Flowers, Swords and France

According to the approval of the commanders of the two countries, the fleets of Britain and France formed a mobile squadron and launched an artillery attack on the port of Odessa. After a fierce bombardment, they suppressed the artillery at the port without much effort. Then, under the leadership of Eugene, the joint fleet sailed into the port of Odessa. A large amount of artillery fire was poured into the port without mercy, turning the prosperous port of Odessa into a fire scene. It was not until nightfall that the joint fleet left a large area of ​​ruins and left.

In this bombardment, the British and French navies once again demonstrated their unquestionable hegemony at sea and put all cities on the Russian coastline under the threat of bombardment.

However, it was not all good news for them. During the reconnaissance of this artillery bombardment, the joint fleet found that there were indeed a large number of Russian soldiers stationed near Odessa. They used coastal defense artillery and field artillery to fight back continuously without stopping.

In other words, the Tsar and his advisers were indeed very aware of the importance of Odessa and strengthened the defense of this area.

When they returned, this information was passed to the desks of the two commanders. Although it was not beyond their expectations, it still made them feel a little disappointed.

In this case, they could only act according to another plan. After the two commanders discussed again, they issued an order to the entire army - the coalition forces will seek to land in Varna Port in Bulgaria, and then go north to meet the Russian army that has entered Romania. If the Russian army retreats before the battle, then they will directly land in Crimea to defend their largest military port and fortress Sevastopol on the Black Sea, forcing the Russian army to fight a decisive battle with the coalition forces.

As the top of the coalition reached a consensus, the huge military machine began to operate in an orderly manner. The officers and soldiers of the army and navy of the two armies were in high spirits, determined to defeat the enemy and dedicate victory to the country and the king.

When the front line was caught in the midst of a fierce battle, the rear of the two countries was also engaged in a fierce battle. Although this battle seemed to be without gunpowder and blood, its intensity and consequences were no less than a large-scale battle on the front battlefield.

At this time, a battle was unfolding in the Royal Hall of the Tuileries Palace. This hall was luxuriously furnished and heavily guarded. The guards of the palace stood straight outside the door, not allowing any irrelevant people to approach here, and no one could take any news out of here.

In the center of the hall, His Majesty Emperor Napoleon III sat on the throne, and beside the conference table in front of him, a large group of imperial ministers and financial giants gathered together. This small group of people controlled the political economy and military diplomacy of the entire empire. They themselves were the heart and brain of this empire.

Among the government officials, the Imperial Finance Minister Jean-Martial-Binot occupied the front row. He was the son of an old soldier in the imperial era. In his early years, he became an engineer and began to vigorously advocate the development of industry and the construction of a railway network covering the whole country in imitation of Britain. Then he devoted himself to political life and served as a member of parliament during the July Monarchy.

After the February Revolution, Louis Bonaparte began to emerge, and he saw the political potential of the nephew of Emperor Napoleon, so he had long been under his command as a pawn, and strongly supported the restoration activities of the Bonapartists.

Because of his strong support for the restoration activities, and also because of his ideological consistency with His Majesty the Emperor, he also rose step by step in the imperial court, and after the great financier and the first Minister of Finance of the Empire, Mr. Fuld, left office, he succeeded the position of Minister of Finance and became a prominent courtier.

Being so proud in middle age, the Minister is usually in high spirits, but today he frowned and looked uneasy, as if he had encountered some huge problems.

Beside him, there were also some important officials of the empire, including Charles, the Minister of Transportation.

On the other side of these ministers were some of the most prestigious and powerful people in the financial world, including former Finance Minister Fuld, the financial giant and big banker Baron de Bovan, and Baron James de Rothschild, the head of the Rothschild family's Paris branch. Most of these people were directors of the Bank of France, and each of them was a big shot in the financial world, controlling the money pulse of the entire country.

Sitting in the front of these people was the current president of the Bank of France, His Excellency Count Argo.

Count Argo, who was over 70 years old, was a tall and thin old man. According to his usual habit, he was dressed very conservatively and formally today, with a red ribbon on his chest and two graying beards, looking old and elegant.

