He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 525

Outpost (3) Rothschild is a Railway Phoenix

1825, where is the heart of the world economy?

“Paris, of course! Gold, coal, and steel all flow into and out of Paris. So, Paris is the best!”

A middle-aged man in a silk top hat exclaimed.

He looks like an English gentleman, but his thick beard is different from the well-shaved English.

If he wore the kippah [a traditional Jewish head covering] that Jews wear, he would look like a rabbi.

On the other hand, the man sitting right in front of him, listening indifferently to the praise of Paris, sports an English mustache.

The mustached man, dressed in the opposite, flamboyant French Empire style, asked back.

“Do you really think so, Brother Nathan?”

“Why, isn’t it, Jacques?”

“You seem much more comfortable buying and selling bankrupt companies in London. I’m dying every day trying to please the Emperor, the Prime Minister, and even the Parliament!”

Rabbi Gentleman, Nathan Rothschild, tilted his head.

“No, I have to please the Prime Minister and the Parliament too, don’t I?”

“At least you won’t be called a traitor. I’m constantly threatened by the issue of our family’s betrayal during the [Revolutionary Imperial Wars].”

“But you don’t have to worry about the bank going bankrupt, do you? I’m suffering from the risk of the bank going bankrupt as well. Last week, the British government declared its national debt invalid.”

Then, the British-style French aristocrat, Jacques Rothschild, was surprised.

“Don’t tell me Baring took it all alone? Those bankrupt national debts?”

These two people are brothers of the family called [Rothschild] in English.

Originally, the Rothschild clan was just a money changer in Frankfurt.

However, they gained a large amount of capital as the treasurer of the Hesse family and faced the French Revolution.

The revolutionaries who led the Great Revolution at the time advocated freedom and equality, but there was an ideology that they valued even more.

That is secularism.

This is the idea of not relating religion to politics.

It is a trend that arose because of the negative impact of the Catholic Church in France before the revolution.

However, when this secularism was combined with the ideal of equality, something that the revolutionaries did not anticipate happened.

Jews, those who were discriminated against for not being Christians, rose to prominence.

The Jewish family that rode the tide of the times the best is the Rothschilds.

Nathan Rothschild, currently based in London, grumbled.

“In fact, yes. Tsk! The French intelligence agency is being too lenient because I was an early sponsor of [Emperor] 陛下 [His Majesty].”

“Why is the French intelligence agency involved here?”

“Because the British Prime Minister didn’t tell us about this issue until right before the announcement. I heard that only the executives of the East India Company knew.”

Nathan gritted his teeth and drank black tea.

“I should have bankrupted that damn East India Company and split the British business world with Baring. It was a mistake to leave it alone because I was busy with the New World business.”

In fact, there were many opportunities.

Even the black tea that Nathan is drinking could have been monopolized by the Beauharnais Cartel instead of the East India Company.

However, it was not what the Rothschilds wanted for the Beauharnais Cartel to monopolize all business.

Also, the Emperor, the Empress, or even Antoine Damas, the chief executive of the Beauharnais Cartel, were too busy with other businesses.

As a result, the East India Company had a chance to survive.

With Indian trade and Qing Empire trade.

As a result, the East India Company is still surviving, centered on the black tea trade.

Jacques smiled and asked.

“Did the Federal Government of the United States of America also declare bankruptcy? You said you were busy.”

“You’re talking like you’re not doing business in the New World. You must have businesses in New Spain or New France, right?”

“It’s Nueva España [New Spain] and Nouvelle France [New France]. My agents take care of things there, and I’m already overwhelmed with just Suez.”

Jacques Rothschild was originally from the Emperor’s court.

The Rothschilds once joined hands with anti-French empires.

However, when the Empire’s ‘great’ late Emperor and the current Emperor defeated those empires in war, the Rothschilds quickly knelt down.

It was Jacques who was taken hostage at that time.

Now too old to be a hostage and a major banker in Paris, Jacques looked out the window and said.

“Besides, these days, His Majesty the Emperor is focusing on a separate business.”

The city of Paris is extremely chaotic.

It needs to be swept away and cleaned up, but the Emperor rarely approves new city construction projects.

If he only gave permission, the [Sociétés] [Companies] invested by the [Rothschild] Bank could monopolize the construction industry.

Unfortunately, the Emperor only cares about bigger projects.

At the word ‘priority project,’ Nathan’s eyes widened.

“What are you talking about? Is there anything more profitable than the Suez Canal?”

“There is.”

“What is it? Don’t eat it all yourself, let’s live together. What’s the point of being brothers? You know that we both have to do well because the other brothers are all ruined, right?”

Originally, there were five Rothschild brothers.

However, the brothers who were engaged in investment in Austria, Frankfurt, and Italy are all in poor condition.

Of course, being ruined only means that compared to Nathan or Jacques.

Jacques glanced at Nathan and smiled subtly.

“Brother Nathan, no matter how much we are brothers, profit is the most important thing in business. Are you trying to get important information for free without any compensation?”

Then Nathan’s face hardened.

“If you act too expensive, I may ask Rochejaquelein of Surte directly.”

“Then you’ll be summoned by His Majesty the Emperor.”

“He’s been separated from Her Majesty the Empress lately, so he won’t have the mind to do that, right? Besides, the Second Prince has run away to London, so would he turn against me?”

This time it was Jacques’ turn to be surprised.

