Flowers, Swords and France

After being reminded by Morny, Charles, who got the excuse, stopped entangled with Joseph Bonaparte, hurriedly said goodbye to him and walked to the president's office. EnjoyReadNovel.2３x.com

As he walked, he was still ruminating in his mind about the confrontation he had just had with the two factions of the Bonaparte family, hoping to find some inspiration for his subsequent actions.

Just like that, with a hint of hidden uneasiness, he walked through the door of Louis Bonaparte's lounge.

"Mr. President, I'm here." Charles lowered his head and greeted the other party respectfully.

Louis Bonaparte, who had just had enough wine and dinner, had a rosy face and a gentle and calm expression, but Charles obviously would not treat him lightly because of this.

"Oh, you're here?" His Majesty the future emperor looked at him with a smile, obviously in a good mood, "Would you like to eat and read again? You haven't eaten just now, right? You and Joseph are chatting happily..."

Judging from his expression, he couldn't tell whether he was happy or unhappy, but since he mentioned this kind of thing deliberately, it was an obvious reminder.

"As you saw just now, we just chat occasionally." After thinking for a moment, Charles said what he had thought of before. "After all, we are all young people. We occasionally talk about young people's topics together." …”

"Young people should come and go more," Louis Bonaparte still smiled, "but sometimes you should also chat more with older people, so that you can get more useful things. After all, some experiences are very valuable. Precious, isn't it?"

Oh yes. I see.

"Okay, I will." Charles bowed his head humbly.

"Oh, that's good," Louis Bonaparte simply read. Then he looked at the clock next to him and said, "Char, the time is almost up, why don't you eat and read first?"

"No, no need, business is more important," Charles replied with a smile. "Anyway, it's my relative's house there, so I can eat anything."

"Hahahaha, that's right. Let's go."

………………

When Charles followed Louis Bonaparte to the Duke of Treville's house, the Duke's family had already been dressed up and waiting for a long time. Not only the young Philip, but also the Duke of Treville, who has been rarely seen, also attended the reception accompanied by his granddaughter Charlotte.

And today is not the only

"As an outstanding state activist. I sincerely hope that you can give us more help in the future." Louis Bonaparte said politely with a smile. "Although you and I had different political views before, I believe that our enthusiasm for serving the country and the people is the same. As long as we have this enthusiasm, we will eventually be able to find consensus."

"Thank you for your respect, Mr. President. In fact, I cannot bear the adjective 'outstanding' at all. When I was in office, I just fulfilled my obligations and abilities to serve the country. After resigning, I can only stay at home." The Duke also enthusiastically said Saying polite words, "However, if you need it, of course I will do my best to give you more suggestions."

"Mr. de Treville, you are too humble. Everyone knows that you are talented, but you just look down on Mr. de Orleans and live in seclusion." A young man next to him shook his head gently, "As a Bourbon Minister of the times, your achievements are far superior to ours. It is a pity that the French people are ignorant and ruined such an accomplished politician and such a glorious dynasty..."

Having said this, he let out a long sigh, as if he was reminiscing about that bygone era, "My father admired you very much at that time. He thought you were the wisest among the nobles at that time. It's a pity that you ……Why!"

Charlotte, who was sitting next to Ciel, suddenly gave Ciel's hand a hard squeeze. Obviously, the royalist's words aroused some resonance in her, as well as her resentment towards her grandfather, father and lover.

"Mr. de Fallo, that era is indeed a pity, but we can't just stop at regretting it." Her father, Duke Philippe Jr., smiled and said, "Our generation must think about what the previous generation lost. To recapture France, which the mob took from the king, we must give it back to God! Now that you are a minister in the government, you have the power to achieve such a leduo for us, don't you?"

"The mob took France from the king, and we will give it back to God! That's so good!" This sentence obviously resonated with the young man, and he repeated it loudly, and then raised his glass, " Let’s have a drink, shall we?”

"Cheers!" Everyone else raised their glasses.

This young man is Count de Falloux, the current Minister of Education in France. In addition to his government duties, his more important identity is the leader of the Bourbon Royalist Party. It was in order to get his support that Louis Bourbon Only then did Nabal come to the Duke of Treville's house to attend this meeting despite his busy schedule.

[Count Falloux, namely Frédéric-Alfred-de-Faloux (1811-1886), whose father was a commoner, but in the era of Charles X (1824-1830) He was made a nobleman, and he later inherited his father's title and became a nobleman.

His political views were very conservative, he strongly supported the restoration of the aristocratic rule of the old era, advocated the restoration of the old order of the kingdom, and used ecclesiastical and aristocratic rights to rule the country. He was one of the spiritual leaders of French orthodoxy at that time.

