Make France Great Again-Chapter 807 - 798: Visiting Wurttemberg

As night fell, the atmosphere of the welcome banquet at Karlsruhe Palace gradually reached its peak, with a series of cannons placed outside the palace square starting to fire under the orders of the Regent King’s adjutant.

The bronze cannons shot out colorful fireworks, forming fleeting light curtains in the sky, prompting residents living near Karlsruhe to lean out of their windows to watch.

Inside Karlsruhe Palace, a grand ball was underway.

The nobles and celebrities attending the banquet, led by Jerome Bonaparte and Empress Augusta, danced to one melody after another until late into the night, when the ball finally stopped.

Subsequently, guided by the Chief Steward of Karlsruhe Palace, Jerome Bonaparte and Augusta stayed in a bedroom in Karlsruhe Palace.

"If you need anything, Your Majesties can inform me anytime!" the Royal Palace Chief Steward responded politely to Jerome Bonaparte and Empress Augusta.

"Thank you very much!" Jerome Bonaparte smiled and nodded.

After the Royal Chief Steward left, Jerome Bonaparte began to scrutinize the entire bedroom.

The Baroque style decor and the crystal chandelier hanging above showcased the ancient royal family’s grandeur and luxury in exquisite detail.

Compared to this bedroom, Jerome Bonaparte’s bedroom at Tuileries Palace appeared particularly "bourgeois" (to put it simply, like a nouveau riche).

"Tsk, tsk!" Jerome Bonaparte couldn’t help but sigh, "Indeed, the background of the former Elector family is worlds apart from us, small families!"

"Small families! When did Your Majesty become so humble!" Empress Augusta said with an interested smile to Jerome Bonaparte.

"I’ve always been very humble!" Jerome Bonaparte responded earnestly.

"Oh? How come I didn’t know?" Empress Augusta teased.

"Augusta, you should be good at noticing your husband’s virtues! Instead of emulating someone who focuses on my flaws daily!" Jerome Bonaparte continued to respond earnestly to Augusta, subtly referencing his sister Mathilde.

Whenever Mathilde met him, she would point out his shortcomings.

Jerome Bonaparte believed that any monarch in the world would claim to be open to advice while inwardly wishing to crush those giving criticism.

After all, monarchs like to hear praise, not harsh comments.

"Virtues, huh!" Empress Augusta smiled slightly, she indeed knew Jerome Bonaparte’s strengths, but she also enjoyed the feeling of bickering with him, "I haven’t found any special strengths or virtues in Your Majesty so far!"

"Alright! I won’t argue with you!" Jerome Bonaparte promptly changed the subject and began to chat with Empress Augusta about the value of each item in the bedroom.

The two chatted for over an hour and ultimately estimated the room’s value to be around 100,000 francs (if not higher).

"Tsk, tsk, a room already worth 100,000! The entire Karlsruhe Palace must be worth millions of francs!" Jerome Bonaparte touched his chin and sighed again, "No wonder my uncle dug up all of Germany!

You folks are indeed wealthy!"

Hearing Jerome Bonaparte’s "blunt words," Empress Augusta rolled her eyes at him and said displeasedly, "Do you think these things were easy to accumulate?

My uncle caused us terrible trouble back then! Years of hard-earned wealth (exaggeration) were wiped out in an instant!"

"There’s nothing we can do about it!" Jerome Bonaparte shrugged and replied to Empress Augusta, "Augusta, have you ever heard this saying?"

"What saying?" Empress Augusta curiously asked.

"Neighbors store grain, I store guns! Neighbors are my granary!" Jerome Bonaparte stated confidently to Empress Augusta, "According to France’s situation at the time! If there weren’t external wars, the only thing awaiting France was self-destruction.

Not to mention, weren’t you also sharpening knives under the Austrian Empire’s guidance, ready to strike at us?

It’s just that my uncle was far more capable than you!"

"What you say makes sense!" Empress Augusta agreed and nodded.

"Anyway! These are things of the past!" Jerome Bonaparte waved his hand to end the subject, "We should rest!"

With that, Jerome Bonaparte extinguished the candles placed around the bedroom in turn, plunging the room into darkness and silence.

The next day at noon, under the escort of a squad of Royal cavalry in uniform, the carriage carrying Jerome Bonaparte and Empress Augusta set off from Karlsruhe Palace, heading south to reach another train station on the outskirts of Karlsruhe.

