After listening to Valewski's retelling, Jérôme. Bonaparte's mood was a bit mixed.

Regardless of the plane, the Li, who had been severely beaten by imperialism, was able to quickly adjust his state and take advantage of the special geographical advantages of the Far East to protect his own interests as much as possible without a large-scale conflict with the imperialist powers.

Jérôme. Bonaparte speculated that the reason why the Satsuma and Nagasu domains were willing to buy ships and guns from France was probably based on two possibilities.

First, Satsuma and Nagasu wanted to buy these military supplies to test whether France intended to colonize them like the Ryukyus, after all, a country that tried to colonize would never arm a country that was about to colonize. (Historically, Japan has always feared being carved up by the imperialist powers.)

It was only after the end of the Russo-Japanese War that Japan's worries were completely dispelled. ）

The second is Satsuma and Cheung Chau...... At the very least, the Satsuma Domain, which itself hoped to show goodwill to France by purchasing French ships, after all, the previous Satsuma Domain was beaten by the expeditionary fleet of the French Empire. Not only did he lose money, but he also spit out his own small colony of Ryukyu.

Otherwise, the Satsuma Domain could purchase a fleet from Britain.

On the other hand, the boss empire next door to them, from the beginning of the Opium War to the present, for nearly a few decades, the boss empire has not changed at all, and it is still a dull look.

Thinking of this, Jérôme. Bonaparte again asked Valewski if he had any news of the Qing dynasty in the Far East.

Valevsky told Jérôme. Bonaparte, the entire Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not receive any other useful information at the moment.

"Forget it!" Jérôme. Bonaparte sighed and said, "Let's get back to business!" Dico, you just said that you want you to submit a new round of shipbuilding plans to the Legislative Yuan, right? ”

"Yes! Your Majesty! Diko nodded to Jérôme. Bonaparte replied.

"How many francs will it cost for a new round of shipbuilding plans!" Jérôme. Bonaparte again asked Chancellor Dico.

Chancellor Diko told Jérôme. Bonaparte, who planned to spend five years building a global navy that could be both offensive and defensive, was estimated to cost around 400 million francs.

"400 million francs!" Jérôme. Bonaparte gasped when he heard this, and then asked, "Do you know what the current revenue of the empire is?" ”

Diko subconsciously shook his head, as the Minister of the Admiralty, he really didn't know much about the finances of the Empire.

"The income of the whole empire last year was about 2.8 billion francs!" Jérôme. Bonaparte replied to Dico: "This is still in the context of raising the tax on high value-added products (historically 1.8-2.2 billion francs without a tax on luxury goods)." You're going to cut off 1/7 of the annual revenue!

You want me to use the taxes of all French citizens to feed your navy and its ancillary properties! ”

"Your Majesty, if the navy is not updated soon, the advantages we have accumulated in the early stage will soon be surpassed by our opponents!" Minister Diko to Jérôme. Bonaparte argued.

"What? Do you still want to compete with the British Empire next door for naval supremacy? "Jérôme. Bonaparte glanced at Dico.

"Your Majesty, I don't think there's anything wrong with that!" At this time, there is quite a kind of posture that Diko's newborn calf is not afraid of tigers: "No country is born a sea hegemon!" The Kingdom of Britain has also defeated countless opponents to achieve today's status!

If Britain can do it, so can we. ”

Jérôme. Bonaparte was silent for a moment, then replied to Chancellor Dico: "Dico, it is encouraging to have dreams, but sometimes we also have to base ourselves on reality.

Now you remind me of a man who, like you, tried to build a navy the size of Britain, but he ended up very badly!

A strong military does not mean that the overall national strength is also strong.

The British have better coal and cheaper iron ore than we do, which means they can make steel cheaper than we do.

With this steel and the one they had set up on the island nation to wear, they were also able to send one fleet after another into the water as fast as they could.

In such a situation, even if we accumulate the advantages in the early stage!

It's not like they'll be overtaken by their backhand! ”

"Your Majesty, do we really have no chance?" Chancellor Diko was somewhat reluctant to Jerome. Bonaparte asked.

"Yes!" Jérôme. Bonaparte replied firmly, "As long as we can persevere, sooner or later we will be able to defeat Britain!"

However, it is likely that our generation will not see it!

What you have to do now is not to think about how to surpass the Kingdom of Britain, but to try to close the gap between Britain!

Only with thick and thin hair can we truly defeat them!

