By the time Charles left Lola's side, it was already late in the evening, and it was already dark, but in the light of the bright candlelight, Baron de Beauvan was still crouching by the desk in his study, continuing his day's work. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 ｉｎｆｏ

Even those who rarely see him can see that he is much older than before, although he is still fat, but there are more wrinkles on his face, and a little gray hair can be seen on his temples; His eyes are still bright and powerful, but the hand holding the pen is no longer as calm as it used to be.

At his age, his energy will inevitably decline, and he already needs to start thinking about retirement, but now because his children are no longer around and he can't support his father, he has to do more things than before, which also greatly consumes his energy.

Though outside was the beautiful garden of the mansion, now in full bloom and in the breath of spring, the windows of the study were drawn down the curtains, and there was no greenery to be seen, and in the silence of all things, the baron was concentrating on his business, as if only in this square inch could he find solace and reliance in his life.

At that moment, there was a sudden and gentle knock at the door.

"Come in." The baron said without raising his head.

Charles pushed the door open and walked in with his daughter in his arms.

"How's it going with Lola?" The baron signed a document and tossed it aside, before looking up at the Charles. "You're still happy, aren't you?"

"It's not ...... Have fun. Charles was a little embarrassed by a father's question, but he walked up to him quietly and handed Liana over.

Liana had already woken up, but because she had just been satisfied with her mother's gift, she was in a very good mood now, and she did not cry even when she was held by the unfamiliar Charles, and when she saw the baron, she suddenly laughed, and then beckoned to the baron.

"This little thing is so smart!" The baron sighed, then hugged Liana directly, bent down and rubbed Liana's face with his own face, causing her to giggle.

Even if it's a tiger, there are times when it softens.

Looking at this increasingly old face and the smile on it, Charles was embarrassed.

"Lola didn't say anything weird, did she?" After playing with his granddaughter for a while, the baron finally looked up and asked Charles. "She must want to encourage you to be her helper, right?"

That's right, I was just talking to your daughter about what to do with you...... Charles, of course, wouldn't have said that.

"No, we just chatted for the next day and teased our daughter together." Charles said casually.

"So you just climbed into bed and vented?" The baron frowned, looking a little disbelieving, "And then it took so long?" ”

"I'm pretty skilled." Charles replied immediately.

This almost boastful answer made the Baron look at him in astonishment, as if he wanted to see a little shame in Charles's face, but his efforts failed, and Charles looked at him unashamedly.

"Hey, what a technologist." The baron couldn't help but sneer.

He knew that this must be just an excuse from the other party, but since Charles would not say it, there was nothing he could do to force him.

Besides, he also believes that the other party is a sane and greedy person, and there is never a lack of beauty around him, so he will definitely not be fascinated by Lola for a few words, and use her as a gun.

"Okay, whatever you want." He shook his head and gave up asking, "Anyway, I ask you to figure out what's good for you, and you should understand what's best for your daughter, and now we don't have any reason to be hostile, right?" ”

"I think so too, rest assured, you are a senior and a strong ally whom I respect." The charr made the same assurances. "Even if it's for Liana, I'm going to make your career bigger."

"It's good to understand." The baron smiled, and continued to tease his granddaughter with his hand, as if he were finding a way to entertain him.

"So let's get down to business, have you settled all the businessmen around you now?"

"Well, now that they have been forced to surrender, and their plea is now written, I can also guarantee that they will do what they promised." Charles pulled a few pages out of the pocket of his coat and handed them to the other man.

This was the spoils of the last time Fran met with the merchants, who had signed the declarations and agreements drawn up by Charles, and were ready to take the lead of Baron de Beauvan, hoping to use his funds to survive the winter that would surely come.

The baron set aside Liana, who had closed her eyes and started to sleep under his caressing, and then took it and scanned the details of the agreement, and then saw the long column of signatures.

With a professional attitude, he carefully examined every word of the agreement, estimated the value of these words, and wondered if there were any loopholes in them. It wasn't until half an hour later that he put down the manuscript quite satisfied.

"Well done, they can't escape our palms now!" He laughed with joy, complacent at his yet another great success, "If you borrow my money for the first time, I'll have to tie them to the golden pillar!" ”

"If things don't go right, they can beg me to break the agreement." Although he didn't want to pour cold water on his head, Charles reminded the other party in a serious manner. "If I have to, I can find a helper other than you for them......"

