The Fox of France

 Napoleon was taken aback, but he knew that when his big brother spoke, it was almost certain that something significant was about to happen. He had just been forced to abandon his dream of Augustus, and now Joseph had thrown this at him. Napoleon felt the blood rush to his face and stammered, "Joseph... What do you mean? What were you saying just now?"

"France must be a republic, and you must be the First Consul of the French Republic. But that doesn't necessarily conflict with being an emperor," Joseph replied with a smile. "I have a few proposals we can discuss."

"Tell me your proposals," Napoleon said, trying to contain his excitement.

"Are you perhaps considering snatching the title of the Holy Roman Emperor?" Lucien chimed in. "That seems like a viable option to me."

"That's one of the proposals," Joseph continued. "In the first proposal, we can use the title of 'Emperor' as an honorable designation, almost like a badge of honor, just like your set of medals. The highest rank in this set of medals would be 'Emperor,' exclusively awarded to the First Consul of France. It would require a separate national referendum, and a First Consul with exceptional achievements would be granted the title 'Emperor' along with various ceremonial honors. Similarly, the Second Consul could be titled 'Caesar.'"

Napoleon frowned. "What's the next proposal?"

Joseph smiled, knowing that Napoleon might not favor this one. "We could form an alliance between France, the Northern Italian Federation, and the Rhineland regions. We would name this alliance 'Rome,' with the governing body called the 'Senate.' The leader of this alliance would hold the title of 'Emperor.'"

"This 'Emperor' title is more substantial than the previous one and comes with additional benefits," Joseph explained. "It would enhance national pride, unite the free world, making French liberty and democracy symbols of civilization while subtly degrading other feudal nations. However, this glory would have its limits, and it won't create a royal family."

Napoleon inquired about the final proposal. Joseph continued, "In the last proposal, we would compel Austria to relinquish the title of the 'Holy Roman Empire' or pressure the Pope to renounce the 'Holy Roman Empire' title and crown. Then, we'd announce the establishment of an 'Orthodox' Roman Empire, with the Pope crowning you as the 'Emperor of the Romans.' France would also declare an alliance with the 'Roman Empire' and cede a small piece of land – Versailles might work – to the 'Roman Empire.' This way, we would establish an empire with territory, sovereignty, and an inheritance system."

Napoleon asked about the financing of this 'Roman Empire.' Lucien interjected, "Citizens of the 'Roman Empire'? Who would they be?"

Joseph responded, "People who have made significant contributions in various fields, advanced human progress, and pushed forward the cause of humanity. As long as they apply to the 'Senate of the Empire' and pass their evaluation, they would gain Roman citizenship. We would include various non-governmental organizations, those under the 'charitable' banner, within the borders of the 'Roman Empire,' turning it into a beacon of civilization. Caesar and Augustus built a great Roman Empire through military conquest, and today, we're building another Roman Empire, dedicated to civilization, and love for humanity! See how great this is? Moreover, the crown of the 'Roman Empire' can be passed down within families."

Joseph then cautioned, "Lucien, use your brain. Napoleon might not be so naive as to overlook such a simple solution. Do you think only we will benefit from France? Today, the people of France are grateful and admire Napoleon, so they might not mind these small matters. But what about the future? All passions in the world are like tides, they rise quickly and fall just as fast. Whether it's gratitude or admiration, they may not last. In the future, especially when we are no longer here, our opponents may use this to accuse us of taking advantage of the French people."

"I'm not saying we shouldn't take advantage of the French people. This kind of opportunity is too good to pass up. However, we can't do it so blatantly, without any finesse. There are many ways to make money. For example, we could establish an organization dedicated to humanitarian aid, accepting donations from all parties for various charitable causes. Naturally, this cash can be deposited in the banks of our Roman Empire, where we can make a substantial profit. To encourage acts of kindness, we could stipulate that those who donate a certain amount would be granted the honorary title of 'Roman Citizen.' Those who donate more could become 'Roman Cavalry' or even 'Roman Nobility.' I believe that with these methods alone, we won't have to worry about financing the 'Roman Empire.'"

Lucien exclaimed, "Is this even possible? With this, even our future generations might have a comfortable life just by selling Roman citizenship and noble titles!"

This kind of operation had become quite standard in the future. For instance, there was a 'pseudo-nation,' the Knights of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, that didn't even have its own territory but thrived by wholesaling 'Knight' titles worldwide. If they were lucky and encountered a 'leader' on an island in East Asia, established diplomatic ties, and periodically generated news about breaking off diplomatic relations to make those 'leaders' maintain diplomatic relations, they could live very comfortably.

"I think the third proposal sounds good," Napoleon concluded. "It seems we need to send someone to establish contact with our Pope."

Of course, this matter couldn't be rushed. Many preparations were still required, and it might lead to conflicts with Austria. Although Prussia was already crippled, Austria might not have the audacity to start a war at present. Nevertheless, proper preparations were essential.

Apart from this, they had to ensure that the French people sufficiently supported the Bonaparte family, and they needed to find ways to improve the common people's living standards. Although the 'Zeus Plan' had already succeeded, it would take time to transform it into a productivity advantage.

The recent war had brought various indemnities, which seemed like a good thing. However, the influx of money into France, especially the generous war allowances to Napoleon, had also caused some inflation issues.

Furthermore, there was the issue of the sea route to Ireland. Among these concerns, achieving the title of Emperor seemed to take precedence for now.

Shortly after, Napoleon sent an envoy to the Vatican. However, the envoy's purpose was not to discuss the emperorship but to continue negotiations about the status of the Catholic Church in France.

Both parties were enthusiastic about the prospect of restoring the French dioceses. Despite occasional disrespectful acts towards the Pope and the Vatican in France, there was no other country among those supportive of the Catholic faith that could be compared to France.

The dispute revolved around certain conditions that France demanded to grant privileges to the French Catholic Church:

First, the financial independence of the French Church, with no obligation to contribute to the Vatican. Religious taxes, like the tithe, would no longer be in effect in France.

Second, the French Church would have independent authority over personnel decisions. Whether it was cardinal, archbishop, bishop, or even parish priests, all appointments would be made by the French themselves, with the Vatican being notified (note: not seeking approval). The Vatican would not have any reason to interfere in the personnel decisions of the French Church. In other words, who became a cardinal, archbishop, or bishop in France would be determined solely by the French (Napoleon). The Pope should find a comfortable place to relax.

Third, any decision by the Vatican would only take effect in the French dioceses if it received the recognition and signature of the currently serving French cardinal. Even if the decision had already been implemented in the French dioceses, its validity would still be inferior to decisions passed democratically within the French dioceses. This meant that if the French felt that a particular decision was no longer in their favor, they could directly suspend its execution within the dioceses.

"Is this... is this still Catholicism? Isn't this essentially a French version of the Anglican Church?" It was reported that when the Pope saw these French conditions, he couldn't help but sigh.

The French envoy responded, "Holy See, our country initially intended to establish a constitutional monarchy in terms of politics, rather than a republic. However, some were unwilling, and as a result, France became a republic. Now, under the republican system, France is willing to accept a constitutional church. I personally believe that this already shows a great deal of sincerity."