Make France Great Again-Chapter 940 - 931: Construction Deferred

"Achille, I knew you would make this request!"

Jerome Bonaparte said as he touched his pocket and pulled out two cigarettes, handing one to Achille Fuld.

Achille Fuld took the cigarette from Jerome Bonaparte with both hands, then took out the matches he carried with him.

As Achille Fuld stood up to light Jerome Bonaparte’s cigarette, Jerome Bonaparte pressed his hand down and pulled out a matchbox from his pocket: "No need! I have it!"

Achille Fuld sat back in his original position, and Jerome Bonaparte took out a match, struck it lightly against the box, and an orange-yellow flame ignited, slowly nearing the cigarette.

White smoke appeared between Jerome Bonaparte’s thumb and index finger, and a touch of intoxication showed on his face.

Achille Fuld, sitting next to Jerome Bonaparte, also lit his cigarette, took a drag, and said, "Your Majesty, forgive me for speaking frankly!

If Georges Ossman continues to serve as the Governor of Seine Province, the entire Seine Province and even the entire Empire will be dragged down by his plans!

So far, Governor Georges Ossman has spent 1 billion francs on the renovation of Paris!

It’s estimated that another 1 billion francs will be needed to truly complete the renovation of Paris!"

"Achille, think positively!" Jerome Bonaparte took another drag and said, "A large part of these expenses are not being paid by the Seine Province Government, but by bankers and real estate developers who contracted the land!

This invisibly eases the pressure on our government!"

"I admit that Governor Georges Ossman’s methods have indeed effectively reduced government debt, but the remaining debt is still a massive figure!" Achille Fuld argued, then added, "Your Majesty, I am not against the renovation of Paris!

Regarding the renovation of Paris, my opinion is actually the same as Governor Georges Ossman, but I do not think this way is correct!

The renovation of Paris was initially a project that would take at least 30 years to complete, but Governor Georges Ossman insists on completing it in 15 years!

This will only result in gigantic debts for the government!

To pay off the debts, we will have to do things we are unwilling to do."

"Things we are unwilling to do?" Jerome Bonaparte muttered, then said to Achille Fuld, "Do you mean imposing new taxes?"

"Exactly! Your Majesty!" Achille Fuld said to Jerome Bonaparte, "With the current finances of Seine Province, we need at least 5 years to pay off the debts!

If we choose neither to halt work nor to impose new taxes, then the finances of Seine Province will face tough challenges!

Especially with the possible financial crisis looming!"

Achille Fuld specifically mentioned "financial crisis" to prompt Jerome Bonaparte to make a decision.

"If I neither agree to dismiss Georges Ossman nor want the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of France to help Seine Province through tough times, what should I do then?" Jerome Bonaparte asked Achille Fuld in a slightly threatening tone.

"Your Majesty, there’s only one way!" Achille Fuld looked firmly at Jerome Bonaparte, then stood up and said to Jerome Bonaparte, "Please allow me to resign from the position of Minister of Finance; the Ministry of Finance should be entrusted to someone more capable."

Jerome Bonaparte, after hearing Achille Fuld’s response, showed an unhappy expression, "Mr. Achille, are you pressuring me?"

"No!" Achille Fuld shook his head at Jerome Bonaparte and said, "I am not pressuring you! I just believe my ability is insufficient to manage the current situation!"

"By dismissing Georges Ossman and stopping all renovation projects in Seine Province, would you be able to manage the current situation?" Jerome Bonaparte frowned and asked Achille Fuld.

"Your Majesty, I’m not advocating stopping the renovation of Seine Province, but slowing its pace!

The pace of Seine Province is too fast; often the old district has not been completely demolished when the new district planning has already begun!

This causes many residents to raise their prices upon seeing the chance of getting rich, and the grassroots have to agree to all their terms to meet performance targets!

The land acquired in Seine Province is sometimes twice as expensive as the market price... As long as we can slow down, then those who hoard a lot of land wanting to sell to the government will become anxious, and the value of the land will decline!!

We can also save quite a bit of money!" Achille Fuld explained to Jerome Bonaparte.

"You do have a point!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded and said to Achille Fuld.

"Your Majesty, does that mean you agree?" Achille Fuld asked Jerome Bonaparte.

"If I don’t agree, will you resign, Achille Fuld?" This time Jerome Bonaparte’s expression became particularly serious, as he asked Achille Fuld.

