"Miss Nightingale, you and Vilnius are different! I can honestly tell you that the reason Vilnius is here is entirely at my behest. My purpose is to have Vilnius accumulate a reputation for protecting herself, and if possible, I want her to leave her name in history books."

Since only Jerome Bonaparte, Vilnius, and Nightingale were present, Jerome Bonaparte could openly share his intentions with Nightingale.

Nightingale smiled slightly and responded to Jerome Bonaparte in a flattering tone, "Your Majesty, thank you for your honesty! I can also honestly tell you that my purpose here is to rely on my efforts to leave a mark in history!

So, in my view, regardless of what purpose brings her here, as long as she perseveres, she deserves respect!"

"Miss Nightingale, I believe you can achieve that!" Jerome Bonaparte said confidently to Nightingale, "I believe that even if our names fade into the river of history, your names will always be engraved in the history of mankind, becoming an immortal monument in human history! Just like Sir Newton..."

Jerome Bonaparte’s appraisal of Nightingale made Nightingale feel somewhat overwhelmed with flattery.

"Your Majesty, you are too modest!" Nightingale said to Jerome Bonaparte.

"No!" Jerome Bonaparte shook his head and responded to Nightingale, "I’m not being modest! Throughout history, how many princes and nobles have there been! How many are remembered? People won’t remember what the nth Emperor or King of France did! They will only remember those who made outstanding contributions to history, the key figures who propelled history forward! They won’t remember what this or that country did at any given time, but they will remember Sir Newton discovering gravity, remember Mr. Lavoisier’s steam engine improvements... Miss Nightingale, you are becoming figures who are changing the course of history!"

Jerome Bonaparte’s words caused Nightingale and Vilnius to feel a sense of fear, they both were unsure if they could become the figures Jerome Bonaparte described who would change the development of history.

"Your Majesty, you overpraise me!" Nightingale responded to Jerome Bonaparte with a wry smile, "I am just a small figure, it’s impossible for me to become the significant person pushing history as you say."

"Miss Nightingale, every person who advances history is made up of countless inconspicuous small individuals!" Jerome Bonaparte continued to say to Nightingale, "In my opinion, your and Vilnius’ names will inevitably be etched together with human history, you just need a plan!"

"What plan!" Nightingale and Vilnius interjected together.

"After the war is over, you two will surely gain a reputation that is hard for ordinary people to achieve! At that time, you can impart all the knowledge you’ve learned on the battlefield to more people!" Jerome Bonaparte hinted to Nightingale and Vilnius.

"You mean to establish a school!" Nightingale blurted out.

"Not exactly establish!" Jerome Bonaparte shook his head and responded to Nightingale, "Actually, in our France, there is already a nursing school, but for various reasons, this school has been intermittently open. Therefore, I wish to invite you, after the war is over, to take on the leadership of this school, to educate more outstanding students, and spread compassion throughout the world!

One person alone cannot change the world, only by uniting more like-minded people, combining your strength to work together, can you possibly change the world!"

At this point, a devout expression appeared on Jerome Bonaparte’s face (feigned), as if he felt honored for being able to accomplish such a great endeavor.

After hearing Jerome Bonaparte’s speech, Nightingale also developed a Christ-like sense of saving humanity.

The Emperor was right, relying solely on herself and her team of volunteers, she couldn’t change the world. Only by educating more and more people like herself could she truly change the world!

"Your Majesty, you are absolutely right!" Nightingale nodded her head and said to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Miss Nightingale, does this mean you agree!" Jerome Bonaparte said to Nightingale with a smile.

"Your Majesty, being able to participate in this great endeavor is my honor! I believe your kindness will be praised for hundreds, thousands of years!" Miss Nightingale said, praising Jerome Bonaparte.

She understood that with the power of Jerome Bonaparte, if he wanted, he could achieve it without Nightingale.

Since the Emperor chose her, Nightingale had to go all out.

Jerome Bonaparte shook his head and replied to Nightingale, "Miss Nightingale, it will be Vilnius and you that are honored after a millennium, while I will only be seen as an example to be criticized at some point in the future!"

