Flowers, Swords and France

After President Louis Bonaparte personally delivered a speech, the banquet entered the final part. Everyone was joyful and celebrated the birth of a new era. It was so lively while drinking and drinking. The Treville brothers and sisters were naturally infected and completely indulged in it.

Charles took Fran to a corner of the hall. He greeted people he knew or didn't know, and drank a lot of wine. Fran didn't drink, but because she was dressed too flashy tonight, she attracted a lot of attention. attracted the attention of many people.

"Miss Treville, I'm afraid you have become the focus of everyone tonight..." Due to the alcohol, Charles's face turned slightly red and he became more courageous, "Maybe someone will come to invite you later. Go to his house and have fun, don’t agree to them casually, be careful..."

In front of his joke, Fran glared at him with great displeasure. The sharp gaze made Charlton sober up immediately, "I'm more worried about myself than myself, sir. So far, there are no women." The children came to say hello..."

"That's just because there aren't many girls here tonight." Charles replied with a smile.

"Really?" Fran smiled sarcastically, as if she felt pity for the unpopular Ciel.

"Really," Charles looked at his sister sincerely, "my brother is now a hot commodity, don't believe it."

"Hmph!" Fran snorted disdainfully, as if she had no interest in chatting with him anymore.

While the two siblings were taunting each other, Ciel felt his sleeve being pulled. He looked back. Found out it was an old acquaintance of his.

"Oh, Charles, I finally found it! Why did you come here?" Karion shouted with a smile. Then, he lowered his voice consciously and said, "Mr. President is looking now."

"Mr. President?" Charles was a little confused at first. It took him a moment to realize who he was referring to - he had not yet gotten used to the new name for Louis Bonaparte.

"He came to see me?"

"Yes, that's it." Karion nodded, "He is waiting now. Come with me. How are you drinking? Do you want to take a rest first?"

After hearing the call from the boss. Charles didn't dare to neglect. He picked up a glass of juice from the side and drank it. "Yeah. It doesn't matter to me, just go with me."

Then, he turned around and patted his sister on the shoulder. He whispered a warning. "Go to grandpa's place later. He should be chatting with old friends now. Don't drink and go home early!"

Fran nodded obediently, indicating that she would obey her brother's instructions.

Then, Charles followed Carion out of the bustling hall and walked slowly along the winding corridors of the Elysee Palace. The guards along the way turned a blind eye to the two men. After Louis Bonaparte became president. Carrion, who was originally Louis Bonaparte's confidant, naturally became one of the president's confidants.

The two of them had a good relationship. Therefore, Charles and him were still chatting on the road, teasing each other from time to time. After a while, Ciel stopped by and asked about today's interview.

It was okay if he didn't ask. As soon as he asked, Karion patted Ciel on the shoulder in an exaggerated way.

"Boy, you're in luck now!"

"What's wrong?" Charles was a little confused.

"Mr. President is not the only one I want to meet tonight," Karion's eyes flashed, "There are others..."

"Anyone else?"

"Yes, and they are all big shots." Carrion laughed as he spoke, "Your Excellency the Prime Minister, Mr. Thiers, Baron de Beauvin, all of these people are here!"

"Ah!" After hearing these words, Charles's heart trembled, and the remaining drunkenness disappeared in an instant. "Are they all there? What?"

Karion carefully looked around to make sure no one was deliberately listening, then he leaned next to Ciel and spoke softly. "It seems to be something related to the railway..."

"I see!"

Ciel finally understood.

No wonder there is such a big battle today.

"Everyone here today is a big shot, and Mr. President needs someone to help him hold the line now. You have to behave better later!" Carlyon gently warned him again, "Don't let everyone down. !”

"Of course I understand." Charles replied calmly.

The two people walked along the corridor and stairs to the second floor.

"The boys of the Party of Order are very difficult to deal with. You have to be careful not to suffer from them." Karion suddenly spoke again.

"Thanks for waking up."

"Hmph, there's no way, why are they still in power now?" Karion snorted coldly, "But sooner or later, we will crush them into scum!"

"It's just a matter of time." Ciel echoed. "We still need them now, so we can only do it in a good manner..."

