Jerome Bonaparte’s decisive response directly extinguished the last glimmer of hope in Ivanov Gorchakov. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Thinking of all his efforts amounting to nothing, he glared at Jerome Bonaparte with a murderous look.

If he had a weapon in his hand right now capable of delivering a fatal blow, he would have undoubtedly chosen to perish together with Jerome Bonaparte.

Jerome Bonaparte also sensed the resentment emanating from Ivanov Gorchakov and hurriedly called out, "Guards!"

The guards stationed outside the door quickly burst in and swiftly subdued Ivanov Gorchakov.

"Your Majesty, what are you doing?" Ivanov Gorchakov gritted his teeth, asking Jerome Bonaparte.

"Mr. Ivanov, your gaze just now was truly dangerous! I had to be on guard!" Jerome Bonaparte responded calmly.

"Unexpectedly, even as a monarch of an empire, you are afraid of someone like me!" Ivanov Gorchakov sneered.

Jerome Bonaparte, indifferent, said to Ivanov Gorchakov, "Mr. Ivanov, I am human, not a god! I cannot disregard the danger posed by someone of unstable mind!"

Jerome Bonaparte then ordered Ivanov Gorchakov to be escorted out of Sevastopol!

Upon leaving Sevastopol, Ivanov Gorchakov swiftly returned to Bakhchisaray and reported his ordeal in Sevastopol to Alexander II.

"Your Highness, that bastard Jerome Bonaparte is determined to go to war!" At this point, Ivanov Gorchakov had lost all respect for Jerome Bonaparte.

"What is his motive for doing this?" Alexander II muttered softly.

He couldn’t understand why Jerome Bonaparte, after expending so much effort to negotiate peace, would abandon the negotiations when it was finally time.

Could there be a conspiracy behind Jerome Bonaparte’s actions!

"Your Highness, I think they are just using this method to make fools of us!" Ivanov Gorchakov said resentfully.

"No! It can’t be!" Alexander II immediately shook his head in denial, "I don’t believe he would deceive us without purpose! There must be something we’ve overlooked!"

Alexander II continued to ponder, but he would never have imagined that the Russian Empire’s St. Petersburg was about to face a rebellion and that Jerome Bonaparte’s decision to attack at this time was to assist in the impending revolt!

As for why Alexander II failed to see this point, two reasons stood out: firstly, although St. Petersburg and the Crimea Peninsula both belonged to the Russian Empire, one was to the north and the other to the south, creating a significant distance. This made it hard for ordinary people to foresee events in Crimea affecting St. Petersburg with unimaginable hazards! Secondly, Duke Golitsyn’s secrecy was so meticulous, and now that Nicholas I was completely insulated from Golitsyn, Alexander II hadn’t received any news from Nicholas I since Nesselrode and others arrived.

While pondering why Jerome Bonaparte had halted the talks, Nesselrode and Gorchakov knocked on Alexander II’s chamber door.

"Your Highness!" Nesselrode and Gorchakov bowed in turn to Alexander II.

"What’s the matter?" Alexander II looked puzzled at Nesselrode and asked.

"Your Highness! Since the negotiations have ceased, I believe I should return to St. Petersburg to report!" Nesselrode said in an even tone.

"So soon?" A hint of surprise appeared on Alexander II’s face before he turned to Ambassador Gorchakov: "Ambassador, are you going back with Nesselrode?"

"I..." Gorchakov hesitated for a moment; he was not yet willing to return to St. Petersburg.

"Ambassador Gorchakov will remain here!" Nesselrode quickly responded on behalf of Gorchakov, perceiving Alexander II’s intention to keep him.

Gorchakov looked perplexed at Nesselrode, not understanding why he did this.

"That works too!" Alexander II nodded, then smiled: "Ambassador Gorchakov, what do you think?"

"I am willing to follow your Highness’s instructions!" Gorchakov swiftly replied, and then Nesselrode and Gorchakov left Alexander II.

Walking along the corridor, Ambassador Gorchakov promptly questioned Nesselrode on why he said that?

"I can see, your Highness still holds you in high regard!" Nesselrode, using a slightly weary tone, implored Gorchakov: "In less than ten years, my position will surely be yours, so I have no need to offend a rising political star!"

