Under the leadership of Police Chief Kalie and Lieutenant Colonel Leboeuf, the army and newly recruited police jointly set out to arrest Baron Jas Rothschild, who was suspected of purchasing an indirect assassination of the President.
"You... what do you want?"
At the entrance of the mansion, the Baron’s steward looked fearfully at the aggressive police and soldiers, shouting harshly.
Kalie rcilessly presented an arrest warrant jointly issued by the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Ministry of War, saying: "We suspect Baron Jas Rothschild of being involved in the assassination of the President. Please let the Baron accompany us!"
"No, you can’t do this! Baron Rothschild was bestowed the title by the Emperor of Austria! France has no right to arrest him!" The Baron’s steward, in a panic, blurted out a politically incorrect statent.
"How dare you!" Kalie seized the steward’s verbal mistake, expanding it as he said, "Are you implying that Baron Rothschild was commissioned by the Emperor of the Austrian Empire to assassinate the President?"
"No... I’m not!" The Baron’s steward shook his head desperately.
Once Baron Jas Rothschild is "convicted" of the assassination of the President, there will be no place in France for Baron Jas Rothschild.
"Then step aside, please!" Kalie ordered the Baron’s steward in an aggressive tone, advancing step by step towards him.
Under Kalie’s strong pressure, the Baron’s steward retreated step by step. He knew that Kalie represented the President’s stance, and breaking off relations would not be beneficial to them at all.
"Move aside!" Kalie pushed the Baron’s steward aside and led the police and the main force into the Rothschild Mansion’s lounge.
Police and soldiers spread out on the first floor of the Rothschild Mansion to prevent any internal personnel from escaping. Kalie and Leboeuf entered the study on the second floor of the mansion.
At this mont, Baron Rothschild was sitting on a large chair with a red velvet cushion.
Facing the intruding Kalie and Leboeuf, Baron Rothschild remained silent and motionless on the chair.
"Baron Rothschild, you are suspected of being involved in the assassination of the President. Please follow us to the police station for investigation!" Kalie, in contrast to his previous aggressive deanor, spoke calmly.
"Ha ha!" Baron Jas Rothschild showed a disdainful smile, "To impose a cri, what cri is lacking in words? (French translation). You and your master are rely plotting for the wealth that my family has inherited from our ancestors!"
"Baron, have you funded the Orleans Gang!" Kalie decided to lay out the "evidence" in front of Baron Jas Rothschild.
Baron Jas Rothschild’s expression changed slightly, yet he still said, "I don’t understand what you’re talking about."
"Baron, you can say now that you don’t know anything. I admit there is currently no conclusive evidence against you!" Kalie scrutinized Baron Jas Rothschild, responding sharply, "But I will keep a close eye on you until you slip up!"
Jas Rothschild felt a chill as Kalie’s eyes reminded him of the long-dead specter, Fouché.
Back then, he spoke to my father with such eyes and a commanding tone.
Kid, you are far behind him!
Baron Jas Rothschild internally continued to disdain Kalie, as having lived through the tis of Fouché, Jas Rothschild wasn’t afraid of these guys.
"Let’s go! Baron!" Kalie gestured invitingly, with the expressionless Baron Jas Rothschild leading the way.
Kalie and Leboeuf followed closely behind, and both soldiers and police also left the mansion with Kalie and Leboeuf.
"What to do? What to do now?" Watching the distant Jas Rothschild, the steward left in the mansion paced back and forth, thinking of a solution: "Right! Count Algou and the others!"
Kalie took Baron Jas Rothschild to the detention facility of the Police Departnt, where he had to be detained until he was "cleared" of suspicion.
Looking at the door wrapped in thick iron plates, Jas Rothschild felt a mixture of emotions.
This was his first ti visiting a detention facility as a criminal; he had never been here before.
"Open it!" Kalie ordered the officer guarding the facility to open the door.
"Yes!" The officer quickly opened the door.
Although the exterior of the facility appeared a bit old, the interior was a different story.
The entire room was spotlessly clean. Directly facing the door, near the wall, stood a red desk. On the desk was an as yet unused kerosene lamp, with the only window located directly above and embedded with two middle finger-thick iron bars to prevent prisoner escape. Beside the desk was a simple cot.
The conditions of the detention facility were far inferior to those of the mansion but were more comfortable compared to a real prison.
