Flowers, Swords and France

"How's it going, Ciel? I think you should be able to understand our thoughts." Seeing that Ciel still didn't express his position, the Navy Minister couldn't help himself, "This is not for our selfish interests, this is For the whole empire! Think about it, Lu The army needs some restraint after all, doesn't it? There are so many generals, all of them are arrogant. They have long been accustomed to doing things on their own. How many dynasties have been watched before the empire can truly become an empire? Civilized country!”

As he spoke, he patted Ciel on the shoulder again, eagerness and sincerity evident in his words.

"Don't worry, Your Excellency." Charles had calmed down at this time. He picked up the wine glass on the table that had just been filled by the Admiralty Minister, and then gently brought it to his mouth, "Actually, I also admit that what you said is true. It makes sense, but sometimes...we can't do things too hastily."

"More than just reasonable? There is nothing more reasonable! Emperor Napoleon was abandoned by the generals in the end. What about these generals? They are still high-ranking officials and well-paid. Who knows whether others will do the same in the future?" Minister Yang He raised his hand as if he was making a speech, "For the future of the empire, I We must do this! Moreover, you are the best person to do this. You have won the trust of His Majesty. Your grandfather is a field marshal and now has high prestige in the army. Only you can do this. It left everyone speechless...Don't you think this is just in line with His Majesty's wishes?"

This is not a pure compliment. Judging from Ciel's status and current situation, if he offers support, then even if anyone has objections, it will be difficult to prevent the navy's plan from being realized.

And the last question also makes sense.

Since coming to power, although he has been trying to win over the generals of the army to serve him, Emperor Louis Bonaparte has also spared no effort in trying to strengthen his control over the army. He recruited elites from various troops, rebuilt the Guards, and gave these soldiers the most generous treatment to control a trusted force. At the same time, he has been trying to promote and re-employ some young officers, hoping to use this ways to increase your control.

Therefore, he would and would have liked the increased independence of the Navy - as long as it proved to be absolutely loyal to himself and the Imperial Family.

In other words, Ciel's support would be viewed as a sign of loyalty without risking offending His Majesty the Emperor.

After thinking about it, Charles found that the risk he had to take was not big, but what he got was much more unexpected, and he could get a big favor within the navy.

In this case, why not do it?

"I hope this will not cause confrontation between the army and the navy." After a long silence, Ciel finally laughed again. "No matter what, we must maintain unity and not affect the combat effectiveness of the imperial army."

"So I'm just saying, Charles, this has to be done by you!" His Excellency the Lord Admiral breathed a sigh of relief, obviously very happy that Charles finally agreed. "As long as this is done as soon as possible, everyone will calm down soon, and no one will do bad things just to make you and His Majesty unhappy - and you are the best person to do this."

"I'm glad you think so highly of me." Ciel finally nodded and picked up the wine glass.

"Cheers!" The minister also picked up the wine glass from the side and clinked it with Charles, then turned to look at the musician behind him, twirled his fingers and snapped his fingers. "Play the victory song!"

Amid the melodious music and the warm sea breeze, the two ministers finished their lunch happily.

After Charles returned to the shore, he didn't waste any more time. He left Toulon with his entourage, and then took a train to the port of Marseille, and it was already evening.

The Port of Marseille is the largest port in the south and one of the largest commercial ports in France. Every year, a large number of merchant ships pass through here to various ports along the Mediterranean coast, connecting this country with the rest of the world. Compared to Toulon, which is a military port, it certainly has a more prosperous atmosphere. Even though the empire has entered a state of war, it still looks prosperous and messy, and there is no trace of the tense atmosphere during wartime.

However, His Excellency Minister Treville had no intention of enjoying himself here. As soon as he stepped off the train, he was surrounded by a group of officials and soldiers, and then rushed to the hotel where he was scheduled to stay.

Unlike before at the Port of Toulon, the people who greeted him were all people headed by him, including his distant relative and the main partner in the Port of Marseille, Count Henry de Latouche Treville, and a group of businessmen. Businessmen in the shipping industry, and among them, there is a group of even more special people, that is, several of the most trusted people around Minister Treville - his two relatives, cousin Philip, and his sister Ms. de Treville.

