"You want me to go to the War Department?" It took a long time for Charles to recover from the initial shock.

"Yes, can't you?" Louis Bonaparte asked rhetorically.

"Not impossible," Charles replied quickly...... "But, sir, I don't quite understand the purpose of your arrangement, and if you may, can you explain it to me?" I thought it was ...... I thought you were angry with me......"

"I'm still angry, but now isn't the time for us to be angry, Charles." Louis Bonaparte smiled slightly, as if he was very proud that Charles could not understand his thoughts, "Now we have to have more and more important things to do, and I think it would be more appropriate for you to do them." ”

"What do you mean?"

"Remember our previous trip to the South, Charr?" The president mysteriously lowered his voice.

"Of course I remember, you took me all the way around the south, and you met with the Duke of Dalmatia......" Charles seemed to understand something.

"That's right, and it works well." Louis Bonaparte nodded, "The Duke of Dalmatia has fulfilled his promise and has spoken of us to many of his old friends and subordinates. ”

"And Count Ophtur?"

"Count Opple, of course." Louis Bonaparte smiled slightly, "At the same time, the Duke has said something about you, well, and more positively. Charles, so I don't think Earl Opple would particularly be hard for you if you went to the War Office...... We need someone who can be liked by the Army. ”

I see. Charles's heart finally dawned on him, and he understood the boss's intentions.

Since the removal of Prime Minister Odilon Barrow. After a contest between the president and the parliament, Count Opple, who leaned towards the party of order, was put to the fore and became the prime minister of France. This general and count of the July Dynasty. In the era of the republic, he actually became the prime minister of the republic, and it cannot but be said that it was another joke played by this seemingly republican republic to the world.

At this critical moment of seizing power, whether or not he could win the favor of the army was very important, and it could even be said that it was a matter of life and death, so it was understandable that Louis Bonaparte wanted to send his henchman to make friends with the army.

Alphonse-Henri-de-Hautpoul (1789-1865). Born as a civilian, he joined the army during the Napoleonic Empire and participated in the Imperial Army's military campaign against Spain in 1809. And he was under the command of Sirte, who was the marshal at the time.

When the empire was restored in 1815. He was appointed colonel, but after the Bourbon Restoration he fell to Bourbon and was later promoted to general.

After the establishment of the July Dynasty in 1830, he threw himself into the July Dynasty. Participated in the conquest of Algeria by the July Dynasty. In 1841 he was promoted to lieutenant general by the dynasty. He was made an earl in early 1848, but the dynasty was overthrown by the revolution.

After the establishment of the Republic, he remained inclined to the Orleanists, joined the Party of Order, and was finally elected Prime Minister of the Government, and concurrently held the post of Minister of War.

Although ostensibly a party of order, its political views were erratic, and he did not intend to be overly involved in the struggle between the party of order and the Bonapartist elements. He was dismissed by the President in January 1851 and returned to Algeria as Governor-General. 】

"Charles. When you get there, you have to get on good terms with Count Opple and the War Office, and I don't think you know it," and after a moment of silence, Louis Bonaparte removed the smile from his face, "You have to find some people from the Army who can work with us, and we must rely on them to really seize power and rebuild the empire." This task is given to you because of your trust, and also because your grandfather is the Marquis de Treville, who has a reputation in the Army, and I think you can accomplish it......"

"I will do my best to fulfill your request." Without any hesitation, Charles bowed down and said he accepted such a new appointment.

"Good, Charles. I have fulfilled your wish, the Count of Delier will remain in office, and I sincerely hope that you will fulfill my wish. Louis Bonaparte nodded with satisfaction as Charles did so, "At the same time, I hope that you will be able to exercise your work as effectively as you did at the Ministry of Railways, and carry out my will." Earl Opaull is busy with official business, and may not have so much time to take care of the affairs of the War Department...... And, even if he appoints someone else to be the Secretary of the Army, you can continue your work, and I have always supported you. ”

This was a hint that Charles should try to make a series within the army as much as possible, and Charles certainly understood such a hint.

With his knowledge of history, Charles knew that after serving as Minister of War for a year or so, Earl Opple did appoint two Ministers of War - Earl Schramm and Earl Ungre, but neither of them lasted long, and they stepped down in a month or two.

