Jero Bonaparte quietly watched the "poor creature" sitting beside him, almost in tears.
In the 19th century, a period dominated by conservative moral values, everyone was constrained by the moral order of the era.
Under the oppression of morality and order, people often committed actions that defied conventions.
"Minister, I understand your actions!" Jero Bonaparte, with a touch of sympathy in his eyes, looked at Mr. Bifei and said, "But sotis, you have to adapt to this era!"
"I... I didn’t want to either!" Minister Bifei, with his head lowered and his tone choked with emotion, recounted his "history": "I grew up under my father’s harsh discipline... He constantly taught to reclaim what we lost in that revolution... He was so severe... so unfeeling... Since I was 20 years old, I discovered I enjoyed dressing in won’s clothes... I also found that I didn’t like won... Instead, I developed an interest in various gentlen... From that ti on... I sought to establish connections with various n... When I was 30... I was forced to marry a woman I didn’t know... At that ti, I even wanted to flee..."
"Oh?" Jero Bonaparte slightly raised an eyebrow, gently interrupting, and inquired: "Minister, doesn’t your wife know about this little hobby of yours?"
"Mr. President, since my wife and I are a political and financial alliance, we simply lead our own separate lives!" Minister Bifei explained to Jero Bonaparte.
The grand Great Revolution abolished the aristocratic privileges that fed off the blood of the French populace, giving rise to new aristocrats represented by military and financial achievents.
Although these new aristocrats bore titles like Viscount, Count, or even Duke, lacking hereditary support, they could not integrate into the circle of the ancient nobility. The ancient nobles, who held sway over the court etiquette and cultural understanding of the upper class, used their status to exclude new noble entry.
A new aristocrat had no choice but to consider marriage alliances if they wished to seamlessly integrate into the society circle. They tried every way to have their son marry a daughter from an old family na, or provided large dowries for their daughters to enter noble marriages.
Such bloodline and financial marriages were common in the 19th century. As long as both parties agreed, their sons or daughters were traded like goods.
"The alienation of capital!" Jero Bonaparte murmured softly.
"What did you say?" Minister Bifei asked, not hearing Jero Bonaparte’s muttering clearly.
"Nothing!" Jero Bonaparte waved his hand and said, "So, Minister, what do you want to do?"
"Mr. President, I beg you not to report it!" Minister Bifei almost pleaded with Jero Bonaparte.
"Minister, that depends on your attitude!" Jero Bonaparte said bluntly, exposing his intentions.
From the beginning, Jero Bonaparte never intended to use Bifei’s scandal to attack the Cabinet of Audion Barrot.
Just as nuclear weapons are most threatening when held but not launched, scandals wield more intimidating power when retained instead of spread.
Once the scandal is public, Bifei Minister’s reputation would be instantly ruined. He might have to take his life to preserve the Order Party’s future, and even Audion Barrot’s Cabinet might fall due to the homosexual scandal.
It wasn’t until the Third Republic that France abolished the laws imprisoning sa-sex intimate acts.
Society’s tolerance for sa-sex behavior can be imagined.
If the storm calms and soone investigates thoroughly, the mastermind behind the scenes will likely be uncovered, a fact Jero Bonaparte never doubted due to the efficiency of Parisian journalists.
By then, Jero Bonaparte would probably be embroiled in the "secret police" issue.
Given the current situation, defeating Bifei offers Jero Bonaparte no advantage.
"I am willing to follow your orders!" Bifei, caught in his misdeeds, shed his forr arrogance and yielded to Jero Bonaparte.
"Minister, welco to our side!" Jero Bonaparte extended a hand to Bifei.
"You win, Mr. President!" Bifei extended his hand and clasped it with Jero Bonaparte’s.
Under Jero Bonaparte’s threat, Bifei had no choice but to form an alliance with him.
"Rest assured, Mr. Bifei, you will not regret today’s decision!" Jero Bonaparte assured Bifei.
"I hope not!" Bifei, once again showing a bitter smile, murmured to himself, knowing he was likely trapped in this sche, "I hope I won’t beco a casualty of your ambitions!"
His murmur was so faint that Jero Bonaparte did not hear it, yet he didn’t bother to ask what Bifei had just said.
"Minister Bifei, I expect the Ministry of Agriculture and Comrce to present a plan within a month for a nationwide and overseas telegraph line deploynt!" Jero Bonaparte stated his demand.
"I will instruct the Ministry of Agriculture and Comrce to act promptly!" Minister Bifei nodded in response.
