I am the Crown Prince of France

Chapter 63: Gradually Shifting the Political Landscape

"The other matter," Joseph continued, "is that not long ago, the Raville Bank and the Laborde Bank suddenly decided to cut off their long-standing loan agreements with the government, nearly causing a national debt default."

Joseph looked at Fouché. "These two banks would only lose profit by refusing to lend, so there must be other reasons behind their decision. I need to know what those reasons are."

Fouché immediately bowed and said, "Yes, Your Highness. I will investigate this matter thoroughly as soon as possible."

"Oh, and one more thing," Joseph added. "I have some clues that might be useful.

"When I first sought a position in the financial system, the Duke of Orléans strongly opposed it, forcing the Queen to place me in the city administration instead.

"Later, when I took over as Assistant Minister of Finance, Archbishop Briand was concerned about my lack of experience and insisted on overseeing all financial matters himself. Yet the Duke of Orléans was adamant that I should be responsible for government loans."

"And then the banks suddenly refused to lend," Fouché said, pausing in his note-taking. "It seems we need to investigate the Duke of Orléans in detail."

He hesitated for a moment, frowning slightly as he looked at the name "Duke of Orléans" in his notes. "Your Highness, the Duke of Orléans holds many privileges. Currently, the Intelligence Office is just a department under the police bureau, with only police authority. As you know, as police, we aren't allowed to meddle in matters related to the Royal Palace."

"Go on," Joseph prompted.

Fouché continued, "I mean, if the Intelligence Office could borrow some of the Royal Police's authority, at least in terms of postal access, our progress would be much faster."

Joseph gave him an approving look. He had already been considering this, and it seemed Fouché was on the same page.

"I'll see what I can do," Joseph replied, nodding. He then emphasized, "But the Intelligence Office cannot rely solely on authority to gather information. It shouldn't become a simple replica of the Royal Police. Intelligence gathering techniques and building a vast intelligence network must be the foundation."

Fouché immediately placed his hand over his heart and bowed his head. "Yes, Your Highness!"

As night fell, large gauze drapes were set up on the lawns north of Versailles Palace. The sound of bagpipes and accordions drifted through the air, mixed with bursts of laughter, creating an atmosphere of ease and harmony.

It was an outdoor reception.

Joseph wasn't particularly fond of such social events. Usually, they were filled with gossip and crude jokes. He would typically make a brief appearance and then leave quickly.

However, tonight the head of the secret police, Robert, happened to be present, so Joseph stayed a bit longer.

At a small table in the corner of the reception, Robert held a wine glass, looking troubled. "Your Highness, as you know, this kind of thing has never been done before. It would likely have to be discussed at a cabinet meeting..."

Joseph interrupted him with a smile. "Don't worry, I will report to the King and Queen. The Royal Police has little to do with those cabinet ministers."

Establishing an intelligence agency was a significant matter, and Joseph indeed had to inform the Queen. Otherwise, if there was a conflict during operations between the secret police and the Intelligence Office, it could lead to serious issues.

"But..." Robert hesitated, and Joseph sighed inwardly—after all, the secret police was Robert's most significant power. Even though Joseph had given him a favor with the stock distribution last time, it wasn't enough to make Robert willingly share some of his authority.

Joseph decided to play his next card:

"Count Robert, I've always thought the Royal Police has been treated unfairly."

Robert was taken aback by the sudden shift in topic and asked in confusion, "What do you mean, Your Highness?"

Joseph spoke with conviction:

"The Royal Police has always been responsible for the safety of France, making many great sacrifices for the country. Yet, it remains just a small department under the police bureau. This is incredibly unfair!

"I believe the Royal Police should have long been independent, standing alongside the police bureau as its equal, and not subject to the control of the Minister of the Interior!

"In fact, the Royal Police is directly commanded by the King, so there's no need for it to be entangled with the interior system."

At that time, France's police and intelligence systems were still intertwined, and by tradition, they both fell under the interior system. Even until the Napoleonic era, intelligence and police systems hadn't fully separated, with intelligence heads often overseeing the police as well.

As a result, the secret police's rank was significantly limited—being a department under the police bureau, they couldn't possibly outrank the Chief of Police.

Upon hearing Joseph's words, Robert's eyes lit up. If the secret police could become independent of the interior system, wouldn't that elevate his position from "State Counselor" to "Minister of Intelligence" or "Minister of Security," allowing him to attend cabinet meetings?

Suppressing his excitement, he asked cautiously:

"Your Highness, is this the Queen's idea, or...?"

Joseph smiled. "Oh, it's something I discussed with Count Monno."

Robert was surprised. The Minister of the Interior was, in theory, the direct superior of the secret police. If he agreed to their independence, it would remove a significant obstacle. With the Prince's support, the chances of success would be much higher.

He looked at Joseph cautiously. "Did Count Monno promise you this?"

"Not yet," Joseph shook his head but spoke confidently, "but I can assure you, he will agree."

The secret police's funding came directly from the King's private purse and was not under the control of the Interior Ministry, making it rather insignificant to Monno.

Moreover, many of Joseph's future financial plans involved the interior, such as real estate development and public transportation.

These projects would bring substantial benefits to the Minister of the Interior. Joseph was certain that Monno would gladly give up something as trivial as the secret police in exchange for these interests.

Joseph intended to use these interests to shift the political landscape in his favor.

Robert narrowed his eyes slightly. His years of experience in intelligence told him that the Prince wasn't speaking lightly.

He hesitated for only a moment before raising his glass with a sincere smile. "Your Highness, the police bureau gathers intelligence for the safety of France and serves His Majesty. This aligns perfectly with the goals of the Royal Police.

"I believe that in many areas, we can cooperate and support each other."

Joseph smiled as well. "Such as sharing a few minor privileges."

"That's correct."

Joseph gently clinked his glass against Robert's. "To the future Minister of Intelligence."

...

The British ambassador to France, Hartley, finally received a reply from London.

He carefully opened the envelope with a letter opener and took out his codebook, carefully translating the contents of the letter.

The letter contained many of his recent assignments, but the last two points particularly caught his attention.

First, he was to quickly ascertain the Prince of France's true attitude toward Britain. Was he truly as pro-British as rumored? If so, efforts should be made to win him over and use his influence to shape France's policies toward Britain.

Second, he was to do everything possible to increase the Prince's dislike of Prussia and encourage him to adopt a tougher stance toward the Prussians.

It was well known that the Prince of France had a strong aversion to Prussia. He had even stated in a cabinet meeting that "France and Prussia are destined for war." Given this, how could Britain, the perennial meddler, resist stirring the pot?

(End of chapter)

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