On a summer morning, the sun shone on the land, enveloping the opulence of Paris. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 infoThe capital of France and the Roman Empire has been under constant construction and expansion for more than two decades. The wide streets, the luxurious buildings full of art, and the bridges and fountains decorated with sculptures all rise from the ground, showing the glory and prosperity of Napoleon's empire everywhere.

Of course, a powerful world empire cannot only have magnificent buildings and untold wealth, and the foundation of a strong empire is the army. Under the teachings of Napoleon III, every Frenchman was convinced that the most powerful army and navy in the world was the foundation on which the French and Roman empires would remain strong forever. And they also believed that the armies of France and the Roman Empire were invincible!

At a time when the world is at war, it is even more important to have a strong army. The French army, which was hindered by Mathilde and had no chance to show its skills on the battlefield, could only show its military might in the military parade on the streets of Paris in the past two years. And the new master of France and the Roman Empire, Napoleon IV, was clearly also keen on all sorts of military parades.

It was an extremely sunny morning, and therefore ideal for reviewing the invincible French army.

At this time, in the center of the Napoleon Square, under the tall and majestic Arc de Triomphe, there was already a constant hustle and bustle, and a large group of people in various uniforms lined up in an orderly manner, and at the same time projected their eyes [1^books^reading^novels] onto the group of people under the opening of the Arc de Triomphe. The focus of these people's attention was Napoleon IV, the current Emperor of France and the Roman Empire, who had just returned from a visit to England a few days earlier. At the moment he was wearing the generalissimo's gown. Talking to the people around him with a smile on his face. I feel very happy.

He did have reason to rejoice. Because just three days ago, Mathilde, who had returned to Mexico, sent him a secret telegram that the emperor of the Ming Empire, Zhu Jishi, was seriously ill. Clementina had already returned to Nanking aboard the cruiser Canal of the Empire of Mexico. And the embassies of France and the Roman Empire in Yingtian also sent a telegram, saying that the Ming Emperor had not shown up for many days, and the legend was that he was depressed because of the capture of his beloved son Zhu Guowei and the unfavorable situation in India!

Undoubtedly, this was great news for France and the Roman Empire, as well as for Europe as a whole. And no one will doubt the accuracy of this news. Because it comes from Mathilde and Maria. Clementina.

"There are no tigers in the mountains, and the monkeys are kings! Hehe. At this moment, in the crowd of onlookers, Hu Zhenguo, chairman of the Chinese Association in Europe, who was a little older and wearing a crisp suit, whispered a slightly disdainful comment.

Hu Zhenguo has been in Europe for more than 20 years and has never returned to China, and has been committed to his work-study club, which has sent hundreds of thousands of Chinese young people to study in Europe. He had been active in England until the outbreak of the war. After the start of the war. It was transferred to France - neither Britain nor the Ming Dynasty embarrassed the enemy in their respective territories, and sent the matter out of the door through the polite gift of France. Many Chinese students studying in the UK. They all transferred to France. Naturally, Hu Zhenguo also moved the European headquarters of the Society from London to Paris, and soon became a celebrity in Parisian social circles with his prestige and wealth (he also traded with China in Europe, and was very valuable).

Now the hatred in his heart for the Zhu Ming Dynasty has almost dissipated, and he does not regret that the work-study movement did not cultivate a few revolutionaries. Looking back, he can go through history as a celebrity in his life because of the work-study movement. And the wealth accumulated by individuals and families is also tens of millions of yuan, how can it be compared with a marquis in the former Qing Dynasty? In fact, he is not a victim of the cause of restoring his sight.

So now that I heard that Emperor Zhu was seriously ill and saw Napoleon IV's bravado, I felt such a sigh.

"Mr. Hu, this is a Napoleon!" Zhang Zhidong, the ambassador of the Ming Dynasty to France, answered in a gloomy tone. He had already inquired about the Emperor's health through his own channels, and the answer he received seemed to be an official announcement: His Majesty the Emperor was in good health and was currently on vacation in Japan. It's just that this news not only did not dispel Zhang Zhidong's doubts, but made him firmly believe that the Ming Emperor had really fallen ill...... Otherwise, the war in India was so unfavorable, how could the emperor have the heart to go on vacation?

