Faced with Jerome Bonaparte’s thoroughly detailed explanation, Percy knew he could no longer dissuade the Prince he served loyally.
The persistent Prince had already made up his mind to go to Rome, and no words or difficulties could make him back down.
Percy sighed and said, "Your Highness, in principle, I do not agree with you going to Rome at this time. Since you insist on going to Rome, please be extra careful. The current Pope State is not as stable as it once was; the fervor of the French Revolution has already ignited the entire Apennine Region. If His Holiness the Pope is unwilling to reform like Sardinia, the entire Pope State might face an unprecedented disaster."
Jerome Bonaparte nodded in agreement, believing that the wheels of history would not deviate from their course with the change of leaders in the Bonaparte Clan, and the 19th-century chariot driven by nationalist fervor was sharpening its blades to crush the Pope State.
The Roman Republic is established, and Pope Pius IX flees.
At that time, if he were to help Pope Pius IX restore the country in the identity of the Christ the Savior, Pope Pius IX, having gone through a life of upheaval, would surely "forgive" the previous actions of the Bonaparte Clan.
However, before acting as the Christ the Savior, he must go to Rome to give Pope Pius IX the greatest confidence.
In fact, Jerome Bonaparte’s trip to Rome was not just to seek the Pope’s support, even if it was just verbal praise; he bore the "heavy responsibility" of "correcting" the thoughts of Pope Pius IX.
Before the establishment of the Roman Republic, Pope Pius IX was still a thoughtful Pope eager for reform, bearing the hopes of the entire Apennine Peninsula, much like the King of the Sardinian Kingdom during this period.
However, after the March Revolution, the Pope’s "inaction" disappointed the revolutionary figures, leading the Pope Faction and the Revolutionary Faction gradually to part ways, revealing conflicts.
After the establishment of the Roman Republic, Pope Pius IX fled the Pope State, his thoughts became increasingly radical.
When he returned to the Pope State, a Pope eager for reform no longer existed; instead, he was replaced by a Pope with conservative and radical ideas.
The Pope and the Apennine masses were completely divided at that time, and the French garrison had no choice but to guard against radicals while stationing in Rome.
Worse still, the Pope’s thoughts further influenced the Church Faction within France, leading to their extreme path, becoming the stronghold of extreme conservative forces, which undoubtedly dealt a fatal blow to the Bonaparte Faction caught in the middle.
To prevent history from repeating itself, Jerome Bonaparte must go to "correct" the Pope’s extreme ideas.
After all, appropriately correcting the Pope’s mistakes is the duty of a "Son of God."
"Rest assured! I trust Captain Letty’s ability and loyalty!" Jerome Bonaparte reassured Percy, patting his shoulder, "Besides, the contradictions in the Pope State haven’t truly erupted yet!"
"When do you think they will erupt?" Percy curiously asked.
"It depends on the time when Venice and Lombardy are subdued by the Austrian Empire!" Jerome Bonaparte responded without a second thought.
In his memory, after being repelled for the first time, the "Italian" Allies, led by the Sardinian Dynasty, withdrew the scouts they had previously dispatched, as the Pope State was unwilling to continue the war.
The intense nationalist sentiment among the revolutionaries desired to continue the war, which naturally clashed with the Pope.
The revolution thus ensued.
"Venice and Lombardy subdued? That’s impossible!" Percy inquired doubtfully, "I read in the paper that the Sardinian Dynasty’s army has already trapped the Austrian troops! Now the Austrian Empire is plotting negotiations!"
"Negotiations are just a trick!" Jerome Bonaparte smirked coldly, "They are merely using various maneuvers to buy time for themselves to mobilize and deploy troops! Currently, the highest military leader in Lombardy and Venice for the Austrian Empire is none other than the Allied Chief of Staff from that year, Radetzky. Expecting that old man to compromise with the Sardinian Dynasty! Unless my uncle comes back to life!"
"Hmm? But I heard the Austrian Diplomatic Envoy has already discussed..." Percy was still in disbelief. With the war progressing to this point, even if the Austrian Empire admitted defeat, it would make sense.
After all, the Hungarian and Czech rebel groups within the Austrian Empire have already consumed a significant portion of Austria’s efforts.
"Percy, believe me! The Austrian Empire’s government is just in a temporary state of mental disarray. Once a strong figure comes to power, the Austrian Empire will soon return to normal!" Jerome Bonaparte responded confidently.
"Strong figure?" Percy couldn’t imagine who could possibly rescue the Austrian Empire, a tangled mess, from the mire.
Jerome Bonaparte didn’t want to dwell on the issues between Austria and Italy any longer, for if he delved into the details, they would likely need to begin from the Vienna Congress.
Not only the Italian issue but even the entire tumultuous 19th-century matter would need to be discussed starting from that conference.
"In any case, as long as the Austrian Empire doesn’t launch a counterattack, Rome won’t descend into chaos! Once the Austrian Empire starts a counterattack, the conflict between the repressed Conservative Faction and the Revolutionary Faction within Rome will erupt, and by then, the revolution will follow." Jerome Bonaparte concluded.
Under Jerome Bonaparte’s thorough analysis, Percy finally had confidence in Jerome Bonaparte’s journey to Rome, yet he cautiously advised anyway: "Your Highness, it would be best to be careful!"
"I understand! When I reach Rome, I will have Letty recruit a few guards!" Jerome Bonaparte casually assured.
After saying this, the two ascended the stairs together and entered the room where the body of Louis Napoleon was held.
Gazing at the embalmed Louis Napoleon, Jerome Bonaparte instructed Percy to arrange for the body to be boxed.
Percy, taking the order, left the room to find a suitable sliding-lid coffin for the body of Louis Napoleon.
Alone in Louis Napoleon’s "mortuary," Jerome Bonaparte, with tears in his eyes, lightly said to his cousin, "Cousin, you left easily! But the future of the Bonaparte Clan is a burden I still must bear! The Order Party, the Republican Faction, the Mountain Party... they are all truly challenging! You’ve left all this for me..."
After mumbling on for over ten minutes, Jerome Bonaparte closed his eyes, performed a standard Christian farewell gesture, and muttered quietly, "I hope your spirit guards me, and also guards the Bonaparte Clan!"