Make France Great Again-Chapter 775 - 766: The End of the Paris Peace Conference
"I hope that after Austria defeats Prussia, the Rhine Land region can provide some convenience to France!"
Count Baur finally understood what Jerome Bonaparte really wanted.
After all that, the French Empire is still willing to give up its ambitions for the left bank of the Rhine Land.
However, it’s just as well! The Austrian Empire doesn’t have to worry about involving the French Empire when dealing with the Kingdom of Prussia in the future.
Count Baur thought silently to himself.
"Count Baur, what do you think of my proposal?" Jerome Bonaparte’s voice reached Count Baur’s ears, "I can support the Austrian Empire in taking over Silesia, re-establishing your hegemony in Germany!
And all you, the Austrian Empire, need to do is transfer part of the land that wasn’t originally yours to us!"
"Your Majesty, this is not a matter that I, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, can decide!" Count Baur replied to Jerome Bonaparte.
"I know!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded and said to Count Baur, "You just need to relay everything I said to you to Franz Joseph as it is!
Trust me, I will not treat you unfairly!"
"Your Majesty, I will convey your words verbatim to our Emperor!" Count Baur said to Jerome Bonaparte.
"Alright! We’ve talked for quite a while! If we don’t return, they might think we are plotting something improper!" Jerome Bonaparte decisively concluded the conversation.
Isn’t that so?
Count Baur thought to himself but still maintained a humble expression as he replied to Jerome Bonaparte, "Yes!"
Jerome Bonaparte and Count Baur returned to the banquet hall one after the other.
The guests in the banquet hall surrounded Jerome Bonaparte upon seeing him again, engaging in conversations with him.
Meanwhile, Count Baur was similarly intercepted by the British Minister of Foreign Affairs, Earl of Clarion. After a brief conversation, realizing he couldn’t extract any useful intelligence from Count Baur, Earl of Clarion left.
...
The entire banquet lasted nearly 4 hours before it concluded, with Jerome Bonaparte and Augusta shaking hands with each diplomat in turn and offering blessings.
When Jerome Bonaparte shook hands with the last guest, Mr. Cavour, he glanced at him and said calmly, "Mr. Cavour, I just had a brief conversation with Mr. Bauer regarding the issues of Lombardy and Venice."
"Your Majesty, what did Count Baur say?" Count Cavour inquired of Jerome Bonaparte.
"Mr. Bauer told me that the Austrian Empire doesn’t plan to give up these two territories anytime soon, so the Sardinian Kingdom needs to wait for some time!" Jerome Bonaparte conveyed this to Cavour as diplomatically as possible.
Upon hearing Jerome Bonaparte’s words, Cavour’s face slightly showed some disappointment.
Although Cavour always told himself not to hope for peaceful purchase, he still clung to a sliver of hope for it.
If the Austrian Empire, swayed by the French Empire’s power, agreed to a peaceful purchase, that would be ideal.
Therefore, when Jerome Bonaparte informed him of the unsuccessful negotiations, he felt some dejection and disappointment.
"Your Majesty, on behalf of the Sardinian Kingdom, I thank you for speaking up for us!" Cavour said to Jerome Bonaparte.
"Mr. Cavour!" Jerome Bonaparte continued, "Since Lombardy cannot return in the short term, I hope you’ll consider what I said to you earlier!
The future of the Sardinian Kingdom should not be limited to the Apennine Peninsula; there is vast territory beyond awaiting our exploration!"
"Your Majesty, I will respond to you as soon as possible!" Cavour replied to Jerome Bonaparte.
"By the way, there’s one more thing!" Jerome Bonaparte suddenly remembered an important matter he hadn’t told Cavour: "I will host a European Currency Union seminar this October! I hope the Sardinian Kingdom doesn’t forget!"
"I understand, Your Majesty!" Cavour nodded again in response to Jerome Bonaparte.
"Alright! That’s all I have to say!" Jerome Bonaparte released Cavour’s hand, "You should go back and rest early!"
Count Cavour bowed to Jerome Bonaparte and then left the Tuileries Palace.
Watching Cavour leave, Jerome Bonaparte stretched and yawned before saying to Empress Augusta beside him, "It’s getting late! We should also go back and rest!"
Empress Augusta and Jerome Bonaparte, hand in hand, returned to their bedroom.
...
Early the next morning, newspapers in Paris, London, Vienna, Berlin, and even St. Petersburg published the news of the official signing and implementation of the peace treaty.