Although the two sides worked closely together, he had to take a stand so as not to appear that he was only working for him.

"Of course I know that, but since I don't plan to break the contract, why should I worry about you settling the agreement?" The baron was not less interested, but glanced at him with a sneer, "It's you, you have to worry about yourself." ”

"Huh?" Charles was a little confused.

"What? Don't understand? The baron continued to sneer, "Do you really think of yourself as a natural minister?" They are afraid of you, and they obey you, because you are your Excellency, and you are in charge of their life and death, but what if one day you are not? So why do they need to continue to obey you? What other reason do they have for you? This agreement was signed in the name of His Excellency the Minister, and if His Excellency the new Minister does not recognize this agreement, the plans of the two of us will be all in vain! ”

The baron's words made Charles ponder.

He does have a point.

In the past few years, he thought that his official fortune was prosperous, and everyone was afraid that he would flatter him, so he himself was inevitably a little fluttering, and he really felt a little "this power is born for me to use".

However, this is not a completely reliable power after all, not to mention any revolutionary riots and other events, the cabinet minister itself is a position that will be replaced, even if he is now deeply trusted and reused by His Majesty the Emperor, I dare not say how many years from now that he will definitely remain in this position.

And if he is dismissed or transferred, the reservation he left on the agreement will fall into the hands of his successor, which will become an obstacle to his plan.

This is really something that has to be guarded against.

"At least I can guarantee that I will remain in the position of Minister for the rest of the years, and that no one will be able to replace me easily, and that this will be enough time for me to use this power properly, and that you will be able to establish a solid position during this time. Besides, I'll do it accordingly. After pondering for a long time, he replied, "I will cultivate my cronies in the ministry and let them take over the affairs of the ministry, so that only I can easily drive this machine, and whoever else comes will have to be overpowered......

"Can you cultivate cronies, but others can't? Are you a minister, someone else? The baron shook his head, "Charles, this is not a way to be safe. If someone else really succeeds you, even if you have to be at the mercy of those cronies you have cultivated for a while, but after a long time, won't people find out their own experience? Don't forget, the power is in the hands of others! ”

"So what do you say you should do?" Charles thinks he has a point, so he asks rhetorically.

"So you shouldn't have put all this power in the hands of the government in the first place!" The baron made a gesture to indicate that he had given the matter a deep thought. "It's okay that you're young, you're detached, you're in power, but ...... You're so zealous about that, you think of yourself as the empire itself, but that's not right, the empire belongs to Bonaparte, not to Treville! If he can give the power to Treville temporarily, he can find a way to take it back! So you should hide the power somewhere else, where he can't take it! ”

"What do you mean by that?" Charles's interest came up.

"Aren't you halfway there? If you set up a railway federation and take care of the loans, you can combine these two things into one, let the federation take control of the loans, and then you can keep the profits of these industrialists in the name of repaying the loans, and let the federation be responsible for reviewing their accounts...... In this way, you have transferred all the power to the federation, and it makes no difference to you, and when you are there, you can call these people to your heart's content, which is just a matter of turning your left hand into your right hand, but it is different for others, and when the new minister can't hold the money in his hand, no one can move it! ”

Chardon understood.

The Baron was actually suggesting that he ostensibly delegate power, further elevate the status of the high-speed railroad federation as a civil trade organization, and then direct the merchants under his command with indirect control. As long as he can master the organization, it will be very difficult for that minister to repeal the agreement between the two even if he is replaced by a new minister.

In the meantime, he can rely on money to build barriers that other competitors can no longer match - unless the Trévilles are completely defeated, he will continue to have the same wealth and countless supporters as he did when he was in office.

Although in the end, the baron was still for his own sake, so that he could sit back and enjoy the benefits of the monopoly in peace, but his idea made Charles quite grateful, because it really worked for him.

"You're so sophisticated." Charles couldn't help but laugh in admiration.

"I've been dealing with money all my life, and I'm certainly better at it than you." Seeing Charles do this, the baron also laughed.

"It's a good idea, I'll do it as soon as possible...... However, if you want to get the active cooperation below, I will have to take your efforts. Charles groaned, "I have considered asking His Majesty for some compensation measures in order to compensate for the losses they will face in the coming tide......"

