Chapter 954: Orsini in Torment |
A meticulously orchestrated assassination operation directed by Jerome Bonaparte himself, with Orsini unknowingly cooperating, is steadily advancing.
"By the way! How is Bernard, who lured Orsini to try to assassinate me, doing now?" Jerome Bonaparte casually inquired.
"Your Majesty, according to reports from our undercover agents in Britain, Bernard has been killed on the street!" Marcel Yale replied to Jerome Bonaparte.
Jerome Bonaparte listened, frowning slightly, then asked, "Could Britain suspect that we were involved?"
"Your Majesty, they won’t!" Marcel Yale confidently responded, "The person who killed Bernard wasn’t from our side!
We just happened to spread some information unintentionally in a tavern, and Bernard was then targeted by some British thugs!
These British thugs murdered Bernard while he was walking alone at night!
No matter how much Britain investigates, they will only be able to trace it back to those thugs!"
"I see!" Jerome Bonaparte’s frown relaxed, and he patted Marcel Yale’s shoulder in encouragement, "You did a great job with this matter!"
In recognition of Marcel Yale, Jerome Bonaparte granted him the right to independently choose members for promotion.
This means that after this "assassination incident" is over, Marcel Yale can submit a list of members for promotion to him.
Jerome Bonaparte will unhesitatingly promote everyone on the list.
Upon hearing this from Jerome Bonaparte, Marcel Yale immediately bowed respectfully to him.
This gift was far more valuable to Marcel Yale than medals and bonuses.
It essentially elevated his power within the National Intelligence Bureau.
Once the promotion list is approved, everyone on it will owe him a favor, further enhancing his prestige in the National Intelligence Bureau.
"Make sure to include everyone involved in this operation! Do not let anyone who participated feel disheartened!" Jerome Bonaparte specifically instructed.
"Rest assured!" Marcel Yale verbally assured Jerome Bonaparte, though inwardly he considered promoting those loyal to him.
However, Marcel Yale was unaware that Jerome Bonaparte’s actions were also testing his loyalty.
If Felix Godan’s name doesn’t appear on Marcel Yale’s promotion list, it would prove that Marcel Yale himself is not completely loyal.
Then, Jerome Bonaparte can consider finding an opportunity to remove Marcel Yale from the position of Director of the National Intelligence Bureau.
After all, a person holding such a crucial position who is duplicitous cannot be tolerated by any monarch!
If Felix Godan’s name does appear on the list, Marcel Yale may still be considered a loyal person.
In the short term, Jerome Bonaparte would not consider replacing him.
Because those capable disdain the reputation of the National Intelligence Bureau, while those incapable are unable to manage it.
Finding someone who doesn’t mind a tarnished reputation and is also competent is extremely difficult.
"Alright! Go and prepare!" Jerome Bonaparte waved a hand and said to Marcel Yale.
Marcel Yale saluted Jerome Bonaparte once more and then turned to leave the Tuileries Palace.
Watching Marcel Yale’s departing figure, Jerome Bonaparte whispered, "I hope you won’t disappoint me!"
With that, Jerome Bonaparte also returned to the dining room for a meal.
...
At two in the afternoon, after a brief nap, Jerome Bonaparte and Augusta set off again by carriage.
Accompanied by the Imperial Guard, Jerome Bonaparte and Empress Augusta descended from the carriage hand in hand at the entrance of the Charitable Hospital.
The hospital director, along with a group of doctors and nurses, had been waiting at the entrance for a long time. Upon seeing Jerome Bonaparte and Empress Augusta, the director, dressed in a white coat, quickly instructed the doctors and nurses behind him to shout, "Welcome, Your Majesties!"
Empress Augusta had a smile on her face, while Jerome Bonaparte appeared tense and displeased.
The director, seeing Jerome Bonaparte’s expression, panicked, unsure of how he might have offended the Emperor.
"What’s wrong, Your Majesty?" Augusta, standing beside him, also noticed Jerome Bonaparte’s displeasure and quickly asked him.
"This is sheer nonsense!" Jerome Bonaparte shouted loudly in anger, "Are you still doctors? Is there no patient left in this hospital?"
"Your Majesty, there are!" The director, not understanding what his mistake was, hurriedly replied, "Our hospital still has more than 100 patients..."
"If there are so many patients in the hospital, then who permitted you to engage in these superficial activities!
