Chapter 398: Chapter 392 New Appointment
"Father, are you really prepared to let this illegitimate child join the Bonaparte Clan?"
Just as Jerome Patterson was playing the role of a benevolent grandfather and dutiful grandson, Mathilde’s sharp and sarcastic voice once again reached the ears of Prince Monfort and Jerome Patterson.
Both Jerome Patterson and Prince Monfort looked displeased, particularly Jerome Patterson, who had always been told by his grandmother that he was a legitimate member of the Bonaparte Clan. Although he knew this legitimacy was somewhat dubious, and his identity required the Emperor’s acknowledgment, Mathilde’s blatant exposure of the "wound" made him both angry and saddened.
"You... how can you speak like this!" Prince Monfort said to Mathilde with a trembling voice, "After all, you are his aunt!"
"I do not have such a nephew!" Mathilde showed no mercy, pointing directly at Jerome Patterson, and said, "His Majesty (Emperor Napoleon) had already admitted he was not part of the Bonaparte Clan!"
"But, my mother, your grandmother had accepted them!" Prince Monfort tried to defend Jerome Patterson.
"My grandmother did indeed accept him, but that doesn’t mean I have to!" Mathilde said mercilessly, "We have come this far, experiencing numerous hardships and setbacks to achieve our current status, and what about them!!! After our victory, they shamelessly approached us..."
"Enough!" Jerome Patterson’s voice, full of anger, interrupted Mathilde’s sarcastic tirade. With the rebellious nature of the Bonaparte Clan in his bones, he could no longer endure Mathilde’s baseless accusations. He stood up and said to Mathilde, "Aunt Mathilde... Fine! Allow me to call you that! My father, my grandmother, and I are not as shameless as you say! We haven’t asked you for anything; I came here solely at my grandmother’s request and an invitation from my uncle... Regardless of your denial, I am, and always will be, a member of the Bonaparte Clan! I am proud of my bloodline and my surname!"
After speaking, Jerome Patterson straightened his chest, showing a fearless stance.
As the confrontation between Mathilde and Jerome Patterson grew tense, applause came from the open doorway.
Entering with the applause were the figures of Emperor of the Empire, Jerome Bonaparte, and Empress Augusta. Seeing them, Jerome Patterson quickly bowed to Jerome Bonaparte.
Mathilde also nodded slightly to her brother, showing respect for the Emperor.
Jerome Bonaparte, holding Augusta’s hand, entered the room and addressed Prince Monfort and Mathilde, "Father, Sister!"
Then, he glanced at Jerome Patterson and openly praised him, "Not bad! Not bad! Quite handsome!"
"Your Majesty..." Mathilde began, intending to say something to Jerome Bonaparte.
"I know what you want to say, Sister!" Jerome Bonaparte raised his hand to stop Mathilde, then, intending to speak further to Jerome Patterson, gently patted Jerome Patterson’s shoulder and turned to Mathilde, saying, "We cannot impose the consequences of our father’s past issues on a child! If we had encountered a problem like his in our time, what should we have done?"
Mathilde remained silent and gave her reckless father a fierce glare.
Prince Monfort also wore an awkward smile, inwardly blaming his brother, Emperor Napoleon.
If it weren’t for him, his family wouldn’t have reached such discord.
"I have remembered the contributions you and your father have made to our cause!" Jerome Bonaparte referred to their help leveraging the influence of Jerome Patterson and his father in the United States to find gold mines in California.
If it weren’t for their help, Jerome Bonaparte would have found it difficult to carry out the subsequent operations.
Now, all of California has become a paradise for speculators, and the gold mines in Melbourne have further stimulated mining in California and the creation of a gold rush bubble.
As the gold mine bubble gets larger, the Industrial Bank continuously repatriates capital to France in gold equivalents.
Waiting for the gold mine bubble in California to burst, the poor people in the United States will experience the ruthless harvest of international capital.
It could be said that the contributions of Jerome Patterson’s family to France far outweighed their demands.
"This was our duty!" Jerome Patterson humbly responded.
"Tell me! What do you want! Whatever I can fulfill, I will!" Jerome Bonaparte inquired of Jerome Patterson.
Even though he understood what Jerome Patterson wanted, some things needed to be spoken aloud.
