Make France Great Again-Chapter 808 - 799: Wurttemberg’s "Russian Lobbyist
Lightly equipped Jerome Bonaparte and William I rode their horses towards the north, escorted by the Württemberg Guard Cavalry, and soon arrived at the forest on the outskirts of Stuttgart.
Riding on horseback, William I tightened the reins and stopped at the edge of the forest, turning his head to ask Jerome Bonaparte, who was half a horse’s length behind him, "Shall we see who can hunt more?"
"Of course!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded and responded to William I, then grabbed the reins with one hand and pulled out the Minie Rifle strapped to the horse with the other hand, placing it on his shoulder like a western cowboy.
By the way, the Württemberg Kingdom’s army is equipped similarly to the French Empire, with their main weapon also being the Minie Rifle, which is also manufactured by the French Empire.
William I looked at his spirited son-in-law with a slight smile and continued driving his horse forward.
Jerome Bonaparte also gently tapped the horse with the barrel of his gun, and the horse, receiving the signal to speed up, started trotting to catch up with William I.
The Württemberg Guard Cavalry followed far behind Jerome Bonaparte and William I.
This way, they wouldn’t disturb the delightful hunting of the father and son-in-law, while also providing good protection for them.
And so, the father and son-in-law silently trekked deeper into the forest.
After advancing about five hundred meters, Jerome Bonaparte and William I simultaneously spotted their first prey, a young deer that was grazing with its head down, seemingly oblivious to the danger it was in, just continually munching on grass.
"You go first!" William I let Jerome Bonaparte take the first shot at the target.
"Then I’ll be impolite!"
Jerome Bonaparte did not show any restraint, swiftly dismounting and handing the reins to the Guard Cavalry who followed behind them, then took a Minie bullet from the ammunition pouch at his waist.
He tore open the Minie bullet packaging and poured the gunpowder and bullet head into the barrel, then used a ramrod to compress the bullet and gunpowder completely, finally leveling the rifle and placing the mercury fulminate on the firing pin.
The entire process took less than 30 seconds to complete, surprising William I who was watching from horseback.
Jerome Bonaparte aimed at the prey and pulled the trigger.
The sound of gunfire echoed through the entire forest, and the prey which was about 200 meters away from Jerome Bonaparte fell to the ground within a second of the shot.
Blood gushed from the young deer’s wound, and as it lay dying on the ground, it let out a sad cry. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢
At that moment, Jerome Bonaparte merely looked calmly at the fallen animal, his lips unconsciously forming a satisfied smile.
For hunters, the sound of an animal’s cry is the most pleasant sound.
"Nice! Nice!" William I also praised Jerome Bonaparte’s marksmanship, "Your speed in loading ammunition and shooting accuracy is comparable to that of some veterans!"
"Just a hobby! Just a hobby!" Jerome Bonaparte modestly replied to William I.
Then Jerome Bonaparte mounted his horse again and continued moving forward with William I.
As for the dying young deer, there are people specifically tasked with collecting the game, and it will be served at dinner without Jerome Bonaparte having to worry about it.
About 50 meters further along, William I again asked Jerome Bonaparte, "Jerome, what do you think about the current situation of the Russian Empire?"
Jerome Bonaparte was stunned for a few seconds, secretly thinking: This old man wouldn’t be trying to speak on behalf of Alexander II!
"That’s Russia’s internal affairs, I have no right to intervene!" Jerome Bonaparte diplomatically responded to William I.
"Then what’s with the rifles and cannons of the Golitsyn Government?" William I questioned Jerome Bonaparte once more.
Sure enough, Alexander’s spokesperson!
"Those are merely commercial exchanges and do not represent the attitude of the French Government!" Jerome Bonaparte replied to William I without showing any sign of nervousness, "Our government can’t possibly supervise even enterprise orders, can it? If they control everything, then how can the Empire develop!"
"Then what about the Polish and Hungarian volunteers appearing in the Golitsyn Government?" William I asked Jerome Bonaparte once again.
"You should ask Franz Joseph and Maximilian about that!" Jerome Bonaparte continued to shirk responsibility.
William I looked at Jerome Bonaparte, sighed, and said to Jerome Bonaparte, "Ah! I knew you would say that!"
"Cough... cough, Lord Mount Tai! I honestly don’t know!" Jerome Bonaparte continued denying.
