Make France Great Again-Chapter 755 - 746: Poland Under Compromise

"The first formation of the cabinet? What use is there for me to have this right?"

Grand Duke Maximilian’s conditions did not cheer Prince Czartoryski. For an 84-year-old man with not much desire for power, he only wished to see Poland gain independence from the Russian Empire and establish a republican government in his lifetime.

However, although Poland did become independent, it could not establish a republican government as he wished.

This outcome was somewhat hard for Prince Czartoryski to accept.

"Father, you can use the right granted to you by His Majesty to choose a successor who can carry out your will!" Viereid said to Prince Czartoryski.

"Inherit my will?" Upon hearing Viereid’s words, Prince Czartoryski’s emotions erupted instantly, and a disdainful smile appeared on his lips, "Even my son has already betrayed me, so how can I expect others to inherit my will now!"

"Father, I..." Viereid showed a look of shame on his face and then stammered, "I did not betray you, I just thought... thought..."

"Thought what?" Prince Czartoryski unceremoniously scolded Viereid, "Do you think your father is old and incapable of helping you anymore, so you can’t wait to betray him!"

"No! It’s not like that!" Viereid shook his head vigorously, squatting beside Prince Czartoryski and holding his hand, "My respected father! I swear, my respect and love for you will never change for a lifetime!

Everything I do is to continue your ideals!"

"My ideals?" Prince Czartoryski thundered at Viereid, "Viereid, you’ve followed me for nearly thirty years, don’t you know what my ideal is?"

"Father!" Viereid sincerely responded to Prince Czartoryski, "I know you want to turn Poland into a republic without emperors and nobles, but you should also be aware that today’s Poland can never successfully establish a republic surrounded by monarchies!

I can assure you, if you insist on establishing a republic in Poland, the French Empire will definitely not help us, and the Austrian Empire won’t give us Galicia-Krakow!

So for the bigger picture, I beg you to give up this unrealistic ideal and choose a more stable path!"

"You’ve only met Maximilian a few times, and you’re so sure he’s the stable path!" Prince Czartoryski seemingly retorted Viereid with deliberate contrariness, "In my eyes, his so-called ’universal’ election is just an empty promise before he ascends the throne!

Once he’s secured on the throne, he’ll tighten control over Poland like his brother, to achieve his autocratic rule, I’ve seen such tricks many times!"

After hearing Prince Czartoryski’s words, Viereid shook his head and unwaveringly responded to him, "Father, even though I’ve only met Grand Duke Maximilian once, I believe he will absolutely not be like Emperor Franz Joseph!

I believe Grand Duke Maximilian genuinely wants to lead Poland into modernization, remove all previous constraints and bad habits... to make Poland strong once again!"

Prince Czartoryski remained silent for a moment at Viereid’s response, then sighed again, his once-angry face returning to its usual calm.

Viereid knew his father had put the past behind him and begun facing the present.

After a while, Prince Czartoryski slowly spoke, "Viereid!"

"Father!" Viereid quickly responded to Prince Czartoryski.

"Be honest with me, besides this condition, did Grand Duke Maximilian have any other conditions?" Prince Czartoryski said to Viereid.

"Aside from agreeing to give you the right to organize the first cabinet, His Majesty also agreed to appoint me as his secretary!" Viereid candidly said to Prince Czartoryski.

"You agreed to him?" Prince Czartoryski asked, though he was well aware of the answer in his heart.

"Yes!" Viereid nodded to Prince Czartoryski.

"Alright! I understand!" Prince Czartoryski patted Viereid’s shoulder, gradually overlapping Viereid’s childhood face with his current one in his mind.

Unknowingly, his son was already in his thirties, and he should have his own path to walk. His (Czartoryski’s) ideals shouldn’t be imposed on him (Viereid).

Looking at Viereid squatting before him, Prince Czartoryski showed a gratified smile, "Viereid, you’ve grown up!"

"Father, I will always be your son!" Viereid exclaimed upon noticing the change in Prince Czartoryski’s demeanor.

