"Is the world progressing?" Franz Joseph repeatedly pondered Jerome Bonaparte's words. This was already the second time he had heard Jerome Bonaparte say this, and each time, it brought Franz Joseph a different feeling, along with a trace of urgency and confusion.
Looking at the monarch deep in thought before him, Jerome Bonaparte couldn't help but pat Franz Joseph on the shoulder, advising him in a teacher's tone: "That's right! We are in an era of rapid change! The coming century will be different from the previous 18 centuries; it will propel all of Europe and even the world forward at an astonishing speed. Every individual and group will inevitably be affected by it, so you must try to embrace it and steer it forward. Only then can you ensure your empire isn't swallowed by the waves of the future."
