Make France Great Again-Chapter 640 - 631: The Stubborn Emperor

Chapter 640: Chapter 631: The Stubborn Emperor
Under the watchful eyes of the entire Expeditionary Army’s officers, Jerome Bonaparte solemnly draped a red ribbon over Pellissier and then adorned him with a golden Grand Cross Medal.
The faces of all the generals lit up with joyful smiles, each of them clearly aware that the French Expeditionary Army was about to welcome a new marshal.
After placing the medal on Pellissier’s chest, Jerome Bonaparte gently patted him and saluted.
Pellissier swiftly brought his feet together and returned the salute to Jerome Bonaparte.
Subsequently, Jerome Bonaparte handed the Marshal’s Staff from the tray to Pellissier, saying, "Pellissier, from this moment on, you are the new Marshal of the French Empire! I hope you will continue to excel and not disappoint my expectations of you!"
"Your Majesty, I pledge on my honor that I will not betray your trust!" Pellissier straightened his posture, his eyes becoming particularly resolute.
"Very good!" Jerome Bonaparte smiled slightly, speaking warmly, "I look forward to your future performance."
"Long live the Empire! Long live the Emperor!"
As soon as Jerome Bonaparte finished speaking, the generals at the Expeditionary Army Headquarters simultaneously raised their arms to salute Jerome Bonaparte and then loudly cheered in his honor to show their loyalty.
Amidst such cheers, two more attendants entered the headquarters hall, one carrying a tray and the other holding a red ribbon.
Almost all the generals stared fervently at Jerome Bonaparte, indicating that the honorees of this ceremony were not limited to Pellissier.
Looking at the eager group of generals in front of him, eager to gain honor from his hands, Jerome Bonaparte couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride. He raised his voice and said, "General Bosskey, General Canrobert!"
"Present!" responded Bosskey and Canrobert energetically, recognizing that His Majesty the Emperor was about to commend them.
"General Canrobert, you two have demonstrated exemplary adaptability and perseverance of a distinguished French commander through your military actions in Strasbourg, Alma, and Sevastopol. Therefore, on behalf of the French Empire, I bestow upon you the Grand Cross Medal, and I hope both of you will achieve greater glory!" Jerome Bonaparte also placed the red ribbon and the golden Grand Cross Medal on Bosskey and Canrobert!
"We shall not fail in our mission!" Bosskey and Canrobert stood upright, a determined spirit evident in their eyes.
"Excellent! I also look forward to your performances!"
...
As time went by, one by one, attendants holding trays with medals entered the hall and then exited with empty trays. Each attendant’s departure signified the awarding of a medal.
The grand ceremony for generals was also drawing to a close, and the attending generals began to gather in small groups, heading to the headquarters’ lounge to enjoy coffee and tea.
Marshal Pellissier, one of the protagonists of today’s ceremony, was called out of the headquarters by Jerome Bonaparte under the pretense of an inspection.
"Marshal Pellissier, how are things on your end?" Jerome Bonaparte asked Pellissier while walking under the sun.
"Your Majesty, the entire Sevastopol has now been transformed into a massive fortress by our army. Should the Russian Imperial Army dare to come over, they will crash and bleed here!" Pellissier ed to Jerome Bonaparte.
"When do you think Gorchakov will launch an attack?" Jerome Bonaparte asked Pellissier once more.
After a moment of hesitation, Pellissier replied to Jerome Bonaparte, "Your Majesty, I estimate that Gorchakov will launch an attack no later than September! They are very likely to initiate it in the latter part of this month!"
"It seems we think alike!" As Jerome Bonaparte spoke, he took out an opened pack of cigarettes from his pocket, offering two to Pellissier and asking, "Care for one?"
Pellissier took one from Jerome Bonaparte’s hand and fished out matches from his pocket to light it for Jerome Bonaparte.
White smoke rings puffed out of Jerome Bonaparte’s mouth, and a look of satisfaction appeared on his face. He then trotted to a high point overlooking the distant Sevastopol Port.
Pellissier closely followed Jerome Bonaparte to the high ground, hesitated for a moment, and said to Jerome Bonaparte, "Your Majesty!"
"What’s up?" Jerome Bonaparte asked casually.
"You..." Pellissier hesitated, unsure whether he should speak.
"What’s the matter with me?" Jerome Bonaparte looked at Pellissier with a puzzled expression, "Go ahead and say it! This is the army, not the Tuileries Palace!"
