Make France Great Again-Chapter 829 - 820: Exchange of Interests
"Welcome to St. Stephen’s Church, Your Majesty!"
Angelo Becciu’s plump face revealed a kind smile as he spoke leisurely to Jerome Bonaparte with a slight tilt of his body.
"Bishop Becciu, thank you for greeting me personally!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded slightly in response to the Cardinal in front of him.
As one of the highest-ranking religious figures in the entire Vienna region, Cardinal Angelo Becciu gave Jerome Bonaparte full respect.
Following the principle of reciprocating respect multiple times over.
Jerome Bonaparte also offered Angelo Becciu a gesture of respect in return by taking the Cardinal’s hand and performing a hand-kissing gesture.
Immediately after, the choir lined up on either side of the red carpet began singing hymns at the priest’s signal.
Amidst the solemn hymns, Jerome Bonaparte, Empress Augusta, and Cardinal Angelo Becciu entered the interior of St. Sventi Cathedral.
Upon entering the church, the first sight was the human statues carved into the wall behind the altar at the front of the church. These statues were intricately carved into the wall by craftsmen from centuries ago, each figure’s expression and posture vivid and lifelike, all with closed eyes and hands clasped in prayer at their chests.
Above the statues was a stained glass window composed of irregular shapes in yellow, red, and blue, which emitted dazzling light as sunlight passed through.
On the left and right walls of the church hung various paintings with golden borders, whose gold borders glittered under the candlelight from the crystal chandeliers.
Under the watchful eyes of church deacons, priests, and bishops, Angelo Becciu and Jerome Bonaparte walked along the red carpet to the altar.
Angelo Becciu and Jerome Bonaparte stood solemnly on the platform. The hymn being sung abruptly stopped as Angelo Becciu began to speak.
Angelo Becciu then began to speak, first expressing, on behalf of everyone in the cathedral, gratitude for Jerome Bonaparte’s arrival, saying that it was their presence that made the church shine on this day.
Jerome Bonaparte merely smiled faintly at Angelo Becciu’s praise, knowing that when respect is extended, something will undoubtedly be asked in return.
Only, Jerome Bonaparte wasn’t yet sure what Angelo Becciu’s request would be.
Next, Angelo Becciu praised Jerome Bonaparte in front of everyone for not only reclaiming the Holy Land from the Eastern Orthodox heretics but also for liberating the Kingdom of Poland from the clutches of the evil Eastern Orthodox Church.
"Your Majesty, your contributions are no less than that great crusade which spread God’s glory to the East!" Angelo Becciu praised Jerome Bonaparte once again.
What kind of cursed analogy is this, am I now a representative for burning, killing, and looting?
"It is what I ought to do!" Despite Jerome Bonaparte’s inner grumble about Angelo Becciu’s "inappropriate" analogy, he immediately put on a devout expression: "I firmly believe no righteous believer would want to see God’s mighty spear broken!
Reforging God’s spear is France’s undeniable duty! Upholding the Holy See’s authority has been our unwavering mission for centuries!"
Standing beside Jerome Bonaparte, Angelo Becciu’s expression showed a subtle tinge of awkwardness upon hearing his statements, which Jerome Bonaparte keenly noticed.
Jerome Bonaparte suspected that Angelo Becciu recalled France’s previous behaviors, as France, the devout daughter of God, had frequently roughed up its own "father" without hesitation, particularly when the Holy See collected gold coins.
And the method of upholding the Holy See’s authority involved "inviting" the Pope to stay at Anion Palace for a few days. If this could be considered filial, the Austrian Empire might as well be considered the Holy See’s foster parent.
"Thank you very much, His Majesty the Emperor, for your contributions to Catholicism!" Angelo Becciu replied to Jerome Bonaparte.
Subsequently, a pair of young girls dressed in white robes led a young boy by the hand across the red carpet, each holding a wreath woven from fresh flowers.
The young girl and boy walked up to the altar and presented the wreaths with both hands, which Angelo Becciu solemnly received and placed respectively on the heads of Jerome Bonaparte and Augusta.
"Thank you very much!" Jerome Bonaparte, adorned with the wreath, expressed his gratitude to Angelo Becciu and the two young children.
"Your Majesty, please follow me!" Angelo Becciu extended his hand, inviting Jerome Bonaparte to another location.
Jerome Bonaparte and Augusta followed Angelo Becciu off the altar from the left, continuing forward until the red carpet turned, and soon disappeared from everyone’s sight.
