Chapter 53: Chapter 53 Political Conspiracy
The Duke of Orleans immediately thought of the Paris Angel Company that Joseph had established.
He didn’t know much about the shop, having visited only once to buy a one thousand livres VIP card for his mistress—simply because she had pestered him about it for days.
However, he had heard that the ladies of the Palace of Versailles were crazily snapping up the expensive cosmetics from the shop as if enchanted.
The Duke of Orleans then remembered that the papers had been talking about the Paris Angel Company issuing shares these past few days.
He couldn’t help but squint, it seemed that the six million livres might indeed have come from selling shares. Could a shop that sold women’s skincare products really be worth six million livres?!
In fact, this was still without Joseph thinking about cashing out in large quantities—he still had 1.8 million shares of the Paris Angel Company that he could sell, which could net him another six or seven million if he sold them all.
After the Duke of Orleans had thought through all this, the anger on his face gradually subsided, replaced by a serious and anxious expression.
If the Crown Prince had been only a bit of a nuisance before, he had now become a serious problem.
A problem that had to be resolved quickly!
Public opinion, finance, and the military were three sectors that absolutely could not be controlled by the Royal Family, otherwise he would have no chance of challenging their authority.
Through the concerted efforts of several generations, the Orleans family had maximized their influence in these three areas at the expense of the Royal Family.
For example, in the realm of finance, the Royal Family had almost become a tool for the large banks to earn profit. Nearly half of the financial revenue was used to pay interest on debts, and the amount owed was increasing.
If things continued this way, it wouldn’t be long before the Royal Family would collapse under massive debt. That would be the Orleans family’s opportunity!
In fact, this was indeed how the original historical trajectory developed.
But the emergence of the Bank of France Reserve was like a breach in the financial sector for the Royal Family.
In the future, this bank could potentially take on more and more national debt, eventually to be signed off and written off directly by the Crown Prince in control of the bank.
Not to mention this, even just a little bit of financial initiative gained by the Royal Family would boost people’s confidence in it.
Therefore, this gap had to be plugged.
The Duke of Orleans paced back and forth in the room, feeling agitated. He waved towards the butler outside the door: “Donnadieu, help me invite Count Isaac, Marquis of Ludo, Count Capefield… yes, those from the Banking Guild, to go hunting in my estate at Yvel tomorrow.”
“Yes, my lord.”
The next day at noon.
In the vast estate to the west of Yvel, the sun shone on the yellowing grass and bare trees, with the sound of horses’ hooves and the barking of hunting dogs filling the air.
Dozens of servants directed hundreds of hounds, driving deer from various directions in the underbrush, gradually herding them toward the open space on the southern side of the thicket.
Sitting in the saddle, dressed in a dark blue hunting outfit, the Duke of Orleans raised his Charleville 1763 short-barrel flintlock gun, took careful aim at a stag in the distance, and firmly pulled the trigger.
Gunsmoke wafted through the booming sound, the deer disdainfully took a few steps forward, and then lowered its head to graze.
The Duke of Orleans showed a look of regret and gestured to the middle-aged man beside him with slightly bulging eyes and a hooked nose, “Count of Isaac, it’s your turn.”
The middle-aged man smiled faintly and almost as soon as he raised his gun, he fired. The distant stag collapsed at the sound, twitching weakly where it had just been grazing.
The people around immediately burst into cheers and congratulated him, while the hunting dogs and servants rushed towards the prey.
“Actually, we’ve discussed that bank too,” the Count of Isaac handed the gun to a servant and then turned to Orleans, “Obviously, he’s violated the universally accepted rules within the industry, for instance by using administrative measures to cancel Labod Bank and Lavier Bank’s government business.”
An older man with a neck so short it was nearly invisible leaned forward and added, “If we don’t stop this behavior, it’s bound to harm everyone’s interests.”
The Duke of Orleans immediately gave him an approving smile.
“Therefore, I suggest,” the old man raised his gun and aimed at the herd of deer, “members of the Banking Guild should unite to boycott the Bank of France Reserve, including refusing its notes and demanding our customers not to conduct any business with it and so on.”
A man in his fifties wearing a beige tight-fitting coat and with a large chin rode up from behind, “But this alone, I fear, won’t stop the Bank of France Reserve.”
Isaac turned to look at the newcomer, “Then, Mr. Necker, what do you suggest?”
Necker respectfully bowed, chest to hand, “I believe that His Highness, the French Crown Prince, dares to act recklessly in the financial sector entirely because of the support of Her Majesty the Queen and the Finance Minister. Otherwise, he wouldn’t even be able to secure the permit for stock issuance from the Paris Angel Company.”
The Duke of Orleans nodded thoughtfully, no wonder the Austrian woman wanted her son to become the assistant to the Finance Minister—with that, plus Brienne, she could completely control the financial policy. So, the Paris Angel Company and the Bank of France Reserve must also be part of her plot!
He immediately said in a cold voice, “You’re right. Since Bishop Brienne has chosen to betray, he’s no longer suitable to continue as the Finance Minister.”
Brienne was once the speaker of the “Assembly of Notables,” an organization representing the great nobility, and a leading figure against Louis XVI’s tax reform proposals.
Later, to win over the Assembly of Notables, XVI appointed Brienne as the Finance Minister.
Only after taking office did Brienne realize France’s finances were riddled with problems, and the state was on the brink of disaster. Tax reform was imperative.
As a result, he abandoned his personal interests and firmly supported the King, but he was consequently ostracized by the great nobility and the Church.
Isaac surveyed the few people present, smiling, “If we use our influence to remove Brienne from office and replace him with another Finance Minister, such as Mr. Necker…”
People like Isaac held sway over the financial lifeblood of France, and with Orleans’ clout in the political arena, together with the support of the noble class, they definitely had the power to influence the choice of Finance Minister.
Necker’s eyes flashed with delight, and he immediately bowed, “I will find a way to sever the government’s cooperation with the Bank of France Reserve and push for legislation that revokes the Paris Angel Company’s stock issuance license. All issues will be resolved at their root.”
…
Joseph was completely unaware that a political conspiracy against him was quietly unfolding.
He was at that moment presiding over the opening ceremony for the first cohort of new recruits at the newly completed Paris Police Academy.
Accompanied by the rhythmic beat of military drums, the Police Academy instructors led their students in neat steps in front of the grandstand.
“Attention! Right turn!”
At the command, the more than two hundred new recruits, arrayed in several square formations, turned together. Through the rising dust, they eagerly gazed at their principal—His Royal Highness, the French Crown Prince.
