I am the Crown Prince of France

Chapter 53: A Political Conspiracy

The Duke of Orleans immediately connected Joseph's Paris Angel Company to his problem. He wasn't particularly familiar with the store, having only visited once to buy a 1,000-livre VIP card for his mistress—mainly because she had pestered him about it for days. However, he had heard that the noblewomen of Versailles were almost enchanted by the store, going there in droves to purchase its expensive cosmetics.

The Duke then recalled the newspapers buzzing about Paris Angel Company's recent stock sale. He narrowed his eyes, realizing that the 6 million livres Joseph had raised likely came from selling these shares. But could a company that sold women's skincare products really be worth 6 million livres?!

Actually, Joseph hadn't even fully cashed out—he still had 1.8 million shares of Paris Angel that he could sell, potentially bringing in another six or seven million.

As the Duke of Orleans pieced everything together, the anger on his face gradually faded, replaced by a deep concern and anxiety.

If before, the Prince was just a troublesome obstacle, now he had become a serious problem—a problem that needed to be dealt with quickly.

The press, finance, and military—these three elements must not fall under royal control. If the monarchy regained power over these areas, the Duke knew that he would lose any chance of undermining it.

The House of Orleans had spent generations painstakingly diminishing the monarchy's control over these sectors to the greatest extent possible. For example, in finance, the monarchy had nearly become a mere tool for the major banks to extract profits, with nearly half of the state's income going to pay interest, and the debt only increasing over time.

At this rate, it wouldn't be long before the monarchy was crushed by the sheer weight of its debt, and that would be the Duke of Orleans' moment of opportunity.

In fact, history originally followed this very path.

But the emergence of the French Reserve Bank represented a breach in the financial stranglehold on the monarchy. If this bank continued to grow, it might start absorbing more and more government debt. Eventually, the Prince, who controlled the bank, could simply sign off and cancel these debts.

Even beyond that, if the monarchy gained even a little financial independence, it would restore people's confidence in the royal family. So, this breach needed to be sealed—and fast.

The Duke of Orleans paced around the room, frustration evident as he summoned his butler, "Donadieu, invite Count Isaac, Marquis Ludo, Count Capefer, and the others—yes, the ones from the banking guild. Have them join me tomorrow for a hunt at my estate in Yeuvers."

"Yes, my lord," replied the butler.

The next afternoon, at the Duke's expansive estate west of Yeuvers, the sun shone down on the yellowed grass and bare trees, while the air was filled with the sounds of hooves and barking dogs.

Dozens of servants directed over a hundred hunting dogs, driving a herd of deer from several directions toward an open field on the southern side of the woods.

Seated firmly in his saddle, clad in a dark blue hunting outfit, the Duke of Orleans raised his Charleville 1763 flintlock carbine, taking careful aim at a distant stag before pulling the trigger.

With a loud bang and a puff of smoke, the stag disdainfully leaped a few steps forward and began grazing again.

The Duke of Orleans showed a hint of disappointment but signaled to the man beside him—a middle-aged man with slightly bulging eyes and a hooked nose—"Count Isaac, it's your turn."

Count Isaac smiled slightly, barely aiming before firing. The stag immediately collapsed, twitching weakly in the spot where it had been grazing.

The surrounding men cheered and congratulated him as servants and dogs rushed to retrieve the fallen prey.

"We've actually discussed that bank," Count Isaac said, handing his gun to a servant. He turned to the Duke of Orleans, "It's clear that it violated some commonly accepted industry rules, such as using political influence to cancel the Laborde and Laville banks' government contracts."

A nearby older man with a nearly invisible neck leaned in and added, "If we don't stop this behavior, it will inevitably harm everyone's interests."

The Duke of Orleans shot the man an approving smile.

"Therefore, I suggest," the old man continued, raising his gun to aim at the deer herd, "that the banking guild members collectively boycott the French Reserve Bank—refusing its notes and instructing our clients not to engage with it."

A man in his fifties, wearing a cream-colored fitted coat and sporting a prominent chin, rode up from behind, "But that alone might not be enough to stop the French Reserve."

Count Isaac turned to him, "So, what do you suggest, Mr. Necker?"

Necker respectfully placed a hand on his chest and bowed, "I believe the Prince has been able to act so recklessly in finance only because of the support from the Queen and the Finance Minister. Without that, he wouldn't even have been able to get permission to issue Paris Angel Company shares."

The Duke of Orleans nodded thoughtfully. No wonder that Austrian woman wanted her son to become Assistant Minister of Finance. With Brienne's support, she could completely control financial policy. So, the Paris Angel Company and the French Reserve Bank must have been part of her plan all along!

He immediately said coldly, "You're right. If Archbishop Brienne has chosen to betray us, then he is no longer suitable to be Finance Minister."

Brienne had once been the leader of the "Assembly of Notables," a group representing the nobility, and had opposed King Louis XVI's tax reforms. Later, in an attempt to win over the Assembly, Louis appointed Brienne as Finance Minister.

After taking office, Brienne quickly realized that France's finances were in shambles, and that tax reform was absolutely necessary to prevent national disaster. He subsequently abandoned his personal interests and strongly supported the King, which earned him the enmity of both the nobility and the church.

Count Isaac looked around at the assembled men and smiled, "If we use our influence to remove Brienne and replace him with someone like Mr. Necker..."

With Isaac and his associates controlling the lifeblood of French finance, along with the Duke of Orleans' political power and the support of the noble class, they were certainly capable of influencing the appointment of the Finance Minister.

Necker's eyes gleamed with excitement as he bowed, "I'll work to sever the government's ties with the French Reserve Bank and push for a bill to revoke Paris Angel Company's right to issue shares. This will solve the problem at its source."

...

Meanwhile, Joseph had no idea that a political conspiracy against him was quietly unfolding.

At that moment, he was presiding over the opening ceremony for the first class of students at the newly established Paris Police Academy.

As the steady rhythm of drums played, the academy's instructors led their groups of students in orderly steps to the review stand.

"Attention! Right turn!"

At the command, the two hundred or so new students turned as one, their eyes filled with eager anticipation as they gazed at their principal—the Prince of France.

(End of Chapter)

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