At 2 PM, the cannons at the Paris Veterans Hospital sounded once again, declaring the complete end of the Crimean War, which had lasted over a year.
The French Empire and the Kingdom of Britain achieved victory in this war with absolute advantage. This conflict not only divided the once unified Russian Empire into two governments but also forced them to lose Poland, Finland, the Crimea Peninsula, and Bessarabia. (Strictly speaking, the territory of Bessarabia was not lost, but its demilitarization is indeed a disgrace.)
The Russian Empire experienced humiliation unprecedented since Peter the Great.
The French Empire once again demonstrated through actions to all of Europe that even after facing defeat, it remained the strongest army on the continent.
Jerome Bonaparte also gained unprecedented prestige by stepping over the body of the Russian Empire.
In the following week, tens of thousands of people gathered daily on the streets of Paris, and the business at cafes and restaurants became exceptionally booming.
The Century Exposition also attracted a wave of foreign tourists by leveraging the signing of the Paris Peace Treaty.
When the Ministry of Finance handed over the entire financial revenue of April to Jerome Bonaparte, he was astonished to find that April’s revenue had increased by 10% compared to Paris’s revenue in April of the previous year.
It should be noted that last year’s April revenue was maintained only by large-scale monetary easing.
This year’s April revenue was achieved entirely through the strong influence of Paris itself.
After reviewing the financial statements, Jerome Bonaparte became even more confident in Paris. As long as Paris could continuously maintain its position as the vacation center for European aristocrats, there would be no need to worry about financial issues.
The expenses required for those luxurious mansions and streets could be entirely covered by European aristocrats. Parisians would live much better than people in other places solely by enjoying the benefits brought by the aristocrats. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚
As long as the Parisians’ bread supply is not significantly affected, there will be no revolution in Paris.
After all, only those who have nothing would be willing to risk their lives.
The glamorous gentlemen certainly wouldn’t risk their status and lives on an elusive revolution.
In Jerome Bonaparte’s heart, the future Paris should become an industrial city while also being a service-oriented city.
Therefore, Jerome Bonaparte once again summoned Baron Haussmann, the governor of the Seine Province, for a conversation.
"I want to build Paris into a super metropolis, making it the brightest jewel of Europe!
Only in this way can we continuously attract more and more wealthy individuals to settle in Paris and guide them to consume!"
Upon hearing Jerome Bonaparte’s grand ambition to make Paris the jewel of Europe, Baron Haussmann was equally excited.
Thus, Baron Haussmann once again requested Jerome Bonaparte to annex the surrounding areas of the Seine Province.
Faced with Baron Haussmann’s request, Jerome Bonaparte did not lose his head. He decisively rejected Haussmann’s request and then warned him to first complete the reorganization of the existing regions before seeking expansion.
Baron Haussmann had no choice but to agree with Jerome Bonaparte’s advice and temporarily put aside the idea of further expansion.
Subsequently, Jerome Bonaparte instructed Baron Haussmann to relocate the chemical industry (mainly the dyes used for silk fabrics) away from the Seine River to ensure that it does not endanger the lives of the Parisians. He also inquired about the conditions of Paris’s water supply and public carriages.
Baron Haussmann informed Jerome Bonaparte that, thanks to the efforts of Isaac Pereire at the Paris Industrial Bank, all small and medium-sized water supply companies within Paris had been completely merged into one Kangcaien Group, responsible for supplying water to the Parisians.
"You must tell Isaac Pereire that the price of drinking water should not be set too high! A trickle of water runs long!" Jerome Bonaparte reminded once again.
"Your Majesty, please rest assured!" Baron Haussmann assured Jerome Bonaparte with a pat on his chest, promising that the water used by the Parisian residents would be slightly cheaper than before.
Public carriages are also under the responsibility of Isaac Pereire, and the fares would only be moderately more expensive than before.
However, the comfort level is far superior to before.
"Then I am relieved!" Jerome Bonaparte patted Baron Haussmann on the shoulder, painting a bright future for him: "Haussmann, you just need to work hard for a few more years! Once Paris is completed, I will promote you to Minister of State!"
"Your Majesty, I will certainly not disappoint your expectations!" Baron Haussmann said excitedly to Jerome Bonaparte.
"By the way! There is one more thing: Prince Albert and Queen Victoria may visit Paris to attend the Century Exposition!
At that time, if I am not able to attend, you, as the governor of the Seine Province, will host them on my behalf!"
