Flowers, Swords and France

When Charles left Laura's side, it was already evening, and the sky had become dark. However, under the bright candlelight, Baron de Beauvin was still crouching at the desk in the study, continuing his day. Work.

Even people who have rarely met him can tell that he is much older than before. Although he is still fat, there are more wrinkles on his face and some white hair can be seen on his temples. ; His eyes are still bright and powerful, but the hand holding the pen is no longer as steady as before.

At his age, his energy will inevitably decline, and he had to start thinking about retirement. But now that his children are no longer around and unable to assist his father, he is more hands-on than before, which also consumes a lot of money. His energy.

Although there is a beautiful garden in the mansion outside, with flowers in full bloom now, dazzling in the breath of spring, the windows of the study have been heavily curtained, and no greenery can be seen. In the complete silence, the Baron is concentrating on Doing his own business, it seems that only in this small space can he find the comfort and support of his life.

At this moment, there was a gentle knock on the door.

"Come in," said the Baron without raising his head.

Ciel opened the door and walked in with his daughter in his arms.

"How was your time with Laura?" The Baron signed a document, then threw it aside, and then raised his head to look at Charles. "Are you happy?"

"Still...happy." This question from a father made Charles a little embarrassed, but he walked up to him calmly on the surface, and then handed Lianna over.

Liana had already woken up, but because she had just been satisfied with her mother's gift, she was in a very good mood now. She didn't even cry when she was held by the unfamiliar Charles. When she saw the Baron When she was talking, she suddenly laughed and waved to the baron.

"This little thing is so smart!" The Baron exclaimed, then hugged Liana directly, leaned down and rubbed Liana's face with his, making her giggle.

Even a tiger softens up sometimes.

Looking at this increasingly older face and the smile on it, Ciel felt quite sad.

"Laura didn't say anything strange, did she?" After playing with his granddaughter for a while, the baron finally raised his head and asked Charles. "She must want to encourage you to be her helper, right?"

That's right, I was just discussing with your daughter how to deal with you... Of course Ciel wouldn't say that.

"No, we just chatted and teased our daughter together." Charles said casually.

"So you just climbed into bed to vent?" The Baron frowned, looking a little unconvinced, "And then it took you so long?"

"My skills are pretty good." Charles replied immediately.

This almost boastful answer made the Baron look at him in amazement, as if he wanted to see a little bit of shame on Charles's face. However, his attempt failed. Charles was not ashamed at all, and was unfazed. Looking at him busily.

"Hey, what a technical expert." The Baron couldn't help but sneered.

He understood that this must be just an excuse from the other party, but since Ciel refused to tell, he had no way to press him.

Besides, he also believed that the other party was a rational and greedy person, and there was never a shortage of beauties around him, so he would definitely not be smitten with Laura just for a few words and use her as a gun.

"Okay, it's up to you." He shook his head and gave up asking, "Anyway, I ask you to figure out what is best for you, and you should also understand what is best for your daughter. Now we have no reason to be hostile at all. Isn’t it?”

"I think so too. Please rest assured, you are my respected senior and solid ally." Ciel also made the same assurance. “Even if it’s for Lianna, I will make your career flourish.”

"Just understand." The baron smiled and continued to tease his granddaughter, as if he was finding a way to entertain himself.

"Then let's get down to business. Have you settled all the businessmen around you now?"

"Well, now they have been forced to surrender. Their petition has been written, and I can guarantee that they will act in accordance with their promise." Charles took out a few pages from his coat pocket and handed it to Gave it to the other party.

This is exactly the trophy that Fran got when she met with those businessmen last time - they have all signed the declaration and agreement drafted by Charles, and are ready to follow the lead of Baron de Beauvain in order to use his funds to spend their time. The cold winter is bound to come next.

The Baron put Lianna aside, who had closed her eyes and started to sleep under his caress, then took it over and scanned the specific contents of the agreement, and then saw the long row of signatures.

With a professional attitude, he carefully examined every word of the agreement, assessed the value of these words, and speculated whether there were loopholes in it. The original kindness and decadence were gone, leaving only an almost indifferent feeling. calm. After a while, he put down the manuscript with great satisfaction.

"What a great job, now they can't escape from our hands!" He laughed with joy, quite proud of his another great success, "As long as you borrow my money for the first time , I must tie them to the golden pillar!"