This old man was appointed President of the Bank of France by His Majesty King Louis-Philippe I in 1836. Now seventeen years have passed. During these years, various terrible accidents have occurred one after another, a dynasty and a republic have fallen, and the government cabinet has been replaced more than a dozen times. However, he has remained unmoved and has steered the giant ship of the Bank of France through the storm with a calm demeanor.

Relying on the superior position of the Bank of France, he basically completed the bank's control of other local financial institutions, expanded the issuance of bank notes, and even reached out to the political world - because of him, he secretly borrowed several funds. With tens of millions of francs, His Majesty the Emperor was able to organize his own forces so quickly and launch a coup to rebuild the empire.

The group of people surrounding this conference table are the rulers of the empire.

Normally, when they gather in the palace, it is a grand banquet. They are dressed in rich clothes, chatting and laughing, enjoying all the glory that the empire has brought to them. However, today the situation is very different. Everyone has a serious face. It is obvious that they They are all facing serious situations.

"At present, although the panic atmosphere on the exchange has eased, it is still continuing..." Your Excellency the Chancellor of Finance said calmly, "All kinds of bonds, including the originally highly sought-after indefinite bonds, are facing varying degrees of decline. "The sales of newly issued bonds are also quite disturbing. The government has tried to restore the confidence of investors, but the current results are still a bit regrettable."

Having said this, he paused, then raised his head and glanced at the financiers opposite.

"We have done everything we can to save the market. It is precisely because we invested a lot of money to support the market that these bonds did not suffer a panic collapse." Baron Rothschild spoke, trying to make it clear in front of His Majesty the Emperor. "But I think that in such an uneasy situation, investors will definitely have reservations. We simply cannot fill the market with confidence right away - unless we win a big victory right away."

As soon as he finished speaking, people's attention focused on the Minister of War, Marshal Saint-Arnaud. Being stared at by everyone in the royal meeting was unbearable even for this resolute soldier who had experienced hundreds of battles. He frowned slightly. He frowned and then answered with a helpless tone.

"We extremely hope to defeat the enemy as soon as possible, but it takes time to transport troops, it takes time to prepare, and it takes time to defeat the Russians... None of this can be accomplished overnight. Our officers and soldiers have worked hard enough. They have already Well done," Marshal Saint-Arnaud said. Taoist wars are never 100% winnable, but he had to bite the bullet and make a promise, "However, although the situation is still a bit unclear now, I think we will be able to have a clear outline within two or three months, because "We have a very well-equipped army and we have British help, and we are confident about it."

"Two months is a century for the market. Your Excellency, the panic in the market needs to be alleviated as soon as possible." Mr. Fuld, the former finance minister, said displeasedly. "Besides, if the Russians are more serious than you expected, Is it difficult to defeat? Maybe the war will be protracted and the price we pay will be higher than expected today. The market will definitely be more pessimistic by then, and maybe the government's credit will be on the verge of bankruptcy!"

As a prudent economic expert, he has always had reservations about this war. He believes that such a war is too far from home, and the enemy is a powerful European country. Even if it is a powerful European country, it will overwhelm the national finances, so he is so unwilling. Politely questioning the Minister of War - this was originally a secret accusation against His Majesty the Emperor.

Fuld's words aroused whispers from people on his side. Apparently many people secretly agreed with him and believed that the war was futile.

"Marshal Saint-Arnaud has been in the army for many years. I think we can trust his professional judgment. Moreover, the current situation is not his responsibility alone. He has tried his best." Charles spoke to relieve the Minister of War, and then postponed the topic. He came back, "What the empire needs now is unreserved determination to solve the problem in one fell swoop before it becomes the most serious, and to use decisive measures to boost market confidence!"

"Your words may seem nice, but they won't help." Fuld was obviously still a little angry and asked Charles almost sarcastically, "Then what decisive measures do you think we should take? Send troops to attack the exchange. , ordering investors not to sell?”

"I support this if necessary." Charles did not give in. "Sometimes we need some coercive measures, of course not necessarily with guns, but a short market break may be a desirable option..."

