The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 66

Chapter 66: The Story of the British Ambassador

A black carriage pulled up in front of the Palais-Royal.

The guards immediately stepped forward to halt it. "This is the Palais-Royal. Please state your name."

The coachman produced a small bronze token and waved it briefly. The guards immediately stood aside, lowering their heads in silence.

The carriage drove directly to the eastern wing of the Palais-Royal and stopped. A man in a black robe, with his hat brim pulled low, quickly ascended the steps and entered with practiced familiarity.

The Duke of Orléans was seated at a desk, deep in thought. Just as he picked up a pen to write, the butler’s voice came from outside the door: "Sir, Ambassador Harriet from Britain is here."

"Let him in."

Moments later, the door opened. Dressed in black, Ambassador Harriet entered, placed a hand on his chest in greeting, and smiled warmly. "Ah, Philippe, my old friend! It’s been some time."

The Duke of Orléans nodded with a smile. "Dear David! What brings you here?"

After exchanging pleasantries, Harriet got to the point: "Philippe, you know how it is—London always finds ways to trouble me. Here in Paris, I must rely on you, my old friend."

"Just tell me what you need."

"It’s like this. I’d like to have some things published in the newspapers."

"Then you’ve come to the right person," the Duke of Orléans replied with a chuckle. "Tell me, is it advertisements or announcements?"

"Well, to be precise," Harriet spread his hands, "it’s to publish some stories."

"Stories?"

"Yes, stories about the Prussians," Harriet said. "For example, the Duke of Schwarz fighting Count Fersen over Queen Marie Antoinette."

"The Duke of Schwarz? I’ve never heard of him..." The Duke of Orléans trailed off mid-sentence before breaking into a knowing smile. "Ah, I see. Whether or not the Duke of Schwarz exists isn’t the point; it’s about his affair with Austria’s..." he hesitated slightly, "...‘lady of distinction.’"

Harriet nodded. "You’re a sharp one. There’s also the story of Baron Ramos of Silesia secretly meeting with Princess Thérèse."

Silesia was now part of Prussia, and Princess Thérèse was the eldest daughter of Louis XVI, the sister of Joseph. Of course, everything Harriet was proposing was entirely fabricated.

The Duke of Orléans casually added, "And the story of how Baron Ramos’s servant girl caught the eye of the Dauphin during the rendezvous. Rumor has it she’s now expecting."

Harriet’s eyes lit up. "If you were a playwright, you’d be the talk of all Europe. Let’s proceed then. Please ensure these make it to print quickly."

Such matters, concerning royal reputations, could never appear in the press without the influence of the Duke of Orléans.

The Duke smiled faintly. "This is no simple matter."

"That’s why I came to trouble you. Don’t all the Parisian papers take their orders from you?"

The Duke of Orléans replied noncommittally, "The money I invested in England’s automated loom industry still has a substantial portion stuck in review."

Harriet nodded. "I can help push that forward. You know how inefficient those government officials can be."

The Duke finally looked satisfied. "Then I’ll count on you. As for your stories, they’ll soon be the talk of the town."

Not long after, Harriet departed.

The Duke of Orléans immediately wrote to the major newspapers under his control, detailing how to address issues related to the tax reform bill. At the end, he included a brief mention of the British ambassador’s stories.

...

At three in the afternoon, Joseph’s carriage departed the Paris Police Academy and headed back to Versailles.

He now attended classes at the academy two or three times a week, focusing on elite courses such as tactical command, military mapping, and logistics.

Joseph understood deeply that with the Industrial Revolution advancing, the European continent would soon face upheaval. The redistribution of interests between old and new powers would ignite endless wars.

He needed to master sufficient military knowledge to ensure the security and stability of France.

France, at this time, had not yet acquired the reputation for quick capitulation that it would in later eras. In fact, the country was deeply militaristic. A king who could lead France to victory would command the love and unwavering loyalty of the French people, holding unparalleled authority.

Even if he didn’t personally lead troops into battle, he at least needed to discern which wars were worth fighting and which were not.

Thus, he had to learn the fundamentals of military strategy. At the same time, he could contribute to the education of the academy’s instructors.

Concepts like infantry-artillery coordination, cavalry-artillery support, concentrated artillery fire, and deep penetration maneuvers were still absent from current military theories. Although he couldn’t teach them comprehensively, his ideas opened new horizons for the instructors.

With these concepts and directions in place, the instructors could refine and perfect them, eventually incorporating them into military training programs.

A few days ago, Dubois had arrived at the academy to serve as the head of the "Strategic and Tactical Research Office." While he initially found it strange that a police academy would engage in strategic research, he happily accepted the position.

After studying Joseph’s advanced military theories, Dubois fully understood the necessity of this research office. The academy’s military curriculum was far superior to that of the Paris Officer School. He felt fortunate to have earned the Crown Prince’s favor and to be able to work at this academy—or rather, this "police academy."

An academy equipped with a large number of warhorses, three four-pound cannons, and one eight-pound cannon...

Sitting in the jostling carriage, Joseph mentally revisited the spring suspension design he hadn’t yet had time to develop. He picked up a newspaper from the small table in front of him.

The promotional efforts for the tax reform bill had been highly effective. In just a few days, he had overheard people discussing the new tax regulations on the streets of Paris.

At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before the powerful nobles in the Assembly of Notables would find it difficult to manipulate public opinion against the crown.

However, upon seeing the front page of The Voice of the City, Joseph frowned. He had already reserved three months of advertising space in this paper, but today’s headline was about a noblewoman’s murder.

He then grabbed The Paris News. Its front-page headline read: "The New Tax Bill: Is Minister Brienne Arbitrarily Raising Taxes?"

Joseph’s face darkened as he read further. The entire article twisted facts and concepts, portraying the tax bill as an arbitrary imposition born of royal extravagance, with disastrous consequences.

He slammed the paper onto the table. How had such content passed editorial review? What were the reviewers even doing?

He quickly remembered that the press oversight committee fell under the jurisdiction of the Parlement of Paris. Since the Parlement opposed the tax bill, they were naturally turning a blind eye to these sensational articles.

Finally, Joseph picked up The French Courier. As expected, its headline declared: "The Parlement Refuses to Register! A Victory for Freedom?"

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