French Empire: But Napoleon IV

Chapter 115 Eugene brings neutrals into the cabinet and delegates power (Seeking first subscription, collection and follow-up reading)

"This decision is wise. Mr. Olivier enjoys high prestige among liberals, and having him form a cabinet will effectively appease many. However, Your Highness, I think you need to understand that the support of Paris alone is not enough."

The local provinces already lacked trust in Paris, and this was even more pronounced now. Even with conclusive evidence, Troche's death could be interpreted in some places as an act of imperial oppression.

Thiers somewhat agreed, but not much. He wanted to investigate Eugène further, as he wanted to know Eugène's attitude towards local affairs.

Previously, Eugène had promised to bring him and Simon into the cabinet, but the two sides could not agree on specific positions.

In fact, Thiers and Simon both felt that they were neutrals, even opponents of the monarchy, and that it would be difficult for them to obtain any real power or position.

However, Eugene's actions exceeded their expectations. The crown prince, who was questioned by Thiers for the second time, looked at the seasoned politician and instead of offering a solution, extended an olive branch directly.

"Therefore, I need you to join the government, Mr. Thiers. I know you have many connections in the provinces, and it would be most appropriate for you to serve as Minister of the Interior, responsible for coordinating relations between the provinces."

Thiers was taken aback. He hadn't expected that Eugène would directly ask him to join the government in response to his questioning, let alone offer him such a powerful position.

Positions in the Ministry of the Interior, Foreign Affairs, Army, Navy, and Finance are among the most valuable in any country.

A monarch's ability to employ people is a significant characteristic, and Thiers must admit that if he were to put in the effort, he could indeed meet Eugène's needs.

This is terrifying. Thiers looked at Eugene in front of him, wondering if the prince was certain he could solve the problem or simply wanted to win over the centrists.

Thiers, who had a prominent reputation in both the Orleans Party and the Republican Party, was somewhat unsure of himself. He couldn't even be sure that Eugène was so certain that he wouldn't use the position to cause trouble or refuse it.

In other words, Eugène was unaware of Thiers's wildly imaginative ideas, otherwise he would have confidently answered "yes".

Eugène, who knows Thiers' entire life, knows that this man was never a staunch factionalist; he was a true opportunist.

On the eve of the 1848 revolution, Thiers, who had long been unable to obtain an ideal official position, sensed with his unique political acumen that a popular revolutionary storm was about to break out. He then delivered a passionate speech, declaring, "I will forever belong to the revolutionary party!"

However, the French workers were not fools. They saw through Thiers's plot to "replace the Guizot cabinet with the Thiers cabinet," and they did not trust him at all, giving him the nickname "Mirabeau the Fly."

During his later presidential career, he was able to rise to power largely because he believed he had good relationships with both the Royalists and the Republicans, which enabled him to become president.

Even when he was too old to continue, he made a comeback, wanting to return to politics.

Now, a meteoric rise to the position of Minister of the Interior, a top-ranking post just below the Prime Minister, is enough to satisfy this opportunist who has never held any ideal position.

Even if Thiers is not satisfied with this and wants to become prime minister directly, he would have to work hard and make some achievements before that would be possible.

"Very well, Your Highness, I admit your sincerity has moved me, but I need some time to consider. After all, my relationship with the Empire... you should know that I am not a confidant of the Empire."

As expected of an opportunist, Thiers put it euphemistically, but what he meant was that he was a member of the Orleans school.

He now wants to join the Napoleonic family's government, which requires some consideration; it's not something he can agree to immediately.

Knowing that the other party needed a buffer period to demonstrate that he was not someone who would easily betray his principles, Eugène nodded in agreement.

"I understand, and you can give me an answer tomorrow. I hope you understand that France should not be fixated on factional struggles now, but should take action and unite all forces to fight against the Prussians."

The opportunity has been presented; what could be a greater opportunity than uniting to confront Prussia?

Knowing that he had a way out, Thiers didn't directly agree to join the Imperial Government, but seeing the gleam in his eyes...

Eugene was certain that he would see Thiers in Olivier's government office tomorrow.

After resolving Thiers's problem, Eugene then turned to Simon.

Student elements are a difficult force to control; they are a double-edged sword. Eugène needs them to deal with the Prussians, not to get bogged down in how to overthrow the monarchy.

This is where Simon's help comes in. He has a deep background in education and culture, enjoys a great deal of prestige, and is very adept at manipulating public opinion.

"Mr. Simon, I also hope that you can join the new government and serve as Minister of Education. France needs to cultivate a new generation of citizens, and you are the best candidate."

I witnessed the whole process, and I am a liberal member of parliament who is more inclined to Olivier's theories.

Now that Olivier has been reinstated and Simon has been promoted to the equally powerful position of Minister of Education, he has nothing to complain about.

However, given the precedent of Nathan, Simon still asked an unnecessary question. But it was just a formality, and neither party had signed anything. As long as Eugène's answer wasn't outrageous, he would join the government directly.

"Your Highness, I admit your sincerity has moved me, but I have one condition. I hope you can guarantee that you will implement genuine reforms, rather than using education as a tool to consolidate your rule, as your father did."

"Mr. Simon can rest assured on this point. What I want is a strong France, not a festering empire. Education is crucial to the future of the empire, and I will not be ambiguous on this issue."

Having resolved the issues of the three individuals, not only did Eugène look at Schneider, but even the three political heavyweights who had openly or secretly decided to defect to the Empire also turned their attention to Schneider.

Faced with the gazes of the four men, Schneider couldn't help but smile wryly. He looked at Eugene, waiting for the prince to present his conditions, or rather, his questions.

"Mr. Schneider, if you were to produce the Reffye 85mm breech-loading field gun, how many could you manufacture per month?"

This is France's only breech-loading field gun today, and it still uses a bronze barrel. This is related to the technological gap, but it is also closely related to France's steel shortage. You can't expect a country with low steel production to have good steelmaking technology.

"Your Highness, I must say, this is very difficult."

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