Make France Great Again-Chapter 845 - 836: 1855 Annual Summary Conference

"Your Majesty, you have really put me in a terrible spot!"

As soon as Jerome Bonaparte met Minister Dico, Minister Dico complained to Jerome Bonaparte with a bitter expression.

"Oh?" Jerome Bonaparte asked with interest, a smile lingering at the corner of his mouth, "We are separated by nearly 60 or 70 leagues. How can I influence you, the ’Father of the Imperial Navy’?"

"Your Majesty, may I ask you a question?" Minister Dico inquired.

"Go ahead!" Jerome Bonaparte lowered his hand onto the armrest and asked.

"Isn’t it true that my wife followed your orders to Marseille?" Minister Dico said leisurely to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Indeed, that’s correct!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded in acknowledgment. "I sent her there with the purpose of taking care of you!"

"But, a few days ago, she stopped all my work completely!" Minister Dico replied to Jerome Bonaparte with a tone of slight complaint: "And she said she was following your instructions!"

After listening to Minister Dico’s "complaint," Jerome Bonaparte’s expression also became extraordinarily serious. Having spent a long time with Jerome Bonaparte, Minister Dico immediately realized that Jerome Bonaparte’s upcoming words were likely to be admonishments against him.

Otherwise, the Emperor would not use such an expression to converse with him.

"Minister Dico, do you remember what you promised me before I left Marseille?" Jerome Bonaparte said in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty, are you referring to finding orders for the Toulon Shipyard?" Minister Dico tentatively asked Jerome Bonaparte.

"No! That’s not it!" Jerome Bonaparte shook his head in response to Minister Dico.

"Or is it reducing the naval budget?" Minister Dico guessed once again.

"That’s also incorrect!" Jerome Bonaparte shook his head once more in response to Minister Dico.

"Your Majesty, I fear I can no longer recall what I promised at the time! Please forgive me!" Minister Dico apologized to Jerome Bonaparte.

"You may not remember, but I remember very clearly!" Jerome Bonaparte said coldly to Minister Dico. "Back in Marseille, you promised me to cherish your health!

And this is how you cherish it? Theodore Dico, you’re not so young anymore. Do you still think of yourself as a young lad of 20 or 30?

Going three or four days without sleep—isn’t it a concern that you’ll die suddenly?"

Jerome Bonaparte’s scolding did not make Minister Dico feel humiliated; rather, it made Minister Dico feel a warmth.

After all, a leader’s concern for your life proves they regard you as one of their own.

Not one of their own? Then who would care about a stranger’s schedule?

"Your Majesty, I apologize for not adhering to what I promised you!" Minister Dico said earnestly to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Theodore Dico, I’m warning you once again! If you wish to ruin your health, then do so after you leave the Navy! I don’t want to see news headlines one day saying ’Minister of the Navy Dies Suddenly in Office from Overwork!’ "

At that time, who knows how the opposing factions lurking in the shadows might smear us!" Jerome Bonaparte, still not fully calm, continued reprimanding Minister Dico.

"Yes, Your Majesty, from now on I will definitely adhere to the promise!" Minister Dico quickly assured Jerome Bonaparte, then tentatively asked, "Your Majesty, could you let my wife not return to Marseille with me?"

"Impossible!" Jerome Bonaparte decisively refused Minister Dico, "Your wife will continue to represent me in supervising your daily life in the future, so I hope you prepare for it!"

"Yes!" Unable to resist Jerome Bonaparte, Dico had no choice but to comply.

"Honestly! Besides dealing with a mountain of paperwork every day, I still have to worry about your issues!" Jerome Bonaparte complained once more.

"Your Majesty, you are incredibly busy and hardworking!" Minister Dico bowed in response to Jerome Bonaparte.

"By the way, how is the material preparation of your Ministry of the Navy going? The Imperial Council is set for next Monday, so don’t let me down!" Jerome Bonaparte once again reminded Minister Dico to be prepared ahead of time.

"Your Majesty, rest assured! I will list all expenditures from last year!" Minister Dico responded to Jerome Bonaparte, "I assure you, every franc you invest in the Navy is well worth it!"

"I hope that’s the case!" Jerome Bonaparte said blandly, then asked, "By the way! How about the progress of the latest model of the ship?"

"It is estimated to take at least another six months to complete! However, to launch the ship, it will have to wait until the end of this year!" Minister Dico replied to Jerome Bonaparte.

After a pause, he continued to respond to Jerome Bonaparte, "However, I already have the data on the new ship!

