The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 189

Chapter 189: The North African Lion King

Charles curiously examined the grand and beautiful city, much like a child entering a metropolis for the first time.

He had visited London before and remembered it as a large city, but dirtier, more chaotic, and smellier than his hometown of Philadelphia. In contrast, Paris exuded an elegant beauty, with wide and clean streets that were free of any foul odors.

There were still a few people repairing buildings along the streets, but overall, apart from some broken trees, no visible traces of the hailstorm's devastation could be seen.

He had disembarked at Marseille and witnessed shocking scenes of destruction along the way. Towns and villages looked as if pirates had bombarded them with cannons. To his surprise, Paris had recovered remarkably quickly.

A sudden uproar erupted from the side:

“Hang these shameless rich men!”

“It’s his bank that stole our money!”

“France was cheated out of tens of millions of livres by them. Hang him!”

“These swindlers are cold-blooded killers…”

Charles stuck his head out of the carriage window and saw a thousand-strong crowd surrounding several prison carts about seventy or eighty yards ahead. People occasionally hurled dirt and trash at the prisoners inside.

Silas Deane, the American ambassador to France, who sat across from him, didn’t even glance at the scene and explained:

“Those are bankers who conspired with France’s former Minister of Finance for profit. They’ve been exposed, and one of them is to be executed at the Place de Grève.”

The crowd’s clamor made Charles’s ears buzz, and he hastily closed the window.

“Mr. Deane, I’ve heard there will be a public trial for the pirates in a few days. Will it be like this scene? I mean, I might have to testify.”

“It might be even ‘livelier,’” Deane remarked, recalling the spectacle outside the Parliament of Paris earlier that year during Vezinier’s trial. “You’ll have to get used to the French enthusiasm for such events. Oh, and they love protests too.”

Charles chuckled and nodded. “I’ve heard that in America, rioters are dispersed with gunfire by the National Guard, but here, they chase the army instead.”

Deane laughed as well. “They even drove their king out of Paris.”

The two chatted for a while before Deane opened the carriage window and looked outside.

“We’re almost there. When you speak later, be cautious not to underestimate the French Crown Prince just because he’s young. From what I’ve heard, his influence in French politics is immense.”

“Understood, Mr. Deane. I’ll be careful.”

Just as they finished speaking, the carriage came to a stop. Eymond greeted them with a polite chest salute from not far away, then led them into the Royal Industrial Planning Bureau.

Charles looked around and quietly asked the ambassador in surprise, “Aren’t we going to the Palace of Versailles?”

Deane leaned in and whispered, “The French Crown Prince has something to say to you. This is his office in Paris.”

Before long, they were introduced to Joseph. Deane promptly led Charles forward and bowed with perfect form.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Royal Highness, the Crown Prince!”

Joseph smiled and nodded. “The honor is mine as well, especially to meet the hero who captured the pirates.”

“Please, have a seat. Captain Charles’s commendation ceremony will take place later at Versailles, but I’ve asked you here to discuss an important matter.”

Since Charles didn’t understand French, he was at a loss. Deane had no choice but to act as his translator.

Upon hearing Joseph’s words, Charles immediately responded, “Please feel free to ask, Your Highness.”

Seeing this, Joseph switched to English. “I heard that the Algerian smuggler who provided you with intelligence about the pirates knows Younes—the son of the former Bey of Tunisia?”

Charles nodded. “Yes, Your Highness. According to Ali, his employer can reach Younes.”

Joseph’s eyes gleamed with delight. “If needed, could you arrange for my men to meet this Younes?”

“I’m not certain, but given Ali’s temperament, it might require some money.”

“That’s perfectly acceptable,” Joseph nodded. He then asked, “How much do you know about this Younes?”

Charles thought for a moment. “I heard Ali mention some of his history while I was in the Algerian prison.

“Younes is the son of Ali—no, not the smuggler, but the Pasha of Tunisia from forty years ago.

“As for this Pasha named Ali… Your Highness, are you sure you want to hear about him?”

“Yes, please tell me everything you know, in as much detail as possible.”

Charles continued, “Forty years ago, the Bey of Tunisia, Hussein, deposed his nephew Ali, the original heir, and named his own son as the successor.

“Unwilling to lose power, Ali accused Hussein’s son of being born to a Genoese slave and thus ineligible for succession. Ali launched a coup and seized the position of Bey.”

Joseph looked puzzled. “Bey?”

“Oh, the ruler of Tunisia calls himself Bey. However, they also accept the title of Pasha from the Ottoman Sultan. Depending on the context, they alternate between the two titles.”

“Thank you for the explanation. Please continue.”

Charles nodded. “Afterward, Hussein fled with his remaining forces to southern Tunisia. Ali sent his son Younes to lead the army against him.

“After five years of fierce fighting, Younes emerged victorious and captured Hussein. Hussein’s two sons, however, escaped to Algiers.

“With substantial military support and backing from local Tunisian nobles, Younes then decided to rebel.

“Ali was fortunate. With the support of the Algerians, he defeated Younes and retained his position as Bey. After his defeat, Younes fled to Algiers as well.

“The Algerians imprisoned Younes in the same jail where I was held. However, Younes managed to escape and started a smuggling operation in Algiers.”

Joseph was now even more convinced of his earlier thoughts. Younes had led troops before and still had supporters in Tunisia. This was definitely something he could leverage.

Charles continued, “Later, as Ali aged, Hussein’s two sons took the opportunity to borrow troops from Algiers and launched a counterattack on Tunisia, driving Ali out. Hussein’s elder son, Muhammad, became the new Bey.

“Over twenty years ago, Muhammad passed away, and his younger brother Ali succeeded him—you see, yet another Ali. He’s the current Bey of Tunisia.”

Joseph thought to himself, This drama of nephews usurping uncles and uncles’ sons seeking revenge is like a North African version of The Lion King.

The current political situation in Tunisia was extremely chaotic. Despite its small size, more than eighty percent of its land was fertile farmland. It also had several excellent ports, making it far wealthier than the desert-dominated Algiers.

This was the best strategic entry point for North Africa.

As Joseph contemplated matters in North Africa, a question struck him—Younes was merely a smuggler. Even if he had dealings with pirates, how could he know their sailing routes so well?

It seemed the Security Bureau needed to thoroughly investigate Younes’s background. After all, there might be opportunities for “collaboration” in the future…

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