Make France Great Again-Chapter 168 Hugo’s Battle

As the news of Audion Barrot’s dismissal for failing to meet the President’s expectations spread throughout Paris from the Elysée Palace, the normally calm Parisian bureaucracy was stirred by the Prime Minister’s dismissal, leaving many mid-level bureaucrats astonished.

Astonishment aside, life must go on. Other than the few bureaucrats who were deeply entangled with Audion Barrot and felt anxious, the rest continued to work along their usual paths.

If there were any changes, it was that the work efficiency of bureaucrats during the gap period had generally increased significantly.

Whenever there was a reshuffle, some bureaucrats would be kicked out of the government. To avoid being ousted, all the bureaucrats were working overtime with fierce competitiveness.

Better to wear oneself out than let others outpace them.

After Audion Barrot stepped down dejectedly, the Cabinet Ministers belonging to Audion Barrot also submitted their resignation letters to Jerome Bonaparte.

Jerome Bonaparte approved their resignations one by one.

On October 17th, Jerome Bonaparte announced that he would appoint Count Opler as the Cabinet Prime Minister.

The announcement caused a small-scale turmoil throughout Paris once again, with many Republicans and remaining Mountain Party members criticizing the Cabinet formed by Jerome Bonaparte as a military cabinet, intending to appease Changarnier.

The military, on the other hand, expressed approval of Jerome Bonaparte’s appointment of General Oppel as the Cabinet Prime Minister, indicating a possibility for military intervention in politics.

As for the Order Party, after Audion Barrot returned to the Order Party headquarters, the contradictions that had been hidden in the shadows resurfaced. Thiers, Molay, and Audion Barrot, the Left and Right wings of the dynasty, clashed once again, with the Orthodox Faction also stirring up trouble on the side.

During the internal strife within the Order Party, some members noticed the ’weakening’ of the Order Party, aligning themselves closer to the Elysée Palace.

The Elysée Palace Faction expanded once again, gradually surpassing the Republicans and Mountain Party members in number.

On October 20th, after three days of ’intense preparation,’ Cabinet Prime Minister Oppel publicly announced the list of Cabinet members.

On this day, Victor Hugo visited his run-down newspaper office as usual.

Affected by Audion Barrot’s "Association Law" and "Newspaper Law," Victor Hugo’s newspaper had gradually struggled to make ends meet.

Furthermore, the Havas News Agency recently invoked "creating affordable newspapers for readers" as a pretext to reduce the prices of its newspapers to around 4 centimes.

Under the power of 4-centime newspapers, many small and medium newspapers could not compete in a price war with the Havas News Agency. They were either forced to agree to a merger with Havas News Agency or dragged into bankruptcy.

Except for a few semi-official newspapers like "Bonaparte Newspaper," "National Newspaper," and "Constitutional Newspaper," the entire Paris had become the domain of the Havas News Agency. Victor Hugo even heard that the Havas News Agency recently received investments from Achille Fould and Emile Pereire, indicating they could use price wars to crush all struggling newspapers in Paris.

Competing on price with the Havas News Agency was unwise.

"Mr. Charles Havas is truly a terrifying person!" Victor Hugo remarked with sigh.

Of course, Victor Hugo did not know that the actual head of the Havas News Agency was not Charles Havas. The current Charles Havas was merely performing his duties as a professional manager; behind him was an invisible hand, the master of which resided in the Elysée Palace.

"Father, we can’t lower the newspaper prices any further, or we will go bankrupt!" François Hugo said urgently to Victor Hugo.

"I understand!" Victor Hugo nodded helplessly in response. He also didn’t want to lower prices, but with Havas News Agency’s newspapers nearly suffocating them, and with inferior content compared to others, they could only compete on price: "François, how is the matter of the loan going?"

François Hugo replied with a troubled expression, "Father, those bankers are unwilling to lend us money! They believe your newspaper is a losing venture! If you are willing to go back to your old trade, that’s a different matter."

"Alas!" Victor Hugo sighed, contemplating whether he should return to his old trade and write a play.

However, Victor Hugo, now a legislator, had been so busy that he had long lost the time to write plays.

"Father, I heard that the Cabinet members will be announced today!" François Hugo shifted the topic to the Cabinet members.

Victor Hugo remained silent, recalling a scene a month ago when Jerome Bonaparte visited him.

A month ago, in the living room of the Hugo Mansion.

The uninvited Jerome Bonaparte still dressed in Lev’s formal suit, with the Legion of Honor medal on his chest, sat in front of Victor Hugo, who looked solemnly at this imitator.