Although it is just the preliminary estimation by the designers at the design institute, it’s pretty close to the actual data!"

After speaking, Minister Dico took out folded data and drawings from his pocket and handed them over to Jerome Bonaparte.

Jerome Bonaparte unfolded the drawings and data, observing them carefully.

Ship Name (provisional): Kersson, Sevastopol

Displacement: 5900—6000 tons

Length: 80.72 meters

Width: 17 meters

Draught: 7.7—8.4 meters (estimated)

Speed: 13—14.5 knots (estimated)

Crew capacity: 570—600 people

Armament: 30 x 164-mm cannons

"The Kersson-class ironclad is an improved version based on the Friendship ironclad, using a design of a wooden hull covered in iron armor. However, compared to the Friendship, the armoring is thicker, thereby enhancing its protection capabilities..." Minister Dico explained earnestly to Jerome Bonaparte.

Jerome Bonaparte observed that the single-row cannon of the Kersson-class ironclad was fewer than that of the "Friendship Level" and asked Minister Dico whether this design would weaken the attacking power of the ironclad.

"It won’t, Your Majesty!" Minister Dico responded confidently to Jerome Bonaparte, "We have conducted precise calculations, and concluded that reducing the artillery will not affect the ship’s power!"

"That’s good to hear!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded, replying to Minister Dico: "I am very satisfied with the design of the new ironclad! I hope you can continue striving for excellence!"

"Rest assured! Our navy will definitely design even more outstanding warships for the Empire!" Minister Dico solemnly bowed to Jerome Bonaparte and said, "We aim to seize the Trident of the Sea God from Britain’s hands as soon as possible!"

"Ahem... ahem, you should just keep the latter part in mind!" Jerome Bonaparte cleared his throat and said to Minister Dico, "Our generation’s goal is merely to lay the foundation and strive to catch up with Britain. The task of surpassing Britain shall be left to the next generation!

Each generation has its own work, and we must not rush things!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Minister Dico replied firmly.

Following this, Jerome Bonaparte discussed matters at length with Minister Dico.

It was not until noon that Jerome Bonaparte and Minister Dico concluded their meeting.

Subsequently, Jerome Bonaparte summoned Bashirio and instructed him to visit Minister Dico’s residence to invite Madam Dico to Tuileries Palace, as Jerome Bonaparte wished to express his gratitude to her.

After a while, Madam Dico was invited over by Bashirio.

Jerome Bonaparte and his wife, along with Minister Dico and his wife, sat at a round table enjoying lunch.

Once lunch was over, Minister Dico and his wife left Tuileries Palace.

...

Time hastily passed, and soon it was the time for the annual Imperial Council.

Under Jerome Bonaparte’s orders, the ministers from various departments arrived at Tuileries Palace by carriage, and led by Chief Steward Bashirio, they reached the venue of the Imperial Council.

At this moment, Jerome Bonaparte, Emperor of the Second Empire, was quietly seated at the head of the meeting table, observing the ministers who continuously took their seats.

Once everyone was seated, Bashirio, representing Jerome Bonaparte, tapped the ground a few times with his cane and announced loudly, "The meeting begins!"

Jerome Bonaparte raised his hand and said casually to Minister Mane, seated in the second position to his right, "Minister Mane, as the Minister of Finance for the Empire, why don’t you start? Is there any issue?"

Mane promptly rose with a serious expression and responded to Jerome Bonaparte, "Your Majesty, I am already prepared!"

Jerome Bonaparte gently patted the table, responding solemnly, "Then let’s begin!"

First, as the Minister of Finance, Mane reported to Jerome Bonaparte on the comprehensive financial situation of the French Empire in 1855, namely: as of December 1855, the total revenue of the French Empire was approximately 23.8 billion francs.

This figure saw a significant decrease compared to wartime, prompting Jerome Bonaparte to inquire the reasons from Mane.

"Your Majesty, to stabilize the situation this year, we enacted numerous tax reductions, particularly on luxury goods!" Minister of Finance Mane promptly explained to Jerome Bonaparte.

Jerome Bonaparte then recalled that, initially to stabilize employment rates, he had to grant certain tax deductions to the luxury goods sector and steel industry.

This led to a reduction in the Empire’s tax revenue compared to before the war.

"What was last year’s overall expenditure?" Jerome Bonaparte further questioned.

"27.4 billion francs!" Mane reported once more to Jerome Bonaparte.

"So, we not only failed to earn a penny last year, but also accrued over 3 billion in government debt? Is that correct?" Jerome Bonaparte asked Minister Mane.