Outside Topkapi Palace.

I don't know when the salute in the open space outside Topkapi Palace appeared, lined up in a line waiting to be fired at any time.

The officer in charge of directing the salute first glanced at the salute, and then looked at the gate of Topkapi Palace behind him.

After a while, a general, also dressed in military uniform, walked out of the Topkapi Palace, and with a solemn face came to the commander of his salute and said to him: "I am here on the orders of His Majesty the Great Sultan to convey to you the order of His Majesty the Sultan, and I ask you to light the salute at once!" ”

"Yes!" The officer nodded and replied, then strode to the salute and gave the order: "All in place, ready!" ”

The artillerymen, who heard the officer's order, quickly stuffed the special shells into the barrels, and when all the shells were loaded, the officer gave the order again: "Release!" ”

The artillery ignited the fuse, the roar of the salute sounded, and the salute shells that flew out of the barrel exploded in mid-air, forming one short but brilliant picture after another.

The inhabitants of Constantinople, standing by the window, looked up at the fireworks in the sky, and their faces were also happy.

The Ottoman Empire has not seen a salute for a long time, and the last time was a few years ago, when Abdul. After receiving thanks from the Irish, Mejid I ordered his soldiers to set off fireworks to celebrate.

Of course, some people are happy about the appearance of fireworks, and naturally there are people who are indignant about the appearance of fireworks.

And these indignant people are the extremist imams of the Ottoman Empire.

Combining nationalism with scripture into the brain, they will be Abdul. This move of Mejid I is understood as Abdul. Mejid was trying to curry favor with Jérôme by setting off fireworks. Bonaparte.

They cried out that Allah would give Abdul. Mejid this "traitor" punished.

However, Abdul, who was called a "traitor" by extremist imams. Mejid I, at the moment, is working with Jérôme. Bonaparte had dinner together.

The two monarchs sat side by side, surrounded by either Ottoman ministers or members of the French embassy.

Thanks to Jérôme. Bonaparte and Abdul. Mejid I had already confessed to each other before the dinner began, so the two of them did not say anything superfluous during the whole banquet, except for the opening words of the banquet.

Neither of the two monarchs spoke, and naturally no one spoke in the whole banquet, and everyone in the banquet quietly destroyed the food in front of them.

After dinner, Jérôme. Bonaparte rejected Abdul. Mejid I left Topkapi Palace in a carriage with Valewski, Klein and others.

And before according to Richard, who was traveling together. Metternich rode alone in a carriage to the Imperial Austrian Embassy.

……

Jérôme sitting in the carriage. Bonaparte looked out the window at the pitch black, then turned to look at Klein.

Jérôme. Bonaparte "stared" at Konstantin. Klein curled his neck back slightly, his eyes involuntarily avoiding Jérôme. Bonaparte's sight.

"Your name is Konstantin. Klein, huh! "Jérôme. Bonaparte's voice reached Klein's ears.

"Yes! Your Majesty! "Klein spoke in French to Jérôme. Bonaparte replied.

"I heard Valewski say that you are a rare talent! I'm a little curious, what are you capable of? "Jérôme. Bonaparte asked faintly.

Adhering to the humble wisdom of the East, Klein immediately shook his head at Jérôme. Bonaparte complimented: "Your Majesty, in fact, I don't have much wisdom!" I have everything I have come from you and Ambassador Valewski, and if it weren't for your help, I would be nothing more than a thug on the streets of Constantinople! ”

"Crane!" Jérôme. Bonaparte's face smiled with interest, and he said slowly: "Excessive humility will be considered conceited, and it will cost you opportunities!" Let me ask you again, what exactly did you do under Valewski?

"Your Majesty, I have a ...... job," Klein told Jérôme. Bonaparte, who, in addition to acting as secretary to Walewski, was also responsible for liaising with careerists in the Syrian province (Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Iraq, and Kuwait were all part of the Ottoman province) and providing them with the help he could, in addition to weapons and ammunition, as well as food.

"Valewski, is what he said true?" Jérôme. Bonaparte turned to ask Valewski.

"Your Majesty, what Secretary Crane said is completely true!" Valevsky hurried to Jérôme. Bonaparte responded.

"Crane!"

Jérôme. Bonaparte's expression was unusually serious, and Crane knew that the real test had just begun.

"You are truly a rare talent! I would like to ask you some of your thoughts on the province of Syria and the Holy Land, I wonder if you can answer for me! "Jérôme. The massage bar asked Klein Dao.