This place was completely Ciel's home ground, and everyone treated him with respect wherever he went. Ciel was in a very good mood because of his conversation with His Excellency the Lord Admiralty Minister today, and rarely greeted almost everyone.

"Sir." At this moment, Fran walked carefully to Ciel's side. "Grandpa...how is he?"

"Marshal Treville is fine now." Charles replied in a very official tone. "Under my watch, he embarked on the expedition without any fatigue. It seems that he is in good condition. We predict Wish him all the best."

Under Ciel's implicit reminder, Fran also knew that she was not dignified because she cared too much about her grandfather, so she immediately changed her mind, "Really? That's great, we sincerely hope that Marshal Treville can win as soon as possible." Return."

"Just hoping is not enough." Charles smiled again, happy that she could react so quickly, "We have to do this for him."

"I will do my best for this." Fran replied excitedly.

Charles smiled and turned his gaze to look at Phillip.

"I will do my best." Philip quickly straightened his back and made a promise.

Under Charles's arrangement, she recently left other affairs behind to assist her cousin Philip in supervising the domestic military production. Philip knew that he was only brought here by his brother-in-law to make signs, and the person who really trusted and valued him the most was His biological sister, although she was worried about this in her heart There was some resentment, but he didn't dare to go against Ciel's will, so he had to swallow his anger and become a puppet who was manipulated by others. Fortunately, Fran was modest and did not disrespect him because of it, so he was finally able to endure it and took Ciel with him. The high salary I offered is for my cousin to serve as a servant.

After the previous setbacks, he has learned his lesson and knows that this world does not tolerate people being arrogant and going their own way. Although the arrogance in his bones is still there, he already knows how to make compromises with the world, especially knowing that the most important thing for his future is to please his patrons, so even if he is Ciel could occasionally be scolded as a subordinate and manipulated as a puppet, but he could tolerate it.

Of course, he still wants to perform better and win his brother-in-law's trust so that he can take on more important tasks in the future - and get more rewards at the same time.

After greeting several relatives, Ciel did not waste time, summoned all the people present, and then began to lecture.

"Everyone, I just came from Toulon today and witnessed with my own eyes the imperial army taking a boat and heading to the front line thousands of miles away." Because he has been accustomed to lecturing his subordinates for many years, Charles is already familiar with it, and his tone is both gentle and full of confidence. With undoubted courage, "You may think that fighting is a matter for the army. Just throw a group of young people in blue clothes and red trousers into that damn battlefield. They will fight for us." After doing everything... But I want to tell you, this is a completely wrong idea. Times have changed. Nowadays, big countries have almost inexhaustible national power, so it is impossible to lose one or two battles with a loss of troops. Just choose to kneel down and surrender, and the great powers will fight until they can no longer fight! Therefore, our war with the Russians will be a war for the whole people. This is not just a matter of the army, and there is no distinction between the front line and the rear! "

People were sitting or standing, respectfully watching the minister's lecture, but most people didn't take it to heart. Most of the lectures given by government officials were like this. They were already used to it and didn't take it seriously. They just pretended. As if enlightened and enlightened.

However, Fran listened very carefully and kept looking at her brother, as if she wanted to remember every word of this seemingly boring lecture.

"I can tell you that the troops we sent out today are just the advance troops, and they are only an insignificant part. In the future, in order to knock down the Russians and make them bow their knees to the empire, we will continue to mobilize troops, and eventually we will There is an army of more than 100,000 people there , their military supplies, there is no doubt that we cannot meet them in Turkey. We must use up our domestic strength to produce enough military supplies for them, especially arms so that they can continue to fight, and then use these military supplies Transport goods to the front line - this places extremely high demands on us in the rear Begging. There is also no doubt that compared to the warriors on the front line, we in the rear are lucky. We don’t have to face artillery fire, and we don’t have to worry about being taken away by death. But because In this way, we should serve the front line with full enthusiasm and repay those who protect us. Our young people, everyone, I ask you to bear in mind your responsibilities and obligations. The empire needs each of us to serve! Therefore, as I have repeatedly emphasized before, what I attach most importance to is the supply and transportation of military supplies. , this is the responsibility entrusted to me by the empire, and I will do my best for this!"

