The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 130

Chapter 130: The Great Purge Begins

Queen Marie stared at the sketch in front of her, her face stiff with displeasure. "Is the punishment really this light?"

Baron de Bréteuil, the Minister of Justice, nodded with some reluctance. "Your Majesty, according to the relevant laws, this is the harshest punishment for General Bessonval. Unless evidence can prove he deliberately allowed the bandits to get close to His Highness."

Such was the nature of French law, which was especially lenient toward the nobility. Over ten years ago, Countess de Larmotte—Jeanne—claimed to be the Queen's maid, and even hired a young woman to impersonate the Queen, tricking Archbishop Roan into buying a necklace worth two million livres for the "Queen." Jeanne then passed the necklace to Count de Larmotte, who sold it in England.

It wasn’t until the jeweler complained about missed payments that the affair was exposed. Archbishop Roan publicly presented the "Queen's" handwritten letter to clear his name, but in doing so, the Queen became the subject of public gossip.

Even such a serious case resulted in Archbishop Roan and Count de Larmotte being acquitted, while Jeanne, because of her noble status, was only sentenced to imprisonment in the Bastille. She escaped the following year—suspicions lingered that Duke of Orléans helped her escape.

Given this context, Bessonval's case would likely only result in exile, which was the maximum punishment.

Queen Marie glanced at Briand and Morneau, who also nodded. She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Fine, exile it is."

"However, the location of the exile... I remember we have a small island in East Africa, what was it called?"

Kessold, who had been called in as a witness, immediately replied, "Seychelles, Your Majesty."

"Right, Seychelles," the Queen muttered, nodding bitterly, then turned to Baron de Bréteuil. "That will be where Bessonval is exiled."

Seychelles was over ten thousand nautical miles from Paris. Moreover, given 18th-century sailing technology, it couldn’t even be guaranteed that everyone would survive the journey from France to there.

Although Bessonval hadn’t been sent to trial yet, now that the Queen had settled on Seychelles, there was no turning back.

In the conference hall, no one, including military ministers, dared to speak up for Bessonval. Not only were the King and Queen enraged, but the attack from the previous day had been far too serious. Moreover, there was a foreign princess present who had witnessed the entire affair. It was a shame beyond measure.

Baron de Bréteuil glanced at the Queen's expression and continued, "As for the other members of the French Guard... they bear significant responsibility for failing to stop the attackers.

"Since it’s still unclear how the two bandits were able to approach the Prince's carriage, we need to isolate and examine all the officers and soldiers of the French Guard. Those found suspicious will be handed over to the military court for prosecution and trial."

"Examination..." The Queen waved her hand in exhaustion. "Baron de Bréteuil, please work with Vermorel to assist the gendarmerie in examining the officers and soldiers of the French Guard.

"Until their innocence is proven, all officers will be suspended, and no one is allowed to leave the barracks.

"Please report the investigation results to me at any time."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Minister of War Saint-Priest let out a sigh of relief. Bessonval was certainly finished, but as long as the gendarmerie and military court were in charge of the matter, the other officers of the French Guard should be safe.

After all, they were all part of the military system. They would go through the motions and then announce that none of them were involved.

As the elite force of France, stationed in Paris, the officers of the French Guard were mostly well-connected. In the military aristocracy, their interests were tightly bound together. These officers had an extensive web of connections.

For instance, the commander of the cavalry regiment in the French Guard was the cousin of Saint-Priest's brother-in-law. If the Queen sent royal personnel to investigate this matter, it would cause him serious trouble.

Just when he thought the matter was settled, Kessold bowed to the Queen and said, "Your Majesty, given the demonstrated incompetence of the French Guard, they are no longer suitable for guarding Paris. Perhaps we should assign a more reliable force to ensure the city's security."

The Queen nodded in agreement and looked to the other ministers. "What do you all think?"

Saint-Priest remained silent, lowering his head.

Minister of the Interior Morneau forced a "sincere" smile and said, "Your Majesty, since the entire French Guard is under investigation, they are unable to fulfill their duty of protecting Paris. It would indeed be wise to dispatch another force to ensure the defense of the city."

Last night, Joseph had already notified him, asking him to coordinate with Kessold.

Briand also nodded. "Your Majesty, there is currently no military action on the Southern Netherlands border. It would be a waste to leave an elite force like the Frontera Brigade there. It could be reassigned to help defend Paris."

Baron de Bréteuil's eyes brightened, and he immediately echoed, "Your Majesty, I also believe the Frontera Brigade would be perfect for the task."

The commander of the Frontera Brigade, like him, was a rare noble who firmly supported the King. Having them come to Paris would significantly bolster his political power.

The Minister of the Interior was in Birmingham handling the ceremonial end of Anglo-French trade talks, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs had just returned from Russia, still in Austria.

Thus, no one in the meeting hall objected. Queen Marie, seeing this, immediately made a decision. "Then summon the Frontera Brigade to Paris. The French Guard will be stationed at Moret-sur-Loing."

She vividly remembered the small town that had once been the stronghold of the infamous bloodthirsty bandits. It was the perfect place to send the French Guard.

...

An hour later, in the garden of the Palace of Versailles, Duke of Orléans was smiling widely as he spoke to Marquis de Saint-Priest.

"Therefore, I should not make direct contact with the gendarmerie at this moment. Please convey my message for me. Who could have predicted such an attack by bandits? Even Louis XV was once stabbed in the face; we cannot let innocent officers be implicated."

The French Guard had been his "territory" for many years. He had invested over a hundred thousand livres into those officers and could not afford to see them dismissed or exiled.

The Minister of War nodded confidently. "Do not worry, with this 'funding,' the gendarmerie will certainly turn a blind eye. If anyone is truly prosecuted, I will handle the military court side of things."

The Duke of Orléans had promised him 250,000 livres, and he estimated he could pocket at least half of that. After all, the officers of the French Guard were well-connected with the gendarmerie and wouldn’t need him to intervene directly.

The Duke of Orléans had missed the previous meeting, but now that things were settled, he nodded respectfully. "I leave it in your hands."

...

In the Crown Prince’s bedchamber, dozens of noble young women watched anxiously as the seriously wounded Crown Prince lay there, wishing they could take his place. In their hearts, they cursed the incompetent French Guard a thousand times over.

The family, due to the recent promotion of double monthly tickets, the author humbly asks for your support in voting for the monthly ticket! Please, please! I love you all!

Table of content - Next Chapter >>>