Jerome Bonaparte and Baron Lagren reached a compromise amid laughter, with the joint command of the Anglo-French army responsible only for relaying messages and coordinating combat.

On a strategic level, the commanders of the two armies were independent and worked side by side.

In specific tactics, the British and French armies needed to devise corresponding tactics based on the characteristics of their own forces.

Neither side had the right to interfere in the other's tactical formulation, only the right to offer suggestions to each other.

In general, the Anglo-French alliance adopted a "you fight your battles, I'll fight mine" approach. As long as there were no disagreements on the broader strategic level, tactics depended entirely on the combat effectiveness of both armies and the capabilities of their commanders.

In this regard, Jerome Bonaparte had absolute confidence in the French Army he had personally reformed.

Moreover, Jerome Bonaparte, who had no interest in meddling with the command authority of the British Army, was also glad to see the British Army's various "master chef" style tactics on the Crimean battlefield.

After all, without the contrast of the British Army, how could the correctness and necessity of Jerome Bonaparte's military reforms be demonstrated?

Military action is the only standard for testing military reform.

Jerome Bonaparte did not mind stepping over Britain and Russia to proclaim to the world the return of the once all-conquering European army.

Of course, Jerome Bonaparte was certain that after the Crimean War, a new round of military preparations would inevitably ensue.

Old Mao Qi, who excelled at learning advanced experiences, absolutely would not miss such a rare opportunity for learning, and Jerome Bonaparte welcomed Mao Qi's reforms to the Prussian army.

For the more reforms Mao Qi applied to the Prussian army, the stronger it became; the stronger Prussia's army, the bolder the Junker Nobility; the bolder the Junkers, the easier it was for Bismarck to come to power. Once Bismarck came to power, he would undoubtedly expand Prussia's territory in line with the "trend," intensifying conflicts between Prussia and Austria within Germany.

At that time, Jerome Bonaparte just needed to stand by and fan the flames, and Prussia would certainly be unable to resist taking action against Austria, while he would let Bismarck know what it means to be betrayed...

However, all of this presupposes that the French Army must not stagnate after the Crimean War and must continue with deepening reforms.

Strong firepower and a perfect mobilization system are the guarantees for the French Army's survival in the international community.

In these two aspects, the current French Army was still far behind.

After the joint forces discussed, Jerome Bonaparte invited Baron Lagren and all the generals present to dinner together.

During the banquet, Jerome Bonaparte and Baron Lagren exchanged smiles and engaged in lively discussions.

With Jerome Bonaparte's deliberate guidance, Baron Lagren became the "protagonist" of the banquet. After rounds of drinks, the slightly drunk Baron Lagren recounted some interesting stories from the previous era, including those of the Duke of Wellington, Emperor Napoleon, Grand Marshal Surt, Talleyrand, Metternich, and Fouché.

Memories always evoke melancholy, and emotional, Lord Lagren could not help but burst into tears, longing for his friend (the Duke of Wellington) and also his foes (Emperor Napoleon, Grand Marshal Surt).

According to Baron Lagren, their era had passed, and it was now Jerome Bonaparte's era.

"Your Majesty, from you, I seem to see the shadow of that great man of old!" said the half-drunk, half-awake Baron Lagren to Jerome Bonaparte.

"It is truly an honor to receive such a compliment from you, sir!" Jerome Bonaparte said joyfully.

"Actually, in some ways, you are even more terrifying than the great man of old!" Baron Lagren hiccupped and, with a slurred tongue, said to Jerome Bonaparte: "You... are more patient than he was! If the great man of the past had been like you, we probably wouldn't have been able to defeat him!"

"I am just an ordinary person under the Emperor's shelter and do not deserve such high praise!" Jerome Bonaparte humbly replied to Lord Lagren.

Baron Lagren smiled, shook his head, and sighed over the passage of time.

The banquet ended amid laughter and joy, with the drunken Baron Lagren supported by his not-yet-drunk adjutant, leaving the Tuileries Palace and boarding a carriage to the British Embassy.

Standing in the courtyard of the Tuileries Palace, Jerome Bonaparte faced the biting cold wind and watched as the carriage carrying Baron Lagren gradually disappeared into the darkness.

Thereafter, Jerome Bonaparte lingered in the cold wind for a while before turning to return inside the Tuileries Palace.

On the other hand, after returning from the Tuileries Palace to the British Embassy, under the concerned gaze of Ambassador Cowley, Baron Lagren opened his blurred eyes and then pushed away his adjutant, who was supporting him.

"Commander Lagren, how do you feel now?" Lord Cowley asked Baron Lagren.

