"Mr. Earl, why does the President treat us like this! My son is a law-abiding citizen of France!"
Even though Jas Rothschild understood that money was no match for power, he still couldn’t change his first impression of the Bonaparte Clan. In his eyes, the Bonaparte Clan was just a group of upstarts who usurped the throne.
"Law-abiding?" Count Algou smirked disdainfully and said, "Co on! Baron Jas, in our line of work, whose hands are not stained with hundreds of lives? As far as I know, there was a collapse at your mine in Lorraine not long ago, claiming more than 50 lives!"
"It was rely an accident!" Baron Jas Rothschild insisted it was an accident, and not because the mine itself was skimping on work that led to an unstable mine structure.
"How did you handle the more than 50 miners? How did you deal with their compensation issues? Has the mine been shut down for rectification due to the accident?" Count Algou continually questioned Jas Rothschild.
The series of questions from Count Algou reignited the anger that Jas Rothschild had barely suppressed.
As a banker, Jas Rothschild was, after all, a human being—not a cold political machine. He, too, had the right to be angry.
"Count Algou, if you’re only here to gloat, there’s no need! We can afford to lose!" Baron Jas Rothschild coldly responded to Count Algou.
"No, no, no!" Count Algou shook his head and spread his hands with a sincere expression, "Mr. Baron, I’m not here to laugh at you! I just hope you and Mr. President can stop this internal conflict. One of you controls the administration of Paris, the other controls its finance—why not make peace? Let the past remain in the past!"
Beneath Count Algou’s seemingly considerate appearance lay malicious intentions. His so-called surrender only referred to the unilateral capitulation of Jas Rothschild’s bank to Jero Bonaparte.
Jas Rothschild understood what Count Algou ant by "past issues."
The reason the Rothschild family was able to establish and prosper in Paris, apart from their substantial capital serving as the faceless interdiaries for Parisian national bonds, was also their investnt in King Louis Philippe of Orleans.
During Jas Rothschild’s tenure, France ushered in the "montous" June Revolution. The main branch of the old Bourbon Dynasty was overthrown, and a new younger branch of the Bourbons ca to power. As a then Parisian financial capitalist senator, Jas Rothschild astutely seized this opportunity. He stabilized the prices in the Orleans Kingdom through his family’s financial ans and connected with Rothschild branches in Vienna, Frankfurt, and London to exert pressure, forcing debt-ridden countries (except Britain) to recognize the existence of the Orleans Kingdom.
Jas Rothschild, therefore, gained the respect of Louis Philippe and beca an esteed guest. His assets doubled or tripled in the eighteen years of the Orleans Kingdom’s establishnt, making Rothschild Bank second only to the British Rothschild Bank.
This deep binding of Rothschild Bank with the Orleans Kingdom made it impossible for them to easily change allegiance and invest in Jero Bonaparte. They were more inclined to endure Jero Bonaparte’s term until soone from the Orleans Clan beca President, allowing them to continue serving France.
"Mr. Earl, this conflict was imposed on us by the President! If the President is willing to continue pursuing their policies, we are willing to accompany them to the end!" Jas Rothschild also adopted a firm stance against Jero Bonaparte, understanding that if he surrendered to the President, the prestige of the Rothschild family in the French Banking Community would diminish.
Over ti, the credibility of Rothschild Bank would be utterly destroyed.
Based on the attitude of forr French rulers towards banks, Jas Rothschild believed that Jero Bonaparte would surely back down to him.
"Mr. Baron, I will relay your words to Mr. President without omission!" Count Algou knew that Baron Jas Rothschild was probably a "one who cries without seeing the coffin," while the President’s thods were much tougher than those of Louis Philippe.
Yet, this ti, the cunning Jas Rothschild miscalculated.
"Show him out!" Jas Rothschild coldly ordered.
Count Algou was escorted away by Jas Rothschild’s servants.
Watching Count Algou’s departing figure, Jas Rothschild could no longer contain his anger. He grabbed the porcelain in the living room and threw it fiercely to the ground.
The blue-and-white enal porcelain worth tens of thousands of francs was shattered to pieces, and feeling unfulfilled, Baron Jas Rothschild shattered a few more.
