Add Bookmark | Recommend this book | Back to the book page | My bookshelf | Mobile Reading

Free Web Novel,Novel online - All in oicq.net -> Historic -> Flowers and Swords and France

14, Spain

Previous page        Return to Catalog        Next page

    Although it has been the Paris Stock Exchange lately, today was as busy as ever.  This building has a history of more than a century. Due to the wind and rain, the bricks and stones on the outside have already been somewhat mottled, but the inside is full of brightness. The skylights everywhere bring bright light inside, and a  Under the gaze of the skylight, large groups of people were moving around, making constant noise, like worker bees foraging for food.  The people are mixed and the air is turbid, just like a vegetable market. However, here, there are no vendors in simple clothes, only a group of agents in uniforms. There are no cabbage hearts and leaves scattered everywhere, only pieces of paper coming and going.  In the clean and bright hall, everyone is chasing wealth and no longer has time to look at the world outside the window.  Not long after the market opened, Baron Danglars, one of the most prestigious bankers in the empire and a well-known securities speculator, surrounded by a large group of people, came to this temple of money, and soon  Became the focus of everyone's attention.  In this money world with strict barriers, wealth represents class status. The more funds you have, the more powerful and influential you are, and the more people worship you. However, Baron Tanglar, relying on his financial strength that is difficult for ordinary people to match, has no choice.  Yiyu is also one of the most dazzling gods in this temple.  ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????: From being unknown at the beginning to becoming a star that everyone is looking for now, I don¡¯t know how much effort he has put in, and how many waves he has created.  During these trends, countless people went bankrupt and depleted their wealth. He accumulated wealth at an alarming rate.  At first, people hated him with all their might, but as time went by and as his money grew, that hatred slowly turned into fear, and then into love.  When a person has countless money, he will be regarded as a superhuman being by mortals. They will not think about how many shameful things that person has done, but will only praise his ability.  The world will always be envious of his success.  After arriving at the exchange, the Baron was smiling all over his face. Sometimes he was chatting with the people next to him, and sometimes he was saying hello to the people in the industry who were passing by. He put on the air of a star, and under the gaze of the crowd, he came to a room on the second floor.  It was only then that people noticed that among the people following the baron, there was a blond boy wearing an exquisite purple coat, and a tall middle-aged man with a pale face wearing a black coat.  Especially this middle-aged man, because of his unique appearance and particularly friendly attitude towards the baron, he quickly became the focus of the surrounding audience.  "Who is this pretentious guy?" A trader whispered to a well-informed friend next to him.  "It's a new friend of the Baron. He seems to have just come to France recently." The well-informed person lived up to his expectations and immediately whispered in his ear, "I heard that this guy is very, very rich.  Fouquet is almost as rich, so Baron Danglars is very attentive to him and wants to win over him as a big customer. "Oh! That's it!" The dealer opened his eyes wide and then raised his head.  He came and looked at Baron Danglars upstairs with envy, "This guy is really lucky, he always finds the enemy!" ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Of course the Count of Monte Cristo didn¡¯t know that he had been taken advantage of.  The sophisticated traders and brokers in the exchange thought they had been taken advantage of. At this time, he was looking at the baron with a smile on his face.  "Mr. Danglars, it seems that your position is very stable. Everyone respects you. I have finally seen your strength." "Of course, Count, it took me decades to  Establishing this status. I can help my clients avoid losses and help them make a lot of money, so everyone wants to cooperate with me." Baron Tanglar, who has always been a well-known person in the city, seemed very excited here.  , he leaned in front of the railing and looked at all the people in the hall arrogantly, "However, Count, I am a little surprised. As a first-time guest in Paris, you don't go to various entertainment places like others, but instead  "You told me to come to this exchange, which is really rare." "Just as you are a rare financier, I am also a rare tourist," Count Monte Cristo replied with a smile, "I have been to prosperous places in the world.  There are too many, London, Rome, Byzantium and even Guangzhou, I have seen all kinds of prosperity, so in Paris, I want to see a different kind of prosperity - I think this is one of the examples.  " Then, he raised his hand and pointed to the roof of the building, "Look, countless amounts of money poured out of the void, and then fell to the ground. Finally, according to the instructions of you financiers, like  TideFlooding in the direction determined by financiers isn't it a wonderful picture?  Maybe the fate of a country is decided by you in an instant.  " "I have to say that you are very eloquent and insightful, sir.  "The count's metaphor greatly moved Danglars, and he nodded very solemnly, "If you can see through the essence of all this, no wonder you can achieve such amazing achievements.  To be honest, my wife thinks I am very vulgar. As the daughter of a nobleman, she hates people mentioning money all the time. But I want to say that money is the most elegant and powerful thing in the world. With it  There is everything, without it, there is no reputation, dignity, or even country!  " Charles stood behind the two people and watched with a smile as the two complimented each other. He could see that both of them were deliberately trying to please each other and get closer to each other. He fully understood the banker's motives. The Baron hoped that  He pried open the Count of Monte Cristo's money bag and wanted to take the Count's money for himself. Is the Count of Monte Cristo's motivation to get to know another financial boss? Is it to use the Baron's investment to help him?  Making money? It seems like it, but it seems not. In short, Charles feels that it is not that simple - this is a feeling from the bottom of his heart. Seeing the count of Monte Cristo smiling and talking to Baron Danglars, Charles always feels that.  This is an actor on the stage, wearing an exquisite mask and performing his lines. What is his real thoughts? What is he planning to do as Baron Danglars? It is intriguing and very thought-provoking.  The two people who were chatting and laughing did not notice the meaningful gaze of the young man behind them. They both seemed to be in a good mood, and the topic quickly shifted to the exchange itself. "Mr. Danglars, now I want to talk to you financial people.  I¡¯m so interested in my trading, could you please give me a hint so that I can participate in this kind of game?  The count suddenly smiled and asked, "You are a great expert in trading. Why don't you recommend some bonds that you are optimistic about, and I will try to invest in them."  " "You can ask an expert about this.  The Baron was not modest at all, but raised his head directly, "Count, I am an expert in this field, a real expert. I not only buy other people's bonds, but also underwrite bonds - all the people I choose to underwrite are  The bonds are all real gilt-edged bonds that can make stable profits in the long term.  " " Then you can recommend the one you are most confident in.  "The count spread his hands and said, "I will definitely support you.  " "If you want to make stable profits and accumulate small amounts, then buy treasury bonds, but the quantity is not large, after all, many people are rushing to buy them.  "The baron moved next to the Count of Monte Cristo and whispered. "If you want to make a fortune and experience the taste of victory, then I recommend you to buy the recently issued national bonds and railway bonds in Spain.  "    "Spain?  Why?  The earl looked a little confused, "Isn't it a mess there?"  It seems that people are rebelling every now and then.  " "Yes, you are right.  However, it is precisely because of this that Spanish bonds have more profit margins.  Tangglaer's smile was a bit mysterious, "That's how the bond market is. Good news will bring about price increases, bad news will bring about price drops, and rises and falls are exactly what we need, which represents room for profit.  , so the more chaotic the Spaniards are, the better their bonds appear to us.  " "That's it, I understand!  "The count suddenly realized, "For investors, they hate risks, but for financiers, what they love is risk. Only risk can bring profits, right?  " "Your understanding is so correct!  " " But how do you do it?  Use risks to make profits while avoiding risks.  "The count asked again. "It depends on the financier's own ability.  Tanglar still had a mysterious smile on his face, "Sir, no matter how contradictory things are, as long as a person has the brains and skills, he can easily do it in many cases."  " "I understand, you are a person with brains and skills!  The count nodded repeatedly, and then looked at Tanglar inquiringly, "Then, can I contribute money to join your game?"  I hope to experience the feeling of making money with the most famous people in the imperial financial world" "Of course, I am very grateful for your trust in me.  "Baron Danglars also nodded, but a hint of deceit suddenly flashed across his smiling face. In his opinion, a layman like the Count of Monte Cristo, no matter how rich he is, no matter how vicious he is,  A child, but in this complex financial maze, he is no different from a child, just a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.??.  As long as he operates well, he can definitely make the count lose all his money while still being grateful to him.  "That's great!" Count of Monte Cristo raised his hand and made a gesture, "How about I invest one million with you at the beginning? Please don't be too little, I just want to learn your ideas first.  Just look at the effect. " "Although one million is just pocket change in your wallet, it is already a lot for us," Tanglar's eyes became brighter and brighter, as if they were shining with gold.  , "I would like to thank you again for your trust in me and the trust in the Spanish government." ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ After noon, because Danglars still had a lot of things to do, and the count was tired of seeing it.  Exchange, so Charles left the exchange with the Count of Monte Cristo and took a carriage to the bustling streets.  Because the road was crowded with pedestrians and vehicles, the speed was very slow, but the count was not in a hurry and kept looking at the scenery outside the window.  "Charles, the Baron has been recommending Spanish bonds to me just now. What do you think of this? Has your family invested in it?" "Count, I'm really sorry, I don't have a deep understanding of bonds and finance.  However, since people like Baron Danglars recommend it to you and take the initiative to underwrite these bonds, it must mean that there is a lot of room for arbitrage," Charles replied rather cautiously, "But we are a family.  There is no plan to invest in this.¡± After hearing Charles¡¯s reserved answer, the Earl fell into deep thought again.  "If I'm not wrong, is the market worried about the rebellion of Don Carlos and his supporters?" After a moment, he suddenly asked, "But as far as I can see, hasn't the rebellion been subsided now?"  Los has been captured." "You are right." Charles nodded, "His Majesty the Emperor hopes to maintain the current situation in Spain and allow the direct descendants of King Fernand VII to rule this great Catholic country.  " "This scumbag is really lucky. He has noble people to help him every time." The count curled his lips and sneered, obviously disdainful of the dead King Fernand VII.  "You are right, he is indeed a scumbag, but that is not important." Charles smiled and nodded again, "He is your Majesty's father-in-law after all." Although since the destruction of the Armada, in the past few centuries,  The kings of Spain since then have not been very wise kings, but even among this group of mediocre people, Fernand VII is a rare weak king.  When he was young, as the crown prince, he fought hard for power with his father, King Carlos IV, and wanted to seize his father's throne. As a result, the father and son had a falling out, and King Carlos IV had to find him.  French Emperor Napoleon interceded.  But Napoleon was also an ambitious man. His arbitration was to depose the king and the crown prince, make his brother Joseph Bonaparte the king of Spain, and arrest the crown prince Fernand.  As a result, although the king reluctantly obeyed Napoleon's order and abdicated in seclusion, the Spaniards rose up to resist, eventually turning Spain into a rebel territory that was a headache for the emperor. Napoleon paid a heavy price for his absurd ambitions, and  It became a major cause of the empire's collapse.  After the fall of the empire and the abdication of Emperor Napoleon, Crown Prince Fernand finally returned to Madrid and was crowned king. However, he still did not learn any lessons. He abolished the constitution promulgated by the liberals, and then bloodyly suppressed liberals everywhere.  Claimed to restore his autocratic rule in Spain.  Because of his series of perverse actions, rebellion broke out again across Spain in 1822, and his throne was once again in danger.  And this time, his luck came again, and this time the French Empire became his new savior.  In 1821, Emperor Napoleon died. Because the new emperor was young, the Queen Mother Louisa became regent, and Prince Lucien Bonaparte became prime minister.  Because of the political chaos caused by the emperor's death, this new leadership group was eager to establish prestige and stabilize the rule of the empire as soon as it came to power.  At this time, Spain, which was caught in a rebellion, became a good material for the empire to display its prestige.  Fernand VII, who was devastated by the rebellion, forgot the hatred of the year and begged France to send troops to save his kingdom. The Queen Mother and the Prime Minister agreed and ordered the troops to be sent out - this was also after the end of the Napoleonic Wars.  For the first time, France sent its troops to fight across its borders.  At that time, France¡¯s dispatch of troops caused panic in the Holy Alliance, and all European countries were very nervous about France¡¯s move to break the status quo.  "However, because this dispatch of troops isFrance sent troops to help quell the rebellion at the request of the legitimate king, but the Holy Alliance hesitated and finally did not choose to intervene - after all, the Holy Alliance hated rebellion and revolution the most, and they could not and did not want to make an exception for France.  But they also collectively expressed their opinion that France would never be allowed to station troops in Spain.  