Subsequently, Prince Czartoryski ordered Viereid to accompany him to the study, with Viereid carrying an oil lamp to illuminate the path for Prince Czartoryski.

Upon reaching the study, Prince Czartoryski took a sheet of paper from a drawer and handed it to Viereid.

"Father, what is this?" Viereid curiously asked Prince Czartoryski.

"Didn’t Maximilian authorize me to form the new cabinet? Give him the names on this list!" Prince Czartoryski said slowly to Viereid.

Viereid opened the note, and sure enough, it contained the names of cabinet ministers and the interests behind them.

It can be said that with this note, Maximilian will take a much shorter detour.

"Father, when did you write this?" Viereid asked in surprise as he looked at Prince Czartoryski.

"I wrote this after you left with His Majesty Jerome Bonaparte!" Czartoryski said to Viereid, "Alright! No more nonsense, tomorrow morning you will hand this to Maximilian, and then go to Vienna with Maximilian! I will take care of the matters in Poland for you!"

"Father, what about you?" Viereid was worried that Czartoryski would have no one to take care of him.

"I can just stay in Paris!" Prince Czartoryski replied to Viereid.

"But, your health..." Viereid was worried that Czartoryski’s health might fail.

"Don’t worry!" Czartoryski patted his chest and replied to Viereid, "I won’t just die suddenly!"

"But..."

"No buts!" Czartoryski scolded Viereid with a stern face, "In my day, I was not as hesitant as you; I always did what needed to be done..."

Saying this, Czartoryski once again recounted his "glorious feats" from 1830 to Viereid.

Every elderly person in their leisure time loves to boast about their past.

...

The next afternoon, Viereid once again appeared in the Tuileries Palace to meet with Maximilian.

"Your Majesty, this is the list of members my father asked me to hand to you!" Viereid gave the list to Grand Duke Maximilian.

Grand Duke Maximilian, like Viereid before, carefully reviewed each member on the list.

After a while, Grand Duke Maximilian smiled and said to Viereid, "Please thank Prince Czartoryski for me!"

Viereid then informed Grand Duke Maximilian that his father had already "expelled" him, and now he had no home to return to.

Maximilian immediately understood Prince Czartoryski’s intentions and ordered Viereid to go back and prepare; they would depart for Vienna the next day.

"Your Majesty, I will go and prepare immediately!" Viereid replied to Grand Duke Maximilian, then turned to leave and get ready.

"By the way!" Maximilian suddenly called to Viereid, handing him a gemstone under Viereid’s puzzled gaze, "Give this to your father, Czartoryski!"

"Your Majesty, I can’t accept your gift!" Viereid hurriedly refused Grand Duke Maximilian’s gift.

"This is not for you! It’s for your father!" Maximilian insisted on giving the gemstone to Viereid, "Tell Lord Czartoryski that I, Maximilian, have great respect for him as a patriot!

This gemstone cannot make up for the enthusiasm and money he has invested in the Kingdom of Poland over the years, but it represents a token of my personal regard!

Please make sure to deliver this gemstone to your father!"

Under Maximilian’s firm gaze, Viereid accepted the gemstone from Grand Duke Maximilian and solemnly bowed to him.

"On behalf of my father, I thank Your Majesty!"

After speaking, Viereid turned and left.

After Viereid left, Count Baur appeared in Grand Duke Maximilian’s room, inquiring about his progress.

"I finally understand why he is admired by most factions within Poland!" Maximilian handed the list to Count Baur.

Count Baur glanced at the list and found that most of the people on it were not members of the Czartoryski faction, yet Czartoryski could still treat them equally by including them as ministers.

"Prince Czartoryski indeed has a magnanimity that most people do not possess!" Count Baur also remarked with admiration.

Returning home once more, Viereid handed the gemstone to Czartoryski and conveyed Grand Duke Maximilian’s words verbatim to Czartoryski.

Czartoryski nodded slightly and warned his son to remain cautious and humble in Vienna, not to become arrogant.

Because there is no one in this world who cannot be replaced.