After the establishment of the Second Republic in 1848, he was appointed Minister of Education by Prime Minister Barrow at the time. Later, with the support of Louis Bonaparte, Prime Minister Barrow and others, he proposed the National Education Law, known as the Fallo The Act stipulates that all Catholic priests and church members, regardless of gender, can hold educational positions, and all elementary schools are under the management of diocesan priests. In the era of the Second Empire, this method was still implemented and was used as an important measure by the empire to suppress ideas. 】

"Monsieur Count, as you said, we strive to make the country a better place." Seeing that the time had come, Louis Bonaparte began to prepare to get down to business. "But you can see it. Some people don't think so..."

"What do you mean?" the count asked seemingly curiously.

"I'm afraid you have heard the news," Louis Bonaparte took a leisurely sip of wine, "Yes. I do intend to replace Mr. Prime Minister, because after this period of observation, I think he is not He is not qualified for this position and cannot serve the country well..."

The earl frowned slightly, but was obviously not surprised by the news.

"As far as I'm concerned, he seems to be doing a pretty good job." He glanced at Louis Bonaparte, his eyes twinkling. "Besides, no matter what, he is the one who invited me into the cabinet. I can't support you in driving him away..."

"I must remind you that he is an Orleanist, which means that he is not actually a fellow traveler with you," the president replied calmly. "And I am your fellow traveler. I support the Bourbons."

After hearing the second half of his words, the young man's face suddenly became a little weird, as if he thought the joke was funny.

"Of course, you don't have to believe me, but I will prove this reading with sincerity."

"What sincerity?" The count was immediately interested.

Louis Bonaparte paused deliberately, and after all eyes were focused on him, he continued coldly.

"As you said before, 'The mob took France from the king. We want to give it back to God!', so. I have reached an agreement with His Majesty the Pope before, and I am ready to let the church take on the responsibility of re-educating the nation. important task.”

As he expected, upon hearing this, the Earl immediately became interested and looked at him curiously, waiting for his next move.

"After I replace the Prime Minister, I plan to completely change the current education system, take the children of France away from the hands of lawless liberals, and let the priests educate them so that they know what reverence and obedience are... Count, in Parliament After reconvening, I hope you will put forward such an education reform proposal as soon as possible..."

The Count looked at the President quietly, obviously still digesting the information he had just received. After a moment, he shouted loudly.

"Great! Sir, this is the best news I heard today! We should start doing it immediately! Before acquiring knowledge, the people should first understand what obedience and morality are. No, rather, the people do not need it at all. They understand everything, they just need to obey the order established by God and work and live under the leadership of the nobles, so that they can What did they bring to France and Europe when they thought they had everything under control? Only decades of bloody vendetta! Only the church and the nobility can govern this country. Everyone should understand this after all... Mr. President, now that you have returned this glorious mission to me, you can rest assured that I will complete it with enthusiasm."

The president smiled and did not answer, still looking at the count.

"...Well, I support you on one thing. Your Excellency the Prime Minister is indeed not suitable for his current position." After a moment of silence, the earl gave the answer the president wanted, "I and people who share the same goals with me , your initiative is very welcome.”

"Even the gentleman who is still in Ames at this moment, I'm afraid he can't do more than you and I. I don't think there is any move that can better demonstrate my sincerity and determination? Sir, just like you, I am also a legitimist," said Louis Bonaparte slowly.

[At this time, the heir to the Bourbon royal family, Henry, Count of Chambord, had come to Ems, Germany from Austria, where he lived, to spy on the situation in France, and was ready to return home to take over the throne at any time. 】

"I sincerely hope that you can remain in this state." The count replied with the same smile.

"Then..." the president picked up the wine glass again, "let's drink to God and country!"

"cheers."

………………

By the time the dinner was over, it was already late at night.

Charles, accompanied by Louis Bonaparte, slowly walked out of the Duke's palace.

Although the evening breeze was already quite chilly, Louis Bonaparte still looked very excited.

This is not surprising, because he achieved his goal - he single-handedly promoted the split within the Party of Order, was able to remove a prime minister who did not suit his wishes, and demonstrated his absolute authority to the people of the country - and This is definitely not the last time.

Being able to use huge power can of course also bring great excitement to people.

"Char. These old-school people are so fooled! A few good words can make them excited...The Duke of Treville is different. From the beginning to the end, he has not been touched at all, whether it is God or the king. ——Hey. I really doubt whether this person is a royalist!" As he walked, Louis Bonaparte suddenly laughed, "But this is better, it saves us a lot of trouble."

"Of course he will be satisfied if his wish can be fulfilled." Charles replied in a low voice, "In the final analysis, they only want France to return to the old order. They don't particularly care who stays on the throne..."

Read the original text in Liu#9@书/吧!

Charles deliberately emphasized the words "it doesn't particularly matter who stays on the throne" because it would obviously please Louis Bonaparte.

"It's a pity that I didn't want to fully satisfy them." Louis Bonaparte suddenly sneered. Then he picked up the cane and waved it lightly in the void a few times. "I don't need to tell you, but you also know that times are very different now. There is no point in fooling the people by relying on religion alone."

