The news of Valerovsky's appointment as the French envoy to Berlin hit Prince Metternich like a bombshell, completely shattering the tranquility he had managed to regain.
Although Prince Metternich outwardly maintained a calm demeanor, his inner thoughts were already in turmoil.
Based on Prince Metternich's understanding of Emperor Jerome Bonaparte of the French Empire, Valerovsky's appointment is far from an ordinary one; it likely marks the beginning of a shift in French diplomacy.
Looking back at the diplomatic actions of the past French emperors, Prince Metternich noticed that before making major diplomatic decisions, the emperor always liked to send relatives or trusted confidants to establish connections with influential politicians in the target country and then leverage these relationships for secret diplomacy.
This diplomatic approach was termed secret diplomacy in the 19th century.
