The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 67

Chapter 67: The Newspaper Guild

Joseph picked up the Citizen’s Daily again and unfolded it. The main article on the front page summarized the following: the new tax law was hastily conceived by the former Minister of Finance, Caron, without rigorous debate. If implemented, it would have unpredictable consequences for France.

The other newspapers carried similar sentiments, all beating around the bush and attacking the tax law with a variety of absurd arguments.

Joseph couldn’t help but think of unscrupulous media outlets from later generations—when you tried reasoning with them, they talked about history; when you discussed history, they shifted to sentimental appeals.

In short, they twisted logic in every direction, never addressing the issue directly.

After some time, he found only the Paris News still publishing analyses and explanations of the tax law.

Flipping to the author’s byline, he saw it signed as “Jean-Paul Marat.”

Joseph found this amusing. If this Marat was indeed the same Jacobin leader from the Great Revolution period, it was a rather ironic twist.

The only voice supporting the royal tax law came from a future Jacobin leader, someone who would later become one of the harshest and most uncompromising critics of the monarchy.

By the time Joseph had finished leafing through the newspapers on the desk, his expression had turned grim.

Overnight, articles introducing the tax law had vanished. The press had adopted a unified stance, launching ferocious attacks against the law.

Someone was clearly orchestrating this from behind the scenes.

A direct challenge to the monarchy.

Brazen. Absolutely brazen!

Joseph glared at the newspapers, clenching his fists tightly. These were just newspapers, after all. If they dared to act so outrageously, then he would let them feel the iron fist of royal authority!

His attention remained focused on the tax law, so he completely missed a small article tucked away in the corner of the Citizen’s Daily. On the surface, it described the lives of nobles at the Palace of Versailles, but it subtly hinted that a certain “Duke Schwarz of Prussia” might be Queen Marie’s lover.

The newspapers Joseph held, though with larger circulations, were comparatively restrained. In smaller publications, however, rumors abounded about Queen Marie and Princess Thérèse having “Prussian lovers.”

Even more explicit pamphlets had begun flooding the streets of Paris.

These so-called “pamphlets” were a unique type of publication, typically distributed in secret to evade regulation.

Pamphlets were crudely printed, cheap, and filled with salacious content, making them highly popular and vastly outselling newspapers.

Joseph initially intended to find Count Robert to discuss punishing the unscrupulous press, but by the time he returned to Versailles, it was already past nine in the evening. Suppressing his fury, he decided to wait until the next day.

...

At the Paris News office, a middle-aged man with disheveled hair and deep laugh lines stormed into the editor-in-chief’s office, holding a freshly printed sample issue.

“Mr. Darmanin, why wasn’t my article analyzing the relationship between the tax law and the public published?” he demanded.

The editor-in-chief, wearing silver-framed glasses, looked up and offered an apologetic smile. “Mr. Marat, this was a request from the Newspaper Guild. They said publishing too many details about the law might cause undue interference with the courts.”

Marat raised his voice. “But these taxes are to be paid by the French people! The people have a right to know the details!”

The editor-in-chief spread his hands. “I’m sorry, but my hands are tied. I must comply with the Newspaper Guild’s regulations.”

Marat argued for some time, but seeing the editor-in-chief’s firm stance, he finally stormed out in anger. “Goodbye, Mr. Darmanin. Surely some paper will publish my article!”

The editor-in-chief shook his head at Marat’s retreating figure. “That’s impossible...”

...

The next morning, Joseph had a quick breakfast and set off for the office of the Chief of the Secret Police.

As he approached the door, he heard the angry voice of a young girl from inside, “These despicable, vile scoundrels! How dare they fabricate such shameless lies?!”

The guards at the door, seeing the Crown Prince, quickly bowed their heads and opened the door for him.

Joseph entered the office to find a girl slightly older than himself, standing with her hands on her hips, her face full of fury as she glared at Count Robert.

She was petite, dressed in a white, wide-skirted gown. Her face still had a hint of youthful roundness, her porcelain-like skin flawless and delicate. Her bright blue eyes sparkled like sapphires, pure and clear.

Joseph immediately recognized her—Marie Thérèse, the eldest daughter of Louis XVI, a Princess of France, and his older sister.

Joseph recalled that she had been recuperating at the Château de Meudon due to her fragile health. Why had she suddenly returned to Versailles?

Hearing footsteps, Thérèse turned and saw Joseph. She quickly curtsied before breaking into a warm smile. “Joseph, my dear brother, it’s wonderful to see you. Has it been three months?”

Joseph placed his hand on his chest in a courteous bow. “It has been a long time, dear sister. Why have you returned? Are you feeling better?”

“How could I not return?” Thérèse’s face grew stern again. “It’s those hateful rumors—they torment me day and night!”

“Rumors?” Joseph looked questioningly at Count Robert.

“It’s those smaller papers, like The Paris Postman and The Observer. And the pamphlets,” Robert explained.

Seeing Joseph’s confusion, he pulled two newspapers from a nearby desk, flipped to a specific page, and, after a cautious glance at Thérèse, handed them to Joseph.

Joseph quickly skimmed the articles and frowned deeply.

The pieces insinuated that Prussian nobles had recently arrived in Paris and had improper relations with the Queen and the Princess. One even suggested he himself was involved with a dark-skinned female slave.

Thérèse fumed. “Since the day before yesterday, these vile things have been appearing in the papers! I had no choice but to return immediately.”

She turned to the head of the Secret Police. “Count Robert, you’ve heard the Queen’s orders—these slanderers must be punished severely!”

It seemed she had already complained to Queen Marie.

Count Robert nodded promptly. “Yes, Your Highness. In fact, I began taking action yesterday.”

“Oh? Were the offending newspapers shut down?”

Robert quickly shook his head. “No, Your Highness, that would be impossible.

“However, we confiscated the printing plates of The Paris Postman and several other papers and imposed hefty fines. We also arrested the editor of The Merry Man and are currently interrogating him.”

Thérèse was unsatisfied. “They insulted the royal family, and this is all they receive?”

The Chief of the Secret Police sighed helplessly. “Your Highness, their articles contain no direct insults to the royal family.

“I understand that their content is suggestive and easily misconstrued, but the courts won’t convict the newspapers on that basis.”

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