"If the situation goes wrong, they can beg me to terminate this agreement." Although he didn't want to pour cold water on his enthusiasm, Charles still reminded the other party in a serious manner. "If I have to, I can find a helper other than you for them..."

Although the cooperation between the two parties is very close, he must make his position clear so as not to appear that he is only serving him.

"Of course I know this, but since I don't plan to break the contract, why do I need to worry about you resolving the agreement?" The Baron's interest did not diminish, but he glanced at him with a sneer, "It's you, you have to worry about yourself."

"Huh?" Charles was a little confused.

"What? Don't you understand?" The Baron continued to sneer, "Do you really think of yourself as a natural minister? They fear you and obey you because you are the minister and you have the power of life and death over them. But what if one day you are no longer there? Why do they have to continue to obey your words? Why do they have to go through fire and water for you? This agreement was signed in the name of your Excellency, so if the new Minister does not recognize this agreement, what will happen to the two of us? It’s all empty talk!”

The baron's words made Charles think deeply.

He does have a point.

In the past few years, he thought that his official career was prosperous, and everyone was afraid of flattering him, so he himself couldn't help but feel a little elated, and he really felt like "this power was born for me to use."

However, this is not a completely reliable power after all. Not to mention incidents such as revolutionary riots, the cabinet minister itself is a position that will be replaced. Even if he has won the trust and importance of His Majesty the Emperor now, he dare not say how many years later he will be I will definitely still be in this position.

And if he is dismissed or transferred, the reservation clause he left in this agreement will fall into the hands of his successor, which will become an obstacle to him realizing his plan.

This is something we really have to guard against.

"At least I can guarantee that I will continue to hold the position of minister in the past few years, and no one can easily replace me. This time is enough for me to use this power appropriately, and you can also use it during this time. Establish a solid position. Besides, I will make corresponding arrangements." After pondering for a long time, he replied, "I will cultivate my cronies in the ministry and let them take over the affairs of the ministry. In this case, only I can easily drive it. With this machine, no matter who else comes, it will be eliminated..."

"You can cultivate confidants, but others can't? Could it be that you are a minister and others are not?" Baron shook his head, "Charles, this method is not a safe method. If someone else really succeeds you, even if he has to be replaced for a while, It’s at the mercy of the cronies you cultivated, but over time, won’t they gain experience on their own? Don’t forget, the power is in their hands!”

"Then what do you think we should do?" Charles thought he was right, so he asked.

"So you shouldn't have put all this power in the hands of the government in the first place!" The baron made a gesture to show that he had thought deeply about this issue. "You have achieved success at a young age, have a transcendent status, and like to surround yourself with power. This is okay, but... you are too enthusiastic about this. You regard yourself as the empire itself, but this is wrong. The empire belongs to the Bonaparte family, not the special one. From the Revell family! If he can temporarily give power to Treville, he can find a way to take it back! So you should hide the power somewhere else, where he can’t take it away!”

"What do you mean?" Charles became interested.

"Aren't you already halfway done? You established the Railway Federation and took control of the loan review. Then you can combine these two things into one and let the Federation take control of the loan. , and then you can withhold all the profits of these industrialists in the name of paying off the loans, and let the federation be responsible for reviewing their Accounts... After this, you have transferred all the power to the federation. It makes no difference to you. When you are here, you can manipulate these people as you like. To you, this is just a matter of turning from left hand to right hand. , but it’s different for other people. When the time comes, the new minister will not be able to hold the money in his hands, and no one can control him! "

Charlotte understood immediately.

The baron was actually suggesting that he ostensibly delegate power, further elevate the status of the Railway Federation, a private industry organization, and then use indirect control to direct his businessmen. As long as he can control this organization, even if he is replaced by a new minister, it will be extremely difficult for that minister to abrogate the agreement between the two people.

During this period, he can rely on money to build barriers that will make it difficult for other competitors to catch up. Unless the Treville family is completely defeated, he can continue to receive a steady stream of financial resources and resources as he did when he was in office. Countless supporters.

Although in the final analysis, the Baron was still doing it for himself so that he could sit back and enjoy the benefits of the monopoly without any worries, his idea made Charles quite grateful - because it really worked for him.

"You are really experienced." Charles couldn't help but smile with admiration.

"I have been dealing with money all my life, so I am certainly better at it than you." Seeing Charles being so sensible, the Baron also laughed.