"Does that mean you're not serious?"

"I am serious about enforcing this decree. But of course I will not let these boring Catholic priests control education. This is just for show." Louis Bonaparte replied in a low voice, "Because This is fundamentally inconsistent with our philosophy and plans.”

"...If you say so..."

"Isn't it, Charles?" Louis Bonaparte looked up into the distance. "I want to build this country into an industrial and commercial power. You want to build a huge railway network. We also want a huge army. The army, none of these things can be brought to us by God and the Church! What we need are thousands of educated officials and officers, not idiots whose minds have been washed away by the priests!”

"I think you are absolutely right," Charles replied immediately.

"Yes. I knew it." Louis Bonaparte read the first chapter. "We always think alike."

Then they found themselves at the place where the carriage was waiting.

"Char, aren't you going back?"

"...I won't go back now. I haven't had a good dinner here tonight. After all, it's a relative's house." Charles replied with a smile.

"Oh, that's good." Louis Bonaparte read the title, and then walked directly onto the carriage.

Finally, as if he suddenly remembered something, he suddenly poked his head out of the carriage door again. "Char, you are different from your relatives. Don't lower yourself to the level of a political broker. Your future is much greater than that!"

"Of course I won't, sir. As I said, I will be loyal to you." Charles bowed and replied.

"Very good." Louis Bonaparte read the words, then returned to the carriage, and then the carriage started directly, carrying the president and speeding towards the Elysée Palace.

Charles looked at the distant carriage, but his heart was suddenly filled with a different kind of thought.

He was thinking about what Louis Bonaparte had just said.

There is no doubt that he is right. If a country wants to industrialize, it cannot indulge in the ignorance of the past in its education. Instead, it needs talents with a large amount of specialized knowledge-this requires an effective education system.

As the number of educated people increases, more and more human resources can be invested in industrial production, allowing industrial society to create social wealth unmatched in previous millennia.

In addition to knowledge, another product of the education system is class mobility. After all, apart from rapid violent revolution, the thing that can best help the lower class escape poverty is knowledge.

But what happens when a country’s industrialization is completed? When the country's social wealth no longer expands rapidly, will it still need such an effective education system? In other words, do we still need so many young people with a lot of knowledge and ambitions to rise to compete with the elite for resources?

Obviously not needed.

Therefore, in various developed countries that have entered the post-industrial era, the education system is inevitably moving towards loosening up, in the name of "interest teaching" and "motivating teaching", allowing as many young people as possible to indulge in Let them have fun as much as possible and let them grow up to be consumers and be complacent with "small but certain happiness".

It is completely ridiculous to believe that liberal education can "stimulate children's creativity, make children's thinking more active, and make their learning more efficient." Laziness is human nature, let alone children who have no self-control. If the education provided by the school is very loose, then those who are motivated to study hard are often very rare. Most of them can only play and enjoy their youth. There is no thought of self-exploration at all.

However, even if the logic is so absurd, liberal education is not opposed by people, even the lower class. Because the looseness and comfort make everyone happy - it's very pleasing to children, and even parents are very happy. So as people cheered, education became more and more relaxed, and fewer and fewer people were able to move up the social ladder through education. Most people got lost in comfort and enjoyment during their teenage years, and then drowned in a lukewarm society. Of course, this may be a kind of happiness.

Japan is a good example of relaxed education. Since the end of the industrialization stage of the Showa era and the entry into the Heisei era, relaxed education has become more and more the mainstream voice in Japanese society. But what's interesting is that the more relaxed education is advocated in society, the more bureaucrats, politicians and wealthy people send their children to private and public elite schools known for their strict management, with the ultimate goal of entering a good university and receiving a very strict education.

Although it seems contradictory, it is not contradictory at all.

So, will the country in the 21st century become like that? Charles suddenly thought of such an interesting question.

Because when he traveled through time, the country was still in the process of rapid industrialization, and relaxed education had not yet become a reality.

But what about the future?

Maybe...

However, it is better than the United States where the powerful can send their children to Ivy League schools with just letters of recommendation, right? Charles smiled with a little self-mockery.

Of course, this does not mean that in the post-industrial education system, the upward space for children from the lower classes has been completely cut off. This is impossible. Even if it is just for the public relations effect and to allow people to dream, it is imperative for society to maintain a certain upward space. Relaxed education also leaves a way out for a small number of truly talented and self-controlled geniuses, allowing them to enter the elite group, but how many such people can there be?

What will happen if this trend continues?

"Great! Sir, this is the best news I have heard today! We should start doing it immediately! Before acquiring knowledge, people should first understand what obedience and morality are. No, it is better to say that people do not need to know everything at all. They only need to obey the order established by God and work and live under the leadership of the nobles. That's it!"

Probably we will return to such an era again.

Forget it, it's already this era, why bother so much.

Charles shrugged rather casually, and then walked back to the brightly lit Duke of Treville's Palace. (To be continued...)