“Prince Eugene Junior ran away again? Is he a repeat offender?”

Eugene Junior, Duke of Seville.

The Second Prince, commonly referred to as [Junior] in Latin, is a public nuisance to the Imperial Family.

In particular, he is controversial due to his frequent runaways, but fortunately, the First Prince, Karl, is a model student, so it does not turn into a major scandal.

However, if what Eugene Junior did in London were known, things would be different.

He wiped out Jardine Matheson, which was involved in the Orient opium trade.

In a sense, it is an incident that could become an international scandal.

Without mentioning such secrets, Nathan shrugged.

“Well, just think of it as a Grand Tour [a traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means]. When you’re young, you travel, play with women, and grow up.”

“Do you know what His Majesty the Emperor was like at that age? And you know how hard I worked to follow that Emperor?”

“Huh, isn’t that why this huge bank became yours? Now, Mr. Paris Rothschild Bank Owner. Don’t act too expensive and tell me now. I even told you where the Second Prince is, right?”

In the office of the Paris Rothschild Bank, Jacques looked at Nathan, sighed, and replied.

“It’s the railroad.”

In the 19th century, it is truly a product of the latest scientific civilization.

***

Originally, railroad technology should have been created in England first.

“Does this make sense? Steam engines were originally made in England first. Even steam cars! Why is France introducing such an innovative system first?”

In the office of London Baring’s Bank, Francis Baring shouted, jumping up and down.

Baring is now an old man, but he is still as active as ever.

Thinking that it must be because he made a lot of money and ate a lot of good things, Nathan replied.

“Why is that surprising, Mr. Baring? It’s because His Majesty the Emperor took all the British engineers to France.”

“No, there are still friends left! Technology has continued to develop even after the [London Great Air Raid]!”

“It’s all because of money.”

Nathan twisted his mouth and tapped the desk.

“As soon as someone registers a patent, the [Beauharnais Company] scouts them right away. So, how can engineers stay in London? Only shipping companies, financiers, and currency speculators thrive.”

There was a time when England was the center of the Industrial Revolution.

But now, England’s core industries are trade, finance, and exchange rate manipulation.

Anyone in business knows that the core of European industry has long since moved to [Vendée] in France.

Suddenly, Baring frowned.

“Look, Nathan. Don’t forget that you are also a British citizen. Not a Frenchman.”

“Of course, I know that very well. Although the British Prime Minister seems to treat me like a Frenchman.”

“In that regard, is there any way to invest in this [Iron Rail] system? This is a revolution. An Industrial Revolution! It’s a game where the first investor takes it all!”

Then Nathan clicked his tongue.

“Tsk, tsk, Mr. Baring. If that were really the case, why would I come to you? I could talk to Jacques and have our family take it all.”

Baring blinked.

Come to think of it, that’s right.

If it were a situation where he could eat everything with preemptive investment, why would Nathan join hands with Baring?

The capital would be sufficient with just the Rothschild family’s investment.

Tilting his head, Baring asked.

“Now that I think about it, that’s right. Why did you come?”

“Europe is over, Mr. Baring.”

“You’re talking as if I’m a country bumpkin who’s never been to Paris.”

Nathan, who was shouting that Paris was the best at his brother’s bank a week ago, smiled.

“It means that if you are not a businessman rooted in France, you can’t do anything. But the New World is different. It’s relatively loose, and it’s easy for pro-French businessmen to stretch their legs.”

Baring asked again with a puzzled expression.

“The New World? Are you talking about the United States of America?”

“New France and New Spain, Peru, Argentina, and New Granada are the same.”

“They’re all French colonies.”

At that moment, Nathan slammed the desk.

“That’s a very wrong idea. They are all virtually independent countries and only serve the Beauharnais-Bourbon family as monarchs. The Emperor deliberately made it that way!”

In the past, the Emperor conquered Nouvelle France and then took the throne of Spain again, gaining Nueva España.

So most French people, or rather Europeans, think that the New World is French territory.

But legally or practically, the New World is only the Emperor’s personal territory.

Why did this [anti-modern] or [medieval] situation occur?

Baring, who was rolling his eyes, clapped his knees.

“Indeed, is it because the French Emperor’s position is an elected one?”

“I don’t know why they don’t change the constitution, but that’s exactly it. They deliberately made it a [family territory] in case someone from another family becomes the Emperor in the next Emperor election.”

“So the control of the home country is weak, and French businessmen are less active.”

Looking at Baring, who finally understood, Nathan smiled with satisfaction.

“The total amount of capital of local capitalists is small. So, how about it? Would you like to join me?”

Of course, Baring is not one to stop at a profitable business.

***

The train emits a loud smoke.

-Poo-oong!

Looking at the scene, the person who made the train clicked his tongue.

“I don’t know if I can work for the British.”

Nathan shook his head at George Stephenson, who was originally British, and persuaded him.

“Oh, why are you doing this? It’s just a railroad connecting New France, or rather Nouvelle France and Nouvelle Espagne. It all leads to the benefit of France!”

“Don’t I know that most of the railroad profits go to you two?”

“Some of it goes to you, the patent holder. Heh heh.”

The white-bearded gentleman, Baring, also put his arm around Stephenson and smiled.

“Capital has no nationality, Mr. Stephenson. Keep that in mind.”

As if in response, the first transcontinental train in the New World began to run loudly.

-Clunk, clunk, squeak!

With the momentum as if it would spew out gold.