Previously at the Tuileries Palace, Baron Lagren seemed drunken and disoriented, but now, astonishingly, he stood straight without support. His adjutant immediately understood that Baron Lagren's drunkenness at the Tuileries Palace was merely an act.

Standing in place, Baron Lagren slightly tidied up his wrinkled cuffs, patted Ambassador Cowley on the shoulder, and said in a sorrowful tone: "Don't worry! That little bit of wine could never get me drunk!"

"Then you..." Ambassador Cowley still looked at Baron Lagren with a skeptical gaze.

"I couldn't control my tongue at the banquet earlier and spoke a bit too much!" Baron Lagren replied to Ambassador Cowley with a bitter smile.

"Hmm!" Ambassador Cowley nodded and responded with a single word, then instructed the embassy's servants to take care of Baron Lagren.

Morning of February 2nd.

The sky over Paris was adorned with crystal-clear snowflakes, and the cold wind was even more biting than the previous day, as if it aimed to penetrate the thick cotton clothes and steal the last hint of warmth from people's bodies.

Few pedestrians were on the streets, with only the slow-moving public carriages visible. Through the slightly misted windows, one could see the "office workers" inside the coach cars, rubbing their hands and blowing warm air while seated on the cold circle chairs.

In such weather, Baron Lagren and his adjutant would take a carriage to the railway station in the nearby province, not yet covered by snow, and from there take the railway to Toulon Port, and then board a French warship heading to Constantinople.

...

Baron Lagren and his adjutant took three days to reach Toulon Port after leaving Paris.

At Toulon Port, they met the Minister of the French Navy, Dico.

After a brief self-introduction, Minister Dico immediately dispatched two sail-steam battleships and three steam vessels to escort Baron Lagren to the Near East.

Baron Lagren expressed his gratitude to Dico, and they shook hands in parting. The steam launch carried Baron Lagren onto the sail-steam battleship.

The steam engine started, and the battleship gradually left the port.

After a long three-day voyage, Baron Lagren finally reached the waters near Rhodes Island.

At Rhodes Island, Baron Lagren joined the main force of the British Expeditionary Army.

At this point, the British Expeditionary Army had already abandoned their own cannons and rifles, replacing them entirely with Minie Rifles and Little Napoleon Cannons.

Even their warhorses were generously provided by the French Army.

If not for the British Expeditionary Army's uniforms and figures like the Duke of Cambridge, Baron Lagren might have mistaken this army for a French-imposter unit.

The temporary commander of this army, the Duke of Cambridge, showed a relieved expression upon seeing Baron Lagren's arrival. He finally didn't have to worry about the plummeting morale of the British Army.

"Commander!" The Duke of Cambridge, along with the chief quartermaster and others, approached Baron Lagren to salute.

Baron Lagren solemnly returned the salute, and the group proceeded in grand style to the tents within Rhodes Island.

Inside the tents, the Duke of Cambridge expressed his anger to Baron Lagren, stating that they had been deceived by British intelligence.

The Gallipoli Peninsula was simply not a suitable place for stationing; there was nothing available for their army to obtain supplies, and the recent blizzard had caused a considerable amount of non-combat casualties in their ranks.

"How many people do you still have in hand?" Baron Lagren asked the Duke of Cambridge and others.

"During those days on Gallipoli Peninsula, our troops lost a total of 1,400 men! Now we have about 18,200 left!" The Duke of Cambridge reported the number of troops to Baron Lagren.

Upon hearing the Duke of Cambridge's report on non-combat casualties, Baron Lagren couldn't help but frown.

A loss of 1,400 men is enough to rival a medium-sized battle.

The Duke of Cambridge also informed Baron Lagren that the sudden blizzard not only caused a degree of casualties to the Kingdom of Britain but also dealt a blow to the morale of the British soldiers.

Many soldiers believed that the blizzard was a manifestation of God's will, with God unwilling to see them wage war against the Eastern Orthodox on behalf of heretics.

"When did this kind of talk start spreading around?" Baron Lagren asked the Duke of Cambridge.

The Duke of Cambridge shrugged his shoulders, indicating that he did not know.

"Forget it!" Baron Lagren looked angrily at the Duke of Cambridge, turned around, and left.

The Duke of Cambridge awkwardly touched his nose, standing still without moving.

In the following days, Baron Lagren devoted all his energy to boosting morale.

The morale of the British Army swiftly recovered under Baron Lagren's encouragement.

On February 12th, a steam launch gradually approached Rhodes Island, ready to deliver the next orders to the British Army stationed there.

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