"Fart! These damn bastards...go to hell! God will punish you!"
"Suppression, must be suppressed, we must let them know who is the ruler of this country!"
Napoleon III roared angrily, with veins popping up on his forehead, and his pale hair floating messily. On his desk were illegal underground leaflets sent by the police chief. These cheap leaflets with rough ink and paper brought the entire empire to ruins. The emperor was so angry that he almost fainted.
Have any people ever questioned their king like this? Moreover, he stood up for a foreigner. Napoleon III could not figure out what he had done wrong and why the people did not favor him but a foreigner.
"Olivi... you are the Prime Minister of the Empire, and you have also served in the Ministry of Justice. Tell me what is going on?"
Emile Olivier is the new Prime Minister of France. He has previously served as the French Minister of Justice. He is also a typical constitutional monarch. He opposes the dictatorship of Napoleon III and hopes that France can adopt a political system like the United Kingdom.
Olivier wiped the sweat from his forehead, but complained in his heart, "Ask me? Why don't you ask yourself? It was you who transformed the Second French Republic into the current Second Empire. How can there be no public resentment if you go against the grain?"
Olivier's complaints were not unreasonable. After Napoleon III restored the monarchy, France's House of Lords was renamed the Senate, and the position of Prime Minister was abolished for more than 20 years.
Before Olivier, there was no prime minister in the Second French Empire. Napoleon III held all the power without any sense of decentralization.
His temporary appointment as the first prime minister of the Second French Empire was actually nothing more than a strategy by Napoleon III to quell public dissatisfaction, and it was nothing more than a drama to show that he was close to the people.
However, facing the emperor's question, Olivier could not speak his mind. He could only say cautiously, "The people are easily deceived. The previous continuous reports from the East confused the thinking of some ignorant citizens..."
"Moreover, there is definitely a Prussian mastermind behind this series of events. How could Bismarck miss this great opportunity to hack us!"
"What do you think we should do?" Napoleon III asked.
"There is an old Chinese saying that it is better to draw fuel from the cauldron than to stop the boiling water. The people are deceived because they are unwilling and dissatisfied, so they believe these lies!"
"I suggest that His Majesty the Emperor should carry out reforms as soon as possible, restore the system of the upper and lower chambers, and increase the actual power of the prime minister... I think we should restore the constitutional monarchy..."
Olivier is worthy of being a steady politician, and his suggestions are very pertinent. In the eyes of outsiders who do not know the inside story, it seems that the British and French political systems are similar, with kings, nobles, parliaments and capitalists.
But as long as you study it carefully, you will find that the political systems of the two countries are completely different. France is an imperial autocratic system, while the United Kingdom is a true constitutional monarchy.
In France, the emperor had all the power, but at the same time he was burdened with the grievances of the people after the failure of his decree. This was the source of the pain of Napoleon III.
Aren't you authoritarian? Aren't you an emperor? When your decree is issued and the people praise you, your popularity will increase, and more people will sing your praises.
But what if the decree failed? In the same way, you yourself will bear the grievances of the people, and they will curse you as a politician.
And the most important point is that there will be a gap between the rich and the poor in any society. The poor and down-trodden at the lower levels will definitely have grievances, but who should they direct their grievances at? Of course, whoever has the most power will be given to them. Who else can you target if you don't complain about the policies you make?
But this is not the case with the British constitutional monarchy. The queen or king is not on the front line of governance. They only exert their influence behind the powers conferred by the constitution.
It was people like Benjamin who really made policy, in parliament and in the ministries.
Whoever formulates the policy will be responsible, and he will also bear the public's infamy. Isn't this very fair?
There is also a gap between the rich and the poor in the UK, and the poor and poor people at the lower levels also want to curse, but no matter how much their anger burns, they can't burn the Queen. They will only criticize this government for being incompetent.
From this point of view, the British Prime Minister is more like a human shield that attracts public anger. He is a tank in the game. He can only work in one or two professions. In the past few years, he has been listening to the public scolding him. It is really annoying. Just get a new prime minister.
The constant change of prime ministers ultimately ensures that the entire British state remains in chaos. The royal family has always existed and exerted influence. Prime ministers and leadership teams one after another are gradually adjusting national policies.
This is the fundamental reason for chaos but not collapse.
Napoleon III had long heard enough of this cliche, but he could not lose his temper because he knew very well that the medicine Olivier gave him was actually the most correct one.
If he retreats bravely now, gives up his power to govern and chooses a constitutional monarchy, and only retains his responsibility for the image of his country, then he can really pass on the throne from generation to generation with the surname Napoleon.
But is he willing? This is such a good question!
At this moment, another officer in the room wearing a general uniform said, "Haha... Your Excellency Prime Minister, your proposal may be very effective, but do you think it is appropriate to implement such a big reform at this time?"
Napoleon III looked at his beloved general with joy. He was Charles Couzin Montauban, Count of Baliqiao.
Yes, you heard it right. The title Count of Baliqiao comes from the Second Opium War of that year. Montauban was the supreme commander who commanded two brigades to defeat Senggelinqin's 20,000 Mongolian cavalry at Baliqiao.
That battle made Napoleon III very satisfied. After returning to the country, he was directly made a count and rewarded the title of Baliqiao. He was also appointed to the Senate and given a high bonus.
According to rumors in Paris aristocratic circles, Montauban owned six manors in France. Each manor was decorated with cultural relics he robbed in the Old Summer Palace, and its level of luxury was no less than that of the imperial palace.
Montauban knew the emperor's thoughts very well. He knew that asking Napoleon III to give up his power would be like killing him, so of course he had to speak for the emperor at this critical moment.
"France is in an extremely dangerous situation right now, Prussia in the north is preparing for war, and there are left-wing forces in our country that are ready to move. That Xiao Letian is just taking advantage of our panic!"
"At this critical moment, if His Majesty launches major changes in the state structure, it will definitely cause chaos in the country and give the Prussians an opportunity to attack. This is absolutely not allowed!"
"If we want to reform, we have to wait until the war is won and France is completely safe!"
"I suggest strong suppression! If Your Majesty is at ease, I am willing to deploy troops to assist the police department in suppressing them. I must tell those traitors with blood that there will be no good end for hanging out with the Chinese!"
