Listened to Jérôme. Bonaparte's words, Count Argou hesitated for a moment, and then spoke to Jérôme. Bonaparte replied, "Your Majesty, I think it is only the best policy for the French Empire to maintain the system of reinstatement!" ”

"Tell me your reasoning!" Jérôme. Bonaparte replied to the Count of Argour.

"Your Majesty, there is quite a gap between us and the Kingdom of Britain as far as the gold reserves of my time as President of the Banque de France are concerned!

What's more, our bank also reserves more than 2,000 tons of silver, and a rash change of the standard system may bring great trouble to the silver in our hands! "Count Argou to Jérôme. Bonaparte explained.

Unbeknownst to the Comte de Argoo, however, the gold reserves of the Banque de France were no longer the 40 tons he had when he left (historically 32.5 tons in 1855), but nearly 100 tons (101 tons to be exact) of gold.

Part of this gold came from the frenzied exchange of France during the war, and the other part came from the treasury of the Russian Empire.

It can be said that the French Empire now holds the largest gold reserves in the hands of any country in the whole of Europe. (Historically, Britain's gold reserves have been reduced from 104 to 74 tons, a period of time due to the Jérôme.) Bonaparte's exchange, Britain's gold reserves will only be less than this value. ）

"Mr. Algu!" Jérôme. Bonaparte smiled and asked the Count of Argour, "How long have you not learned about the gold reserves of the Banque de France!" ”

Count Algu was stunned for a moment, and then replied cautiously: "Since I stepped down from the position of president, I have never had a chance to understand again!" ”

"Then let me tell you about the current gold reserves!" Jérôme. Bonaparte informed the Count of Argourne of the present gold reserves of the Banque de France.

Comte d'Argous had a look of surprise on his face, and he could not understand how the Banque de France had managed to more than double its reserves in less than a year after he left the presidency.

"The current gold and silver reserves of the Banque de France are about 1 to 20," said Jérôme. Bonaparte replied to Count Algour, "and, according to my intelligence in the United States of America, there may be a large silver mine in California!" ”

"Ahh Count Argu had a shocked look on his face.

For Jérôme. Bonaparte's information, Count Argourne was somewhat unconvinced, but Jérôme. Bonaparte's previous manoeuvres forced him to believe these things.

Because of Jérôme. Bonaparte really has a gold mine in California!

"Don't look at the current gold-silver ratio is still maintained at 1:15, once this silver mine is discovered, the silver price in the international market will plummet like the previous gold price!

By that time, the exchange ratio of gold and silver would be far from that number! "Jérôme. Bonaparte replied in a solemn tone to Count Algouse.

"Your Majesty, whose hands is that silver mine in its hands now!" Count Argyu asked Jérôme in a hurried tone. Bonaparte.

This news is simply too important for him!

"What? You want to kill people! "Jérôme. Bonaparte asked Count Argoo, half-jokingly.

"Your Majesty, I think this silver mine must be in our hands, otherwise he will cause a big conflict with the reserve silver in our hands!" Count Argou was blunt about Jérôme. Bonaparte said.

"Don't worry! The silver mine has been sealed off by my men at the moment! At least in a year or two, there will be no leakage! "Jérôme. Bonaparte patted Count Argu's shoulder and said in relief.

Count Algu breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, and now it seemed that he had to hurry up and exchange all the silver stored in the bank for gold.

"Mr. Argou, do you still think that we have a double standard that is better than the gold standard?" Jérôme. Bonaparte again asked the Count of Argoo.

"Your Majesty, it is still believed that France still implements the system of double standard!" The Count of Argour once again against Jérôme. Bonaparte replied.

"Huh?" Jérôme. Bonaparte glanced curiously at Count Algou and said, "Why?" ”

"If France were the only country in the monetary union, then I would definitely recommend that France complete the transition from the double standard to the gold standard!" "But we are not the only country in the monetary union, Belgium, Switzerland, Sardinia, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the Kingdom of Württemberg (via Jérôme. After Bonaparte's round-the-clock persuasion, the Kingdom of Württemberg agreed to join the French Monetary League) to continue to use the silver standard, and maintaining the double standard was conducive to trade between the French Empire and them! ”

"What are you going to do if the price of silver crashes in the international market?" Jérôme. Bonaparte asked the Count of Argoo.