After Charles said his last words, the people present understood and quickly raised their hands to applaud. The sound of applause was endless, but not many people may have listened to it, but it didn't matter to Charles, his lecture was the most important. The important thing is to show authority and inform everyone of the minister's thoughts. If you want to force these people to serve the empire and serve him, you can't just rely on words.

"I believe many people already know this gentleman, right?" After the applause gradually subsided, Charles raised his hand and pointed at his cousin Philip, "This is my cousin, of course more important Yes, he is a staff member of my ministry, and he is now responsible for supervising the munitions operations in the rear. You must cooperate well with him so that the munitions can be transported to the front line smoothly - otherwise, I will have to follow the empire's instructions Please remember that the government has given me the power to punish everyone responsible.”

"Please cooperate with me." When people were staring at him, Philip hurriedly spoke, "I will resolutely carry out the orders of your Excellency the Minister. If anyone delays my work, then I will deal with it mercilessly." Report it to the government and there will be laws to hold everyone responsible accountable. Please keep this in mind!”

Compared with the gentle Charles, the habitually domineering Philip is a bit more frightening. When he speaks, people can finally intuitively feel the pressure of the imperial government.

Compared with the previous government, this imperial government really dared to exile political prisoners on a large scale and even dared to kill political opponents. The empire can do almost anything when it is ruthless.

"So far, the government has built many warehouses near Marseille. These warehouses have been classified into categories and are dedicated to storing various forms of munitions and arms." Regarding specific business issues, Philip was not very clear. At this time, Fran, as one of the main handlers, personally stood up and dealt with these ships. The shipper began to explain, "In order to improve the efficiency of transportation, the government hopes that each shipping company will be responsible for the transportation of a military supply, and then use a dedicated terminal for shipment. For specific arrangements, you can refer to the current preliminary draft. If you have any comments, please put them forward as soon as possible so that we can make changes immediately.”

While she was talking, manuscripts that had been prepared in advance were also delivered to these businessmen. These manuscripts were on exquisite paper, and they all used the standard font of official documents. They were clear but not fancy, and they also had a freshness to them. of ink scent.

In the eyes of the businessmen, the arrangement of the manuscript is very detailed. It seems that it has been specially investigated and researched. The specific shipping volume corresponds to the transportation capacity of each enterprise. Even the use arrangements of the docks are very reasonable. It is simply inappropriate. Like a job a so-so bureaucracy could do.

After the initial shock, they all felt relieved. After all, if the government made random arrangements, it would cause them great losses.

Because the arrangement was already very complete, they had very few opinions to offer. Apart from some minor details that needed to be adjusted, they actually didn’t have much to say. Soon, they assisted the government in finalizing the draft and will It has continued as a wartime transportation system.

Until the end, they assured the imperial government that they would do their best to complete the government's arrangements and would never slacken off.

"To be honest with you, my cousins ​​called me here today, mainly so that I can meet you, but in fact, they also want me to be a witness to see the commitments you have made to the government." After they reached an agreement, Charles also solemnly declared to them, "The government is trustworthy, and the money it promised to give you will be paid without any hesitation." It will be given to you without delay; but it also has the right to ask others to keep their promises to it, so when I have free time, I will also conduct similar inspections. Once I find out who has violated their promises and affected military supplies, So I'm sorry, I will do my best to punish him, please understand the responsibility you shoulder!"

The applause rang out again, but this time it was much sparser. A threat coming from an imperial minister, and a minister deeply trusted by His Majesty the Emperor, would not make people feel at ease.

After being briefed face-to-face and threatening them harshly, Charles no longer had any intention of keeping these businessmen in trouble. He let them leave, while several of his cronies stayed.

Read the original text in Liu#9@书/吧!

"You did a great job, and you can see that you put a lot of effort into it." Charles praised his cousin and sister.

"This is all her credit. I...I just helped a little." Philip knew that he didn't do much work, so he quickly praised his cousin, "Fulan is so amazing. She is so young at such a young age. Good job. Fortunately, she was helping, otherwise we wouldn’t have finished it so quickly. ”

"Fortunately, Henry helped. He has stayed in Marseille for so long and is familiar with the situation and has a good understanding of shipping. Otherwise, we would not have been able to come up with a plan so quickly." Fran was very happy to be praised by her brother. She smiled. Narrowing his eyes, he explained softly to the other party.