"Alright! That’s all I’m asking for at the mont!" Jero Bonaparte spread his hands towards Mr. Bifei and said.
"Anything else..." Mr. Bifei subconsciously asked, then he widened his eyes with an expression of disbelief and asked Jero Bonaparte: "Is that all?"
"Exactly! That’s all!" Jero Bonaparte repeated once more.
"Alright! I understand!" Mr. Bifei felt slightly relieved, a bittersweet smile appeared on his lips. He hadn’t expected that the matter for which the President had circled around so much, and even risked his (Mr. Bifei’s) downfall, would be so simple.
If he had known earlier, he should have directly agreed to the President.
"Oh, and one more thing!" Jero Bonaparte continued, "I hope that the upcoming construction of the telegraph lines can follow the routes of the railway network currently being planned by the Ministry of Public Works!"
The railway lines under construction are undoubtedly being built with future wars in mind, and the telegraph network should equally be designed around warfare.
Only a developed telegraph network can ensure that the troops stationed along the railway lines receive ssages dispatched from Paris promptly to take the next step.
Mr. Bifei did not realize that a well-connected telegraph network would beco a tool as critical as the railways in directing the course of war,
In his view, it was rely a trivial matter, yet in Jero Bonaparte’s eyes, it was a significant issue determining the outco of war.
Small steps lead to a thousand miles.
The victory or defeat of a war comprises the various minor matters in Mr. Bifei’s eyes,
"Yes!" Mr. Bifei nodded to Jero Bonaparte to show his understanding.
"To our future cooperation, cheers!" Jero Bonaparte raised his glass and proposed a toast to Mr. Bifei.
"Cheers!" Mr. Bifei also raised his glass and responded.
As the dinner neared its end, Mr. Bifei hesitated for a mont before asking, "Mr. President, recently the Pri Minister is planning a partial cabinet reshuffle, I suppose you know about it!"
"Hmm!" Jero Bonaparte nodded and candidly said, "I think the Pri Minister suggests cautiously introducing so republican mbers into the cabinet to silence those people!"
"Is that so!" Mr. Bifei steadied himself and spoke again, "Mr. President, you should know that I have so ties with Count Morel and the Orthodox Faction. Recently, things have been quite unpleasant between the Pri Minister and Count Morel, so..."
Jero Bonaparte clearly understood Mr. Bifei’s implication, fearing that he might beco a sacrifice of Audion Barrot before he even ward his seat, he reassured, "Rest assured! The cabinet mbers replaced this ti are mostly from departnts without substantial power and will not affect you!"
Hearing Jero Bonaparte’s assurance, Mr. Bifei’s anxious heart finally settled down.
The dinner continued until it ended at 11 o’clock, and after sending the heavily intoxicated Mr. Bifei off in a carriage, Jero Bonaparte also returned to his bedroom to focus.
In the following two weeks, aside from the "Construction Plan for the French Telegraph" submitted by Mr. Bifei, no other minister went to the Elysee Palace to report.
On July 15th, the list of new cabinet mbers was announced. As Jero Bonaparte had anticipated, apart from the replacent of the Foreign Minister De Ruyi with Tocqueville (Moderate Republican) and the Finance Minister Pasi with Barroso (Order Party), the rest of the cabinet mbers remained unchanged.
anwhile, a stringent censorship law and state of martial law were submitted to the Legislative Assembly and passed.
The law stipulates that Articles 1 and 2 of the press law of August 11, 1848, "shall apply to attacks on the power and authority of the President, as well as personal attacks on the President," and shall be prosecuted by the procuratorate.
All incitations aid at undermining the military duties and obedience of the army and navy shall incur imprisonnt from 1 month to 2 years, along with fines ranging from 25 to 4000 francs.
Any act attacking the inviolability of the law and rights, any defense of criminal acts legally determined, shall be punished: imprisonnt from 1 month to 2 years and fines from 16 to 1000 francs.
Any information published or reprinted with malicious intent, false news, false docunts aid at disrupting public order shall incur imprisonnt from 1 month to 1 year and fines from 50 to 1000 francs.
Distributors and mobile vendors of essays, booklets, engravings, and lithographs must obtain official permission. The approving authority has the right to revoke such permission at any ti.
The transient spring for newspapers ended; winter was coming.
On August 1, 1849, during the solemn declaration by Audion Barrot, the Legislative Assembly officially entered a two-month recess.
Except for a small group of over twenty mbers responsible for staying on duty at the Bourbon Palace, most mbers were enjoying a rare break.
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