The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1051: Chapter 78: Granduncle’s Imagination_2

After graduating from Provence University, he first worked as a lawyer, then bravely went to Spain as a war correspondent. Upon returning to his country, he managed to attract the appreciation of the republican leader Lafayette and the ‘chameleon’ Talleyrand through his writing.

Finally, he seized the opportunity during the July Revolution with decisive measures. Before anyone else could react, he was the first to offer the crown to Louis Philippe, who was then still the Duke of Orleans. This earned him a chance for rapid promotion in the government.

So, from Thiers’ perspective, this Marseille lad, who climbed up from scratch, braved gunfire and danced on the blade’s edge to earn what he has. What qualifications does the DelaSalle Family have to covet it?

What’s more, even if they’re far from their past glory and hold lower positions, the offspring of the DelaSalle Family are still widely distributed in France’s political, military, and commercial arenas.

But from the standpoint of the DelaSalle Family, this family, which once stood shoulder to shoulder with many banking giants, was not willing to decline. Moreover, the elder generation of the family never thought they were inferior to Rothschild or Barings. If they were to be accused of any mistake, it would be their overly cautious approach at the crucial junctures of the Bourbon Restoration and the July Revolution, causing them to lag slightly in taking sides.

Rothschild took a gamble on Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo, securing his position in Britain.

Thiers gambled on Louis Philippe during the July Revolution, and now, this short man from a single-parent family has become France’s Senate President. Given time and experience, he will sooner or later have the opportunity to challenge the position of Prime Minister.

As for DelaSalle, during the Bourbon Restoration in 1815, because of old ties to Napoleon, they did not decisively pledge allegiance to Louis XVIII. If not for Louis XVIII’s magnanimity and desire to reconcile political factions, they would have faced harsh retribution.

During the July Revolution, when Louis Philippe had just ascended the throne, Thiers was already by his side. James Rothschild, head of the Paris branch of Rothschild, had already placed the National Guard hat on his three-year-old son. Meanwhile, the DelaSalles discovered too late that the Paris tricolor flag had sold out, so they could only follow the crowd onto the streets and shout ‘Long live the King’!

Seeing the family’s prosperity not as it once was, although they can still live a life of high society in the eyes of ordinary people, the old uncle knew well the truth that in rowing upstream, one must advance or be driven back.

In London, following the 1832 Parliamentary reform, and after decades of the industrial revolution, the mode of power flow in Britain had quietly changed.

In the Middle Ages, holding power was equivalent to holding wealth. After 1832, this formula became reversible: holding wealth meant holding power.

But in France, this formula that persisted for centuries had only slightly loosened.

The DelaSalle Family could not be at ease as long as no one entered France’s highest power circle.

To solve this problem, they considered many solutions. For example, like the Rothschilds, they took the upper-class route to make connections with the royal family and high nobility, providing them convenience in financial matters. But just as Wellington would not compromise on the Jewish emancipation issue due to financial advice from Rothschild, the power holders in France did not habitually compromise with harmless moneybags.

The worse part was, after they finally established some relationship with the Bourbon Royal Family, they were overthrown in the July Revolution. And usually, a good relationship with the Bourbons became a crime with a regime change.

With this road impassable, they of course had another plan, namely the much-anticipated Miss Emily DelaSette.

Although her several elder sisters were also very beautiful, they all paled in comparison to this youngest daughter.

However, unfortunately, only sunflowers always grow toward the sun. Despite her paternal and grandparental generations investing heavily in her, hoping to make her the key to leading the family into a new era, the high concentration of resources not only cultivated Emily’s versatility but also nurtured her high standards and expectations.

Combined with a long-nurtured extreme passion for noble identity instilled by her elders, this caused Miss DelaSette to surprise her elders during her first Paris social season.

The details of this banquet were so disastrous that it was seldom mentioned within the DelaSalle Family.

What outsiders only knew was that after this banquet, Thiers’ nickname ‘Marseille Dwarf’ spread quickly. Of course, some ill-intentioned, civilized individuals also called him ‘Little Fellow.’

In summary, since then, Mr. Thiers indeed targeted the DelaSalle Family everywhere. Those traditional nobles also avoided Miss Emily DelaSette, the ‘high mountain flower.’

Although occasionally some bold philanderers thought they could withstand it and pursued Emily, their impure intentions were intolerable for the DelaSalle Family. Although a flamboyant post-marriage life was considered a tradition in France, Emily was not married yet. Losing her reputation would make all those years of investment go to waste.

Under such twisted psychology, Emily’s suitors were decreasing year by year. The young men willing to stay with her for life were not up to her standards, while the young nobles who met her standards felt that the DelaSalle Family and Emily did not meet theirs.

So, as they could no longer bluff the Parisians, the old men of the DelaSalle Family gradually became disheartened. Emily’s task shifted from marrying a high official to just finding a promising young man.

Thus, she began to appear more frequently at various events where foreigners were present, arranged by her elders.

The reason the old uncle visited Paris from London this time was also at the request of Emily’s father, intending to take her across the Channel to see if there was someone she could connect with emotionally during the bustling London social season.

But the old uncle did not expect that his grandniece would indeed have a good eye this time. She noticed a gold mine that even he, the old fox, had overlooked before.

Arthur Hastings, a Junior Knight of the United Kingdom at 23, was initially thought to be demoted when transferred to the Foreign Office. But the current situation indicated that his task was not simple; an ordinary Second-class Secretary at an Embassy would not know about the Foreign Office’s ‘little treasury.’

Considering Arthur’s experience serving at Scotland Yard, his controversially interesting lineage, and the British Foreign Office’s consistent style, the true identity of this famous London detective was coming to light.

He was an undercover intelligence officer of the Foreign Office!

Sporting the disguise of a Second-class Secretary was merely to fool others!

According to Scotland Yard’s police rank standards, the badge of an Assistant Police Director is equivalent to an Army Lieutenant Colonel.

If this chap had not been demoted, by the time he returned to London, he would have to be assigned duties comparable to an Army Colonel.

If he returned to Scotland Yard, he would immediately be appointed as the Director of this police organization responsible for overseeing the Greater London area’s public security patrols, the Chief of the Greater London Police Department!

If he followed the regular promotion route of the Foreign Office, he was very likely to take over a Consulate General position of a regional consulate.

Not a noble but superior to a noble.

Or just like his current position, he actually is a noble, but everyone must tacitly agree not to point it out.

In this chaotic train of thought, the old uncle muddle-headedly signed a memorandum with Arthur and Schneider.

Arthur, seeing the old man’s dazed expression, stood up and kindly inquired: “Sir? Are you alright? I noticed your spirits seem down.”

“Spirits? I’m fine!” The invigorated old uncle happily stood up and shook hands with Arthur: “Entrust the management of this new bank to me, and I promise to run it efficiently for you. Plus, Emily can assist me; don’t underestimate her. Though she is a young lady, her proficiency in mathematics surpasses most trainee accountants.”