The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 264

Chapter 264: Transition Between the Old and New Eras

Dipore glanced at his watch; it was already past 9 p.m.

He hastily interrupted Danton, who was still speaking animatedly, and announced an adjournment of the trial until the following morning.

The Duke of Chartres, who had long lost the ambition he had displayed while waiting to inherit the vast fortune at the trial's outset, reacted as though he had been granted amnesty. Like an unleashed hound, he bolted out of the oppressive courtroom, which had become a source of torment.

In the following days, the trial proceeded as scheduled.

By the third day, Danton had calculated the fines against the Duke of Orléans to amount to 68 million livres, and they had only just begun assessing the specific damages caused by the riots.

As for the Duke of Chartres, he stopped attending the hearings altogether after the second day, delegating the matter entirely to his team of lawyers.

...

On the second floor of the Tuileries Palace, in the office of the Royal Industrial Planning Bureau.

Joseph sipped red tea freshly imported from the Far East, leisurely reading a report in Paris News about the trial concerning the Duke of Orléans’ inheritance.

Because the case involved the privacy of a prominent noble family, the newspaper refrained from detailing the proceedings. It merely cited “an informed source,” stating that the Duke of Orléans was implicated in multiple illegal activities during his lifetime and would face massive fines, leaving the inheritance to the Duke of Chartres significantly reduced.

Joseph smiled faintly at the report. Significantly reduced? By the time the trial concluded, the Duke of Orléans would be insolvent.

Preliminary calculations by the Crown Prince’s dedicated accountants suggested that the total fines could reach 90 million livres.

Moreover, these were fines that the Duke of Chartres could not contest. If Danton pushed a little further and included borderline penalties, the total could even reach what modern parlance might call “a modest fortune.”

According to the "internal data" provided by Robespierre, selling off the Duke of Orléans’ entire estate, including the Palais-Royal, would still leave a shortfall of 20 million livres.

The Duke of Chartres, inheriting the title along with the debt, would have to find his own way to cover this gap.

Of course, Joseph knew there was little chance of squeezing any money out of the Duke of Chartres. However, the looming presence of such a massive "hell debt" ensured he would not dare stir up trouble.

Eymond knocked on the door, announcing, “Your Highness, Monsieur Fouché has arrived.”

Joseph folded the newspaper. “Show him in.”

The door opened, and an energized Fouché strode in quickly, bowing deeply. “Your Highness, I am at your service.”

“Please, have a seat.”

Fouché settled into the sofa and reported, “Your Highness, all 198 core personnel involved in ‘Operation Playing Cards’ are now on leave, and the 12 officials in charge of the operation have been transferred to Paris.”

Joseph nodded approvingly. “Well done. Oh, His Majesty has signed the decree elevating the Bureau of Public Safety to the rank of the Intelligence Ministry. It will officially take effect early next month. Prepare accordingly.”

“Thank you, Your Highness!” Fouché rose and bowed once more, quickly correcting himself, “Long live His Majesty! The Bureau of Public Safety will always serve faithfully in his name.”

Joseph gestured for him to sit down, while Eymond brought tea and placed it before Fouché.

Fouché laid a stack of documents before Joseph and said, “Your Highness, these are matters of note from recent intelligence.”

According to the Bureau’s operating procedures, Fouché would summarize and classify intelligence every few days before submitting it to the Crown Prince. Major issues were reported immediately as they arose.

“Madame Audeleian is mediating a dispute between Baron Beverly and Count Cyprien…”

“There is a rumor circulating in Paris that the Duke of Chartres has contracted syphilis. Based on information obtained from his physician, this appears to be true…”

“Two days ago, there was a significant equity transfer involving the Paris Trade and Investment Bank…”

As Fouché continued reporting critical issues, Joseph’s attention was drawn to one particular section: recently, there had been a sharp increase in the number of Versailles nobles joining various clubs, with gathering frequencies far higher than before. Intelligence analysis suggested that these clubs primarily focused on political analysis and discussion, with their core membership coming from the old aristocracy.

These clubs expressed significant discontent with recent government reforms, particularly the pending “Abolition of Noble Privileges Act.” Their prevailing sentiment was that “His Majesty has abandoned the sword-bearing nobility” and that “the uncertain future obliges nobles to fight for their rights.”

Regarding the not-yet-published “Detailed Provisions on Peasant Redemption of Rents and Taxes,” they intended to petition Her Majesty the Queen for higher redemption amounts and greater compensation for landlords.

A new song titled Leave My Land had become popular among the old aristocracy. It recounted the tale of a nobleman who lost his estate’s rent revenue, could not afford to marry, and embarked on a doomed venture to the Caribbean, ultimately perishing at sea.

Additionally, a few pamphlets critical of the royal family had emerged.

Joseph frowned and recalled the financial report submitted yesterday by Brent, the general manager of the Paris Angel Company.

The company’s revenue had dropped by 27% in the previous month.

He connected the two incidents and felt a surge of unease.

The Paris Angel Company’s core clientele consisted of Versailles nobles, particularly from the old aristocracy. The company’s declining revenue indicated that nobles were severely downgrading their spending due to bleak income expectations.

Fouché’s report revealed that these discontented nobles had begun organizing gatherings, penning plaintive songs, and voicing strong opposition to the abolition of noble privileges, clearly showing their resentment.

Although Joseph had already eliminated the old aristocracy’s leading figures, rendering them temporarily incapable of stirring major trouble, their growing frustration was evident.

At present, this group remained central to France’s power structure. Their spending power and influence could not yet be replaced by the emerging capitalist aristocracy.

Joseph realized that mishandling the current situation could lead to severe consequences.

In Austria, Emperor Joseph II was also curtailing noble privileges, albeit less aggressively than Joseph’s own reforms in France. Yet even so, Austria had been thrown into chaos. Historically, Emperor Leopold II, upon succeeding in 1790, had swiftly reversed most of these reforms to restore stability.

For now, the royal family’s greatest support came from the feudal aristocracy.

Without their backing, the capitalists—who inherently sought to impose limits on royal authority, draft constitutions, or even abolish the monarchy altogether—would prove unmanageable.

However, pursuing an industrial revolution required steering the country toward capitalism.

Joseph resolved that one of his future priorities must be to curb the unchecked rise of capitalist forces during industrialization.

First, he needed to nurture a class of capitalist aristocrats who could dominate the market, preventing profit-driven pure capitalists from monopolizing it.

Most crucially, the royal family had to maintain control over the nation’s critical capital and resources. State-led management of key sectors was the only way to deter capitalist rebellion.

But achieving this transformation would take considerable time.

Until then, the monarchy would have to rely on the feudal aristocracy to govern the nation, gradually shifting its power base from “landed wealth” to “capital and resources.”

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