"That has nothing to do with him! Three of the four assassins are from Sardinia, isn’t that too much of a coincidence?

Moreover, Orsini himself said he acted under the orders of the Italian Carbonari!"

Empress Augusta, misled by Jerome Bonaparte, clearly also viewed Prime Minister Cavour as someone connected to the assassination, and thus found him particularly disagreeable.

Jerome Bonaparte was pleased to see Empress Augusta’s dislike for Cavour.

Jerome Bonaparte planned to use "Empress Augusta’s unwillingness to meet Cavour" as an excuse to delay the meeting with Cavour.

"So... should we meet with Cavour or not? He’s on his way here!" Jerome Bonaparte asked Empress Augusta, feigning indecision.

Unexpectedly for Jerome Bonaparte, after showing her distaste for Cavour, Augusta thought for a moment and replied, "Since Cavour has traveled all the way from Turin to Paris, it is only proper to meet him."

Jerome Bonaparte paused, then showed an awkward smile.

However, seeing Jerome Bonaparte’s expression, Empress Augusta revealed a sly smile, "Your Majesty, what’s the matter? Do you not want to meet with Cavour?"

"Haha!" Jerome Bonaparte gave a dry laugh and confessed to Augusta, "To be honest, I really didn’t want to meet with Cavour immediately, so I chose inspections as an excuse to delay meeting him!

Who knew that fellow Cavour would catch up so quickly!"

Empress Augusta gave Jerome Bonaparte a stern look and said bluntly, "Your Majesty, were you trying to use me as an excuse to delay meeting Cavour!"

"Augusta, you are so clever!" Jerome Bonaparte praised Augusta with a thick-skinned smile, "Marrying someone as wise as you is truly a blessing for me!"

Hearing Jerome Bonaparte’s praise, Augusta blushed slightly. She glared at Jerome Bonaparte once more and reproached him with a faint tone of complaint, "Your Majesty, we are husband and wife. If you have any plans in the future, please inform me directly!

There is no need for such methods! Our interests are aligned and do not require such tactics!"

"I understand!" Jerome Bonaparte replied, his expression somewhat embarrassed, as he knew he had acted improperly on this matter.

"It’s good that you understand!" Empress Augusta decided not to pursue the matter further and redirected the conversation, "Why are you so keen on delaying the meeting with Cavour?"

Jerome Bonaparte remained silent for a moment, then slowly spoke to Augusta, "The Austrian Empire plans to conduct military action against the Kingdom of Sardinia soon, and they hope the French Empire will cooperate!

The reason I am delaying the meeting with Cavour is to ensure he cannot return to the Kingdom of Sardinia in time before the war breaks out!"

"Why has the Austrian Empire chosen this moment to act against the Kingdom of Sardinia?" Augusta asked, her face showing shock.

"The main reason is that the Austrian Empire cannot withstand the impact of the current economic crisis!

Their Emperor, Franz Joseph, needs a military victory to reclaim the faltering economy and restore the Austrian people’s confidence in autocracy!" Jerome Bonaparte explained to Empress Augusta. "Moreover, the recent Orsini assassination attempt has shown the Austrian Empire the threat of the Italian Carbonari, prompting them to seek collaboration with us to eradicate this organization throughout Italy!"

Empress Augusta nodded but then appeared puzzled, "Have you already agreed to collaborate with the Austrian Empire?"

"No!" Jerome Bonaparte shook his head, firmly denying, "I do not intend to act with them against the Kingdom of Sardinia!

The Kingdom of Sardinia is, after all, a vassal state of the French Empire, and taking action against them would tarnish our reputation in Europe!"

"So what are you planning to do, just let the Austrian Empire proceed with their military action against the Kingdom of Sardinia?" Empress Augusta asked Jerome Bonaparte again.

"Yes!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded and replied to Empress Augusta, "I have an agreement with Richard Metternich that the Austrian Empire’s military action this time must not encroach on an inch of Sardinian land!

Moreover, once the French Empire announces mediation, the Austrian Empire must end military action as soon as possible!"

"Did the Austrian Empire agree?" Empress Augusta asked incredulously, thinking that such harsh conditions would likely be rejected by the Austrian Empire.

