Looking at the chief designer of the Navy with a languid expression in front of him, Jérôme Bonaparte frowned slightly.

He wanted to reprimand Dico in a stern tone for not caring for his body, but when he thought that Dico was also for the development of the French Imperial Navy, the original reprimanding words turned into a faint concern when it came to his mouth.

"Minister Dico, please don't overdraw your body in the future!

Your body belongs not only to yourself, but to the entire French Empire!"

Dico, who had thought that he would be reprimanded by the emperor, couldn't help but feel warm in his heart after hearing the emperor's concern, and he hurriedly showed a smile and said to Jérôme Bonaparte, "Your Majesty, I know my body very well, so you don't have to ...... it."

Before Dick could finish speaking, there was a sudden dull feeling in his chest.

"Ahem...... Cough...... Ahem......"

A series of coughing sounds came from Dico's mouth, and Dico, who was originally facing Jérôme Bonaparte, hurriedly covered his mouth with his hand, and then consciously turned his head to the side to prevent the splattered saliva from contaminating Jérôme Bonaparte.

Seeing this, Jérôme Bonaparte hurriedly took a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Diko, and then shouted out the door.

Basilio rushed into the room, and he immediately understood the situation in the room as he looked at Dico, who was coughing, and the emperor who looked anxious.

"Your Majesty, I'm going to call a doctor!"

With that, Basilio hurriedly left the room to seek a doctor.

Jérôme Bonaparte rose from the couch and continued to look at Dico, who was coughing.

A terrible disease suddenly crossed the mind of Jérôme Bonaparte.

Dicko can't have tuberculosis!

Jérôme Bonaparte couldn't help but say something in his heart.

If Dick does have tuberculosis, then in his current state, it will be difficult for him to continue as Lord of the Navy.

While it is true that Dico was vital to the development of the French Navy, Jérôme Bonaparte was more concerned about Dico's health.

Tuberculosis is a disease that is not mentioned early on, and an "old man" like Dick, who is approaching his fifties, will be threatened with death even if he is a young man.

Crucially, the treatment for tuberculosis ceased to exist in the 19th century.

Dick can only cultivate his body as much as possible, and only in this way can he prolong his life.

However, this method is undoubtedly more uncomfortable for a man like Diko who loves the Navy more than his own life, than killing him.

After a while, Diko finally stopped coughing, and he looked at Jérôme Bonaparte again, an apologetic expression on his face.

"Your Majesty, I'm really sorry! Maybe it's because I stayed up late yesterday that my body has some abnormalities!

Just take a break, and you're good to go!" Diko explained to Jérôme Bonaparte that he seemed to want to deliberately downplay the fact that he was in a weakened state.

"Minister Dico, let's wait for the doctor!

I prefer to trust the doctor's judgment more than your own diagnosis!" Jérôme Bonaparte replied lightly to Dico.

Dicko also understood that his reasons were too mountainous, and he had to agree to Jérôme Bonaparte's arrangement, while praying silently in his heart that he would be free from any illness.

Because, the empire will never allow a sick minister to come to work with illness.

Now that the doctor had not yet arrived, Chancellor Dick immediately changed the subject.

"Your Majesty, you called me here from the Admiralty, what are your orders?"

Jérôme Bonaparte did not directly inform Diko of the plans for the sea exercises, but asked Dico, "Minister Dico, since we signed the Mediterranean naval agreement with the Kingdom of Britain, how far are you from the goal you have set!"

"Your Majesty, the current number of navies of the Imperial Navy still exceeds the number of naval fleets agreed with the Kingdom of Britain!" Diko chose to respond to Jérôme Bonaparte with vague words.

For those "treasures" in your hands, Dee

Coe wasn't really willing to sell them.

"How far is it? I need a precise statistic!" Jérôme Bonaparte said to Dick in an unquestioning tone.

Dico slowly raised three fingers, and at the same time replied to Jérôme Bonaparte with a look of pain on his face, "About 30%!"

When Jérôme Bonaparte heard Dico's answer, he immediately understood that Diko had not really strictly enforced his agreement.

Originally, in the Mediterranean, there was only a few warships between the British and the French.

And after the signing of the Anglo-French naval treaty, according to the treaty, the proportion of Britain and France should be 70% of Great Britain.

Today, Dico's navy is still more than 30% away from the agreed number, which means that the French navy is still equal to that of Britain in the Mediterranean.

During this year's time, Dick didn't try his best to sell the Navy at all.

"You can really hide!" There was a hint of reproach in Jérôme Bonaparte's tone, "If I don't ask, are you going to cover your treasure until it rusts?"

