The Intelligence Team of the Police Affairs Department was specifically responsible for collecting, processing intelligence, and formulating action plans based on this information before handing them over to the Action Team for execution.
This highly specialized and detailed division of labor had never appeared in the intelligence departments of other countries in the 18th century.
Three hours later, the Intelligence Team produced two plans. Fouche, after listening to their descriptions, quickly selected the second plan and ordered its immediate execution.
The members of the Police Affairs Department’s Action Team immediately sprang into action.
A few rushed to Paris to make preparations. Thanks to the swift rail transport, they returned to the Palace of Versailles before nightfall.
At 7 p.m., three Action Team members, disguised as musicians, took several “tools” from their hands and headed straight to Madame Garlan’s music hall located on the second floor of the west wing. They all held credentials that couldn’t be more authentic, so there were no obstacles along the way.
In the Marble Courtyard, dazzling fireworks soared into the sky, and music sounded in unison.
In the crowd, a beaming Madame Garlan bowed slightly. Queen Mary smiled as she placed the feather headdress, symbolizing the champion, on Madame Garlan’s hair bun.
Just half an hour before, she had won the singing and dancing competition without surprise with a selection from “The Magic Flute,” a recent composition by her brother Mozart.
The surrounding nobility and commoners immediately erupted into a roar of cheers, continuously shouting her name. More than half of them had bet on Madame Garlan’s victory, and with their pockets now full, how could they not be happy?
Meanwhile, the three “musicians” had pried open the door to Madame Garlan’s music hall, slipped inside, shut the door, and quickly stepped out onto the spacious balcony.
They first carefully observed the situation below; by then it was dark, and most people were gathered in the Marble Courtyard, paying no attention to this area. The three immediately worked together to remove three thick wooden rails from the balcony and then replaced them with identical wooden slats from the bags they had carried as instruments…
Tonight, as the champion of the singing and dancing competition, Madame Garlan was to perform at the King’s birthday ball, so her music salon was closed for the day.
The spacious and luxurious Hall of Mirrors was brightly lit; Louis XVI’s birthday party had officially begun!
Royals and statesmen from various countries gathered together, looking respectfully at the center of the great hall where the King and Queen of France were dancing the opening dance.
At the end of the dance, Louis XVI, with flushed face, nodded to the guests before quickly retreating to the second-floor balcony of the hall, looking utterly exhausted.
The chief steward of the inner court then gave a lengthy birthday speech. Next, Madame Garlan sang a classical song, “King Louis,” dedicated to Louis XVI:
“Our King Louis, mustering the troops,
“Noble horsemen, all take the stage.
“Our King Louis, commands ring clear,
“Who will follow me, to battle afar?
“Devout souls, rise to the charge…”
Below, Joseph quietly glanced at the financial statement that Eman had just brought from the inner court.
As he expected, the singing and dancing competition had lost several thousand livres due to Madame Garlan’s “bug.” Fortunately, there was an upset in the swordsmanship competition where Baron Wemorel, the second captain of the Queen’s guard, had defeated two favorites to win the title, earning over a hundred thousand in bets.
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Along with the income from the “Welfare Lottery” that brought in several hundred thousand, they had barely covered the cost of the birthday celebration, which amounted to 260,000 livres.
As the ball went on, more people offered music and dances, and even Godoy joined a few court musicians to perform a piece.
Luckily, the ladies of Versailles had gradually learned that the French Crown Prince did not like to dance, and rumors of the Queen’s chosen “Crown Princess” fiercely guarding Joseph’s side meant that no one bothered him.
Joseph then spotted his diplomatic target for the evening in the crowd, a man in his forties who looked quite sharp and capable—the Speaker of the Dutch Provincial States-General, and a core leader of the Patriot Party, Johan de Witt van Campelen.
Of course, he had another identity today, that of a special envoy for Stadtholder William V of the Netherlands. It was not an appointment made by William V himself, but the Provincial States-General had feared that the Stadtholder might compromise with the French, so they designated him as the special envoy to celebrate the French King’s birthday.
To the French Crown Prince, the Dutch Speaker was very courteous. After all, France had always been the financial backer behind the Dutch Patriot Party, and at the end of last year, without the help of “French volunteers,” the Prussian Army might have already entered Rotterdam.
However, due to the Dutch’s disastrous defeat in the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War five years earlier and the resulting alliance-style treaty that had to be signed with England, the Patriot Party, though repelled by England, did not dare to defy it and could not get too close to France.
“Ah! You look truly distinguished and radiant today, Your Highness, the esteemed Crown Prince!” Campelen said with reverence, while offering flattery.
Joseph took two glasses of wine from a servant’s tray, handed one to him, and smiled, gesturing towards a corner where no one was:
“I have always wanted to meet you, Your Excellency the Speaker. Do you mind having a chat with me for a moment?”
“Of course, Your Highness, it would be my honor,” he replied.
Once in a secluded spot, Joseph first raised his glass in a toast:
“Speaker, first of all, I must congratulate the success our two countries have achieved in fighting the Barbary pirates.”
Campelean eagerly nodded in agreement:
“Here’s to a more navigable Mediterranean Sea.”
In fact, the Netherlands had only reluctantly contributed one small Escort Ship and some funding due to pressure from France.