Flowers, Swords and France

"Gentlemen, we can all see that the role of railways in the development of national commerce in the contemporary era cannot be overestimated. It provides us with an unprecedented way of eliminating all interference, timing, As long as the railway passes through, commerce will flourish, so we can say that the railway is the cornerstone of modern civilization. "

In the silence, Charles stood on the podium and spoke to the audience.

"Two centuries ago, our ancestors worked tirelessly to build a huge canal system for France - including the South Canal not far from everyone here. Now, two centuries have passed, shouldn't future generations use it more... "Aldesdeux-mers" is a canal in southern France that connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The canal runs from the Mediterranean port of Sète in the Hérault province in the east to the Garonne River near Toulouse, the capital of the Haute-Garonne province, in the west.

The main trunk of the canal is 240 kilometers long, and the entire shipping water system covers 328 man-made structures of various sizes such as locks, ditches, bridges, and tunnels. The canal was built between 1667 and 1694 in the era of Louis XIV. It was an important project in France in the 17th century and a major component of the French canal system. In the 18th and 19th centuries, France's main cargo transportation relied on]

His audience is certainly not a general audience. These people are all local nobles and bourgeois - that is, they are all wealthy people. He had spent a lot of energy trying to sell these people on the benefits of railroads--but. Having money is one thing, but whether you are willing to support him is another.

"Because of this, for the sake of the country's prosperity and the well-being of the people, Mr. President has decided to carry out railway construction across the country. This move is bound to greatly promote our country's economic development, and ultimately..." Charles glanced at the audience below. circle, "it will also enable you to get the benefits you deserve from the development of the national economy."

It was just as he expected, after hearing these words. These smart listeners finally had some reaction.

"Since Mr. President can bring peace to the country, he can also bring prosperity to the country. The former Bonaparte led the nation to pursue honor. The latter Bonaparte will make the nation prosperous - their spirit of dedicating everything to the country , are worthy of admiration, and their ideas are worthy of support! Therefore, I ask you to support those who agree with Mr. President’s ideas in the future local elections. Only in this way can Mr. President implement his superior ideas without any obstacles. , leading you to accumulate more wealth in peace and prosperity, thank you!”

After Ciel raised his voice, sparse applause rang out from the seats.

"I emphasize again that supporting Mr. President is not for him alone. It is for ourselves! This is a cause that each of us can benefit from!" Charles suddenly spoke again, and raised his voice. "And this is not just words, this is real and reliable action! In order to promote the construction of the country, with the promotion of the president, the government established the Ministry of Railways, and I... everyone must have known that I am the Railway Ministry Secretary of State of the Ministry, so I have more reason than anyone else to believe in Mr. President’s determination! Finally, let me tell you! One news is that the first tranche of bonds of the Ministry of Railways is ready and will be publicly issued soon. Although the specific details have not been finalized, I can guarantee that it will be a very favorable investment. So everyone, just take the lead. On the right path, we will not gain nothing, so please subscribe enthusiastically when the time comes!”

"Very good!"

"We all support Mr. President!"

Different from his cold performance just now, his last encouragement was enthusiastically responded to by these people. People clapped and cheered, and even stood up. Apparently, the news he posted was welcomed by everyone.

There was finally no silence, and Ciel was relieved in his heart.

………………

In the evening, Charles, who finally got away from the non-stop social activities, chose to take a walk to relieve his mood.

At this time, the sun was about to go down, and the golden sunlight dyed the whole world into an illusory color. Charles was walking on the country road, breathing in the fresh air that was different from the city, and suddenly he felt very comfortable. few. Beside him, the creek was flowing quietly, and the grass on the roadside was swaying in the breeze, making people even more relaxed and happy. The gentle and soothing country rhythm made Charles addicted to it for a while.

"It's really nice here!" After taking another deep breath, Charles sighed, "Our respected Duke of Dalmatia has found a good place for himself to retire!"

"Of course it's good when you first come here, but you'll get bored after living here for a while." His friend Albert replied from the side. "If you have to live here for a few years, I'm sure you'll go crazy! Everything here is the same. Nothing but dullness."

"You're right." Charles sighed slightly, "If I have to look at these jackasses all day long, I will really go crazy."

"It seems that your communication with them is not going well?" Albert laughed.

"Yes, Albert, these people really trouble my brain. They are unmoved no matter what!" Charles complained. "I don't know if these provincials are shrewd and cunning, or just plain stupid." As for the wooden head, no matter what I say, he seems to have no emotion at all! But when I mention bonds, they keep swarming around me like flies that have seen blood. I have had enough of this gang. A foreigner."

Although not as good as Charlotte, who regarded provincials as ignorant and boring country people, Charles could not help but be infected with the superior attitude of some Parisians towards provincials in this era. At least in his opinion, those who today showed no sign of even politeness in his agitation. It's boring and annoying.

"Charles, you seem to have forgotten that I am also from the province." Albert replied seemingly seriously.

"Oh. You are different. You have been transformed very well after so many years." Charles looked at the setting sun and replied slowly, "You are already a real Parisian, better than ordinary Parisians." Elegant and stylish.”

"Should I be honored by this, sir?"

"Of course." Ciel nodded. "Do you still remember the first time we met in class? When you introduced yourself, you were very nervous and at a loss. Then you told the whole class about your family tree and what honors you had, starting from the twelfth century. I started talking for twenty minutes... Hahahaha, only people from other provinces do that! At that time, the students couldn't stop laughing."