After helping the king put down the rebellion, the empress dowager and the prime minister, who had gained prestige, chose to give up and take back their troops. However, Fernand VII escaped the crisis for the second time and became the king again.  king.  This lesson still did not make the king repent. As soon as he returned to Madrid, he continued his dark rule. A large number of opponents were killed or deported by him, and the bloody butcher knife covered the entire Spain.  At this time, due to the civil strife in Spain, the South American colonies also launched independence movements one after another. The Spanish government, which was unable to stop it, had to watch these colonies become independent, lose control of South America, and the country became even weaker.  Fernand VII also paid other prices¡ª¡ªwhen Her Majesty the Queen Mother put down the rebellion, she proposed to the king that her son would marry the king's eldest daughter, Marie-Louise, who was born in 1817 in the future.  Princess Isabella.  Although it seemed like it was just a request, how could the anxious king dare to refuse?  Besides, he also hoped that France would continue to be his backer, so he agreed to this request.  In 1832, His Majesty Emperor Napoleon II, who was already 23 years old, married a princess who was eight years younger than him in a grand wedding and made her the empress of the empire.  However, the disaster caused by Fernand VII to Spain was not over yet.  During his brutal and cruel rule, Fernand VII married 4 times (all 3 queens died early), and gave birth to no sons, only daughters surviving.  In order to allow his daughter to succeed to the throne, before his death, Fernand VII ordered the abolition of the throne succession law brought to Spain by the Bourbons, allowing women to be the king of Spain.  When he died in 1833, his three-year-old daughter Isabella became the new king Isabella II.  His move made the princes who were already eyeing the throne very angry. After the new king ascended the throne, his brother Prince Don Carlos immediately launched a rebellion, wanting to overthrow the queen and make himself the king. The war  Start here.  It can be seen from this that the entire life history of Fernand VII is a history that vividly defrauds Spain and the Spanish people. It is really a great misfortune for the Spanish to have such a king.  However, from the perspective of the French emperor, he did not care what kind of scum his father-in-law was. On the contrary, he was happy to see his sister-in-law come to Spain, but was not willing to see an ambitious and arrogant Prince Carlos.  At the request of the Queen Mother of Spain, he once again sent troops into Spain to help her put down the rebellion. Because there were too many rebellions in various places, the French army also crossed the front line many times and used Spain as its training ground. Although various countries have never  I was so happy, but in the end I could only acquiesce. France also gained confidence in this test. They knew that the joint positions of various countries were loosening, and there would soon be opportunities to divide them in the future.  It was precisely because of his performance in the Spanish counter-insurgency war that the Count of Morcerf was appointed marshal by His Majesty the Emperor.  So, at least for now, the goddess of luck is still favoring Fernand VII, and his descendants are still in Spain.  "Then according to what you say, Spanish bonds are very trustworthy because they have the support of France." After a moment of silence, the count spoke again, "The bonds recommended to me by Baron Danglars are really good things.  ¡± According to common sense, since France has spent so much money to support Fernand VII and his daughter, it must maintain the fruits of victory at all costs.  Therefore, well-informed people in the market believe that France will fully support Isabella II, so the current Spanish regime is still quite stable, and the credit of the bonds is still passable - this is what the Baron calls "risky"  , but the risk is controllable¡±.  However, for the truly well-informed, things are not so pretty.  And Charles happens to be one of them.  How should I answer him?  Ciel fell into deep thought.  Finally, he decided to betray the baron in a small way and use him to gain the earl's trust.  He did not answer immediately, but showed a meaningful smile.  "What, is something wrong?" the count asked immediately.  "Originally, I should have followed your guess, but"Er raised his head and spread his hands, "Financiers are financiers after all. They are not that good. How can they tell others about things that are obviously making a lot of money?" "Then what do you think is the mystery in it?" The Earl seemed to  His interest aroused, he opened his eyes slightly and looked at Ciel inquiringly.  "Count, let me tell you the truth - Mr. Danglars has money, career, status, and even a title, but he is a big liar." Charles replied mercilessly, "Logically speaking, if  He has been on the gallows dozens of times in the past. Unfortunately, this is the case in our era. The bigger the liar, the more popular he is, and the biggest liar can be richer than a prince, and everyone worships him" "What do you think of the Baron?  