Obviously, even if these people really don't want to cooperate, they can't make their jobs much difficult.

Therefore, Charles packed the ticket without hesitation.

"I'll try to get the job done. However, I don't think you need to worry too much, the army will eventually lean towards us, because only the empire is glorious and can lead them to great deeds...... And only you are the Empire. ”

"If everybody thought that, it would be a lot easier for us." Louis Bonaparte replied calmly.

"They'll get it after all." Charles replied firmly, as if convinced of this.

"Well, then the task is up to you, Charles." After a moment of silence, Louis Bonaparte sat down again, "It's not realistic for you to leave directly from the work of the Ministry of Railways now, I hope you can clean up in the next month, and hand over the work to the person who will replace you, is it okay for a month?" ”

"Absolutely, sir."

"Good." Louis Bonaparte let out a sigh of relief.

However, as if he remembered something, "Charles, I have also read your grandfather's ideas for reforming the army system, and there are indeed many insightful things. But this idea is too grandiose to be accomplished in a day or two, and our main task at the moment is to seize power, so ...... I hope that when you get there, you will focus on stability and don't engage in too many drastic reforms, and when that day comes, it will be the best time for us to make a big difference. ”

"Don't worry, I can see the shape clearly." Charles nodded.

Then, Charles looked at Louis Bonaparte with some hesitation. "However, I think in the long run, we have to reform the military...... We must find a way to tame the army, sir. ”

"Of course I do." Louis Bonaparte's tone became a little colder, "But everything doesn't happen overnight. ”

Charles sighed inwardly, it seems that he really doesn't have the courage to perform a major surgery on the army.

Since the Napoleonic Empire, successive ministers of the army, whether it is the Duke of Belluno, Baron Damas, Viscount Digan and others in the Bourbon dynasty, or the Duke of Dalmatia, the Marquis of Maison, the Baron Bernard in the July Dynasty, or the Count of Opple in the Republic era, or the Counts of Schramm and Count Ungre, they all have one thing in common, that is, they are not traditional nobles handed down from the Bourbon dynasty, but rose from the ranks during the Revolution and the Napoleonic Empire. These young people joined the army, rose step by step in the twenty years of war, and became the new military nobles after the change of dynasties.

Napoleon fell, but his like-minded companions and subordinates, who were inferior to him, survived and replaced the old aristocracy as the backbone of the French army. Even when they swore allegiance to the kings, they were in some ways the same as Napoleon—a warrior, a yearning for conquest, and a contempt for other nations.

And what about their subordinates? Under their words and deeds, the new generation of officers is naturally full of yearning and envy for the "glorious achievements" of these predecessors and the legendary experience of seizing wealth with swords, and they are also eager to make meritorious contributions and eventually become new military nobles. Driven by this mentality, they naturally also desire to wage war against foreign countries in order to gain merit and honor for themselves.

When these people are combined from top to bottom, they naturally form a tight-knit military group, firmly in control of the army, and full of desire for foreign expansion. In addition, in France in the 19th century, the political situation was changing, and the government changed very frequently, and the status of the military became more and more important, becoming an interest group that could almost coerce the government, and their ideas eventually became the thoughts of the state.

In the original history, after Louis Bonaparte rebuilt the empire, he constantly waged wars against foreign countries, and it cannot but be said that it was also driven by the idea of the army.

It is good that a soldier wants to make a difference, but it is never a good thing to take it with him, or to be pushed around by the soldiers, - is not the fate of Napoleon and Napoleon III the best warning?

For the politicians, war is a means to achieve the goals of the government, but for the soldiers, war is its own goal, and even their meaning of existence - therefore, a healthy country should not be coerced by the army, and the army should become a tool of the state rather than a master.

If this fiery horse is not tamed, the Second Empire will sooner or later be coerced by these radical soldiers, and finally go to the point of no return.

Even in the Third Republic, the army was the most conservative and unruly group, and repeatedly plotted to overthrow the republic and reestablish the monarchy, but it was only because of the political climate at the time that they did not finally overthrow the republic.

However, fortunately, it was still early, and he didn't have to think about these things so early.

"I'll do my best, sir." (To be continued......)