"Xiangtao, didn't you find anything special about today's military parade?" Hu Zhenguo suddenly spoke, but his eyes were still fixed on the group of old guards wearing blue military uniforms and bearskin hats, and marching into the square with goose steps. This is the essence of the French army in the time of Napoleon I, and was later restored by Napoleon III, but it is no longer composed of battle-hardened veterans, but has become a shelf for review, and every parade begins with these French GIs in ornate uniforms and bearskin hats.

"What's the difference, Mr. Hu?" Zhang Zhidong asked in a low voice. Having worked as a diplomat in Europe over the years, he has watched the French military parade countless times, and each time it is much the same, and he has long lost interest.

"Eagle Banner, Roman Eagle Banner!" Hu Zhenguo pointed to a golden eagle symbol that was held high in front of the infantry phalanx that was being read - it was a golden eagle with its feet on the ring and fluttering its wings. "This is the Roman eagle flag, the official emblem of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, which has never been used by France and the Roman Empire."

"Roman eagle flag?" was reminded by Hu Zhenguo, Zhang Zhidong also noticed the golden eagle, "This is ......"

"It seems that Napoleon IV is going to officially make the name of the Roman Empire, and this is a good time!" Hu Zhenguo said coldly.

……

"What an appetite this little Napoleon has!"

In Japan, in Otsu Miyagi, the great tomorrow who is on vacation is not intoxicated by the gentle countryside, but stands in front of the map in the study, looking at a map of the world and secretly speechless. This map, produced by the Imperial Study on the basis of a telegram from Mathilde, reflects not the current state of the world, but the possible future.

On the map, the French and Roman Empires, the Mexican Empire, the New French Kingdom, the Brazilian Empire, the Kingdom of Argentina, the Kingdom of Paraguay, the Kingdom of Spain, the Kingdom of Portugal, the Kingdom of Greece, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Kingdom of Belgium, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Swiss Confederation, and a whole host of other independent states no longer exist. In its place was the Roman Empire!

This Roman Empire included not only all the territories and dependencies of these countries mentioned above, but also Quebec in British Canada, the coastal areas of the Arabian Peninsula near the Mediterranean under British rule, Constantinople under Russian rule and all of Asia Minor (including the dependencies of the Turkish Empire), and the entire African continent!

"yes."

Weng Tongyi glanced at the several advisers and ministers present around him and Li Hongzhang, the right minister of the cabinet who accompanied Emperor Zhu to Japan, and said with a smile: "This little Napoleon is smarter than we imagined, and he did not rush into battle shirtless, but played the banner of rebuilding the Roman Empire, declaring that only a united Rome can fight against a united China. His united Rome not only included all the members of Napoleon's world empire, but also extended invitations to the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, and Portugal. And at the same time there were territorial claims against Great Britain, Austria and Russia. ”

"Well, let's fight to the death with the British, but little Napoleon jumped out to pick up ready-made, what a smart man!" Zuo Zongtang quipped beside him. He was the left minister, so naturally he couldn't pull his face into the cabinet to help Pan Zuyin. Therefore, in the name of an advisory minister, he gave Zhu Jishi an idea, and he was a senior staff member.

"Can Britain, Germany, and Austria swallow this?" Zheng Hong, who also had the name of the adviser minister, also came to Japan with him, and now he interjected with a smile.

"And whatever!" Weng Tongyi smiled and shook his head, "Napoleon IV also sent a telegram to Mathilde, hoping that he would facilitate the American Empire to secede from the British Empire first, and then join the Roman Empire in the name of the American Kingdom or Republic after negotiating peace with Donghua. ”

"He gave Mathilde orders? Why? Wasn't Mathilde a regent? Zheng Hong asked again.

"Not anymore," Weng said with a smile, "Empress Mathilde has been away from Paris for too long, and it seems that people have gone to tea and cold." (To be continued......)