CHAPTER 341: CHAPTER 336: ESTABLISHING A FINANCIAL REGULATORY SYSTEM

On February 25, 1852, a company called the French Intercity Railway was quietly established.

At the same time, the French Minister of Railways, Barroso, also proclaimed with high profile that the main lines of the French Railways were nearing completion, and the secondary lines were being intensely prepared, with plans likely to begin in 1853.

Barroso’s words were like a stone that stirred up a thousand waves, as the middle class and bourgeoisie, who had tasted the profits brought by the first batch of railways, eagerly followed up on the secondary lines, seeing railways as the most profitable business of the era.

Yet little did they know that secondary railways were fundamentally a losing project; to be extreme, the construction of railroads itself was a losing business.

If they were really made to invest, the Ministry of Railways might have to consider if they could withstand the riots caused by market risks.

Therefore, the bonds for the secondary railways were transferred to the Gote bankers entrenched in the Bank of France in the form of contracts. They then packaged and listed the loss-making stocks and sent them to the Frankfurt and Brussels Stock Exchanges, which in effect shifted the risk of the French Railways’ construction to Frankfurt and Brussels.

Whenever the risk of the secondary railways exploded, Frankfurt and Brussels would face a 19th-century version of "Black Friday."

Jerome Bonaparte roughly estimated the power of the railway financial bomb, and even if Frankfurt and Brussels managed to escape, they would be skinned alive.

Having planted a bomb in Germany, Jerome Bonaparte secretly contacted a group of leaders from the Saint-Simonian School of Economics to prevent others from using the same trick against him. With their help (most of the work was done by them), a financial regulatory mechanism centered on administrative orders was established.

This regulatory mechanism’s inspectorate was mainly responsible for examining black money in the financial market and actions such as covert asset transfers.

It could be said that this was an enhanced version of Jerome Bonaparte’s financial regulation policy from 1850. Financial regulation coupled with a circuit breaker mechanism was enough to nip most financial crises in the bud.

If not constrained by the times, Jerome Bonaparte would have even wanted to implement financial real-name verification.

In the end, scholars of the Saint-Simonian School persuaded him to let it go, saying that sometimes taking big steps could easily lead to trouble.

Nonetheless, Jerome Bonaparte was still secretly cursed as a tyrant by some bankers.

Many in the middle class and petite bourgeoisie were also critical of Jerome Bonaparte’s regulatory system. Forgetting past pains, they believed Jerome Bonaparte was hindering their profits in the capital market.

The petite bourgeoisie projected their resentment of the dictatorship onto the regulatory mechanism. Only when a financial crisis breaks out fully would they realize the benefits of a financially controlled market through administrative orders.

March 3, 1852, sunny.

Early in the morning, Jerome Bonaparte awoke from his sleep, as usual, got up and opened the window.

A soft spring breeze brushed against Jerome Bonaparte’s face, dispelling his sleepiness.

Since mid-February, the temperature in Paris has gradually risen, with the spring breeze sweeping away the last chill of Paris, allowing the city to once again exude a scene of burgeoning vitality and endless life. Many nobles and bourgeoisie who had gone to southern France for the winter were gradually returning to Paris as its vibrancy returned.

On this very day, Cavour, who had been staying in Paris for over half a month, prepared to return to Sardinia.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

Familiar knocking sounds came from the doorway. Jerome Bonaparte stretched and softly said, "Come in."

The door slowly opened, and a look of surprise appeared on Jerome Bonaparte’s face.

Standing at the door was not Mokar, but the long-unseen "Lady Vierania."

"What? Surprised!" There was a hint of self-satisfaction in Lady Vierania’s words.

"A little!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded, his expression returning to its usual coldness.

Damn!

Looking at the man before her, an inexplicable fire rose in Lady Vierania’s heart.

If he weren’t the Emperor, she would definitely have taught him a lesson.

Thirteen-year-old Lady Vierania was not lacking in imagination; her mind simulated countless scenes of teaching Jerome Bonaparte a lesson.

But these scenes could never actually be realized.

"What? Are you here to bid farewell to me?" Jerome Bonaparte asked Lady Vierania once more.

"Of course not!" Lady Vierania’s sharp canines rubbed against each other.

If it were possible, she wished to bite him fiercely!

"Oh!" Jerome Bonaparte responded indifferently, then, as if no one else were there, he began changing out of his nightclothes in the bedroom.

Standing at the door, Lady Vierania stared intently at Jerome Bonaparte, not seeming to have any intention of looking away.

After Jerome Bonaparte changed his clothes completely, Lady Vierania blurted out instinctively, "Quite the capital!"

Realizing her slip of the tongue, she slightly covered her mouth with her hand.