Marshal Pellissier subtly inquired of Jerome Bonaparte when he plans to return to France!
"Depart? To where?" Jerome Bonaparte was stunned for a moment. A few seconds later, he suddenly realized and said, "Oh! You mean to embark on the journey back to France?"
"Yes!" Pelissier nodded and said to Jerome Bonaparte, "The Crimea Peninsula could erupt into a war at any moment; staying here for too long is extremely dangerous!"
"Then where should I stay? Paris? Or London?" Jerome Bonaparte asked in return.
Pelissier remained silent, understanding that Jerome Bonaparte’s question was not a genuine inquiry but an expression of dissatisfaction.
"If my marshals, generals, and my most loyal army cannot give me a sense of security, then I truly don’t know what in this world could!" Jerome Bonaparte extinguished his cigarette butt, threw it on the ground, and waved towards the patrolling French soldiers in the distance. "Sometimes, the rear is far more dangerous than the frontline!"
"Your Majesty!" Pelissier did not know what to say and could only softly call out.
"Pelissier, if you are trying to persuade me to leave, then there’s no need to say any more! I will not leave the Crimea Peninsula until this war is over! You should know what I need!" Jerome Bonaparte responded firmly to Pelissier.
Pelissier clearly understood Jerome Bonaparte’s needs; His Majesty the Emperor, like them, also needed the blessing of honor.
The title of "Emperor’s Nephew" indeed brought huge political capital to Jerome Bonaparte, but this political capital did not come without a price.
His Majesty the Emperor must obtain enough honor to make the French people feel that he is worthy of the title "Emperor’s Nephew."
Nothing is a faster channel to honor than the army.
"But if something happens in Paris..." Pelissier remarked with a trace of concern to Jerome Bonaparte.
He feared that if something went wrong in Paris, their expeditionary force might find themselves in a situation where their logistics were cut off.
"As for Paris, I have already appointed a batch of bureaucrats loyal to the Empire to manage it on my behalf!" Jerome Bonaparte answered Pelissier confidently. "So there’s no need to worry about issues in Paris, and..."
Jerome Bonaparte paused, showing a contemptuous expression, and then continued, "Moreover, I don’t think those lurking rats in Paris would act at this time!"
He was not afraid of those lurking in Paris taking action because once they moved, Jerome Bonaparte would have a reason to openly put them on trial under the charge of "colluding with external reactionary forces of the Russian Empire to undermine the Crimean War."
For France now, everything must make concessions to the Crimean War.
Moreover, even if Paris were lost, he could just follow Thiers’ later example and lead the army back in.
Paris indeed is a capricious city, but its capriciousness is based on the complete downturn in various economic aspects and the accumulation of contradictions to the point where turmoil is inevitable, only then would those lurking in the shadows start to act.
And now, under Jerome Bonaparte’s governance, Paris is still in a stage of rapid development, and the contradictions between the various classes have not yet reached the extent to necessitate a war for alleviation.
Moreover, under Jerome Bonaparte’s strategy of enticing and suppressing the Republican Faction, the Orthodox Faction, and the Orléans Faction, it is difficult for them to regain their former strength in the short term.
Thus, the possibility of an incident in Paris is minimal.
Faced with Jerome Bonaparte’s resolute demand to stay, Pelissier could not directly refuse Jerome Bonaparte’s stay in the army.
Since the Emperor has arrived at the frontline and is unwilling to leave, he can only choose to acquiesce.
...
In the next few days, Jerome Bonaparte, accompanied by Pelissier, Conrobel, and others, reviewed the French Army in Sevastopol and Kashmi Port.
Many soldiers fervently cheered for Jerome Bonaparte upon seeing him dressed in Lev’s formal suit.
It had been a long time since a monarch personally visited the frontline as Jerome Bonaparte had; the last one to do so was Emperor Napoleon.
Meanwhile, upon receiving the news that the Emperor of the French Empire had arrived on the Crimea Peninsula, the commanders of the armies of England, Turkey, and Italy immediately rushed to the French Expeditionary Army on the south shore of Sevastopol to seek an audience.
Under the leadership of French Imperial Marshal Pelissier and Renio, the commanders of England, Turkey, and Russia met with Jerome Bonaparte at the barracks on the south shore of Sevastopol.
"Long time no see! Commander Largren!"