"This is a good idea, I will implement it as soon as possible... However, if you want to get active cooperation from below, I have to spend some time with you." Charles pondered, "I have considered before, in order to compensate for the losses they will face in the next wave, apply to His Majesty for some compensation measures..."

The original text is available at Liu # 9 @Shu/Bar!

"Yes, that's it! You help others to ask for benefits, and they will be grateful to you, then everything will be easy to say." The Baron nodded. "You are a smart person, as long as you can see the problem, you can think of a solution, so let go and do it. By the way..."

As if he had thought of something, he frowned, "That Miss de-Leoran, you trust her very much, right?"

"I trust her very much." Charles replied, "Basically, she will obey my orders."

The Baron still frowned.

"Why, are you not satisfied with her?" Charles asked.

"I can't say I'm dissatisfied. She did a good job, but it's still not good enough. I can see that she's trying hard to please you..." The baron glanced at Charles and pointed out something. "Yes, she is a warm-hearted person, but sometimes she's too warm-hearted, so she can't act in a seemingly neutral position... and she doesn't have much prestige. Although you've been lending her prestige, it's still not enough."

"What do you mean specifically?" Charles still didn't quite understand.

"Everyone says you love her very much, but that's why people don't believe her." The baron deliberately ignored Charles's embarrassed expression, "People think you're a playboy, and you don't know if she'll fall out of favor one day and be kicked out by you, so they always keep some reservations about her."

Charles was indeed a little embarrassed.

He wouldn't kick Mary out, but how could he promise this to others? Even if he promised, no one would believe it.

"Then how do you think we should solve this problem?" Charles asked back, "How about... let Laura come back?"

"Don't tell me that! Impossible!" Charles's attempt was rejected by the baron almost a second later, "My suggestion is very simple, put two "neutral factions" who listen to you into the Federation to play your role, people who have a little prestige and obey you, and then let someone who can undoubtedly represent you to lead the overall situation. Since you plan to raise it, you must first ensure that it can only obey you, right?"

"..." Charles figured it out.

Someone who can undoubtedly represent me?

That can only be that one person.

"If I let my sister be the representative, would you object?" Charles asked tentatively.

In fact, he had this idea a long time ago, but he never mentioned it because he was concerned about the baron-after all, his sister was also one of Laura's accomplices in killing Morris.

"Although you don't have a brother, your wife does, right?" The baron seemed to have some reservations. "Your sister seems to be very young."

"I trust my sister more than them." Charles answered without hesitation, "Although she is a little younger, she is much smarter than my cousin, and she has done a lot of things for me, very helpful, not to mention... she is loyal to me and has absolutely no other thoughts."

"Come on, don't use the word "absolutely" indiscriminately! Because it will make you dizzy." The baron couldn't help but refute him, "Where is there absolute in the world? Are parents and brothers necessarily reliable? Don't forget that my daughter killed her brother. God knows if she got any encouragement from it."

"She will never do that." Charles interrupted the other party firmly, "I won't blame you for not knowing her, but I won't taint this loyalty with unfounded suspicion. You don't know how eager she is to serve me..."

His tone changed subtly, so that the baron looked at him in confusion, wondering why he suddenly became so emotional.

After the two looked at each other for a while, the baron finally sighed.

"Well, since you believe so much, let's do it. I hope everything goes well..."

"Thank you, sir." Charles bowed slightly to him, "We will never let you down. She will be a loyal and smart executor, and she has a good relationship with Mary. Mary will do her best to assist her. With them, although there will be some omissions at the beginning, as experience accumulates, after a period of time, I think even if the two of us don't show up, they can still preside over the overall situation on the surface... In this way, we can rest assured."

"I have met your sister several times." The baron suddenly said.

"Hmm?" Charles looked at him strangely.

"Your expression just now was a little strange. I have dealt with too many people, so I don't know what this look might mean." The baron raised his head and stared at Charles, looking at his face, with a very strange expression.

After a long time, when Charles felt a little uncomfortable, he spoke again.

"Charles, tell me honestly, you don't have any improper thoughts about your sister, do you?"

Charles hesitated, not knowing how to phrase it.

He wanted to deny it, but under the Baron's gaze, he felt that it was a waste of effort.

His hesitation, to the Baron, already meant a lot.

"Scared? What did I see? A new Caesar Borgia?" The Baron blurted out, then stood up and stared at Charles. "Hey, is it true that you only have ** in your mind?" (~^~)