The Shadow of Great Britain
Chapter 963 - 43: The Old Nobility and the New Emperor_2

Chapter 963: Chapter 43: The Old Nobility and the New Emperor_2

But if there’s a demand from above, we have to keep filing lawsuits against the newspaper, even though most of the time, the judge and the jury don’t support our reasons for suing. However, filing a lawsuit every few days can still cause some trouble for those newspapers. If the police bother small newspapers like this for a few months, they will be exhausted and have no choice but to surrender obediently."

"What about the big newspapers?"

"Big newspapers? There’s a reason why they can become big newspapers. Their stance is even more flexible than the government’s; wherever the wind blows, they follow suit. For example, "The Times" follows the direction of society. If "The Times" suddenly starts fiercely attacking the government, it means the matter has reached an irreversible level at the societal level, and we generally don’t want to mess with them."

At this point, Arthur suddenly joked: "Actually, since I came to Paris, I’ve been surprised by quite a few things. For instance, even though Paris has stricter control over political expression, the public opinion in Paris seems to criticize the government more than in London. When I passed by Fry Square the day before yesterday, I found pear patterns all over the walls. At first, I thought it was plantation owners advertising their products. But the impoverished artist doing the graffiti told me he was actually drawing King Louis Philippe. The pear was just a rough outline, and passersby could imagine the facial features in their hearts as if it were a finished work."

Miss DelaSalle gently tugged at Arthur’s sleeve upon hearing this, and whispered: "You shouldn’t reveal such things; it’s a tacit little joke we Parisians have."

Arthur winked with a smile: "You must have forgotten; I’m not a Parisian, but a rule-ignorant Brit. Foreigners in Paris have this advantage, feigning ignorance while understanding fully, and the authorities can’t criticize me at will. You don’t know; as a London police officer, I felt stifled while in Britain."

Upon hearing this, Miss DelaSalle slowly unraveled her doubts in her mind.

He turned out to be a policeman, later became a diplomat, and even Paris Police Chief Henry Jissoke respected him...

As she pondered, Miss DelaSalle caringly asked: "Didn’t you bring your wife to Hanover this time? I remember diplomats often travel with their families."

"If I had a wife, I’d definitely bring her along." Arthur joked: "After all, this time I’ve brought my secretary and cook; not bringing a wife would seem like I’m hiding something. To be honest, if it weren’t for my other banker friend being busy handling business in London, he would have planned to come to Paris with me to relax."

"Banker friend?" Miss DelaSalle’s eyes lit up: "May I ask who your banker friend is? Perhaps my father knows him; most bankers in Europe have business dealings with our family."

"Lionel Rothschild, he visited Paris more than two years ago during the July Revolution, and your father has likely met him."

Rothschild!

Miss DelaSalle felt as if a bomb had been dropped on her head; the Rothschild surname was exceptionally prominent in Paris’s banking circles.

Everyone knows James Rothschild, the head of the Rothschild Family’s Paris branch, is King Louis Philippe’s most trusted figure in the financial circle.

Though the Banque de France, established with the participation of the DelaSalle family, is France’s central bank holding a monopoly on paper currency issuance, its credibility isn’t entirely self-dependent and somewhat relies on large private banks holding substantial gold and silver reserves, among which Rothschild Bank is the most powerful.

After the outbreak of the July Revolution, had it not been for Rothschild Bank providing substantial gold and silver guarantees for the Banque de France, the price of French bonds wouldn’t have stabilized in such a short time. Rothschild stood with the July Monarchy at a critical moment, naturally gaining the new King Louis Philippe’s trust.

In this banking dynasty of France, the Rothschild Family’s influence is undoubtedly significant.

Their influence isn’t limited to London and Paris; in Austria’s Vienna, Rothschild has a stronger presence. After all, Rothschild is confined to the financial circle in both Britain and France. However, in Vienna, four of Rothschild’s five brothers were officially bestowed the title of Baron.

Besides the unfortunate label of Jews, Rothschild Family in Europe’s banking circles is particularly known for their unique insight and ability to cozy up to the aristocracy.

In other words, being regarded as a distinguished guest by Rothschild already indicates a certain status.

Either born among the nobility, esteemed in martial accomplishments, or of humble origin with a promising future, potentially joining the cabinet—young Earls, Viscounts, and Barons.

Miss DelaSalle was dazed by this sudden news; though not being a Duchess would be regrettable, becoming the Prime Minister’s wife presents a formidable challenge. More importantly, as long as this young man doesn’t perish during his prime ministership, even if his father’s title is low, he can earn the Earl title for his achievements in the future.