The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 247

Chapter 247: Daily Activities at the Palace of Versailles

A young man in his twenties replied,
“Are you referring to the drought and harsh winter, my lord?”

“No, those aren’t the primary reasons,” Count Mirabeau said, waving his hand emphatically. “The food shortage stems from the nobility’s neglect of agriculture. They stay in the Palace of Versailles, oblivious to the state of their own estates. This has reduced land yields from 18 bushels to just 12! It’s their stubborn refusal to plant potatoes. Even Prussia, a backward nation, avoided such severe famine because they embraced potatoes...”

At a nearby table, Vénio was also speaking passionately:
“The little harvest the peasants do manage is further diminished by their lords, who claim a large share through the mill and the oven. Meanwhile, the vast lands reserved for noble hunting grounds produce not a single grain of wheat!

“Merchants trying to transport grain to famine-stricken areas face tolls at every turn... We must petition His Majesty the King to rectify these injustices if we want to prevent rebellion!”

The nobles around him nodded in agreement:
“Yes, let us appeal to His Majesty together!”
“Request His Majesty to issue decrees to aid those poor farmers.”
“We must unite and be a voice for the suffering people!”
“Tomorrow, we shall seek an audience with His Majesty...”

France, long influenced by Enlightenment thought, had seen a proliferation of ideas from Rousseau and Voltaire, even within the Palace of Versailles. Among the younger generation of nobles, embracing such philosophies had become almost a fashion.

Thus, with minimal prompting from Mirabeau and others, countless young nobles responded with fervor.

As for the more traditional aristocrats, they had grown accustomed to such discussions and pretended not to hear. They knew that arguing with the reform-minded nobles would almost certainly result in defeat—for their oratory skills and theoretical grounding were no match for those steeped in Enlightenment philosophy.

...

The next morning.

A young noble who had spent half the previous evening passionately discussing ideas with Vénio stood in the center of the Marble Courtyard, loudly expounding on the points he had heard.

Initially, only a few dozen nobles from the banquet gathered around him, but the crowd quickly grew. Before long, four or five hundred people were listening intently.

A guard, noticing the swelling crowd, hurried to Bishop Brienne for guidance:
“Your Grace, there’s a large gathering in the Marble Courtyard. What do you think we should do?”

Brienne, having been instructed by the Crown Prince himself, waved it off immediately:
“They’re merely holding a peaceful assembly. There’s no need for excessive interference.”

After about forty minutes, the young noble, now confident that the crowd was large enough, raised his hand and declared:
“Let us petition Her Majesty the Queen to abolish the privileges of the lords and prioritize the survival of the farmers!”

Though he himself was a noble, he demanded the abolition of noble privileges without hesitation.

This was France in this era.

The crowd erupted into cheers of agreement and followed him toward the Petit Trianon Palace.

As their chants spread, more nobles joined the procession.

Of course, many young nobles were forcibly restrained by their parents, who forbade them from participating in such treasonous actions. On this day, countless youths found themselves harshly punished by their fathers over this incident.

Queen Marie Antoinette, as the helmswoman of France, was long accustomed to collective petitions from the nobility—such events occurred every few months, prompted by various grievances.

She listened patiently to their appeals and graciously assured them she would give the matter due consideration.

What she did not realize was that this was merely the prelude...

...

At the next day’s Cabinet meeting, after handling routine matters, Brienne placed a document before the Queen.
“Your Majesty, this is a proposal from Viscount Chantal of Montpellier, requesting the abolition of certain feudal privileges.”

“Abolish privileges?” Queen Marie Antoinette immediately thought of the petitioners from the day before. She opened the document curiously:
“... It requests that Your Majesty abolish the rights of nobles to hunt, raise pigeons, breed rabbits, and fish. It also calls for reducing the land allocated for hunting grounds and converting it into arable farmland to increase food production...

“It proposes the abolition of manorial courts, which are now obsolete, as many lords permanently reside in Versailles and cannot preside over judgments. Based on the success of courts in cities like Paris, it suggests placing all disputes under the jurisdiction of such courts...

“It argues that farming requires significant labor, and if peasants are further burdened with compulsory labor for their lords, it will lead to neglect of their fields, thereby reducing grain output. Therefore, it recommends abolishing corvée obligations for peasants...

“It suggests that tenancy contracts between lords and peasants should not be unilaterally decided by the lords but overseen by courts. Peasants should have the freedom to leave the land they cultivate...

“Finally, it calls for the abolition of serfdom, which has severely hindered...”

Queen Marie Antoinette finished reading the document and furrowed her brow slightly.

The proposal focused entirely on abolishing noble privileges, particularly those related to land. It addressed corvée labor, manorial courts, hunting and breeding rights, and even taxes on mills and ovens, all under the pretext of increasing grain production and preventing rebellions like the recent one that had shaken southern France.

Turning to Brienne, the Queen asked,
“Bishop Brienne, these rights have been traditions for centuries. They symbolize the dignity and status of the nobility. Perhaps we should not concern ourselves with such trivial matters.”

Brienne responded immediately,
“Your Majesty, these are not trivial matters. Viscount Chantal is correct—traditional privileges are directly linked to the recent rebellion.”

Previously, Joseph had assured him that church privileges would remain untouched. Moreover, by supporting the abolition of feudal privileges, the Church could enhance its prestige. Thus, Brienne had no hesitation in pushing this proposal.

Count Mirabeau added,
“Your Majesty, since abolishing certain privileges, the English have clearly grown stronger as a nation.”

This was a deliberate misrepresentation.

England’s strength came primarily from its colonies and industrial development, though it had abolished some feudal privileges during the same period. The coincidence of timing lent weight to his argument.

The acting Foreign Minister, Talleyrand, also voiced his support.

Joseph, the initiator of the proposal, naturally would not object.

The Ministers of Justice and the Interior, unsure of the implications, chose to remain silent.

After much deliberation, Queen Marie Antoinette, feeling the matter was too consequential, rubbed her temples and announced that they would discuss it further another day.

Joseph had no intention of resolving the matter in one sitting.

Even if the Queen had signed the decree that day, the nobles whose interests were harmed would certainly find ways to overturn it.

Ultimately, the old nobility needed to be subdued. This proposal was merely bait to lure them out.

By the afternoon, news of Viscount Chantal’s proposal spread like wildfire through the Palace of Versailles, sparking widespread uproar.

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