Under Percy’s guidance, Minister of Justice Eugène Roué once again entered the Élysée Palace, so familiar to him that he could not be more familiar with it.
Passing through the familiar drawing room, ascending the stairs covered with a large red Ottoman wool carpet, Roué and Percy received warm greetings from the staff at the Élysée Palace as they walked slowly along the corridor, arriving at the study.
At the door of the study, Roué and Percy parted ways. Standing alone before the mahogany door, he took a deep breath and gently knocked on the study’s door.
"Co in!" A familiar voice called out from inside, with a slight Italian accent.
With permission granted, Roué carefully pushed open the door to the study and glanced inside, making eye contact with the person in the room.
"Co in, Minister Roué!" Jero Bonaparte, with a smile on his face, beckoned to Roué from outside the door.
"Your Majesty!" Roué bowed respectfully to Jero Bonaparte after entering the room and closing the door.
"No need to be so formal! Co over here!" Jero Bonaparte said to Roué in a genial manner.
At Jero Bonaparte’s invitation, Roué sat opposite Jero Bonaparte at a round table, where coffee exuding a rich aroma was placed.
"Your Majesty, I don’t know what orders you have for by summoning here!" Roué inquired humbly of Jero Bonaparte, fully aware that his high position was entirely due to the President’s appointnt. Otherwise, soone with no governing experience could not possibly serve as Minister of Justice, just as even his admired Thiers had transitioned step by step from secretary to minister.
Thiers? Damn, how could I have forgotten about this!
Minister Roué suddenly recalled that Senator Thiers had visited him a few days ago and exchanged a few unimportant words.
At the ti, he hadn’t paid it any mind, so he didn’t regard it as a significant matter.
In hindsight, it was blatant "betrayal".
Thinking of this, Roué had to swallow his saliva.
"Nothing major has happened in the Ministry of Justice recently, right?" Jero Bonaparte did not imdiately respond to Roué but instead spoke with a casual tone, changing the subject.
"There haven’t been any major events at the Ministry of Justice, just the usual reports from the various courts!" Roué responded to Jero Bonaparte in a seemingly natural manner.
"Oh? Is that so?" Jero Bonaparte showed a hint of a smile, not speaking further.
"However, there is a private matter! I need to report to you!" Minister Roué cautiously said to Jero Bonaparte.
"Minister Roué, I have no interest in your personal affairs! As long as they don’t affect the functioning of the state, that’s all that matters!" Jero Bonaparte said in an indifferent tone.
"I believe it’s necessary to report this matter to you!" Roué responded to Jero Bonaparte with a stiff expression.
"Then speak!" Jero Bonaparte replied with a solemn expression.
"It’s like this! A few days ago, Senator Thiers ca to under the guise of a visit to probe !" Roué reported to Jero Bonaparte respectfully.
"Hmm? Now that’s interesting!" Jero Bonaparte stroked his smooth chin, showing an intrigued expression: "Did you agree?"
"Your Majesty’s elevation of is sothing I’ll never forget! I will never join any other faction!" Roué responded resolutely to Jero Bonaparte, "Loyalty to the House of Bonaparte is the creed I live by!"
"Hmm! Your loyalty will be duly rewarded!" Jero Bonaparte nodded and smiled again, believing in Roué not only because historically he had not betrayed the Bonaparte Clan but also based on interest considerations. He had already offered the bargaining chip of the Ministry of Justice to win over Roué, while Thiers would only be able to pull him over by making him Pri Minister or supporting him as President.
However, Thiers couldn’t achieve either of these conditions, as the Order Party also had Thiers’ followers within.
Thiers could not prioritize relying on an outsider without satisfying his own followers first.
So when Marcel Yale reported to Jero Bonaparte about Roué’s actions, Jero Bonaparte didn’t pay it any mind; he was waiting for Roué to take the initiative to explain the situation.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Relieved by Jero Bonaparte’s understanding, Eugène Roué also sounded a warning bell in his heart.
"By the way, I’d like to ask you about a constitutional issue in the Second Republic, regarding how to adjudicate when new proposals conflict with old constitutional articles?" Jero Bonaparte inquired of Eugène Roué.
"This..." Eugène Roué pondered for a mont before slowly speaking, "Due to the nascent stage of the French Republic, there is no clear provision regarding the precedence of old and new constitutions."
"So does that an both constitutions can be used simultaneously?" Jero Bonaparte showed a aningful smile.