"You are used to carrying out coups..." Fuld couldn't help laughing in anger. “You can’t maintain the market with just swords and guns!”

"I think this is a solution." Just as the two men were arguing, Baron de Beauvain suddenly expressed his support for Charles, "If the market is extremely volatile at some point, we should close the market directly and not allow panic. spread, such mandatory measures may be necessary.”

"Isn't this tantamount to deceiving oneself and others? What problem can it solve? The market will probably be even more uneasy." Seeing that someone on his side actually supported this motion, Fuld became even more dissatisfied.

"Of course, this cannot solve the fundamental problem, but it can create time for us to solve the problem." Baron de Beauvain replied calmly, "Since the war has broken out, there is no hope of resolution in a short time. , then we should face the reality and discuss how to deal with this reality. There is no point in blaming and complaining, sir.”

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"Mandatory measures may indeed be necessary." The Chancellor of the Exchequer agreed with the Baron's opinion. "At certain times, such as when several important bonds and stocks fall sharply, I think we should close the market."

There was a silence, and no one objected. So, this sudden motion that seemed like a joke was already regarded as a resolution.

"I am very much looking forward to your solution." After reluctantly agreeing, Fuld retorted to Baron de Bovan.

"Obviously, I am not God, and I don't have a magic formula that can suddenly and dramatically solve all problems." The Baron was still calm, and there was no joy or anger. "But I think one of the main problems we face is credit shrinkage, because the current war with the Russians makes people uneasy, so investors choose to wait and see, and the financial situation of enterprises will naturally deteriorate. In this case, we must expand credit, increase credit injection, and make the market active again."

His words touched almost everyone present, and even the ministers who had no economic common sense would naturally feel that this positive attitude was just what they wanted.

"If all conditions are met, I think your suggestion is very good." Another participant asked in confusion. "But where does the money come from? This probably requires a lot of money, and now... I'm afraid it's difficult for us to come up with so much money."

"So we have to stop the outflow of gold and silver and create better market conditions." Baron de Bovan raised his head and looked at Count Argo, who had been silent and calm, with a slightly challenging look. "In addition, the Bank of France must lend money to support the market."

In this era, French financiers with huge wealth are becoming investors in the whole of Europe. Not only do they provide more and more capital support for those companies in the country to help the country carry out a brand new industrial revolution, but foreign companies are also absorbing more and more French capital at this time. French financiers have made large investments in Spain, Italy, Austria and Germany. The phenomenon of gold and silver outflow is of course everywhere.

If you want to curb it, I'm afraid it can only be done through the Bank of France.

As he spoke, Count Argo, who was as silent as a statue, suddenly became the focus of attention. Everyone understood that this was probably the ambitious baron challenging the authority of the president.

Under the baron's aggressive gaze, the count's expression finally showed a little bit of relaxation.

"I am not opposed to restricting the outflow of gold and silver and stabilizing the anxiety in the market, but in the current situation, it is not wise to blindly expand the credit supply. Now many companies are in bad condition. If we leave it alone, it may bring about a large area of ​​bad debts and finally drag down our banking system. I think we should shrink fiscal spending now, and the government should also cut spending other than military spending. Only in this way can we fundamentally stabilize the market. I think stability is the premise of everything."

"I think Count Argu is right. The most important thing for us now is to stabilize the market and reduce the uncertainty brought about by the war." After the count spoke, Mr. Fuld immediately echoed his opinion, and several others followed suit. Obviously, this position has reached a consensus among some of the count's colleagues.

The ministers did not know how to judge in such a dispute. They looked at His Majesty the Emperor and found that His Majesty the Emperor's expression was still calm and unpredictable, and he could not provide any hints.

"Contract? Impossible! Contraction means death!" To everyone's surprise, the usually amiable Baron de Bovan suddenly shouted, "The Bank of France is the lifeblood of France. It should not become the murderer of France! We cannot be sinners either! If we contract now, a disaster will occur. When that happens, companies will go bankrupt on a large scale. Can the Bank of France, or even the French Empire, remain unscathed? This is impossible! We must spend money!"