In any case, as long as he insists he knows nothing, then Alexander II won’t be able to do anything to him.
Alexander II can’t possibly turn against him right now, and Jerome Bonaparte believes that even after the war ends, Alexander II will have to carefully consider the cost of turning against him.
Because the Russian Empire’s post-war reconstruction relies heavily on the support of the French Empire.
"I knew it! You would say that!" William I repeated once more, then changed the subject, "However, Augusta might not be able to hold the line over there!"
Jerome Bonaparte’s expression froze. He had forgotten that Empress Augusta was with his mother, Queen Paulina, whose family hailed from the Russian Empire.
If Augusta were to soften momentarily, Jerome Bonaparte would find it hard to manage the situation.
Of course, Jerome Bonaparte did not worry that William I and Paulina would cause them harm.
After all, the interests of the Kingdom of Württemberg and France were essentially intertwined.
"It’s alright! I believe Empress Augusta won’t know either!" Jerome Bonaparte responded to his father-in-law with a smile still on his face. (The implied message being that he did not wish to discuss these matters.)
"Alright then!" William I nodded, not dwelling on the discussion of these matters.
The two continued their hunting until around 5 PM when they concluded.
"It’s getting late! We should head back!" William I said to Jerome Bonaparte upon hitting a hare in the distance.
"Indeed!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded in agreement.
The father-in-law and son-in-law turned their horses around and retraced their steps along the path they had taken into the forest. The hare shot by William I was also conveniently carried back by the Guard Cavalry.
After a thorough tally, Jerome Bonaparte had shot eight game animals, each with a single shot.
William I shot seven game animals, two of which required a second shot to be brought down.
Therefore, the victor of this hunting game was undoubtedly Jerome Bonaparte.
At 5:30 PM, Jerome Bonaparte and William I arrived at the royal palace in Stuttgart.
The father-in-law and son-in-law entered the palace together, after which Jerome Bonaparte inquired about Empress Augusta’s whereabouts.
"Her Majesty the Empress is currently in Her Majesty Queen Paulina’s room!" the Royal Chief Steward hurriedly replied and then further inquired, "Your Majesty, would you like me to summon Her Majesty the Empress?"
"No, that’s not necessary!" Jerome Bonaparte shook his head and then went with his father-in-law to the parlor to rest.
With about an hour and a half remaining until dinner, Jerome Bonaparte and William I sipped tea and chatted.
After about an hour, the Royal Chief Steward appeared in the parlor and informed Jerome Bonaparte that Empress Augusta requested his presence.
Jerome Bonaparte quickly set down his teacup with an apologetic smile.
"Go on!" William I waved his hand, indicating that Jerome Bonaparte could leave.
Under the guidance of the Royal Chief Steward, Jerome Bonaparte arrived at the door of a room.
"Your Majesty, Her Majesty the Empress is inside!" the Royal Chief Steward respectfully informed Jerome Bonaparte.
"Thank you for your hard work!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded slightly and then pushed the door open and entered.
"Jerome, you’ve come!" Empress Augusta said as she glanced at Jerome Bonaparte entering the room.
"Yes!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded and then asked Empress Augusta why she had summoned him.
Empress Augusta relayed to Jerome Bonaparte the conversation she had with her mother.
As expected by William I, the entire conversation between Empress Augusta and her mother, Queen Paulina, revolved around the Russian Empire.
However, Queen Paulina did not directly broach the subject like William I initially suggested. She first chatted with Augusta about childhood matters, then gradually steered the conversation towards certain individuals in the Russian Empire, eventually guiding it to the entire Russian Empire.
By the time Empress Augusta realized that her mother was intentionally steering the conversation, Queen Paulina had already begun asking about the French Empire’s views on the situation in the Russian Empire!
"What did you say?" Jerome Bonaparte asked Empress Augusta.
"I told my mother, I don’t know!" Empress Augusta replied to Jerome Bonaparte, "I told her that all of the Imperial Government’s policies are independently decided!"
"What else did Mother-in-law say?" Jerome Bonaparte continued to ask.
"My mother hopes I can persuade you to stop supporting the Golitsyn government and uphold the Holy Monarchy!" Empress Augusta answered Jerome Bonaparte.
"The Holy Monarchy!" Jerome Bonaparte let out a mocking smile, "Now, in the land of Russia, there are two governments, two Tsars. Which one truly represents the Holy Monarchy?"