"Henry, you have really helped me a lot." Charles nodded calmly to his distant relative, "I will reward you. The Navy has a very good relationship with me now. I think if I operate it, I can make you feel like a fish in water inside..."

Next, he relayed to Henry what the Lord Admiralty had said in private talks with him today.

"Oh!" Henry was immediately surprised and delighted upon hearing such important news, because he knew what it would mean when Charles told him.

"Henry, you are familiar with maritime affairs and an insider of the navy, and you know so many people. You have to handle this matter. The Lord of the Navy is very clear. He wants us to help them build the navy. I don't think there's anything wrong with it." As Henry expected, Charles immediately told the other party the reward. "You go ahead and select some people and let them serve us. The prerequisite is that they must be loyal and know how to serve us..."

"As long as you say a word, I can find hundreds of good men in Marseille to serve you, Your Excellency!" In surprise, Henry immediately made a promise to Charles. "They will do your bidding!"

"We won't need that many for the time being." Ciel smiled and then shrugged.

Until the night was dark, Henry still didn't come out of the surprise. He was already thinking about the future.

There is no doubt that he is a subordinate of the Minister and a pawn of the Treville family, but with this opportunity, he can slowly build his influence and become a prince, and by that time, he feels that he will Shine on the lintel and become the most accomplished person in his family for several generations.

While he was still intoxicated by it, a gust of fragrant wind suddenly reached his nose. He raised his head and was surprised to find Miss Treville standing in front of him, seeming to be looking at him with interest.

"Miss..." He straightened up in panic, and then immediately nodded to the other party, "What do you want from me?"

"We are really troubling you, sir." Fran chuckled and apologized to Henry. There seemed to be nothing wrong with her words, but her tone was a little subtle, as if she meant something. "I'm here to thank you."

The young Count Henri de Latouche Treville shuddered, as if he had been electrocuted, and finally regained his composure from the panic. "It's not troublesome at all. Really, it's my unparalleled honor to be able to serve you, miss."

Although after not seeing each other for a long time, the young lady became more and more stunningly beautiful, but Henry, unlike others, no longer had any wild thoughts about this already famous Beijing beauty. On the contrary, he had some Afraid of the other person.

He saw with his own eyes that this distant relative shot down a young man with a gun without mercy. She held the gun in her hand and was so calm that she was almost indifferent. The young man next to her was lying in a pool of blood. The shocking scene still stayed in his mind and was unforgettable for a long time.

He believed that if one day he offended this young lady, she might let the God of Death take him away with a more indifferent attitude. In order to prevent this worry from becoming a reality, he could only be more submissive to his family in the capital. At the same time, he tried every means to please this young lady. He felt that compared to the Minister, this seemingly gentle and considerate young lady seemed to be more deadly, and he had to be more careful in dealing with her.

So before, he assisted her work with unprecedented enthusiasm, and brought a group of local experts to cooperate with her to make this rear transportation plan, which also made him a contribution.

"It seems that you...have some misunderstandings about me." Seeing the other party's frightened look, Fran couldn't help but smile bitterly, "Actually, there are some things that we'd better forget."

"I have forgotten it, I promise you!" Henry replied quickly and diligently, "I have also taken care of the people who are handling the matter, and there will never be any news about it."

"You haven't forgotten it yet?" Fran couldn't help but chuckle.

This smile was so cute, but it made Henry shudder. Just when he was about to apologize, Fran became serious again.

"Well, it doesn't matter whether you remember it or not. I just want you to remember where your glory and wealth come from." She became as indifferent as that day again, "We can take back what we can give you."

When she saw the other person's so pretentious look, she felt that she needed to give this distant relative a few blows to prevent him from being overconfident and doing stupid things. It was not convenient for her brother to do this kind of thing, so of course she should take the initiative to do it.

"I completely understand, miss, please rest assured, I am extremely loyal to your Excellency the Minister!" Henry replied hurriedly. "I will do his bidding absolutely wherever I am."

"I hope so." Fran nodded and finally walked away.

She doesn't really believe in promises, but she does believe that fear can sometimes be a good thing.