After Louis Feldbu left, Jerome Bonaparte also left the room and went to Friedrich’s study.

When Jerome Bonaparte opened the door and entered, he saw Friedrich sitting at the table with a troubled expression, while Augusta was also sitting next to Friedrich, looking equally worried.

"What’s wrong with you two?" Jerome Bonaparte asked as he strolled to Friedrich’s side.

Seeing Jerome Bonaparte arrive, Augusta immediately stood up and said in German, "Your son, you take care of him! I’m at my wit’s end!"

With that, Augusta sat angrily on the sofa, silent.

Looking at Augusta, who didn’t say a word, Jerome Bonaparte instantly understood that Augusta must be upset about Friedrich’s study issues.

So, Jerome Bonaparte walked slowly to Friedrich’s side and gently asked Friedrich what had upset his mother.

Friedrich softly told Jerome Bonaparte that he couldn’t learn German, which made his mother angry.

"Which word do you not know? I’ll teach you!" Jerome Bonaparte thought using study as a way to strengthen the father-son bond with Friedrich.

After all, this was one of his rare free moments.

Time quickly passed over an hour, and suddenly Jerome Bonaparte’s roar echoed in the room, "Friedrich, I’ve taught you how many times!

How could you still get it wrong!"

With that, Jerome Bonaparte raised his hand to hit Friedrich. Friedrich, sitting in the chair, curled up, looking extremely helpless.

Seeing this, Augusta, sitting on the sofa, hurriedly stepped in front of Friedrich, shouting at Jerome Bonaparte, "Jerome, what are you doing!!"

Looking at Augusta, like a mother tiger, Jerome Bonaparte had to lower his hand and awkwardly smiled at Augusta, "I was just trying to scare Friedrich!"

"The child isn’t very bright to begin with, if you scare him silly, won’t he be even less bright!" Augusta said to Jerome Bonaparte with a frown.

Friedrich, sitting behind Augusta, heard his mother say he wasn’t smart and immediately protested softly, "Mom, I’m not dumb!"

"Shut up!" Augusta glared at Friedrich fiercely and said through gritted teeth, "Ungrateful child, aren’t you afraid of angering me enough!"

Hearing Augusta’s words, Friedrich immediately covered his mouth with both hands, his eyes full of innocent expression.

Jerome Bonaparte first glanced at Friedrich, then looked at Augusta blocking in front of Friedrich, and blandly expressed that he was going out for a smoke.

After Jerome Bonaparte left, Friedrich continued to receive hands-on teaching from Augusta.

Walking in the corridors of Fontainebleau Palace, Jerome Bonaparte soon encountered Bulbaski and reached out for a cigarette.

Seeing the melancholy on Jerome Bonaparte’s face, Bulbaski immediately handed over the cigarette he had brought.

Jerome Bonaparte opened the cigarette box, took one out, and returned it to Bulbaski, then asked Bulbaski for a matchbox.

Bulbaski held the matchbox and lit Jerome Bonaparte’s cigarette.

As a wisp of white smoke drifted from the window of Fontainebleau Palace, Jerome Bonaparte’s melancholy expression slightly eased.

Placing his hands on the window, Jerome Bonaparte first looked at the flowing Seine River outside Fontainebleau Palace, then gazed at the lush forest in the distance, finally addressing Bulbaski, "Bulbaski, why don’t you join me for a smoke! There’s no one else here!"

"Yes!"

Bulbaski adeptly took a cigarette from the pack and lit it.

When the cigarette burned to the middle, Jerome Bonaparte spoke again, "I think Friedrich seems quite smart usually! Why does he become like this when it comes to studying?"

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is still young! When he gets older, it won’t be like this!" Bulbaski hurriedly reassured Jerome Bonaparte.

"He’s not that young anymore!" Jerome Bonaparte sighed, "He’s already 5 years old, how many five-year periods can one squander in a lifetime!

If he doesn’t learn now, how can I entrust the Empire to him later?"

"Your Majesty, you’re in the prime of life now! By the time the Crown Prince handles state affairs, it will be a hundred years later!" Bulbaski said again to reassure Jerome Bonaparte.

"Alas!" Jerome Bonaparte sighed again, as the idea of constitutional monarchy began to surface in his mind.

The premise of implementing an absolute monarchy in France is that a monarch can, by his will, suppress all opposing factions.

If a monarch cannot effectively suppress the opposition, then a constitutional monarchy is not a bad choice.