"Baron, you will spend the next few days here! Until we confirm that you have no involvent in this case, you won’t be able to leave!" Kalie spoke unhurriedly to Baron Jas Rothschild, and from his tone, Rothschild could hear a hint of self-satisfaction.
"Mr. President, how do you plan to deal with ?" Jas Rothschild inquired calmly.
"I have no idea!" Kalie shrugged and replied, "Perhaps you might be released without charge!"
"Heh heh!" Baron Jas Rothschild wouldn’t believe he would be released without charge; he knew them too well.
Even if Baron Jas Rothschild got out, it would not be without shedding a layer of skin.
...
The news of Baron Jas Rothschild’s detention triggered another turmoil in the Paris Stock Exchange.
Many people started to scramble to sell bonds issued by the Rothschild Clan, including those of Austria and Southern Germany.
In just one day, the Paris Stock Exchange triggered the first circuit breaker chanism established by the Ministry of Finance.
Austrian and Southern German bonds dropped by 10% in just one day, while other stocks related to Rothschild fell by 3% to 5%.
The alarming drop in Austrian and Southern German bonds also startled the Austrian ambassador in France.
Currently, Prussia and Austria were in a standoff. If Austrian bonds in the Paris Stock Exchange showed signs of weakness, it would inevitably affect the issuance of dostic Austrian bonds.
Thus dampening the confidence of Austria’s middle class (the "chives") in the Austrian market.
As a result, Baron Hubert, the Austrian ambassador in France, once again went to the Elysee Palace to discuss the issue with Jero Bonaparte.
"Mr. Percy, is Mr. President available now?" Baron Hubert asked Percy while putting the exquisitely crafted ruby necklace into Percy’s hand.
These days, bribing close associates of rulers to obtain information favorable to them had beco standard practice for every well-cultured diplomat.
Percy, without a change in his facial expression, accepted the ruby necklace. In his eyes, Baron Hubert had beco the most adorable person in the world.
"Mr. President is resting! If you don’t have any urgent matters, you can wait in the living room until the President wakes up. I’ll bring him to the living room once he’s awake!"
"Of course, it’s my honor!" Baron Hubert responded with a gentle deanor.
"Follow !"
Under Percy’s guidance, Baron Hubert ca to the eting room.
About half an hour later, the door to the eting room opened, and Baron Hubert looked towards the entrance.
Jero Bonaparte appeared, and Baron Hubert hurriedly stood up to greet him.
"Ambassador Hubert, welco to the Elysee Palace!" Jero Bonaparte said, shaking hands with Baron Hubert.
Seated in the chairs, the two began their conversation.
Initially, they had so literary discussions, and then it branched into politics.
"Mr. President, I heard that Baron Jas Rothschild has been detained by you! Is the news true?" Baron Hubert asked, knowingly feigning ignorance.
Jero Bonaparte feigned displeasure, and his words lost their amiable tone: "Mr. Ambassador, this doesn’t seem like sothing you should be concerned with. Are you trying to interfere with France’s internal affairs?"
Baron Hubert hastily distanced himself, saying: "The Austrian Empire has no intention of interfering in any country’s internal affairs, especially one like the French Republic, which is a responsible great nation."
"Then why is the Austrian Empire inquiring about Jas Rothschild’s status? Is it rely out of concern?" Jero Bonaparte, equally a master of feigning ignorance, asked with a puzzled look.
Baron Hubert felt slightly embarrassed. He couldn’t possibly tell Jero Bonaparte that his concern for Jas Rothschild was due to the issue with Austrian bonds!
A country that had to rely on another nation’s bond market to issue its own bonds was quite humiliating to say.
Baron Hubert could only brace himself and say: "Baron Jas Rothschild is ennobled by the Austrian Empire..."
"Mr. Ambassador, Jas Rothschild’s detention is executed according to the constitution of the French Republic, and I, as the President, have no authority to interfere with the judiciary! I can tell you, this ti Baron Jas Rothschild’s cri is not light!" Jero Bonaparte spoke gravely, knowing that for the sake of Austrian bonds, Baron Hubert would surely plead with Jero Bonaparte.
"Mr. President, I have no intention to interfere with your country’s judiciary!" Baron Hubert cautiously said to Jero Bonaparte, "But I wish to personally plead with you, could you possibly lessen Baron Jas Rothschild’s punishnt?"
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