The floor of the living room was littered with broken porcelain pieces, appearing as if a typhoon had swept through. The servants bowed their heads fearfully, wary of incurring the Baron’s wrath upon themselves.
After smashing several pieces of porcelain, Jas Rothschild finally quelled so of his anger. He pointed at one of the servants and commanded him to clean up the "battlefield."
The slightly calm Jas Rothschild couldn’t help but regret his recent actions; the usually cautious man had been led astray by his emotions, and now he had to contend with the President.
Regaining his composure, he called for his personal butler and said, "Go to Senator Thiers’ residence imdiately. Tell Senator Thiers that, no matter the cost, I want that fellow Jero Bonaparte ousted!"
"Master..." the butler swallowed nervously and said cautiously, "I think it will be difficult! That man Thiers is very likely..."
"You just need to convey my words to Thiers! Leave the rest alone!" Jas Rothschild interrupted his butler abruptly, ordering forcefully.
"Yes!" The butler had no choice but to comply with Jas Rothschild’s command.
Subsequently, Jas Rothschild returned to his study. Sitting on a gold-edged red velvet cushion, he pulled out stationery from the drawer and wrote letters to Lionel Rothschild in London, Amshel Rothschild in Vienna, and Mayer Carl Rothschild in Frankfurt, hoping they could use their financial influence to pressure France, just as they had pressured the Holy Alliance in 1830.
However, Jas Rothschild forgot that it was no longer 1830. Lionel Rothschild in Britain already harbored a desire to "rebel" against the French Jas Rothschild, and the Austrian Carl Mayer Rothschild Bank was bound by Austrian diplomatic policy.
[PS: Prior to the February Revolution, Jas Rothschild had often mocked the Rothschild Bank in Vienna for being led by Vienna’s policies, to the point where he didn’t want to hawk Austria’s junk bonds at tis. During Schwarzenberg’s rule, the Rothschild Bank in Vienna faced even stricter control, forcing them to move in step with Austrian diplomatic directives.]
After finishing the letters, Jas Rothschild handed them to a few trusted servants, instructing them to use the Rothschild Clan’s secret communication channels to deliver the letters directly into the hands of the recipients.
The servants who received the letters understood and hurriedly left Jas Rothschild’s mansion under the cover of night.
However, they were unaware that the mont they left the mansion, they were being watched by several special police officers hiding in the shadows around the Rothschild Mansion.
"Captain, should we report to the chief?" one special police officer asked his team leader.
"No rush!" The special police captain shook his head and assigned three special officers to tail them, while he led the others to keep an eye on Jas Rothschild’s servants.
anwhile, Count Algou, who had left the Rothschild Mansion by carriage, inford Jero Bonaparte of Jas Rothschild’s "declaration of war" against him.
Upon hearing Jas Rothschild’s almost ludicrous declaration, Jero Bonaparte displayed a contemptuous expression, "Who does he think he is? The emperor of Paris? Declare war? Is he worthy?"
"Your Majesty, indeed, Baron Jas Rothschild’s words are sowhat arrogant!" Count Algou confird Jero Bonaparte’s words and then responded, "I suggest giving him a fitting lesson!"
"Count Algou, are you pleading on his behalf?" Jero Bonaparte asked Count Algou.
"Not at all!" Count Algou shook his head and said, "I believe rashly confronting Rothschild Bank could bring unnecessary trouble to Paris’s financial industry and adversely affect Your Majesty’s rule!"
To maintain stability in Paris, Jero Bonaparte nodded and assured Count Algou, "Rest assured, I’m only going to teach the Rothschild Bank a lesson!"
"Alright!" Count Algou breathed a sigh of relief, as long as the President did not intend to suffocate the Rothschild Bank forcibly.
"However, you must assure that the Bank of France always supports in this matter!" Jero Bonaparte responded to Count Algou.
"The board mbers of the Bank of France will certainly support Mr. President’s decision!" Count Algou imdiately assured Jero Bonaparte.
"Moreover, I hope Mane can beco a mber of the board!" Jero Bonaparte said to Count Algou again.
He was now eager to expand his influence in the Bank of France, diluting Jas Rothschild’s influence there.
After thinking for a mont, Count Algou agreed to Jero Bonaparte’s "suggestion."
"I can recomnd Mane to the board, but it requires unanimous consent from the board mbers!"
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