"Your Majesty, I will submit my resignation!" Achille Fuld responded unwaveringly to Jerome Bonaparte.

"In that case, I can agree to let Georges Ossman leave the position of Governor of the Seine Province!" Jerome Bonaparte said to Achille Fuld.

Achille Fuld’s face showed a look of joy after hearing this, and he quickly bowed to Jerome Bonaparte.

"However!" Jerome Bonaparte changed his tone and said to Achille Fuld, "You must agree to two conditions!"

"Your Majesty, what are those two conditions?" Achille Fuld asked Jerome Bonaparte.

Jerome Bonaparte raised a finger and said solemnly, "The first condition is that Georges Ossman will only resign from the position of Governor of the Seine Province. His position as the candidate for the Ministry of Public Works and his role as a member of the Seine Province Municipal Committee should be retained. In other words, Georges Ossman will still have the right to guide the development of the Seine Province. You should be able to explain this condition!"

Achille Fuld hesitated for a moment; he understood that His Majesty the Emperor was making the greatest concession by agreeing to dismiss Georges Ossman.

Retaining the position of candidate for the Ministry of Public Works and a member of the Seine Province Municipal Committee should be close to the Emperor’s bottom line.

Thus, Achille Fuld lifted his head and responded forcefully, "Your Majesty, I can agree to this condition!"

"Also, the Bank of France must continue to subsidize the five major railway bureaus!" Jerome Bonaparte proposed the second condition.

"Your Majesty, the financial condition of the five major railway bureaus is still sound and does not require subsidies!" Achille Fuld said to Jerome Bonaparte.

"But if an economic crisis arises, can you guarantee that the finances of the five major railway bureaus will remain sound?" Jerome Bonaparte questioned.

Achille Fuld fell silent, and after a while, he replied to Jerome Bonaparte, "Your Majesty, if the railway bureaus (more precisely, the five major railway companies under them) truly cannot sustain their finances, then the Bank of France and the Ministry of Finance will certainly not stand idly by!"

"With your assurance, I am relieved!" Jerome Bonaparte said with a smile to Achille Fuld. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Afterward, both Jerome Bonaparte and Achille Fuld threw their cigarettes into the ashtray.

After Achille Fuld left, Jerome Bonaparte sighed lightly once again.

...

Time flew by quickly, and more than a month passed.

In this period, France rapidly sold off half of the Prussian Kingdom’s bonds, as well as railroad bonds from the Austrian Empire and the Sardinian Kingdom, then used the profits from selling the bonds to trade with the Kingdom of Britain, purchasing gold, which forced the Bank of England to raise its discount rate.

While selling off the Austrian Empire’s railroad bonds, the then Austrian envoy to France, Richard Metternich, came before Jerome Bonaparte, pleading for Jerome Bonaparte to delay the sale.

Richard Metternich told Jerome Bonaparte that the current Austrian market had become panic-stricken due to the sale by Jerome Bonaparte.

If the French Empire continued to sell off the railroad bonds of the Austrian Empire, then the bankers within the Austrian Empire and those from Britain and Prussia would follow suit in selling the railway bonds.

If that happens, the Austrian Empire’s railroad bonds would become the trigger for an economic crisis within the Austrian Empire.

Having already sold half of the Austrian Empire’s railroad bonds, Jerome Bonaparte considered that the friendship between France and Austria outweighed those railroad bonds and decided to cease selling the Austrian Empire’s railroad bonds.

(More crucially, the railroad bonds of the Austrian Empire that the French Empire currently holds are mostly for railroads around Bohemia and Vienna. Jerome Bonaparte believes those railroads near industrial zones and the capital are unlikely to result in losses, which is why he didn’t continue selling.)

Meanwhile, Jerome Bonaparte assured Richard Metternich that although the French Empire was withdrawing from the railroad sector now, it was willing to invest in other areas of the Austrian Empire.

Richard Metternich quickly inquired of Jerome Bonaparte about which areas he was willing to invest in, so that the Austrian Empire could implement preferential policies.

Jerome Bonaparte told Richard Metternich that he wished to establish a mining company in the Romanian Kingdom (which the Austrian Empire had merged into the Romanian Kingdom for easier governance), and a food processing company in Hungary.

"Your Majesty, the gold mines of the Romanian Kingdom have long been exhausted over the years!" Richard Metternich reminded.