"No, such a benevolent Monarch as you..." Nightingale said to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Benevolent?" Jerome Bonaparte gave a self-mocking smile, his tone was calm as he said, "Benevolence is not a compliment for a commendable Monarch, it’s rather a deprecation!

Besides, do you think a Monarch who sends thousands of France’s young soldiers to the battlefield would be a benevolent Monarch?"

Nightingale remained silent, finding it difficult to see through this monarch.

"The Ancient Greek philosopher Aibike once said, ’I stepped onto a stage not of our choosing, acting out a script not of our selection!’" Jerome Bonaparte seemed to be talking to himself, "So every one of us should do our best to act out this script! Miss Nightingale, I hope you can promise me one thing?"

"Your Majesty, please speak!" Nightingale immediately responded.

"I hope that in the process of healing, you do not inject too much compassion!" Jerome Bonaparte said to Nightingale without a trace of emotion.

"Why? I’m a nurse. Shouldn’t I understand the patients?" Nightingale blurted out.

"Miss Nightingale, excessive compassion will only make you lose your judgment!" Jerome Bonaparte paid no heed to Nightingale’s offense and calmly responded, "It’s like Vilnius. Just a few days ago, Vilnius asked me why nations couldn’t coexist peacefully? Why must the French Empire fight the Russian Empire?"

"What did you say?" Nightingale asked curiously.

"I told Vilnius that the premise of peaceful coexistence is mutual respect and mutual understanding! Without the ability to understand each other, it’s impossible for two countries to coexist peacefully!" Jerome Bonaparte said to Nightingale, "When you go to the Crimea Battlefield and see the soldiers lying on the ground, hear their cries, I believe you will indeed question whether this war should continue! Clearly, England and France are not facing a crisis of life and death; why must our young men die in foreign lands for unrelated countries?"

Nightingale instinctively nodded, indeed not understanding why they had to die for Ossman.

"Let me tell you why—because the Russian Empire’s ambition is insatiable. If we do nothing and let them annex the Ottoman Empire, their next targets will be the Kingdom of Prussia, the Austrian Empire, and then Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, and finally France and Britain!" Jerome Bonaparte began to construct a correct historical memory for Nightingale: "There’s an old saying in the East that goes, when the lips are gone, the teeth get cold! The Ottoman Empire is the lips of all of Europe, and if it collapses, the entire Balkans will face collapse! At that time, we might have to invest more troops to maintain it!

In the long, endless security war, how many more people will die."

"If monarchs could settle the outcome of a nation through duels, that would be great!" Nightingale mumbled softly.

"If that were the case, I would happily face Nicholas I in a knightly duel!" Jerome Bonaparte shrugged, jokingly speaking to Nightingale, "Unfortunately, Nicholas I would never do that! He would only retreat into his cold palace, observing all of Europe with his sinister gaze!"

"Your Majesty, I can only promise you that I will strive not to get involved in political issues!" Nightingale replied to Jerome Bonaparte with a bitter smile, "But I will still sympathize with each of my patients!"

"That’s fine!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded in acknowledgment to Nightingale.

After chatting for a while longer, Jerome Bonaparte left Vilnius’ office.

Only Vilnius and Nightingale remained in the office.

"Miss Vilnius!" Nightingale spoke in a heavy tone.

"Hm?" Vilnius looked at Nightingale in confusion.

"Is His Majesty always like this?" Nightingale inquired.

"No!" Vilnius shook her head, "His Majesty is not usually like this when not discussing serious matters!"

"Seems His Majesty values the issues discussed just now very much!" Nightingale responded to Vilnius, then changed the topic, "He also values you very much!"

Vilnius blushed slightly, nodded in silent agreement.

...

August 10th, 1854.

After several days of preparation, Nightingale and Vilnius boarded a wooden warship heading to the Crimea Peninsula where they would establish a new hospital.

On August 12th, Jerome Bonaparte announced his departure from Constantinople to return to France.

That night, Jerome Bonaparte, along with Marshal Renio and Richard Metternich, left Constantinople by military ship.