"You were the only one who didn't smile." Albert also looked at the sun. "So at that time I thought maybe I could make friends with you..."

"Actually, I wanted to laugh at that time. It's just that the novel I was reading suddenly progressed to a tragic stage, so I wasn't in the mood to laugh at you."

"…………"

While talking and laughing, they came to a hill together and looked around from a high position.

In front of us is a fertile field full of vitality. The vineyards divided by fields are entering their most important period - the grapes are beginning to bloom. In the breeze, invisible pollen is scattered and flying, laying a solid foundation for the autumn harvest. Then, barrels of wine flowed out of this fertile field. Traveling to various parts of Europe.

"What a beautiful place this is!" This scene made Charles sigh again. Driven by an inexplicable emotion. He picked up his cane and pointed at the void in front of him, "We must save this place!"

"Save this place?" Albert was a little surprised, "What happened here?"

"...Nothing." Charles quickly regained his composure.

At least not yet.

The craze sweeping across France, and even the entire European grape plantations, has not yet arrived.

In the original world, in the late 1860s during the imperial era, due to biological invasions from America, phylloxera broke out in the vineyards of France. As a result, more than three-quarters of the grape production was destroyed, and a large number of grape plantations were destroyed. It was forced into desolation and ultimately caused a heavy blow to French agriculture. I don’t know how many people who were here when Charles was preaching would go bankrupt as a result.

Between 1868 and 1871, the agricultural community in various European countries also conducted a lot of research on eliminating phylloxera, including experimental planting, pesticide application, flooding methods, soil type research, etc. Finally, a research team composed of Frenchman Jules-Emile Planson () and American Charles-Valentine-Riley (Charles-Valentine-Riley) found a solution, which was to combine European The disease can be prevented (rather than cured) by grafting grape branches onto the roots of aphid-resistant varieties native to the United States.

However, there is certainly no need for Charles to wait until the crisis has fully spread before announcing new solutions. He plans to announce solutions at the beginning of the disease in the future to prevent such a beautiful place from suddenly falling into depression and bankruptcy - -Although he does not like those manor owners who respond little to him.

"Okay, let's not talk about it anymore." Seeing that Charles didn't want to talk about this topic anymore, Albert could only shrug. After many years of interaction, he had already become accustomed to his friend's sudden exclamations, so he would not continue to ask questions relentlessly. "Recently, according to your request, I have recruited a lot of people, all of whom are quite reliable. More importantly, they are all very happy to be able to eat from the public. As long as they have hundreds or thousands of francs a month, You can let them do anything..."

Read the original text in Liu#9@书/吧!

The true meaning of "having done everything" is of course not that the two people are so polite on the surface.

"Very good, great, faster than expected! As long as we find all the people, it will be much easier for us to do the next thing." Charles was very happy and patted Albert's shoulder heavily, "Mr. Minister It will definitely be a pleasure.”

"Oh, I hope I can make him more happy in the future..." Albert smiled.

Although his words were sincere, there was an inexplicable sarcasm in his smile.

After a period of vacation, their minister, after overcoming the pain of losing his father, has returned to the ministry and resumed his duties. Of course, he would never have imagined that the two young assistants he relied on for help would actually join forces to deal with him.

"Is what you said about the bond today true?"

"Of course it's true," Charles nodded, "However, this batch of goods that just came out is in short supply, but not many copies will be left for these people. Bah, look at how proud they were just now! I really thought that It seems like how much they are eligible to subscribe for!”

"Let them ignore it for now. This fundraising is of great significance and there must be no surprises." Albert reminded solemnly.

"Of course I know, so I have discussed it with Baron de Beauvain and the others a long time ago. It was because I was afraid of problems that I delayed it for so long. Now all aspects have been considered. My friends, there will be no problems. of."

"That's good." Albert also nodded with confidence. Over the years, Charles' performance has never let him down. "Char, you did a great job! Let me share a little bit, too?"

"Does it still need to be said? I have already prepared it, and I will not miss your share." Charles replied matter-of-factly, "I said that I will do my best to repay your help all the time."

Albert did not answer, but nodded slightly.

The two people turned around again and looked at the fertile fields in the distance.

At this time, the sun had almost completely disappeared behind the mountains, and the originally golden earth was slowly being swallowed up by the dark color.

"This thing is good, but you still have to control it. Charles, I have seen recently that you don't seem to care at all. You will soon be preparing the second and third batches." He seemed to have remembered something. , Albert reminded again, "If the stall is too big, even if there is a national guarantee, debt will still be a big problem - after all, the investment in the railway is too huge, and unless the best lines are used, the investment will not be recovered." Profitability cannot be achieved in the short term and requires massive investment over many years..."

"You are right. Originally, I wanted to achieve this goal in as safe a way as possible." Charles raised his head again and looked at Portugal and the hard-working farmers in the distance, "But now I have changed my mind - When we are in a more favorable situation, we can be more aggressive, right?"

"What if something goes wrong?"

"If something really goes wrong..." Charles suddenly smiled, and then replied leisurely, "Shouldn't our superiors bear the main leadership responsibility?"

"..." Albert turned his head, looked at Charles steadily, and then nodded.

"Okay, Ciel." (To be continued...)