"The Austrian Empire agreed!" Jerome Bonaparte said lightly, "As I just mentioned, the Austrian Empire’s goal is merely to use this military victory to restore domestic political and economic stability; they do not intend to excessively invade the Kingdom of Sardinia’s land!

If the French Empire were to border the Austrian Empire, I doubt any Austrian minister would sleep well at night!

Therefore, in this military operation, the Austrian Empire will only be satisfied with some reparations!"

At this point, Jerome Bonaparte paused for a moment, then continued, "However, Sardinia, affected by this economic crisis, probably doesn’t have much money either!

At that time, they will inevitably choose to borrow money from us or the Kingdom of Britain, and our control over the Sardinian Kingdom will deepen further!"

"Won’t they borrow from Britain?" Augusta asked Jerome Bonaparte.

"Of course they can!" Jerome Bonaparte replied to Empress Augusta, "But they also have to consider the cost of losing France’s protection, and the Apennine Peninsula is not just the Sardinian Kingdom alone!"

"I still don’t understand, what does this have to do with drawing Cavour in?" Empress Augusta curiously asked Jerome Bonaparte.

"If Cavour stays in Turin, then Austria’s military operation against the Sardinian Kingdom could likely be thwarted by Cavour. Cavour is not a person to be underestimated!" Jerome Bonaparte seriously told Empress Augusta, "In my opinion, only two and a half people on the Apennine Peninsula can be regarded as great Italians, and one of them is Cavour!"

"Who is the other half?" Empress Augusta continued to ask.

"One is Giuseppe Garibaldi, and the other half is Giuseppe Mazzini!" Jerome Bonaparte replied to Empress Augusta.

"Giuseppe Garibaldi, Giuseppe Mazzini..." Empress Augusta muttered softly, then said to Jerome Bonaparte, "Why don’t I have any impression of them!"

"Both of them were governors of the Roman Republic in 1848!" Jerome Bonaparte said with a smile, "But in 1848, they both failed, so they lost their reputation!"

"Since both of them have failed, how can they be compared to Cavour!" Augusta said.

"Although Garibaldi failed, it was not due to his own reasons; he simply encountered an unbeatable opponent, so he was defeated yet honorable!" Jerome Bonaparte explained to Empress Augusta, "As for Giuseppe Mazzini, he founded the Charcoal Party!"

"Ah! So Mazzini founded the Charcoal Party!" Empress Augusta realized.

"However, he now has almost zero control over the Charcoal Party, so he can only be considered half an influential figure!" Jerome Bonaparte continued to tell Empress Augusta, "If it weren’t for Italy’s stage being too small, plus the Italian region itself being a place of negotiation for various forces, their achievements wouldn’t be just this."

The current Apennine Peninsula is like a big cesspool where all forces are intertwined.

If any force wants to disrupt the balance, they will end up covered in filth.

Historically, Napoleon III believed he had the skill of lightweight water floating, thinking he could traverse the cesspool but ended up accidentally igniting it, splattering himself with filth.

Any small benefit gained from the cesspool was heavily criticized at home.

Jerome Bonaparte was different; he resolutely refused to disrupt the existing political forces on the Apennine Peninsula and instead weakened countries attempting to disrupt politics, earning the title of "toilet expert."

As for Savoy and Nice, he would take them if there was an opportunity; otherwise, he would give them up.

Placing oneself in danger for a small benefit is simply foolish behavior.

Jerome Bonaparte would rather go to the Rhine Land and engage in a real battle with the Kingdom of Prussia than get involved in the crisscrossing interests of Italy, causing himself trouble.

Augusta nodded with a hint of understanding, then responded to Jerome Bonaparte, "Your Majesty, let’s go back to the issue of Cavour! When do you plan to delay until?"

After thinking for a moment, Jerome Bonaparte responded to Empress Augusta, "About a week or so! I think by then, the Austrian Empire should have already issued a war threat to the Sardinian Kingdom!"

"Okay!" Empress Augusta nodded and replied to Jerome Bonaparte.

...

Time quickly moved to the third day, and Cavour, arriving in Blois by train, searched the city for Emperor Jerome Bonaparte.

His efforts paid off, and on the second day of arriving in Blois, Cavour found Jerome Bonaparte and Augusta.

At this moment, he did not know that far away in Milan, Prince Metternich, the advisor to the Emperor of the Austrian Empire, had quietly arrived, bringing disaster to the Sardinian Kingdom.