions.

"Mr. Wilson, your vision surpasses others by a mile. Would you be interested in becoming the mayor of Chambéry after Savoy joins the embrace of France?" Jerome Bonaparte extended an olive branch to Wilson.

After a moment of silence, Wilson shook his head and replied to Jerome Bonaparte, "Your Majesty, I still prefer being a banker!

Government work just isn’t suitable for me!"

"Is that so? That’s really a pity!" Jerome Bonaparte sighed lightly, yet he wasn’t disappointed by Wilson’s refusal; the world lacks opportunities for people, but not talent.

Unless Wilson was like Talleyrand or Fouché, a talent the monarch both loves and hates.

Otherwise, the monarch’s olive branch would not be extended repetitively.

Subsequently, Wilson informed Jerome Bonaparte that although he was unwilling to work in government, he was still willing to serve Jerome Bonaparte.

Thus, Jerome Bonaparte entrusted Wilson with a task: to win over the farmers of the Savoy region to favor France, laying groundwork for the future referendum.

"Your Majesty, rest assured and leave it to me!" Wilson assured Jerome Bonaparte.

"Alright! It’s getting late, time to rest!" Jerome Bonaparte yawned and responded to Wilson.

"Your Majesty, please follow me!" Wilson said to Jerome Bonaparte.

Led by Wilson, Jerome Bonaparte arrived at a bedroom filled with imperial-style decor.

Looking at the luxurious bedroom before him, Jerome Bonaparte praised, "Not bad! The decor style of this bedroom can rival that of the Tuileries Palace!"

Upon hearing this, Wilson’s face changed slightly, and he reluctantly said to Jerome Bonaparte, "Your Majesty, if you like it, I am willing to give you the entire palace!"

"Better not!" Jerome Bonaparte shook his head and said to Wilson, "This palace probably embodies much of your effort, I wouldn’t want to take what’s dear to someone!"

Wilson smiled again, then tactfully inquired if Jerome Bonaparte needed a gentle woman to attend to him at night.

"No need!" Jerome Bonaparte shook his head and declined, "I came with the army this time, I must lead by example!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Wilson responded once more to Jerome Bonaparte and then left the room.

Half an hour later, Jerome Bonaparte fell into a deep sleep.

...

The next morning, as a ray of sunlight streamed through the pale yellow curtains into the room, Jerome Bonaparte slowly awakened.

After a while, the door opened, and Jerome Bonaparte, dressed and groomed, walked out of the room.

Today, he was to head to the Turin Royal Palace to meet with Victor Emmanuel II.