"Hmm! I think so too!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded in agreement with Lady Vierania.

Then, Jerome Bonaparte slowly approached Lady Vierania, who was dressed in beige attire with feather headgear. He reached out his hand towards Lady Vierania’s milk-white complexion.

Just as Lady Vierania thought Jerome Bonaparte was going to caress her face, he flicked her forehead with lightning speed.

The sudden attack forced Lady Vierania to protect her forehead with her hand to prevent another strike from Jerome Bonaparte.

"Don’t block the way!" Jerome Bonaparte slipped through the gap left by Lady Vierania and exited the bedroom.

"Get a portion for the lady too!" Jerome Bonaparte, seated at the head of the table, indicated the seemingly pouting Lady Vierania with his fork.

"None of your business!" Lady Vierania retorted to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Then never mind!" Jerome Bonaparte played up to his "iron-willed" nature once again.

In all of France, only others yield to him; he never yields to others.

A satiated Jerome Bonaparte and an unfed Lady Vierania left the dining room for the study.

"Sit!" Jerome Bonaparte invited Lady Vierania to sit down, crossed his arms over his chest, and solemnly inquired, "Lady Vierania, have you given it thought?"

"Thought about what?" Lady Vierania asked Jerome Bonaparte.

"Are you planning to leave with Cavour, or will you comply with my request?" Jerome Bonaparte’s tone oozed with a sense of superiority.

"I..." Lady Vierania once again fell silent.

"I’ve told you, I need people who can help me! Not a decorative pillow, not a mere tool for venting!" Jerome Bonaparte said, "Your appearance does move me, but what I like more is someone who can genuinely be of help to me."

"What about your subordinates? Can’t they help you?" Lady Vierania asked in confusion.

"In some cases, a woman is safer than a man!" Jerome Bonaparte explained to Lady Vierania.

"Aren’t you afraid I’ll sell you out?" Impulsively, Lady Vierania couldn’t help but speak out.

"You?" Jerome Bonaparte once again scrutinized Lady Vierania, dropping his smile for a cold demeanor, "If you’re not afraid of someday slipping into the Seine River, then by all means try! For a fleeting dream, to ruin your latter half of life."

Jerome Bonaparte naturally knew Lady Vierania’s identity. To intimidate her further, he added, "I’ve heard in the ancient East, there’s a certain punishment. They place a piece of paper on a person’s cloth. The paper is indeed light, then they pour water on it. The paper sticks tightly to the face because of the water. Soon, the criminal’s breathing becomes difficult. [Lady Vierania in terror] They struggle desperately to blow the paper off their face, but it’s all in vain. The suffocating feeling intensifies with each passing second as death silently approaches, and there’s absolutely nothing you can do. By then, the executioner will repeat the trick and place another wet paper on the face. Despair envelops your heart as fear makes you wish for death.

When they notice you’re nearing death, they thoughtfully remove the paper from your face.

And then the cycle repeats, from despair to hope, back to despair... believe me, no one can withstand the continuous cycle of hope and despair..."

"Devil... you’re a devil..." At only thirteen, Lady Vierania couldn’t bear the cruelty depicted by Jerome Bonaparte, tears brimming as she pointed at Jerome Bonaparte, choked on emotion.

"Yes! I am indeed a devil!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded affirmatively, "This world too is one built by devils, only the strongest of devils can rule a land full of lesser devils!"

Lady Vierania was once again angered into leaving by Jerome Bonaparte.

A while later, Sardinian Prime Minister Cavour appeared in Jerome Bonaparte’s office, here to bid him farewell.

"Hmm!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded at Cavour, "I hope the Sardinian Kingdom and the French Empire can forge even closer ties in the future! Also, I’m quite pleased with your gift!"

Cavour’s eyes flashed with a hint of astonishment, never having expected Jerome Bonaparte to act so swiftly; after all, it was just a 13-year-old child!

Cavour felt a certain contempt for Jerome Bonaparte, trying to stand on a moral high ground to critique him.

Cavour had forgotten that it was, in fact, his decision that led Lady Vierania to the Tuileries Palace.

"Then I am at ease! I wish you a pleasant experience!" Cavour replied with a smile to Jerome Bonaparte, feeling pleased with having placed Lady Vierania into the Tuileries Palace.

After Cavour left, Lady Vierania appeared once more in the study.

"Hmm? I thought you had already left with Cavour!" Jerome Bonaparte again showed an indifferent attitude.

This time Lady Vierania seemed unaffected by Jerome Bonaparte’s provocation, having wiped away her tears, she resolutely said to Jerome Bonaparte, "Your Majesty, I request to stay by your side to learn!"