"Your Majesty, it's not my fault!" As if he had been greatly wronged, Diko shouted to Jérôme Bonaparte, "I also want to sell all the navies in my hands as soon as possible, but no country is willing to take them over!"

Every ironclad ship is the brainchild of the Empire, and I can't sell them cheaply!"

After listening to Dicko's explanation, Jérôme Bonaparte immediately agreed with Dicko's words.

On second thought, however, Dicko's words were clearly a little untenable.

Not to mention the regions outside the Mediterranean, take the countries in the Mediterranean region as an example, whether it is the Ottoman Empire or the Kingdom of Spain, they all have a certain pursuit of naval fleets.

The Ottoman Empire needed to rely on its navy to maintain tranquility in the Black Sea region while defending the fruits of the Crimean War.

Although the Kingdom of Spain lagged far behind the European average after industrialization, it also needed a certain number of warships to maintain its colonies!

If they were all built themselves, with the current corrupt government of the Kingdom of Spain, the price of building one ironclad ship would be enough to buy two or three.

What's more, the Kingdom of Spain did not have the technology to build ironclad ships at all.

In the whole of Europe, only Britain and France have this technology, and France is the only one that really has the technology of mature ironclads.

The current kingdom of Britain has been deceived by Jérôme Bonaparte and has turned to more (artillery) and thicker (armor).

It will take at least a few years to reverse this thinking.

As long as Dico's price was fair, the Ottoman Empire and Spain were willing to pay for the warships.

"Minister Dico! Since you don't think you can sell the French warships, I have an idea, I don't know what you think!" Jérôme Bonaparte squinted, a sly smile on his lips.

Looking at the fox-like emperor in front of him, Dick knew that the warship in his hand might not be able to be saved.

"Your Majesty, speak!" Dico, whose heart was dripping blood, had to show a submissive expression on his face.

Jérôme Bonaparte said to Diko by immediately pointing to the map of the sea area on the table, "I want to hold a military exercise in the Mediterranean!"

When the time comes, I will invite the military attaches of various countries to visit this maritime military exercise!

As long as this military exercise is successful, there is no fear that there will be no sales of warships!"

Diko looked at the sea of Jérôme Bonaparte's finger, and a look of surprise appeared on his face, and after a while, he replied to Jérôme Bonaparte, "Your Majesty, you want to land in Sardinia under the guise of naval military exercises!"

"Of course not!" Jérôme Bonaparte shook his head in response to Chancellor Dico, and then went on to Chancellor Dico, "I just want some people to understand that your father is always your father!"

Diko immediately understood what Jérôme Bonaparte meant, and he hastened to say that he would be in a short time

Organize a military exercise at sea.

"Hmm!" Jérôme Bonaparte nodded.

Subsequently, Dick asked Jérôme Bonaparte about the candidates for the military attaché he had invited.

Jérôme Bonaparte chose military attachés from the Kingdom of Spain, the Ottoman Empire, the Austrian Empire, the Russian Empire (the government of Alexander II), the United States of America, and the King of the Kingdom of Patagonia.

At first, Dico didn't find it strange when he heard about Spain and Austria.

When he heard that the United States of America and the Kingdom of Patagonia were outside, his expression immediately became extremely confused.

Especially the so-called kingdom of Patagonia, which Dico had not even heard of.

"Your Majesty, what country is the Kingdom of Patagonia?" Minister Diko hastened to inquire about Jérôme Bonaparte.

"A country with indigenous establishments in South America!" Jérôme Bonaparte replied to Chancellor Dico.

"Can they really afford warships?" Diko couldn't help but say a word to Jérôme Bonaparte.

"I'm sure they'll be able to pay!" Jérôme Bonaparte replied to Dico in a firm tone, and then added, "Because the leader of this country is called Friedrich Bonaparte!"

Chancellor Dicoult instantly understood what Jérôme Bonaparte meant, the so-called indigenous state, which seemed to be a shell colony of France.

I don't know exactly when the emperor got in touch with the natives there and thus obtained the ownership of the land!

"If the king of Patagonia is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, then I have no objection!" Chancellor Diko smiled and replied to Jérôme Bonaparte, "Your Highness has a rich father!

Even if he can't pay for the purchase of the fleet, I don't think Your Majesty will sit idly by!"

"Ahem...... Ahem," Jérôme Bonaparte coughed twice and sighed softly, "Alas! Whoever made me a father who loved children, and Friedrich liked big toys, I would buy them even if I tried my best!

By the way, when the time comes, the French Empire should not forget to give away some experienced naval officers!

For a kingdom to build a strong navy, officers are also indispensable!"

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