So, your 400 million francs shipbuilding plan will not pass with me!

I hope you can reformulate the next pragmatic plan! ”

"Yes! Your Majesty! Minister Diko replied with a slightly depressed will.

"By the way, the Maritime Commission, as a semi-official organization, is also not very well attached to the Navy!" Jérôme. Bonaparte then replied to Chancellor Dico.

The reason why he did not say anything about the naval commission being attached to the navy at the beginning was entirely because the Crimean War was about to begin.

Now that the Crimean War is over, if the navy continues to "guide" shipping, it is easy to breed a large interest group, which is very detrimental to their rule.

The Maritime Commission would therefore have to be taken back into the hands of the Government, as would the Railways Commission in Jérôme. After Bonaparte's return, militarized administration was abolished.

The General Staff in the railway just needs to keep the exchange body, that's it!

"Yes!" Minister Diko to Jérôme. Bonaparte replied.

"That's it! All you have to do in the near future is to grasp the plan to rebuild ships and adjust the shipbuilding industry in the Toulon area at the same time! "Jérôme. Bonaparte admonished Chancellor Dico: "But don't be hasty in your adjustments!"

Don't let that turn into a widespread layoff, you can tell the merchants of Toulon what I'm saying now.

Whoever makes the workers lose their jobs on a large scale, I will borrow their heads! ”

For any existence that affects the stability of the empire, Jérôme. Bonaparte will leave no stone unturned.

Thousands, tens of thousands of workers and a few heads of capitalists, who are lighter and who are heavier. Bonaparte still had a balance in his heart.

Subsequently, Jérôme. Bonaparte invited Dico to a late night snack, and Minister Dico, who was sitting at the table, felt relieved, but at the same time felt that the burden on his shoulders was a little heavier.

At four o'clock in the morning from Jérôme. Chancellor Dico, who had left Bonaparte's residence, walked alone in the empty streets, and his heart could not help but fall into loneliness.

And Jérôme. Bonaparte himself sat down on the sofa once again and communicated with Valevsky, "I am ready to leave for Paris tomorrow!" ”

With a look of surprise on his face, Valewski asked Jérôme about it tactfully. Bonaparte, is it a bit too hasty to leave so soon, he himself has not yet made contact with the Parisian side!

"I think it's good not to be in touch!" Jérôme. Bonaparte replied to Valewski, "We will quietly return to Paris and surprise them!" ”

I'm more scared than frightened!

Valewski couldn't help but complain in his heart. Emperor Bonaparte insisted on returning, and as a courtier, he did not dare to have any objections.

As for the welcome ceremony, we can only wait for a suitable opportunity to make up for His Majesty the Emperor.

"Your Majesty, do you want to go back and rest first!" Valevsky asked Jérôme. Bonaparte said, "When it's time to leave, I'll wake you up!" ”

"Forget it, look what time it is!" Jérôme. Bonaparte pointed to the clock and replied to Valewski.

Walewski glanced at the time, and it was already 4:30 a.m., two and a half hours before the first train to Paris departed.

It also takes almost an hour to get from them to Toulon train station, which means that Jérôme. Bonaparte could only sleep for an hour and a half.

"I'll deal with it here!" Jérôme. Bonaparte shrugged his shoulders and lay on the couch with his eyes closed. Bonaparte fell asleep.

……

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"

With a hazy cry in his ears, Jérôme. Bonaparte slowly opened his sleepy eyes and asked, "Is it time?" ”

"Your Majesty, it's 5:30 now!" Valevsky reminded.

Jérôme. Bonaparte rubbed his eyes and yawned to Valevsky: "I'll tell Vilna to get up, and you can go and get ready!" ”

After that, Jérôme. Bonaparte dragged his tired body from the living room to Vilnia's bedroom, then pushed Vilnia's body and said, "It's time to get up!" ”

"I don't want to get up!" Jérôme. Bonaparte's wake Vilnia spoke lazily.

"If you don't get up, I'll leave you behind!" Jérôme. Bonaparte gently pinched Vilnia's little face.

"Got it! I'll just get up! Vilnia reluctantly opened her eyes and in Jérôme. With Bonaparte's assistance, he put on his clothes.

Later, Vilnia and Jérôme. Bonaparte walked out of the bedroom, washed up briefly, put on his wig and glasses (to prevent recognition), and rode with Valevsky to the Toulon train station.

Yuan's Literature Network