Soon, Jerome Bonaparte and Empress Augusta were taken to a secluded room by Jerome Bonaparte. The room differed from the outside; apart from a stone angel statue, it was hard to see any elements related to religion inside the room.
The Baroque-style decoration made the entire room appear extraordinarily luxurious and noble.
Upon entering the room, Jerome Bonaparte glanced briefly and immediately surmised that this room should be Angelo Beichu’s private study/office.
"Your Majesties, please have a seat!" Angelo Beichu gestured, inviting Jerome Bonaparte to sit down.
He then personally took out the tea set to brew tea for Jerome Bonaparte.
"Mr. Bishop Angelo, is there anything I can assist you with?" Jerome Bonaparte, sitting on the sofa, asked Angelo Beichu in a calm tone.
"Your Majesty, please speak after you finish my tea!" Angelo Beichu did not immediately respond to Jerome Bonaparte; he continued busily brewing the tea leaves.
After a while, Angelo Beichu placed the tea set in front of Jerome Bonaparte and said, "Your Majesty, the tea is ready!"
Jerome Bonaparte looked at the Yixing teapot on the table, smiled at Angelo Beichu, and said, "Bishop Beichu, you know your tea!"
"I dare not, I dare not!" Angelo Beichu humbly responded to Jerome Bonaparte, "I only know a little bit!"
"Then I will have a taste!" Jerome Bonaparte gently sipped the tea leaves, then opened his eyes and praised Angelo Beichu: "Indeed, this is good tea!"
"You flatter me!" Angelo Beichu humbly responded again and continued pouring tea for Jerome Bonaparte.
Jerome Bonaparte reached out and covered the teacup, then asked Angelo Beichu: "Bishop Beichu, you must tell me the reason! You went to such lengths in the hall earlier for a reason, seeking my help! If you don’t say, the next cup will be hard to drink!"
Angelo Beichu put down the teapot in his hand, sighed, and said to Jerome Bonaparte, "Your Majesty, I have a nephew who wishes to..."
Here we go, another illegitimate child!
Jerome Bonaparte couldn’t help but grumble in his heart; it seemed that members within the Holy See liked to refer to their illegitimate children as nephews.
This allowed them to openly seek benefits for their "nephews." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂
Angelo Beichu told him he had a nephew currently idling at home, and he wanted Jerome Bonaparte to help maneuver a little so that his nephew could secure a position!
This way, his nephew could then marry and have children, continuing the "family" line.
"Aren’t you a Cardinal? This matter should be easy to solve!" Jerome Bonaparte curiously asked Angelo Beichu; he couldn’t believe that Angelo Beichu, a Cardinal trusted by the Habsburgs, was unable to arrange an upward path within the Austrian Empire for his son.
"Your Majesty, though I am indeed respected by everyone in the Habsburg Clan, this respect is built upon my non-interference with Habsburg family affairs!" Angelo Beichu replied with a bitter smile to Jerome Bonaparte: "If I choose to plant my nephew into the Imperial Government, then in the eyes of certain people, it means that I, a religious figure, have begun meddling in political issues.
No matter how I explain, those Grand Dukes and key ministers who hold power within the Habsburgs would view me as an enemy!
I do not wish for my nephew to live in such an environment, and now that there is no war, wanting him to ascend to nobility is not an easy task either!"
"You mean you want your nephew to hold a position in France, and also become a noble." Jerome Bonaparte said to Angelo Beichu.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Angelo Beichu said in a low voice to Jerome Bonaparte.
"What can you offer me?" Jerome Bonaparte asked in return.
"Your Majesty, I will do my utmost to ensure that the Austrian Empire and the French Empire never part ways, isn’t that enough?" Angelo Beichu continued to say to Jerome Bonaparte.
"Not enough!" Jerome Bonaparte shook his head in response to Angelo Beichu.
"Your Majesty, then what do you think I should do?" Angelo Beichu asked Jerome Bonaparte.
"Bishop Beichu, I hope you can use your connections at Hofburg Palace and report the situation there to us anytime!" Jerome Bonaparte said leisurely to Angelo Beichu.
"You want to make me a spy!!" Angelo Beichu hesitated.
"A spy!" Jerome Bonaparte spread his hands to Angelo Beichu and said: "How can you call it spying! What you’re doing is just maintaining the peaceful and friendly relations between France and Austria!"
