On the afternoon of December 18, 1874, the telegraph room of the Palazzo Spa finally received definite news from France: Napoleon III, Emperor of France and the Roman Empire, was indeed terminally ill. Pen, Fun, Pavilion www.biquge.info (.. The news that came out more than a year ago about his cancer was also true, and although the operation was successful, it did not prolong the life of the great man of France. Now that the cancer cells have metastasized and spread, Napoleon III's days are numbered. When the news broke, the whole of Paris was already in mourning, and the square in front of the Tuileries was full of citizens who had braved the snow to pray for the emperor and the future of the country!

And the big names of the Bonaparte family in the Americas hurried back to France to see Napoleon III one last time before his death, and possibly to the likes of Togu, the heir to the throne of France and the Roman Empire, Eugène. Crown Prince Bonaparte was born on March 16, 1856. His 19th birthday is still a few months away! How could such a big boy be at the helm of such a vast empire with such an incomparably complex structure left by Napoleon III the Great? It's worrying to think about!

The career of Napoleon III was too brilliant, and the rise of the empire was too hasty, almost in half a generation, on both sides of the Atlantic, to create a world empire. And the structure of this empire is very peculiar, not the traditional colonial empire, but the special model of two core empires plus a group of satellite states - compared to China, another world empire that is taking shape.

However, there is only one core of the Great Chinese Empire, that is, the Ming Empire, and the satellite states of Xihua, Beihua, Donghua, Japan, Korea, Siam, Ryukyu, New Japan, Western Qing, and Taiping all surround the core of the Ming Dynasty. And the strength of all the satellite states combined. It is not worth one-tenth of the Ming Empire. It is a standard strong stem and weak branch. Other than that. The Ming Empire and these satellite states shared a common culture, language, similar religion, and an almost completely integrated market.

Therefore, any idea of wanting to break away from the Ming Dynasty and go alone is extremely unrealistic, just like the new Japanese kingdom in the past ten years, I don't know how many twists and turns, often because of the issue of entering China and Europe, but no matter how much you fight, it can't change the fact that the only thing that the new Japan can rely on and trust is the Ming Dynasty! If the new Japan really breaks away from China and joins Europe. Then they are ready to welcome a master from the House of Bonaparte! Therefore, the controversy over China's entry into Europe has become a subject of high-level political disputes in New Japan, and it cannot stop the process of sinicization at the grassroots level.

As a result, the Great Chinese Empire was many times more closely united than the empire of Napoleon III. The most important thing is that although Zhu Jishi, the founder of the Great Chinese Empire, is also 57 years old, he does not seem to have any problems with his health, and there are not even any rumors about the emperor's illness.

Now there is still time for the Great Chinese Empire to strengthen its unity and make it an inseparable whole. Moreover, the heir of the Great Chinese Empire, the crown prince Zhu Guoxiong, is 28 years old this year, although he is not mature enough to control the entire empire. Napoleon, a boy who is not yet 19 years old, is always much more mature, right?

When the news of Napoleon III's critical illness broke, countless French people had only one strong feeling at this moment that the crisis of the empire was coming. France has been brilliant for more than a decade. It is likely that he fell from the top because of the departure of this emperor!

There are too many enemies of the empire, external and internal. It's too many to count! Britain on the other side of the Channel has been an old enemy for hundreds of years, and they must not be willing to be suppressed by France, and the new anti-French alliance is probably already being put together, right?

The Russian Empire, in the midst of ice and snow, was also an enemy. They have recovered from the defeat they had suffered 20 years ago, and industry and railroad construction are on the fast track. Moreover, in the past 10 years, Sino-Russian relations have eased unprecedentedly. The Chinese clearly have no interest in westward expansion - Siberia is too cold and inhospitable, and the Chinese have been building East Siberia for almost 20 years, and it is not known how many silver dollars have been spent, but the territory that has been developed is probably less than 1% of East Siberia. How much interest do they still have in seizing Western Siberia in this case? As soon as the pressure on the east eased, the Russians turned their gaze to the warm south, making Asia Minor and the Arabian Peninsula their next prey. In the last year or two, the conflict between Russia and Turkey in Asia Minor and on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean has increased, and if it were not for the opposition of France, the Russians would have swallowed up the Turkish Empire. Once they had fully mastered Asia Minor and the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, Greece, France's important ally in the eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans, would probably be the next target for the Russians to conquer?

And the Holy Roman Empire, which dominated the Balkans and had no ambition for Serbia, was also an enemy of France. The reason is obvious: Napoleon III's empire rose on the shoulders of the Austrian Empire. After ruling Hungary, Wallachia, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Mendi-Negro, Franz. Emperor Joseph ruled over a territory almost larger than that of France and the Roman Empire in Europe, and had a population and industrial resources comparable to those of France and Russia. After 10 years of peaceful development, the empire is already the fourth largest industrial power in Europe. Even more difficult for the French to accept was Franz. Joseph actually played the sign of the Holy Roman Empire again, which clearly wanted to challenge the power of France, the legitimate heir of the Western Roman Empire! In order to rise again in the Habsburgs, Napoleon III spared no effort to win over and support the Kingdom of Serbia and Greece in the past 10 years. As a result, it was in a state of increasing opposition to the Holy Roman Empire and the Eastern Roman-Russian Empire.

But the enemy that worries the French the most is not from without. Neither Eastern Rome-Russia nor the Holy Roman Empire, nor even the United Anglo-American Empire, was a match for France and its allies, and as long as the French empire could remain united, there was nothing to fear! But everyone knows that unity within the empire was built on the incomparable prestige of Napoleon III. Once this giant is gone, who else will be able to cobble together France, Italy, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, and so on? Not to mention the need to maintain unity between France and several traditional allies such as China, Germany, and Spain.

"The question now is who will be regent after the death of Napoleon III...... Obviously, Eugène. Bonaparte was not enough to lead the entire empire. ”

Hot Spring Palace, Qinzheng Palace. Emperor Zhu Jishi of the Ming Dynasty was telling the crown prince Zhu Guoxiong and several ministers of the cabinet, as well as the adviser minister Zuo Zongtang, who was in a state of semi-retirement, his opinion -- now the Ming Empire has entered a period of power transition between the old and the new. The Donglin Party cabinet led by Zuo Zongtang completed its mission in the summer of 1873 and was replaced by the Young People's Cabinet led by Pan Zuyin and Liang Jingquan. At the same time, the crown prince Zhu Guoxiong also began to have more contact with government affairs, and often served as the regent when Zhu Jishi was on patrol.

"Father, the only people I think might be the regents are Empress Mathilde and Empress Eugenie." Zhu Guoxiong now has a mustache, and when he speaks, his tone is calm, and his eyes are a little sharp. It's a bit of Mingjun's demeanor, at least it looks a little like it.

"However, Empress Eugène has no political experience, so it is better to let Eugène be the regent. Bonaparte pro-government. Zhu Guoxiong continued to analyze, "Therefore, Erchen thinks that Napoleon III will make Empress Mathilde and Empress Eugenie co-regent as regents. Let them be regent for at least ten years to ensure a smooth transition of power in the Empire. ”

Zhu Jishi nodded slightly, and said: "After thinking about it, this is the only way to arrange, and now the peace in Europe depends on the three women of Victoria, Mathilde and Eugenie to maintain." (To be continued.) )