"Mr. Hugo, I specifically came to visit you today to thank you for your support, and also to ask what you think of Mr. Audion Barrot?" Jerome Bonaparte sincerely asked Victor Hugo.

"Mr. President, I am not someone who likes to manipulate power!" Victor Hugo did not respond to Jerome Bonaparte’s question, but instead, he sarcastically remarked at Jerome Bonaparte.

During this half-year, Victor Hugo had already seen through the true nature of Jerome Bonaparte.

What public educational reform! What removal of religious influence!

None of Jerome Bonaparte’s initial promises were realized; he only saw increasingly harsh laws and gendarmes stealthily observing the movements in Paris at all times.

Democracy and freedom gradually became a luxury in Paris, with the air of despotism pervading the entire city.

Victor Hugo saw Jerome Bonaparte’s ambition and the ugly face beneath his lust for power.

"Hmm... Mr. Hugo, I also do not like people who manipulate power!" Jerome Bonaparte seemed not to understand Victor Hugo’s meaning, and he continued with an innocent expression, "So, I believe we should overthrow Mr. Audion Barrot; only then can France welcome true freedom!"

"Mr. Jerome Bonaparte... No, should I call you His Majesty the Emperor!" Victor Hugo tore off the facade of hypocrisy and scolded Jerome Bonaparte, "You manipulate the entire country at your will, attempting to make everyone in this country kneel at your feet and call you Emperor. Wake up! France has already awakened! You are nothing but a vile imitator!"

Victor Hugo’s sharp words rendered Jerome Bonaparte silent. He did not understand how Victor Hugo could see through his ambition. Had his ambition truly reached a point where it could no longer be hidden?

"Mr. Hugo, I don’t know where you heard these unfriendly remarks! I respect the Republic and am willing to fight for it; I am not the so-called ambitious one!" Jerome Bonaparte maintained his facade.

Jerome Bonaparte’s words were met with Victor Hugo’s mockery.

In his eyes, Jerome Bonaparte had become synonymous with ambition.

Alas! We are ultimately not on the same path!

Victor Hugo’s refusal to cooperate left Jerome Bonaparte somewhat disappointed. Despite his cautious efforts to avoid a rupture with Victor Hugo, Victor Hugo still followed the course of history and parted ways, unable to even accept the dismissal of Audion Barrot, much less his own future coup!

"Mr. Hugo, I know you have many misunderstandings about me!" Jerome Bonaparte sighed and still spoke to Victor Hugo with a sincere tone, "But I still respect you! It would be wonderful if you were willing to support me!"

"I will never support you!" Victor Hugo retorted to Jerome Bonaparte word by word.

Jerome Bonaparte left, laden with regret, knowing that this might be his last face-to-face conversation with Victor Hugo.

...

"Father, if you had agreed to the President’s request at that time, perhaps you could have become the Minister of Education! Even without you, Audion Barrot was still dismissed!" François Hugo said with a tone of regret.

"François!" Victor Hugo rebuked François Hugo with a sharp gaze, "I will never help an ambitious person realize his ambition! The Republic cannot have an Emperor!"

Faced with the furious Victor Hugo, François Hugo could only smile sheepishly, "I... I understand!"

Just as Victor Hugo was reprimanding François Hugo, Charles Hugo burst in with a newspaper, shouting, "Father!"

Both Victor Hugo and François Hugo were drawn to Charles Hugo’s voice, focusing their eyes on the newspaper in Charles Hugo’s hands.

Charles Hugo unfolded the folded newspaper in his hand, "Father, the new Cabinet member list has been confirmed!"

"Read it!" Victor Hugo responded to Charles Hugo.

"The Cabinet member list!" Charles Hugo read word by word, and everyone in the newspaper office listened intently, even those rushing to print paused their work: "Cabinet Prime Minister: Alphonse Henri Opper (Orléans Faction), Minister of Internal Affairs: Fernand Barrow, Minister of Finance: Achille Fuld, Minister of Public Works: Mornay, Minister of War: Jean Renio, Minister of the Navy: Deco (Neutral Faction), Minister of Agriculture and Commerce: Bi Fei, Minister of Public Education: Pariou, Minister of Justice: Eugène Roué, Minister of Foreign Affairs: De Luy (Orléans Faction)."

Within the entire Cabinet, except for the few departments controlled by the Orléans Faction, the rest were all dominated by the Bonaparte Faction.

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