The train at this station would carry Jerome Bonaparte and Augusta away from Karlsruhe to Stuttgart, the capital of the Württemberg Kingdom.

When the carriage stopped near the train station, a squad of soldiers in pale blue uniforms appeared around Jerome Bonaparte’s carriage, with the commanding officer still being the Regent King’s adjutant.

"Your Majesty!" The adjutant respectfully opened the car door for Jerome Bonaparte and Empress Augusta.

"Much obliged!!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded slightly in response.

If Jerome Bonaparte guessed correctly, the troops in front of him should have arrived nearby for the blockade last night, meaning they probably had not slept all night.

"This is our duty!" The adjutant replied humbly.

Following the adjutant’s lead, Jerome Bonaparte and his group arrived at the platform.

A steam train was quietly stationed near the platform, ready to depart at any moment.

"Your Majesty, this train will safely deliver you to Stuttgart!" The adjutant responded to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Please convey my thanks to Friedrich!" Jerome Bonaparte quietly said to the adjutant and then boarded the train under the adjutant’s watchful gaze.

The train emitted a sharp whistle after Jerome Bonaparte boarded, and the adjutant on the platform quickly ordered his soldiers to line up and shouted, "Salute!"

Jerome Bonaparte inside the train immediately looked out the window towards the platform upon hearing the adjutant’s call.

At that moment, the adjutant was standing straight, saluting the train, and the soldiers behind him imitated his actions, saluting the train as well.

Seeing this, Jerome Bonaparte also raised his hand to salute the soldiers outside the window.

The train slowly started and gradually disappeared into the distance.

...

Since the distance between Karlsruhe and Stuttgart is only 82 kilometers, the steam train arrived in the capital of the Württemberg Kingdom, Stuttgart, after just over two hours of travel.

The person responsible for greeting at the train station was none other than the Crown Prince of the Württemberg Kingdom, also Empress Augusta’s eldest brother, Carl Friedrich Leopold Alexander, and his wife, Olga Nikolaevna. They had met Jerome Bonaparte during Friedrich’s full moon celebration.

Thus, Jerome Bonaparte’s relationship with them was not unfamiliar.

Empress Augusta, just off the train, enthusiastically took Olga Nikolaevna’s hand and said, "Sister-in-law, you are here!"

Jerome Bonaparte also smiled at Crown Prince Karl and said, "Brother, you are here!"

"Father specifically asked me to come welcome you!" Carl Alexander said calmly, "Please get in the carriage!"

"Alright!"

Jerome Bonaparte and Empress Augusta, along with Carl Alexander, boarded the carriage, which took Jerome Bonaparte from the train station to the Royal Palace located in the center of Stuttgart City.

The potentially close relationship between the Württemberg Kingdom and the French Empire saved unnecessary pomp.

When the carriage arrived at the gates of Stuttgart Royal Palace, Jerome Bonaparte and Augusta quickly got off the carriage and entered the palace. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

In the palace hall, Empress Augusta saw her long-separated father, William I, and mother, Paulina. She ran excitedly to her mother and gave her a warm embrace, "Mother, I’m back!"

"Augusta!" Paulina gently stroked Augusta’s hair and replied, "Welcome back!"

"Hmm!" Augusta raised her head and nodded at her mother.

As mother and daughter were sharing their affectionate reunion, an untimely cough interrupted their warmth.

"Augusta!" William I’s stern voice reached Augusta Empress’s and Paulina’s ears, "Is this how you treat your husband while at the Tuileries Palace!!"

Augusta hurriedly let go of her mother Paulina and then shook her head at William I, saying, "No! It’s not, Father!"

"Father-in-law, Augusta and I have a very good relationship!" Jerome Bonaparte seized the moment to echo, "Augusta was just eager to be in her mother’s arms after so long without seeing her!"

"Exactly!" Augusta quickly nodded in agreement with William I.

"Hmm!" William I snorted again, then smiled kindly while asking about Jerome Bonaparte’s condition (feeling tired, needing rest, etc.).

Jerome Bonaparte immediately expressed that he had already replenished his strength in Karlsruhe and was in good condition.

William I nodded again and then ordered the Royal Palace Chief Steward to prepare the evening banquet.

He then asked Jerome Bonaparte whether he would like to join him for a hunt outside Stuttgart during the time leading up to the banquet.

Jerome Bonaparte agreed immediately to his father-in-law’s request.