Make France Great Again-Chapter 763 - 754: Two Governments and Two Tsars
On the other hand, Jerome Bonaparte, who received the Vallette telegram reply, finally breathed a sigh of relief; he really couldn’t have imagined that his article would have such a significant impact, even less so that some people in London still remembered the signature he used when publishing an article in London in 1848!
"It seems the name Joseph Stalin can’t be used anymore!" Jerome Bonaparte muttered to himself, "how about... changing the pen name to Ilyich (Lenin)."
After pondering for a while, Jerome Bonaparte eventually dismissed the idea as well. After all, anyone who paid even a little attention could spot his writing style, so changing his pen name wouldn’t solve the problem at all.
"Forget it! I’d better think about the upcoming Paris Peace Conference!" Jerome Bonaparte gently patted his cheeks to pull his scattered thoughts back together.
Just then, a knock on the door came, and Jerome Bonaparte straightened his posture and responded to the door, "Come in!"
The door slowly opened, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Valerovsky, appeared in Jerome Bonaparte’s room. "Valerovsky! You’re just in time! I was about to ask how the conference preparations are going?"
"Your Majesty, the venue is fully prepared! The foreign ministers of various countries have also been arriving one after another!" Valerovsky immediately responded to Jerome Bonaparte.
"I remember that Russia hasn’t shown up yet, right?" Jerome Bonaparte asked Valerovsky.
"Your Majesty, I was just about to report on the situation with the Russian Imperial Foreign Minister!" Valerovsky said with a wry smile to Jerome Bonaparte.
Looking at Valerovsky in front of him, Jerome Bonaparte immediately realized Valerovsky’s predicament and with a knowing smile asked, "Are there two foreign ministers?"
Valerovsky showed a hint of surprise on his face, then nodded and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, which foreign minister should we receive as the Russian representative for this conference?"
The Russian Empire now has two governments, one centered in St. Petersburg, the new Russian Empire government, and the other centered in Odessa, the Orthodox Russian Empire government.
In these few months, the two governments have continuously sent batches of Slav flesh to the battlefield, resulting in 100,000 soldier casualties in just four months between the new and orthodox governments. Additionally, nearly ten thousand rural nobles and millions of serfs are mutually harming each other in the countryside.
Either it’s a serf militia led by rural nobles massacring defiant villagers in a Tatar style, or it’s commissioners from St. Petersburg (remarkably progressive among Russians, leading to an emergence of an advanced-thinking middle class, which under Governor Golitsyn’s orders, formed a small contingent of regular troops reaching the countryside) leading a rural National Guard to suppress the rural nobles.
If the sides continue fighting, the casualties could far exceed those in Crimea.
At least in the Crimean War, Jerome Bonaparte and Albert hadn’t turned Russia into its current state of widespread chaos.
Back when Jerome Bonaparte heard news from the Russian Empire, he once again reflected that only another Russian could so ruthlessly kill Russians. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚
Even the Anglo-French Army couldn’t achieve such widespread massacre.
Despite several months of fighting, neither side has prevailed, with both currently striving hard for control of Moscow.
"Is that even a question?" Jerome Bonaparte chuckled and said to Valerovsky, "Of course, we receive both together!"
"Both together?" Valerovsky’s expression froze slightly. After hesitating for a moment, he cautiously said to Jerome Bonaparte, "Your Majesty, won’t this cause some unnecessary misunderstandings?"
"Unnecessary misunderstandings?" Jerome Bonaparte was taken aback for a few seconds and asked Valerovsky, "What kind of misunderstandings do you think it will cause?"
"Your Majesty, the government established by Duke Golitsyn does not possess legitimacy!" Valerovsky cautiously reiterated to Jerome Bonaparte.
"Valerovsky!" Jerome Bonaparte softened his expression to address Valerovsky seriously, "What sort of government’s existence do you consider legitimate? Does the Imperial Government established by my uncle and I possess legitimacy, or did the Orléans Government established by former King Louis Philippe have legitimacy?"
"Your Majesty, the citizens of France embraced you as the Emperor of the Empire! You undoubtedly hold indisputable legitimacy!" Valerovsky responded to Jerome Bonaparte.
"Indeed! The citizens of France did embrace me, making me the Emperor of the Empire, but if you’re talking about legitimacy, that’s absolute nonsense!" Jerome Bonaparte bluntly swore, "In the eyes of the Orthodox Faction, I’m merely an usurper with some noble blood.