"Yes, that's it! If you help others to ask for benefits, they will appreciate your kindness, and at that time everything will be easy to say. The baron nodded. You're a smart person who can see a problem and think of a solution, so just let it go. That's right......"

As if thinking of something, he frowned, "That Mademoiselle de Léoland has your trust, right?" ”

"Quite a lot of trust from me." Charles replied, "Basically, she'll do what I want." ”

The baron still frowned.

"What, aren't you happy with her?" Charles asked.

"It's not dissatisfied, she's done well, but she's not good enough, and you can see she's trying to please you......" The Baron glanced at Charles, and pointed, "Yes, she's a warm-hearted person, but sometimes she's overzealous, so she can't act in a superficially neutral position...... And she doesn't have much prestige, and although you've been lending her prestige, it's still not enough. ”

"What exactly do you mean?" Charles still didn't quite understand.

"Everybody says you love her, but that's why people don't believe her." The baron deliberately avoided Charles' embarrassed expression, "People think you're romantic, and maybe one day she'll fall out of favor and be kicked out by you, so there's always a reservation about her." ”

Charles was indeed a little embarrassed.

He wasn't going to kick Mary away, but how was he going to promise that? Even if you make a promise, no one will believe it.

"So what do you think should be done to solve this problem?" Charles asked rhetorically, "Or...... Get Lola back? ”

"Don't tell me this! Impossible! Charles's temptation was rejected by the Baron almost a second later, "My suggestion is simple, stuff two 'neutrals' in the federation who listen to you to beat the side drum, get the kind of person who has a little prestige and obeys you, and then, let someone who can undoubtedly represent you rule the whole picture, since you plan to elevate it, first you have to make sure that it can only obey you, right?" ”

"......," Charles figured out.

Someone who can represent me without a doubt?

That can only be in that one person.

"If I let my sister be this representative, would you object?" Charles asked tentatively.

In fact, he had this idea for a long time, but he never mentioned it because he was afraid of the baron - after all, his sister was also one of Lola's accomplices in killing Maurice.

"You don't have a brother, but your wife does, right?" The baron does seem to have some reservations. "Your sister seems to be very young."

"I trust my sister more than they do." Charles replied without hesitation, "Despite her younger age, she has a much better brain than my cousin, and she has already done a lot of things for me, and she is very competent, not to mention...... Loyal to me, there is absolutely no other thought. ”

"Come on, don't use the word 'absolutely' indiscriminately! Because it will make you dizzy. The baron couldn't help but retort to him, "How can there be absolutes in the world? Are parents and brothers necessarily reliable? Don't forget that my daughter killed her brother, and God knows if she got any encouragement from that. ”

"She's never going to do that." Charles interrupted firmly, "I don't blame you for not knowing her, but I won't tarnish this loyalty with unwarranted suspicions, you don't know how eager she is to serve me......"

There was a subtle change in his tone, so much so that the baron looked at him suspiciously, wondering why he was so emotionally moved all of a sudden.

After the two men looked at each other for a moment, the baron finally sighed.

"Well, since you believe so, then do it, and hope everything goes well......"

"Thank you, sir." Charles bowed to him slightly, "We will never fail your trust, she will be a loyal and intelligent executor, and she has a good relationship with Mary, Mary will do everything she can to assist her." With them here, although there will be some omissions at first, but with the accumulation of experience, after a while, I think even if the two of us don't come forward, they can still preside over the overall situation on the surface...... That way we can rest easy. ”

"I've met your sister a few times." The baron said suddenly.

"Huh?" Charles looked at each other strangely.

"You looked a little weird, I've dealt with too many people, so I don't know what that might mean." The baron looked up and stared at Charles, looking at his face with a very strange expression.

After a long time, when Charles was a little uncomfortable, he spoke again.

"Charles, tell me honestly, you don't think badly of your sister, do you?"

Charles hesitated, not knowing what to say.

He wanted to deny it, but under the baron's gaze, he felt that it was only in vain.

His hesitation, for the baron, already represented a lot of things.

"Scared? What do I see? A new Caesar Borgia? The baron blurted out, and then couldn't help but stand up and glared at Charles. Hey, do you really have all ** on your head? (To be continued.) )