"I wish to join the Bonaparte Clan!" Jerome Patterson replied without hesitation.
Seeing this, Mathilde wanted to speak but, after hesitating, stepped forward slightly before stepping back again.
Jerome Bonaparte paused for a moment before speaking again, "Very well!"
Mathilde showed a stunned expression, while Jerome Patterson and Prince Monfort both smiled.
My efforts have finally paid off!
Jerome Patterson couldn’t help but feel fortunate for being able to join the Bonaparte family.
However, Jerome Bonaparte’s next words brought him down from heaven to earth: "I only allow you to regain the Bonaparte surname! Your father, who is my brother, cannot become a member of the Bonaparte family. Your grandmother will not be recognized as my father’s legitimate wife either! Your inheritance rights will only be ranked last, do you agree to abide by what I’ve said?"
Jerome Bonaparte only allowed Jerome Patterson alone to become a member of the Bonaparte family, and he also deprived him of his succession rights.
Originally, according to the line of succession, if Jerome Bonaparte had no children, Jerome Patterson would have been the first legal heir.
This kind of punishment would undoubtedly be unbearable for an ordinary member of the Bonaparte family, yet Jerome Patterson, after contemplating for a moment, nodded in agreement to Jerome Bonaparte’s terms.
"Very well!" Jerome Bonaparte patted Jerome Patterson on the shoulder and said, "From today onwards, you are a member of the Bonaparte family! When tomorrow’s family meeting begins, I will publicly announce this decision!"
Then, Jerome Bonaparte ordered Edgar Ney, who was standing at the door, to arrange accommodation for Jerome Patterson at the Elysee Palace.
Edgar Ney, Mathilde, and Prince Monfort showed varying degrees of shock on their faces.
Then Edgar Ney left with Jerome Patterson.
Prince Monfort left right after.
Only a sulking Princess Mathilde, along with Jerome Bonaparte and his wife, remained at the scene.
Seeing no one else around, Mathilde began to complain: "Well now! I’ve become the evil person, and you’ve become the good person! Are you satisfied now!"
Jerome Bonaparte, no longer wielding his previous authority in front of Jerome Patterson, approached Mathilde with a grin and invited her to sit down.
"Sister, I know you feel aggrieved and resentful, but we have to face this matter, don’t we!" Jerome Bonaparte earnestly encouraged Mathilde to ease her mind.
"Your way of facing it is to let an outsider join the Bonaparte family?" Mathilde said to Jerome Bonaparte with her neck stiffened.
"Sometimes, outsiders are better than our own family!" Jerome Bonaparte spread his hands helplessly and said: "You know what kind of people our relatives are! Not only are they incompetent, but they also have no self-awareness! They always think we’ve neglected them, but if they had any capability at all! I wouldn’t let them stay idle. Now that a slightly competent fellow has finally appeared, I can’t just pass him up, can I!"
"Him? A competent fellow?" Mathilde looked at Jerome Bonaparte with skepticism.
"That child Jerome Patterson is not bad! At least he’s much better than that group of people! I plan to groom him a little!" Jerome Bonaparte said to Mathilde.
Upon hearing Jerome Bonaparte’s words, Mathilde earnestly advised: "You two are still young, you really don’t need to..."
"Where are your thoughts going!" Jerome Bonaparte responded, laughing and crying: "I never intended to groom him as a successor! Just to enable him to handle matters independently, just like my uncle and those uncles did in the past!"
"That’s good!" Mathilde nodded in response.
After a long conversation among the three, Jerome Bonaparte and Augusta left the mansion.
In the carriage, Jerome Bonaparte said to Augusta beside him: "The family meeting tomorrow, I’ll have to trouble you!"
"It’s nothing!" Augusta smiled sweetly, then rested her head on Jerome Bonaparte’s shoulder.
The next day, under the host of Minister of the Seal Mornay, the Bonaparte family meeting began.
Jerome Bonaparte announced in public Jerome Patterson’s entry into the Bonaparte family. Although some people expressed opposition, they generally chose to acquiesce.
After the meeting ended, Augusta once again invited the female members of the Bonaparte family, using diplomacy by wives to dispel the gaps within the Bonaparte family.
The entire Bonaparte family continued to operate smoothly.
On June 7th, Jerome Bonaparte called Jerome Patterson to the Tuileries Palace.