You are doctors, your duty is to save lives! It is not to engage in formalism here!" Jerome Bonaparte’s voice grew louder, and the Parisians witnessing this couldn’t help but cheer for him.
"I..." The director’s face showed an expression of shame; this was the first time he had been criticized in front of so many people.
"I what!" Jerome Bonaparte pointed at the director and said, "Get your hospital’s doctors and nurses back to their respective positions!"
"Oh! Okay!" The director, realizing it suddenly, turned around to urge the doctors and nurses behind him to go back into the hospital.
Once all the doctors and nurses had entered the hospital, Jerome Bonaparte spoke again to the director, "Lead the way!"
"Yes!" The director hurriedly moved to Jerome Bonaparte and Empress Augusta’s side to guide them.
The Guard Army standing behind Jerome Bonaparte wanted to enter with him, but was stopped by Jerome Bonaparte.
"I believe that the citizens of France will not point guns at their monarch!" Jerome Bonaparte first said loudly, then added righteously, "The bullets of assassins can never kill a righteous monarch; instead, they elevate the monarch’s spirit to remain with the entire nation.
And the assassins and the party behind them will certainly be nailed to the pillar of shame forever!"
As soon as Jerome Bonaparte finished speaking, a thunderous applause erupted from the crowd.
Amidst the continuous applause, Jerome Bonaparte and Empress Augusta entered the hospital accompanied by the director.
At this moment, Orsini in the crowd watched Jerome Bonaparte and Augusta enter the hospital, Jerome Bonaparte’s previous sentence "Assassins and the party behind them will be nailed to the pillar of shame forever" echoed continuously in his mind.
Will we be nailed to the pillar of shame? Orsini silently asked himself in his heart.
Just then, Orsini heard his companion’s voice beside him, "Orsini, we should go make the arrangements!"
"Oh! Okay!" The startled Orsini quickly responded, then disappeared into the crowd.
...
Meanwhile, under the director’s guidance, Jerome Bonaparte and Augusta, both wearing masks, toured the basic facilities of the Charitable Hospital.
Looking at the clean hospital, Jerome Bonaparte nodded with satisfaction, "Not bad! Not bad! You have done well in terms of hygiene!"
"This is all thanks to Her Majesty the Empress!" the director said while bowing to Augusta, "Her Majesty, on behalf of the entire hospital staff, I thank you for your donations!
It is precisely because of your selfless contributions that more patients have survived!"
"It’s nothing!" Augusta replied to the director, shaking her head, "It’s just a small effort!"
Jerome Bonaparte looked slightly surprised; as her husband, he didn’t know about this before.
However, he was more curious about where Augusta got the money for the ongoing donations.
Sustained contributions to a hospital come at a considerable cost!
Whether it’s the money on the books of the Northern Industrial Group or Emperor Jerome Bonaparte’s salary (several million francs), Augusta hadn’t used any of it.
"Actually, I just mobilized some Countesses, Duchesses to contribute a little bit!" Augusta quietly told Jerome Bonaparte.
Jerome Bonaparte immediately understood Augusta’s meaning; Augusta only needed to hint to her circle of ladies, and those wealthy women, eager to make a good impression in front of the Empress, naturally were willing to donate generously.
If each lady donated just a little, not only could they support one hospital, but even a hundred hospitals, they could do it effortlessly.
And those ladies’ husbands were equally pleased to see their wives making an impression in front of the Empress.
"Wonderful!" Jerome Bonaparte gave a thumbs up and praised Augusta.
Then, as Jerome Bonaparte and Augusta reached a ward, they encountered a nurse just coming out of the room, who was someone Jerome Bonaparte happened to know.
"Nurse Nightingale!" Jerome Bonaparte looked at the nurse in front with surprise, warmly greeting her.
With her head down, looking at the medical record in her hand, Nightingale raised her head upon hearing the greeting and looked at Jerome Bonaparte.
Then she bowed slightly in response to Jerome Bonaparte, "Your Majesty the Emperor, Your Majesty the Empress!"
"Augusta, this is Nurse Nightingale! The ’Lantern Goddess’ during the Crimean War!" Jerome Bonaparte introduced Nightingale to Augusta.
"Your Majesty, you flatter me!" Nightingale humbly said, then added, "In my opinion, your wife, Empress Augusta, and Lady Vierania are the real ’Lantern Goddesses’ possessing both beauty and wisdom!"
