France.

Jaime Medina, the current head of the Medina family, the old Earl Jacob Medina, died in March this year, and Jaime Medina inherited the title.

The Medines were allies of the Hashingen royal family in France, but the old Count Jacob Medina had been thrown into the cold for opposing Napoleon III's reforms.

As an old man who followed Napoleon the Great, Jacob Medina was very dissatisfied with some of Napoleon III's policies, especially with other factions other than the Napoleonic faction in the country.

After being rejected by Napoleon III, they were already hostile to Orleans and the Bourbons and the republicans, and the fate of the Medina family can be imagined.

The Medina family, which had faded out of politics, had already declined very badly before the rise of Ernst, and this decline was all-encompassing.

Later, when Ernst went to France to reunite these old family friends, he helped them financially with financial assistance, namely the agents of the Heshingen consortium in France.

But the price to pay is that it is also further away from the political center of Paris, because the heart of the Hauhingen consortium in France is the southern seaport city of Marseille.

The group of French allies of Hashingen, represented by the Medina family, has formed a considerable force in southern France with the support of Ernst.

Due to the death of the old count, Napoleon III remembered this stubborn old fellow, although he did not like him very much, after all, he was an old minister who followed the Napoleonic family, so in June, Napoleon summoned Jaime Medina, the successor of the Medina family, in Paris.

"Your Majesty, although the Medina family has long been ignored in France, I still have to say that there is absolutely no chance of victory in the war, unless France is ready for all-out war, and any irrational behavior may ruin the reputation of the Napoleonic family in France."

These were the first words of Jaime Medina when he met Napoleon III.

"Well, Count Medina, I have no plans to start a war lately."

"I'm just predicting that there will always be a victor between Franco-Prussia, and we need the land on the Rhine and a divided Germany, while Prussia wants the unity and integrity of the whole of Germany, and there are irreconcilable contradictions between the two sides."

"That's a good point, but what do you mean by all-out war preparations?"

"Prussia is not a small country, but a military power in Europe, the existing French military strength and system cannot quickly defeat Prussia, and once the war is delayed, the whole of Germany will be clenched into a fist by Prussia. Therefore, France's war against Prussia was different from the previous Crimea and Italy battlefields, and the French army system should be changed to a similar one like Prussia in dealing with the North German Confederation, and it would be easier to organize large corps to fight......

Medina's words were not finished when he was interrupted by Napoleon III: "Prussia has indeed made some achievements over the years, but that is because of the help of our France, without my acquiescence, not to mention Austria, even Denmark estimates that they have fought enough." And last time we were deceived by Bismarck's despicable villain, who promised us the land of France, which was completely unfulfilled, and recently Bismarck pleaded Leopold to compete for the king of Spain, if it is not stopped in time, I am afraid that France will suffer from the enemy. ”

"Your Majesty! Of course, I know this, but the problem now is that the Prussian army has completed drastic reforms, and its military system has been improved day by day after the experience of war, but France is a little unenterprising! ”

"Enough, Count Medina, the Imperial Army will not yet be your turn to talk here, and if the old Count knows that you have become like this, and is afraid of a little Prussia, I am afraid that he will crawl out of the grave in anger." Marshal McMahon, who had returned from Algeria, angrily rebuked Medina.

At the same time, other French generals also began to bombard Medina, and seeing that the situation in the court became a little chaotic, Napoleon III urgently called a halt.

"That's enough, don't make any noise, Medina will go back to Marseille first! The answer will naturally be revealed in a month, and the Imperial soldiers will prove everything with strength. ”

In a word, the Medina family was once again assigned, and the Count of Medina, as if he had expected it, turned around and prepared to leave. Before leaving, he looked back and said, "Your Majesty, you will regret it!" ”

Leaving the Royal Palace, a group of journalists from various French newspapers and publishing houses gathered around Medina as if premeditated and planned.

The reporter of the magazine "Noise" asked the Count of Medina: "Count Medina, I heard that you are against the war, is it true?" ”

"Of course, France was not ready for war."

A day later, the magazine "Noise" published a cartoon titled "Surrender without a fight, the old earl weeps." Medina knelt on the map of Germany, facing the direction of the map of France, shouting the word "peace", while the scandalized Bismarck set up a cannon behind him, a shell had already flown towards France, and in the upper right corner of the cartoon, the old count Jacob Medina scolded "traitors" in heaven.

The Havas News Agency reporter then asked: "Count Medina, who do you think is stronger, France or Prussia!" ”

"Of course it's France, but it's not good to evaluate militarily."

The next day, the news headline of the Havas news agency read, "The Count of Medina believes that France is no match for the Prussians." ”

……

That night, Medina took the train overnight, "escaped" from Paris, and if she didn't run, tomorrow the angry people of Paris would probably eat her alive.

The French people, who had just experienced the humiliation of the Ames telegram, also known as the "Bismarck telegram", were indignant at Prussia, and the Prussian war was already the trend of public opinion.

The reporters were not hired by others, they were all paid by Medina, and as for why they did this, it was naturally for the sake of traffic.

Medina knew very well that since the old count retired, the Medina family had been completely marginalized in France, and even if they came back now, it would not be possible to be trusted, and the French Empire did not have Medina's ships.

Although he deliberately caused a lot of bad things in Paris, after returning to Marseille, Medina planned to use the media under the banner of Hahinden to clear his name.

You can't really let the reputation of the capitulation faction fall on your head, you are also the main battle faction, but not the blind main battle, but the rational main battle faction who "sees the shortcomings of the French government".

Three days later, the media in Marseille began to exert their strength, and Medina, with the help of local newspapers, began to confront the Parisian newspapers.

"The news media in Paris, distorting the facts, misinterpreting what I said, unlike the media professionals in Marseille, who have a fine, truth-seeking spirit."

Naturally, the media in Marseille were very happy, and they used the "Medina incident" to criticize their Parisian counterparts, who were noble children living in the "big city", and their public opinion about France would always stay in the capital of Paris, and they could not look down on any place outside Paris, even the great revolutionary city of Marseille.

And the Parisian media, which was put on the side by Medina, naturally did not show weakness, and it was a burst of shelling against Medina and Marseille colleagues.

The matter became bigger and bigger, and the French government stepped in in time to stop the farce, but the popularity of the Medina family was completely launched. Medina is now the main battle faction, the peace faction, and the surrender faction are not important.

(End of chapter)