By re-establishing the authority of the parliament and placing it in front of the monarch, the people of France will direct all their anger at the parliament, thereby ignoring the monarch hidden behind it.

Once the parliament is opposed by all the people of France, the monarch can take the opportunity to dismiss the parliament and replace its members with those relatively trusted by the people of Paris.

However, once France implements constitutional monarchy, the monarch’s rights, while protected by parliament, will inevitably be suppressed by it.

For Friedrich to ignore the opposition of the Legislative Corps and act willfully is simply impossible to achieve.

Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, Jerome Bonaparte is still unwilling to shackle Friedrich with this "constraint."

If Friedrich truly fails to meet his expectations, then a constitutional monarchy would not be a "shackle" for Friedrich, but an effective form of protection, shielding him from overwhelming public sentiment.

Seeing Jerome Bonaparte so forlorn, Bulbaski again comforted Jerome Bonaparte, "Your Majesty, forgive my bluntness!

You only see the Crown Prince’s shortcomings in terms of learning, but you overlook his excellent abilities in handling things!"

"Handling things?" Jerome Bonaparte was taken aback, then recalled what Friedrich had said to Bulbaski earlier, "Yes, he indeed has some talent in this aspect!

But his studies..."

"Some abilities can be compensated for through acquired effort, while others cannot be," Bulbaski responded to Jerome Bonaparte, "In the Crown Prince, I feel a different kind of affinity compared to you, Your Majesty!

I believe the Crown Prince will certainly become a kind and approachable Emperor in the future!"

Bulbaski paused, then Jerome Bonaparte said, "As for his studies, as long as he perseveres! I believe the Crown Prince will certainly catch up!"

"I hope so!"

Jerome Bonaparte recalled his past life of studying with immense determination, believing that only if Friedrich studies as diligently as he did, he will catch up.

A cigarette burned down to the butt in Jerome Bonaparte’s hand, and with a firm flick, the butt traced a graceful arc in the air, landing in the courtyard of the Fontainebleau Palace.

The rest would be left to the servants in the courtyard!

"Thank you, Bulbaski!" Jerome Bonaparte said with a smile to Bulbaski.

"It’s the least I can do!" Bulbaski humbly responded to Jerome Bonaparte.

Afterward, Jerome Bonaparte returned to the room, where Friedrich instinctively shifted upon seeing his father.

Seeing the slightly fearful expression of his son, Jerome Bonaparte showed a trace of regret in his eyes. He walked slowly to Friedrich’s side, gently stroked his head, and softly apologized, "I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have lost my temper with you earlier!" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Facing the apology from Jerome Bonaparte, Friedrich magnanimously expressed his forgiveness.

Immediately after, Jerome Bonaparte informed Friedrich.

In the coming period, he would spend some time each day accompanying Friedrich in his studies.

"No! That’s not necessary! I have Mother with me, that’s enough!" Friedrich wanted to refuse Jerome Bonaparte immediately, afraid that a situation like earlier might happen again.

"But that’s not right!" Jerome Bonaparte shook his head and responded to Friedrich, "As your father, I naturally can’t be absent during your most important moments!"

In the following months, Jerome Bonaparte did not return to the Tuileries Palace. Instead, he publicly announced that renovations would be made to the Tuileries Palace.

During the renovation period, he would remain at the Fontainebleau Palace throughout.

Since Fontainebleau Palace is about 100 kilometers from Paris, it’s clearly impossible to consolidate all of Paris’s affairs at Fontainebleau Palace, so Jerome Bonaparte delegated many non-essential governmental tasks to the department heads, keeping only those that required monarchical intervention.

However, even though Jerome Bonaparte had devolved the vast majority of authority to the departments, many tasks still required ministers to personally report to Fontainebleau Palace.

Ministers based in Paris had to travel to Fontainebleau Palace by train every two or three days to report to Jerome Bonaparte in person.

Although each train journey took only two or three hours, over time, the ministers inevitably felt some grievances.

During this period, many ministers suggested that Jerome Bonaparte move back to the Tuileries Palace.

Jerome Bonaparte ignored these suggestions, focusing solely on perfecting his plan to suppress Paris and personally organizing a "Grand Tournament" among the Guard Army stationed near Paris.

This move further intimidated the Republican Faction in Paris, who feared the Emperor might inadvertently enter Paris for the "Grand Tournament."