"It's good that you understand. I'm worried that you will have a bad attitude towards them later." Karion secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Charles being so obedient. "Boy, remember, a person cannot be honest and political at the same time." Home."

"It is impossible for a man to be both clever and truthful," Charles replied in a low voice.

Then the two looked at each other for a moment and laughed at the same time, feeling like they were close friends.

The two people walked to the door of a room.

Karion reached out and patted Ciel on the shoulder again. "Boy, don't forget about us when you become famous! Don't give any benefits to us old brothers!"

Then, without waiting for Charles to answer, he stretched out his hand and knocked gently on the door.

"Come in!" Louis Bonaparte's voice came from inside.

With the sound of the door gently opening, Ciel walked into the room.

It was this soft sound that meant that he became a so-called "national dignitary" for the first time. It was this soft sound that meant that he became a person who could influence the direction of this country!

But strangely, he remained very calm. Even he himself couldn't believe that he could be so calm. Perhaps, in the eyes of this young man, this is not something worth being excited about, right?

There is a long table in the room. Louis Bonaparte sat on one side, and several people sat on the other side. Charles glanced at them calmly. There were two people he knew. An old man was Mr. Odilon Barrow, the current Prime Minister of the Cabinet; and a middle-aged man was the great banker Baron de Beauvin. As for the other middle-aged man, who is short but well-dressed, his identity is naturally obvious.

Although he was well-known to this man for two generations, this was the first time he saw this man with his own eyes. However, he was neither shocked nor outraged. He just nodded calmly to everyone.

On seeing him come in, Louis Bonaparte made a sign to him to sit beside him.

"This is the young man I told you about..." he introduced mysteriously.

M. Thiers looked at Charles curiously.

"You really are so young!" He sighed softly. "It's unbelievable."

"We have to admit that there are some geniuses in this world." Baron de Beauvain joked with a smile, "Although Mr. de Treville is young, he has a very bright mind. You will know it in the future."

"Really? Have you ever dealt with him?" Thiers smiled. His eyes were full of curiosity. "Having said that, I feel even more curious."

Then, he nodded towards Ciel.

"Young man, is this idea of ​​establishing a Ministry of Railways really a good idea?"

Ciel remained completely calm.

"Yes, indeed."

"He has already forwarded the plan he wrote to M. Bonaparte to me..." Thiers was still looking at Charles, not hiding his curiosity at all. "To be honest, it's really hard for me to imagine that the person writing this was only nineteen years old at the time."

"Thank you for the compliment." Ciel thanked him with a smile, and then asked in a moderately humble manner, "But I would rather give you a substantive opinion."

"Substantial opinion?" Thiers smiled again, "To be honest, I haven't been able to draw a complete conclusion yet. I just think this idea is very huge and huge."

"Yes, we need to add a new department to the cabinet and give it so much authority!" Your Excellency the Prime Minister also gave timely support. "This matter is extremely complicated at first glance."

"Nothing was created by God innately, or was it slowly added by people later?" Of course Louis Bonaparte would not let his men suffer, and he started to support him directly, "Besides, as long as it is good for the country, It’s good for the individual, so what if it’s complicated?”

"First we have to confirm whether it is beneficial or not." Thiers replied.

"Don't worry about that," Charles replied. "In the long run, this will be a big source of benefit for the country. Think about it, a fully formed railway can monopolize all long-distance transportation, whether it is passenger transportation or freight transportation, as long as the line Not particularly remote, after all.”

After all, Thiers was also a prime minister. Of course, he would not be fooled so easily.

"Before the country can produce huge output, it will burden the country with huge debts. Sir, I have been in charge of government after all, and I know what this is." He replied coldly. "So, in order to achieve this goal, we have to borrow a lot from the outside world, or issue bonds, or even exchange operating rights for private investment. The result is...the operating rights of the railway are in the hands of private enterprises."

Then, he looked at Charles again, his eyes becoming a little sharp, "So, young man, I am not opposed to the proposal to vigorously build railways, but why should we set up a separate ministry to manage it? This will instead It affects the enthusiasm of enterprises to invest in railways.”