Unexpectedly, the constitution of the Second French Republic is similar to that of the United States of Arica across the ocean. The implentation of the new constitution does not necessarily an the old constitution is abolished. With both the new and old constitutions in use, it gives the President vast room for maneuvering.
"Exactly!" Eugène Roué responded to Jero Bonaparte in an indisputable tone: "However, the old constitution is generally not used based on customary choice!"
"They still have legal efficacy, right!" Jero Bonaparte said.
"They have legal efficacy!" Roué affird, unable to understand what the President intended to do.
"Minister Roué, Senator Thiers just ca to see ..." Jero Bonaparte recounted the conversation he had with Thiers to Eugène Roué.
"Your Majesty, they want to limit you by restricting the universal suffrage law!" Eugène Roué urgently reminded Jero Bonaparte after hearing the whole conversation between Thiers and Jero Bonaparte.
"I know!" Jero Bonaparte, unhurriedly taking a sip of coffee, smiled and said: "If they don’t do this, how can they violate the constitution?"
"Violate the constitution?" Eugène Roué instantly understood Jero Bonaparte’s intention: "Are you deliberately indulging them?"
"Exactly!" Jero Bonaparte nodded, a rebellious gleam in his eye: "What we need to do now is to push the parliant to the edge of the cliff, then I’ll personally cut their rope and send them down!"
"Your Majesty!" Eugène Roué looked at Jero Bonaparte excitedly, knowing that once the parliant is entirely overturned by the President, there will be nothing in France to restrain the President, and they will completely control all of France.
"Roué, I need you to help compile a list of offenses committed by the Legislative Assembly! When the ti cos, it will be of great use!" Jero Bonaparte said to Eugène Roué.
"As you command! Your Majesty..."
...
November 29, 1849.
Under Jero Bonaparte’s enthusiastic "invitation," a significant number of bankers and mid-to-high-ranking officers in Paris gathered together to attend a ball hosted by the President.
Among them were Baron Alphonse de Rothschild, Minister of Finance Achille Fuld, banker Mane, banker Adolphe Schneider, banker brothers Emile Pereire and Isaac Pereire...
On the military side, almost half of Paris’s generals and officers above a certain rank were included, including Commander Changarnier and his adjutant Noirey, Minister Renio, and Brigadier General Conrobel, commander of the second brigade of the Paris First Division!
The resplendent main hall of the Elysee Palace was bustling with people, and the brightness of the lights everywhere illuminated the scene: bankers in refined attire, accompanied by their beautifully dressed wives, mingled at the banquet, while the soldiers wore uniforms adorned with dals, the officers residing in Paris brought their jeweled wives, making the entire hall extrely lively. Amid this noise, the music from the band began to play.
With the rousing music, all noise ceased, and everyone’s eyes turned towards the second-floor balcony of the hall.
In a Lev’s formal suit and wearing a Napoleon Hat, Jero Bonaparte descended the steps, accompanied by Princess Mathilde in a pale blue low-necked long dress, with a delicate ornant hanging from her chest.
When Jero Bonaparte and Mathilde descended the last step together, Jero Bonaparte spoke: "Ladies and gentlen, thank you for attending my ball. Please enjoy this joyous occasion to the fullest!"
After speaking, Jero Bonaparte slightly bowed to the guests present.
The music played again, and Alphonse de Rothschild, Emile Pereire, and several other moderately influential bankers seed to have received so prior information and walked in a certain direction.
"It seems Mr. President can’t wait to make his move!" Commander Changarnier, standing in a corner of the ball, remarked watching those bankers who left early.
"Commander, what is the President planning to do?" Noirey, following next to Changarnier, inquired.
"Nothing!" Changarnier shook his head.
The bankers gathered in a small room in the Elysee Palace, sitting down around a round table, exchanging glances without speaking.
The door opened again, and Jero Bonaparte entered the room and took a seat.
Once seated, Jero Bonaparte wasted no ti and said directly: "Ladies and gentlen, you are all the elite of the nation, and I don’t want to waste words! I hope all of you can make a charitable contribution for the upcoming military parade!"
With these words, except for Fuld, Mane, the Pereire brothers, Adolphe Schneider and other quasi-Bonapartist bankers close to Jero Bonaparte, the bankers changed their expressions.
What the President ant by a charitable contribution was clearly an imposition.
Although the money being imposed on them was a re trifle for them, the President’s approach certainly did not show them enough respect.
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