Of course, I don’t expect to erase nearly twenty years and what I have done to you with this method!

Nevertheless, I still hope you don’t take your anger out on others!"

The Gorchakov Envoy calmly responded, "Your Excellency, thank you for your affirmation!"

After speaking, Gorchakov strode away.

On November 18th, Nesselrode and part of his retinue left Bakhchisaray.

Gorchakov and Alexander II escorted Nesselrode out of the city.

That afternoon, the Cossack cavalry comrades responsible for scouting the Alma Heights reported that the French Army on the Alma Heights was moving along the Alma River.

At the same time, the Second and Third Divisions located between the Kach River and Alma River are also heading in the direction of Bakhchisaray for an encirclement.

If they converge together, Bakhchisaray will be caught in a layer of encirclement.

Therefore, at that time, Commander Gorchakov of the Russian Expeditionary Army immediately sought Alexander II and requested to go to Simferopol.

"If I leave, what will the troops in Bakhchisaray think!" Alexander II immediately rejected Commander Gorchakov’s request.

"Your Highness, you are the future of the Russian Empire! We cannot risk the future of the Russian Empire here!" Gorchakov once again pleaded with Alexander II to go to Simferopol.

Subsequently, Commander Gorchakov tactfully told Alexander II: if Bakhchisaray were unfortunately breached, then Alexander II would become a prisoner of France.

By that time, the entire morale of the Russian Empire would be irreparable.

A having no choice, Alexander II had to heed Gorchakov’s advice and leave Bakhchisaray.

Along with Alexander II, the Expeditionary Army Headquarters also left Bakhchisaray, leaving all defenses to Count Osten Sacken.

And it was no secret to Jerome Bonaparte that Alexander II and his headquarters were relocated. The Tatar cavalry wandering on the Crimea Peninsula reported the news of the Russian headquarters’ movement to Third Division Commander Trocch and Jerome Bonaparte, to which Jerome Bonaparte only responded lightly, "Ignore them!"

Then, he continued to order the Second and Third Divisions to accelerate the pace, striving to surround Bakhchisaray before nightfall.

As night fell, the Second, Third, and Almar Fifth Divisions simultaneously reached their designated positions, completely surrounding Bakhchisaray with the French Army.

After completing the set plan, Jerome Bonaparte again gave orders to these three divisions to set up camp.

The tents with isolation layers were like stars scattered just outside the range of Bakhchisaray’s cannons. After completing this, Jerome Bonaparte did not let them rest but ordered the artillery to concentrate all the heavy cannons brought in on the north and south sides of Bakhchisaray.

Nearly a thousand heavy cannons were evenly distributed on the north and south sides, just waiting for Jerome Bonaparte’s command to launch an attack on the city of Bakhchisaray.

After the French Army completed the deployment of all cannons, the time had reached early morning.

The garrison stationed in the Bakhchisaray area began to attack the French Army with their limited artillery, less than 200 cannons. The rumbling cannonade kept Jerome Bonaparte awake all night.

Early the next morning, Jerome Bonaparte arrived at the Third Division Command with tired eyes and, looking through the telescope handed by Trocch, found that the artillery bombardment by the Russian Empire had left nothing but scattered shells on the hills and ridges.

"Tell our artillerymen that it’s time for them to learn what the true king of war is!" Jerome Bonaparte conveyed the order to Trocch.

"Yes!" Trocch quickly responded, then turned and left the command post.

About 20 minutes later, the French artillery positions erupted with cannon fire even louder than the previous day. In a parabolic trajectory, they traced a beautiful arc in the sky, then smashed into the small forts and trenches in the city area of Bakhchisaray.

Under the powerful kinetic energy of the large-caliber heavy artillery, the fortifications were directly blown open, and the flying stones struck the Russian Army inside the trenches.

Before long, cries of agony came from the trenches of the Russian Army, and a small number of Russian soldiers struggled to climb out, only to be struck by stones flying from unknown directions the next moment.

Seeing the effectiveness of the heavy artillery attack, Jerome Bonaparte yawned and instructed Trocch to continue the bombardment of Bakhchisaray for another four hours. Then he returned to the rear to catch up on his sleep.