Charles felt a chill in his heart. This was the problem he was most afraid of facing. Because in this era, no one will oppose the large-scale construction of railways, but they may not support the proposal to establish a specialized national regulatory department. Therefore, he must first prove that it is reasonable to establish a dedicated Ministry of Railways.

He was certainly not unprepared for the question.

"You are quite right, sir. I have to say that my eyes are bright." He began with a compliment.

No one else in the room said anything. Everyone was waiting for the young man's next words, President. Prime Minister, politician, plutocrat. They are all waiting, what does this feel like? At least Ciel felt very comfortable, so comfortable.

"Yes, building railways requires huge investments. We cannot let the government, which is already financially strapped, bear this cost alone. Congress cannot accept such a huge budget." He continued to explain, and then suddenly changed the subject. "But is it enough to just encourage private capital to participate in the construction? I don't think this is possible. The British have taught us a great lesson. As soon as everyone saw that it was profitable, they all rushed to build railways. What was the result? When the economic situation was bad, everyone was finished!"

The original text can be read in Liu # 9 @shu/bar!

When Charles talked about the lessons of Britain, the other people fell into deep thought. Because the island country across the street was indeed learning from experience and lessons.

From the end of 1845. Britain's railway speculation also began to collapse. In a few months, the prices of several stocks related to railways fell by 30%-40%, and many companies collapsed. Because the government required each joint-stock company to deposit part of its funds into the treasury as a deposit to prove its reliability, many companies with insufficient funds went bankrupt. At the same time, when prices in other sectors were falling due to the economic downturn, the railway lacked the corresponding transportation volume after it was opened, and the income was far below expectations; on the contrary. The various expenses for building railways expanded rapidly. In the autumn of 1847, Britain's railway speculation finally went bankrupt. Many lines were suspended, and the progress of the main railway project was greatly slowed down.

"So, do you want a special department to review the qualifications of the participants?" Thiers asked tentatively.

"Yes, so my suggestion is that after private companies obtain the construction and operation rights, when issuing railway stocks, the Ministry of Railways will review its qualifications, and these stocks will be used as collateral, so that we can avoid the panic caused by the sudden collapse of speculation among the people."

"Then is the obligation that the government has to bear too much? This is not a small number!" Prime Minister Barrow asked a little uneasily.

"Of course the government can't just assume the obligation for nothing. It has to collect a deposit, and..." Charles lowered his voice, "As long as the railway construction is well planned and carried out in an orderly manner according to the schedule, the risks faced by the government will not be particularly great. It is better than everyone rushing in and making a mess of the situation..." Charles stopped talking here. He believed that others could certainly figure out the implicit meaning of his words.

"In other words, you want to use the power of the government to check and use government planning to limit the candidates who participate in the railway construction?" Mr. Thiers asked Charles directly after thinking for only a moment.

"That's right." Charles nodded.

Everything is self-evident. Prime Minister Barrow's eyes suddenly lit up.

"This is a good idea..." He muttered softly, obviously estimating what benefits he and his close people can get from it.

It is a perfect excuse to tell the people that "the establishment of the Ministry of Railways is to ensure the safety of purchasing railway investment bonds and railway company stocks and reduce risks." But for several people present, this is a profitable prospect.

"That alone may not be enough." Thiers thought for a while and replied in a low voice. "It is difficult to convince Congress to agree to such a big reform."

What a difficult person, Charles muttered in his heart. However, the more this happened, the more excited he felt in his heart.

"Of course it is not just for this purpose..." Charles replied with a smile.

Everyone was waiting for his next words again, and Charles found that he liked this feeling more and more.

After deliberately pondering for a moment, he raised his head and looked at Baron de Bovan, who had been sitting in his seat leisurely and silently, and the other party also gave him a bright smile in return.

Charles stretched out his hand and made a friendly gesture to the big banker.

"The next topic is closely related to our dear Baron de Bovan."

"I've been listening, young man, it's very interesting, keep going." Baron de Bovan shouted innocently, as if he really didn't know what Charles would say, "You almost convinced me, don't be discouraged, keep trying!"

"Thank you for your encouragement." Charles nodded, then smiled at Thiers, "Sir, let's go back to what I said before, just now I said that large-scale and continuous railway construction will bring a large amount of debt to the country..."

