African Entrepreneurship Records

  Chapter 152 Restoring Contact

   Ernst is generally satisfied with the work of the Marseille Hechingen Consortium branch, and can score at least eight points.

  However, after rewarding, punishing, and commending and rewarding some excellent employees, some deficiencies here have been adjusted.

   Apart from the business situation of the company, there is nothing Ernst particularly wants to see in Marseille.

   After a brief tour of some unique landscapes in Marseille the next day, Ernst and his team left.

  Going north along the railway, Ernst first arrived at Lyon, a textile city in France, and then turned to Paris from here.

   October 18, 1868.

Paris France.

  In this era, it is completely impossible to find a city in Europe that is comparable in size and quality to Paris. Of course, this is just Ernst's personal opinion.

  At the same time, the black chimneys and rivers flowing with black water in London, England, were suffocating.

  The environment of Vienna and Berlin is not bad, but the scale is not outstanding.

  St. Petersburg showed a low and depressed everywhere.

  Napoleon III carried out a large-scale renovation and reconstruction of the old city of Paris, making the city vibrant while showing artistic value.

  Of course, the citizens of Paris at this time are not interested in this new city. The French criticize this new city, which probably means destroying the unique taste of old Paris.

   Ernst admired Paris from the perspective of his previous life, so he naturally couldn't understand the thinking of these people.

  Of course, this does not prevent the Parisians of this era from hating the new city, and there are many elite critics, including writers and artists.

  Finally forced by the pressure of public opinion, Osman, the designer of Napoleon III, resigned to quell the incident, but the transformation of Paris continued.

   Later, Paris also built the Eiffel Tower, which was hated and complained by Parisians at that time.

  The Napoleon III government’s transformation of Paris basically established the city form of Paris later. There are more green plants on both sides of the new streets, and city parks can be seen everywhere.

  Ernst's convoy was walking slowly on the streets of Paris, passing through the sea of ​​people, heading for the place where the rich and nobles lived in Paris.

  …

  A manor in Paris.

  Led by his entourage, Ernst came to a living room.

   "Oh, I didn't expect Constantine's son to be so big!" said a gray-haired French old man sitting on the sofa and watching the visitors.

   This is the former comrade-in-arms of Grandpa Ernst, Count Jacob Medina of France (fictional).

"Jaime Medina came to meet me, this is the grandson of my old friend. I really didn't expect to see him for so many years, the little guy Constantine has such a young son, he must be in his 60s or 70s now! said Jacob Medina to his son.

  Jacob Medina's son is estimated to be in his sixties or seventies this year, and he is of the same generation as Prince Constantine.

   "Hello, I'm Baron Jaime Medina, welcome to Paris as a guest." Jaime Medina said to Ernst politely.

   "It's a pleasure to meet Baron Jaime Medina, and the old earl wishes you good health." Ernst said to the father and son.

   "Today, the little guys at home are not here, otherwise it would be nice to let you meet." Jacob Medina said.

   The little ones refer to the three grandchildren of Jacob Medina.

  Jacob Medina's family is obviously more prosperous than the royal family of Hechingen. He has several brothers, two sons and three grandsons.

"It's a pity that the commander didn't come back when he settled in Bavaria. Otherwise, the remnants of our old days might still be able to get together. Now I'm the only old guy left." Jacob Medina sighed. .

The commander Jacob Medina mentioned was Ernst’s grandfather, the former Eugène de Beauharnay, Napoleon’s stepson and adjutant, but after Napoleon returned to the country, Eugène de Beauharnay did not Instead of returning to France to support Napoleon, he stayed in Bavaria on the advice of his father-in-law, then King of Bavaria.

"Back then, your grandfather and I fought together under the banner of the commander. Although we were our own masters later, our friendship will never be forgotten. At that time, swords, lights and swords..." the old Jacob Medina said in a low voice. The slow tone recalls the past.

   Ernst and Jaime Medina listened quietly to Jacob Medina's story of his youth.

   "What are you mainly doing in Paris this time? Little Ernst." After recalling the past, Jacob Medina began to ask Ernst the purpose of his trip.

   Ernst said respectfully: "Your Excellency, I am here to visit the old friends of my father and grandfather according to my father's instructions, and I have no other purpose."

  Jacob Medina nodded: "It's difficult! There are still people who remember us old guys. When you go back, you must say hello to your father for me."

   "Happy to help." Ernst said.

   "We old guys may not have much time, so you young people still need to move around more, have more friends, have more ways, especially the communication between nobles..." Jacob Medina said to the young people.

  …

   Ernst stayed in Paris for three days and visited all the former partners of the Hechingen royal family. Because of their age, many of them are no longer there.

  However, the royal family of Hechingen has re-established its relationship network in France. In the future, as long as the two parties communicate more, at least they can support each other in public opinion.

   In addition, Ernst also visited other great nobles in Paris, including various factions, even the Bonaparte family.

  As for the past between the royal family of Hechingen and the Bonaparte family, it is nothing in European history. Enemies can also become friends for the sake of benefit.

  The royal family of Hechingen and the Bonaparte family obviously did not reach the point of being enemies, that is, these years, Constantine rarely went abroad when he was old, so his contact with these forces decreased.

  Sigmaringen next door and the Prussian royal family are still in constant contact. For example, Carol I was able to serve as Romanian emperor, and Napoleon III was behind it.

   But history has proved that this investment was a failure. Carol I finally favored his family and sided with Prussia.

  Where there is cooperation, there is stabbing, just like the current dispute between the two parties about Leopold and the Spanish throne.

  So in the aristocratic world, don't be happy with things, don't be sad with yourself, everything is based on real interests.

When Ernst came to Paris, it was not necessary to obtain the support of these people. The most important thing was to reconstruct the contact network. Information was an important bargaining chip for exchanges between nobles. As local snakes, their information could be better Let the royal family of Hechingen avoid risks.

  (end of this chapter)