"It is my pleasure, Your Majesty!" Klein nodded to Jérôme. Bonaparte responded.

"Do you think the empire will be able to take the province of Syria in the near future?" Jérôme. Bonaparte threw the first question at Klein.

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid this will be difficult!" Klein said carefully to Jérôme. Bonaparte responded: "Unlike Egypt and Tunisia, the Ottoman Empire controlled them second only to Constantinople.

Although the interior of the Syrian province is still divided among the tribes, the vast majority of them remain loyal to the Sultan. And our army is confined only to the vicinity of the Holy Land, and there is only one regiment! ”

"You mean the empire would have to station a large number of troops in the Holy Land in order for Syria to split from the Ottoman lands?" Jérôme. Bonaparte continued to follow.

Klein continued to shake his head at Jérôme. Bonaparte replied: "Your Majesty, the liberation of the Syrian province from the control of the Ottoman Empire is not something that can be accomplished overnight! Today, careerists in Syria are not at all like Muhammad. Ali did the same to completely wipe out the power of the Ottoman Empire......"

Klein told Jérôme. Bonaparte, the most important thing for the French Empire to do now is to infiltrate steadily and provoke contradictions between tribes, especially between two large tribes, so that the tribes that were barely united can be completely turned into enemies of life and death.

As long as the Pasha, who is in charge of running the Syrian province, is a philistine, then the contradictions between the various tribes in the Syrian province will inevitably become deeper and deeper.

Until a bloody massacre broke out between the two tribes.

The Ottoman Empire was bound to intervene at that time, and if the Ottoman Empire itself was an efficient government, then the vendetta between tribes would be easily resolved.

However, the Ottoman Empire was an inefficient and corrupt government, and it was impossible for the more critical people to focus all their attention on Syria, and the Balkans were also the focus of attention.

An empire that is inefficient and unable to exert its efforts in one place will inevitably use the same means of mediation.

When the time comes, the tribes will focus their resentment on the Ottoman Empire, and their desire for independence will become even stronger.

"What if the Ottomans are unwilling to intervene?" Jérôme. Bonaparte asked rhetorically.

"If the Ottomans are unwilling to intervene, we can spread rumors and send a group of people loyal to the empire to attack the two rival tribes separately......" Klein told Jérôme. Bonaparte responded: "Your Majesty, the entire province of Syria is a large powder keg artificially pinched together by the Ottoman Empire, and it only takes a little spark to ignite the entire powder keg!" ”

"Not bad!" Jérôme. Bonaparte was pleased with Crane's answer, and then said to Crane: "But don't forget that the purpose of empires is not to destroy for the sake of destruction!" It's easy to destroy something, but it's hard to rebuild it! ”

"I see, Your Majesty!" Klein seems to understand whether he understands Geerrom or not. Bonaparte nodded.

Jérôme. Bonaparte saw that Crane did not know enough on the subject, and he decided to find a "mentor" for Crane.

Jérôme with this purpose in mind. Bonaparte then asked Valewski what he thought differently.

"Your Majesty, as you just said, construction is more difficult than destruction, and Klein's strategy does have the potential to make the Syrian province independent from the soil of the Ottoman Empire, but this may lead to the destruction of our interests in the Syrian province, so I think that the matter of stirring up contradictions should be mastered in moderation! Don't let this fire burn on ourselves! Valewski took a neutral stance towards Jérôme. Bonaparte replied.

"It's me who didn't think it through!" Klein suddenly realized, and he hurriedly asked Jérôme. Bonaparte apologized.

"That's normal! When I was your age, I wasn't as good as you! "Jérôme. Bonaparte replied with a smile, and then continued to ask: "There is something you just said, and I agree with it!" The current province of Syria is the product of the forced integration of the Ottomans, and if one day we take over, then we will continue to divide them completely, fight for each ethnic group to be assigned a territory, and help them build a state! ”

Thanks to the experience of the colonies in the previous life, Jérôme. Bonaparte understood the "pitfalls" of the colonies.

If the British Empire did not completely merge the whole of British India into a single whole, but split like India and Pakistan, then it is very likely that British India would not have broken away from British control.

Of course, the reason why Britain merged with British India was also to make its rule more convenient.

It's just that they can't imagine that one day in the future, the colonies will become independent one by one and be counterattacked.

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