Problem with the Spanish bonds being underwritten?" The count became increasingly interested.  "This is not a question of whether there is a problem or not -" Charles deliberately lengthened his voice, and then waved his hand suddenly, "The question itself does not exist! It is empty." "Baron Danglars is peddling in the market  Fake bonds?" The count sat up straight and asked coldly.  For a moment, his eyes were full of fierceness, like a swordsman who had caught his opponent's vitals.  "I can't say it's a fake bond, but it's almost the same as the fake one. It can even be said to be worse than the fake one." Charles replied with a smile, "The railway company that issued the bonds was run by his subordinates. It's almost an empty shell.  , obtained the road construction rights from the Spanish government through bribery, but nothing was touched. The assets and personnel were only on paper, and the only purpose was to use them to promote in France. Many people will be deceived by the appearance, but.  My grandfather fought in Spain, and he had friends and connections there, so he had already inquired about it for us - which is why we didn't touch this bond. " "That's it!" The count grew.  One breath.  "It seems that this is a very classic bond scam. He plans to first raise the price to attract people in the market to pursue the bonds, and then directly short-sell, and then release the news to make his subordinates go bankrupt and run away When the money  They were all snatched away by him alone. "Yes, although it is not complicated, this trick works every time, and those who are skilled in this trick have made a fortune." Charles replied seemingly casually, "Every time.  Some people have been fooled, and I don¡¯t know if they are too stupid or too greedy. Who told them to forget about it as soon as they saw the Spanish government and the name of Tanglar Bank? " "It seems that the Baron has already played this trick?  He has done it many times and tricked many people." Count Monte Cristo said coldly, then looked up at the sky outside the window, "He is such a sinful person. Hell will prepare a chair for him."  Even if you help a banker go to hell, he will sell bonds to the devil." Charles made a joke, "Well, count, I have told you the truth now. It is up to you to decide what to do. I just ask you not to tell the outside world.  "Thank you, Charles, I really appreciate you." The Earl retracted his thoughts, then turned to look at Charles, "To thank you, I decided to use your money when buying this Spanish bond.  I¡¯ll also buy one for you.¡± ¡°Huh? You still want to buy it?¡± Charles was a little surprised.  "Yes, buy it, of course I have to buy it." The count returned to his usual smile, "Since we know that the baron wants to go long first and then go short, can't we just follow him? It doesn't matter whether he is a good person or not, we  As long as you can make money by following him, right? " "That makes sense" Charles thought for a while, "But you should be careful. You have to be careful when dealing with this kind of person. Don't be too petty.  If the loss is big, it will be troublesome if all the principal is gone. " "For me, even if I lose several million, it is not a big trouble, as long as I am happy," the earl said in an unexpected way.  I replied with the calm attitude I expected.  "Don't worry, if you make a profit from the share I bought for you, it's all yours. If you really lose money, you don't need to pay for it. We can just treat it as a good show." "Okay."  Since you insist on this, I can only thank you." After hesitating for a moment, Charles agreed to the other party's proposal, "However, Earl, you are really too generous, which makes me feel uncomfortable.  I know how to thank you." "Just continue to help me like this. Really, you have helped me a lot, Ciel." Then he looked into Ciel's eyes again, and then suddenly said to him.  He nodded slightly.  "Thank you very much, Charles. You will never know how much your words have helped me. I can't thank you enough." It's just some inside information. Is that all?  Ciel was a little confused.  But no matter what, it seems that he has gambledHe took advantage of the opportunity to betray Baron Tanglar's inside information and won the count's gratitude and trust.  In this case, what else is there to say?  "Don't worry, Count." Charles returned the greeting to the Count of Monte Cristo with a smile on his face, "I will serve you with the same enthusiasm as ever. After all, this is your Majesty's order, and I also admire people like you very much.  "Just looking at his respectful appearance, who would believe that this young man has now found a group of spies and is methodically preparing to reveal the Earl's background?  Eventually I will know why.  The young man thought slowly.
Didn't finish reading? Add this book to your favoritesI'm a member and bookmarked this chapterCopy the address of this book and recommend it to your friends for pointsChapter error? Click here to report