"That's what I said." Thiers nodded. Patiently waiting for Charles' next words.

"Who will be responsible for managing these debts?" Charles continued to ask, "Will the whole country bear it? Or will it be borne by individuals? Or do you plan to use other methods?"

"Of course it will be borne by the Ministry of Finance. Whoever issues it is responsible..." Thiers answered without thinking. After a moment, he seemed to understand something. He looked at Charles in surprise, as if he couldn't figure out what was in the young man's mind. "Wait, you mean... use this department to issue bonds on its own. To raise funds? And then it will manage these debts on its own?"

"Isn't this a good idea?" Charles nodded, indicating that the other party's guess was correct, "Think about it. If everything has to go through a complicated budget formulation process and then be reported to the National Assembly for approval, then what else can be done smoothly? Of course, I'm not saying that Congress is not allowed to audit the accounts of the department..."

Debt issued. Of course it has to be audited. As for the candidates for the audit... aren't these people deciding on their own? Thiers and Barrow immediately saw the advantages of this - they could issue bonds on their own in the name of the Ministry of Railways, and at the same time, their use did not need to be subject to the strict scrutiny of the National Assembly like the national budget, and The opposition parties are clamoring. It can be said that even if they make a little bit of it during their expected reign of several years, it will be a huge sum.

In the face of such huge benefits. Mr. Thiers and Prime Minister Barrow were both lost in thought.

This also means that most of Ciel's persuasion work has been completed.

See the situation is so smooth. Charles continued to pursue the victory.

"I heard people say that for a country, debts are actually assets. Although this statement is a bit extreme, it actually makes some sense. As long as the country can maintain credit and maintain stable payment, then what if it is saddled with debt? ? I believe that under the wise governance of the Party of Order cabinet, France will enter an unprecedented period of prosperity, and there will be no problem in achieving national financial health. "

After hearing Charles's deliberate compliment, Prime Minister Barrow also had a smile on his face.

"Of course, we can't just charge these debts to the country's accounts without any reason. We need to find bankers who are trustworthy, reliable, and willing to serve the country to underwrite them." Then, Charles looked at De- Baron de Beauvin, "I think our M. de Beauvin must be such a just man who is willing to serve his country."

"You're not wrong about me." Baron de Beauvain smiled and nodded, "I like the country to do things best."

Because the country is the richest, and the mood is the most stable after being squeezed out of a lot of money, anyway, it is not a specific person who suffers. Charles added in his mind to the big banker.

Thiers also looked at Baron Beauvain, and seemed to understand something. He knew that Baron Beauvain must have cooperated with Louis Bonaparte and others to form an offensive and defensive alliance, and now Louis Bonaparte planned to repay him.

But he certainly won't be left behind.

"You are not alone in your service to your country, Baron."

"Oh, it doesn't matter. Just say it when the time comes. I welcome anyone who wants to serve the country." The baron remained calm and replied with a smile.

"So, do you agree with my opinion?" Charles looked at Thiers expectantly.

"Yes, young man, the idea is very interesting," he nodded curtly, and then added, "and very useful."

"It's a good idea." Prime Minister Barrow also agreed.

Even though Ciel remained calm on the surface, he was constantly shouting and roaring in his heart.

I've come this far! Ha ha ha ha! No one could see his ecstasy.

"By the way, who do you think should be the best for the ministerial position?" Thiers suddenly turned to look at the president, "This department has great power, we can't find someone who is too powerful..."

"I think Viscount Dilion is good," Louis Bonaparte replied calmly, "He is a well-rounded person who can't offend anyone, and he doesn't have much ability to keep his appetite from being full."

Then, he stretched out his hand and pointed at Ciel, "Of course, such a person needs someone to assist him. I think Ciel is very good."

Thiers frowned slightly, and after pondering for a moment, he also nodded.

"I also think this arrangement is very good." (To be continued...)

ps: I have been thinking about the future plot all day today, and I feel like my brain is almost drained. . . What a pain!

Hey, writing a book seriously is such a stupid thing...

Especially when the roots are unrewarding.

Forget it, who told me to be stupid?