"Your Majesty! At that time, we can adjust the gold-to-silver ratio of silver coins, or stop free-minting silver coins! In this way, France will still be able to trade with them! "Count Argou to Jérôme. Bonaparte responded.

"Sounds like a bit of a point!" Jérôme. Bonaparte's obsession with the gold standard gradually disappeared under the persuasion of the Count of Argoo.

In his mind, the formation of an international organization similar to the European Union was a far more priority than the transformation of France to the gold standard.

Count Argu smiled slightly, but did not speak.

"Just do as you say!" Jérôme. Bonaparte spoke again, "When you go back, prepare a little!"

At the Monetary Union Conference in early September, you will be the representative of France! ”

"Yes!" Count Argu replied hastily.

Subsequently, the Count of Argou was replaced by Jérôme. Bonaparte gave the order to evict the guests.

……

A few more days passed, and Jérôme. Bonaparte finally received news from Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

It was raining that day, Jérôme. Bonaparte then sent the news to General Vaillant about the blockade of the Paris railway station until the arrival of Queen Victoria and his wife.

At the same time, Jérôme. Bonaparte also summoned Baron Ottoman, a high-ranking official in the Seine province, with Marshal Pellisier, the "hero" of the Crimean War.

In an exchange with Baron Ottoman, Jérôme. Bonaparte gave an order to Baron Ottomann to seal off the Universal Exposition the night after the arrival of Queen Victoria and his wife.

On the second day, the number of people at the World's Fair is strictly limited, and in short, the safety of Queen Victoria and her wife when they visit the World's Fair must be ensured.

"Your Majesty, why don't we Victoria directly announce the closure of the World Expo for one day!" Baron Osmans made his own proposal.

"What about the people at the World's Fair? You can't have just a few people in the whole Expo," Jérôme. Bonaparte retorted to the Ottoman baron.

"Your Majesty, we can find someone to pretend to be someone attending the fair! This will not only protect the safety of the queen and couple, but also make the fair look less empty! Once again, Baron Osman proposed a solution.

"This method ......" Jérôme. Bonaparte pondered for a moment, then said to Baron Ottoman: "This is a good idea, but I don't like it!"

So let's do as I say! ”

"Yes! Your Majesty! Baron Osman had no choice but to submit to the wayward monarch in front of him.

After speaking with Baron Osman, Jérôme. Bonaparte turned his gaze to Pellisier.

"Marshal Perissier, on the day of Victoria and Albert's arrival, you will come with me to meet them!" Jérôme. Bonaparte said to Pellisier.

"It's my pleasure!" Marshal Perissier respectfully addressed Jérôme. Bonaparte said.

The time soon came for Queen Victoria and her husband to arrive on this day, and at 10 o'clock in the afternoon, Jérôme. Bonaparte, Augusta, and Friedrich and their entourage set out in a carriage from the Palazzo Douilleur and arrived at the railway station at 10:30 a.m., escorted by dragoons.

At this time, there was still half an hour before the arrival of the Victorian couple's train, and given that Augusta had been holding Friedrich in his arms, Jérôme . Bonaparte had Augusta and Friedrich still sit in the carriage, and when the train arrived, he would send for them to be informed, and they would come down from the carriage to meet them.

Half an hour later, accompanied by a distant whistle, Jérôme. Bonaparte immediately gave an order to Vaillan, who was beside him, "Go and call Augusta quickly!" ”

After a while, Augusta appeared on the platform with Friedrich in his arms.

The train carrying the Victorians also slowed down and eventually stopped in front of the platform.

The Victorians then disembarked from the train, accompanied by their children.

The oldest of them was about 10 years old, while the youngest was only 5 or 6 years old.

They were Victoria and Albert's children.

"Welcome to France again, my friend!" Jérôme. Bonaparte stepped forward and gave Prince Albert a warm hug.

"I'm really happy that my friend was able to come and greet me in person!" Albert likewise smiled at Jérôme. Bonaparte responded.

"You're my best friend, how could I not come to greet you!" Jérôme. Bonaparte said to Albert, and then he turned his gaze to the eldest (male) child next to Albert and couldn't help but sigh, "This is Crown Prince Edward, and he is already so old!" ”

Jérôme. The man Bonaparte was Albert's eldest son, Edward VII, the future monarch of Britain.

At this time, Edward VII was looking at Jérôme with longing eyes. Bonaparte.

Yuan's Literature Network