The source of so-called legitimacy is nothing more than the power held in our hands through guns; the universal suffrage system is merely a facade to deceive outsiders!"
Valerovsky awkwardly gazed at Jerome Bonaparte. As a core member of the Second Empire, he naturally understood the origins of legitimacy, but he certainly did not dare to "speak freely" like Jerome Bonaparte and peel back the layers of the truth.
From the perspective of "candor," his "cousin" was far more open than his father.
When Valerovsky was too young, he once heard his mother say that when his father donned the crown, he declared, "All others who wear this crown shall surely incur God’s punishment."
"Your Majesty, let’s get back to the main topic!" Valerovsky, unwilling to get France involved in issues of legitimacy, hurriedly changed the subject.
"Alright then! Valerovsky, since you claim Duke Golitsyn’s government lacks legitimacy, may I ask if the government Golitsyn formed has a Tsar?" Jerome Bonaparte continued to question Valerovsky.
"Yes!" Valerovsky replied to Jerome Bonaparte.
"And does the Tsar have legitimacy?" Jerome Bonaparte pressed further.
"Yes!" Valerovsky nodded once again.
Although Duke Golitsyn’s Tsar is an eleven-year-old child, he indeed has the legitimacy to inherit the position of Tsar.
However, the Tsar’s legitimacy in Duke Golitsyn’s government does not come from God, but from the National Assembly.
"Well then, that’s settled!" Jerome Bonaparte clapped his hands and replied to Valerovsky, "What reason do we have to refuse a monarchical state entry into the conference, especially when it’s one of the primary countries of this meeting?"
"I understand!" Valerovsky nodded in response to Jerome Bonaparte.
"By the way, who is the representative coming from Duke Golitsyn’s government this time?" Jerome Bonaparte curiously asked.
"Nesselrode!" Valerovsky replied to Jerome Bonaparte.
Hearing this name, Jerome Bonaparte’s face showed a hint of surprise. He had never thought Golitsyn would send Nesselrode as the negotiating envoy.
"How could it be him!" Jerome Bonaparte muttered softly, unable to understand why Duke Golitsyn would choose him for the delegation. Wasn’t he afraid Nesselrode would collude with the Orthodox government, or was the Golitsyn government really unable to find suitable diplomatic talent, so they brought this old fellow back?
"Your Majesty, Minister Nesselrode is indeed..." Valerovsky smiled wryly, then proceeded to tell Jerome Bonaparte about Minister Nesselrode’s situation.
Due to Nesselrode’s early return after the negotiations concluded, he was immediately controlled by Golitsyn’s people upon reaching Moscow, then escorted to St. Petersburg.
Afterward, Duke Golitsyn deemed him still useful, so he did not kill him or his family but continued to employ him and his family.
This left Nesselrode’s entire family’s fate in Duke Golitsyn’s hands, forcing him to work for him.
"Poor Nesselrode!" Jerome Bonaparte’s face showed a schadenfreude expression, then he asked another question, "If I’m not mistaken, Alexander’s representative for negotiation should be Gorchakov Envoy, right?"
"Your Majesty, you’re absolutely correct!" Valerovsky nodded in agreement with Jerome Bonaparte.
"Good, good, good!" Jerome Bonaparte laughed twice in delight, then clapped his hands and replied to Valerovsky, "Truly, enemies meet again, Nesselrode and Gorchakov will once more begin their contest of wits and strength!"
Back then, it was Nesselrode who sent Gorchakov out of the center of power, sidelining him for more than a decade, trapping Gorchakov under the guise of noble status for over ten years. The enmity between them is truly immense.
If Alexander II could successfully ascend to the throne, then the enmity between Nesselrode and Gorchakov would end with Nesselrode’s political demise.
After all, as the victor, Gorchakov Envoy must display a posture of magnanimity.
This magnanimity is not a deliberate attempt to show goodwill, but a condescending tolerance, which is more painful than straightforward insults.
However, the current situation is vastly different. Due to the Golitsyn government re-employing Nesselrode, it appears Gorchakov Envoy and Nesselrode have become enemies once more.
Whether they are willing or not, a great battle is bound to occur.
"Alright then! Let’s sit back and enjoy the show!" Jerome Bonaparte’s face still bore a teasing expression.
...
Finally, the time had come for the last day of the formal start of the conference, where almost all the Ministers of Foreign Affairs were present.
At the invitation of Jerome Bonaparte, they departed from Concorde Square to attend the welcoming ceremony he had specially organized for the Ministers of Foreign Affairs.
