Make France Great Again-Chapter 185: Baron Luo Abiding by Law

"Mr. Earl, why does the President treat us like this! My son is a law-abiding citizen of France!"

Even though James 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, "Come on! Baron James, 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 merely an accident!" Baron James 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 James Rothschild.

The series of questions from Count Algou reignited the anger that James Rothschild had barely suppressed.

As a banker, James 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 James 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 James Rothschild’s bank to Jerome Bonaparte.

James Rothschild understood what Count Algou meant 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 intermediaries for Parisian national bonds, was also their investment in King Louis Philippe of Orleans.

During James Rothschild’s tenure, France ushered in the "momentous" June Revolution. The main branch of the old Bourbon Dynasty was overthrown, and a new younger branch of the Bourbons came to power. As a then Parisian financial capitalist senator, James Rothschild astutely seized this opportunity. He stabilized the prices in the Orleans Kingdom through his family’s financial means 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.

James Rothschild, therefore, gained the respect of Louis Philippe and became an esteemed guest. His assets doubled or tripled in the eighteen years of the Orleans Kingdom’s establishment, 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 Jerome Bonaparte. They were more inclined to endure Jerome Bonaparte’s term until someone from the Orleans Clan became 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!" James Rothschild also adopted a firm stance against Jerome Bonaparte, understanding that if he surrendered to the President, the prestige of the Rothschild family in the French Banking Community would diminish.

Over time, the credibility of Rothschild Bank would be utterly destroyed.

Based on the attitude of former French rulers towards banks, James Rothschild believed that Jerome Bonaparte would surely back down to him.

"Mr. Baron, I will relay your words to Mr. President without omission!" Count Algou knew that Baron James Rothschild was probably a "one who cries without seeing the coffin," while the President’s methods were much tougher than those of Louis Philippe.

Yet, this time, the cunning James Rothschild miscalculated.

"Show him out!" James Rothschild coldly ordered.

Count Algou was escorted away by James Rothschild’s servants.

Watching Count Algou’s departing figure, James 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 enamel porcelain worth tens of thousands of francs was shattered to pieces, and feeling unfulfilled, Baron James 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, James Rothschild finally quelled some of his anger. He pointed at one of the servants and commanded him to clean up the "battlefield."

The slightly calm James 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 immediately. Tell Senator Thiers that, no matter the cost, I want that fellow Jerome 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!" James Rothschild interrupted his butler abruptly, ordering forcefully.

"Yes!" The butler had no choice but to comply with James Rothschild’s command.

Subsequently, James 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, James Rothschild forgot that it was no longer 1830. Lionel Rothschild in Britain already harbored a desire to "rebel" against the French James Rothschild, and the Austrian Carl Mayer Rothschild Bank was bound by Austrian diplomatic policy.

[PS: Prior to the February Revolution, James 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 times. 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, James 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 James Rothschild’s mansion under the cover of night.

However, they were unaware that the moment 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 James Rothschild’s servants.

Meanwhile, Count Algou, who had left the Rothschild Mansion by carriage, informed Jerome Bonaparte of James Rothschild’s "declaration of war" against him.

Upon hearing James Rothschild’s almost ludicrous declaration, Jerome Bonaparte displayed a contemptuous expression, "Who does he think he is? The emperor of Paris? Declare war? Is he worthy?"

"Your Majesty, indeed, Baron James Rothschild’s words are somewhat arrogant!" Count Algou confirmed Jerome Bonaparte’s words and then responded, "I suggest giving him a fitting lesson!"

"Count Algou, are you pleading on his behalf?" Jerome 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, Jerome 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 me that the Bank of France always supports me in this matter!" Jerome Bonaparte responded to Count Algou.

"The board members of the Bank of France will certainly support Mr. President’s decision!" Count Algou immediately assured Jerome Bonaparte.

"Moreover, I hope Mane can become a member of the board!" Jerome Bonaparte said to Count Algou again.

He was now eager to expand his influence in the Bank of France, diluting James Rothschild’s influence there.

After thinking for a moment, Count Algou agreed to Jerome Bonaparte’s "suggestion."

"I can recommend Mane to the board, but it requires unanimous consent from the board members!"

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