The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 53

Chapter 53: Political Conspiracy

The Duke of Orléans immediately thought of the Paris Angel Company, created by Joseph.

He wasn’t very familiar with the shop, having only visited once to buy his mistress a VIP card worth a thousand livres—mainly because the woman had pestered him about it for several days.

However, he had heard that the noblewomen of Versailles seemed enchanted by the store, flocking there in a frenzy to purchase its exorbitantly priced cosmetics.

The Duke of Orléans then recalled the recent news in the papers about the Paris Angel Company issuing shares.

Narrowing his eyes, he mused that the six million livres must have been raised through the sale of these shares. A store selling women's skincare products valued at six million livres?!

In fact, Joseph had not intended to liquidate extensively—he still held 1.8 million shares of the Paris Angel Company. If sold entirely, they could yield another six or seven million livres.

As the Duke pieced everything together, the anger on his face gradually gave way to somber anxiety.

If the Crown Prince had previously been a mere inconvenience, he had now become a serious threat—one that needed immediate resolution.

Public opinion, finance, and the military—these three must not fall into the hands of the royal family, or it would be impossible to challenge their authority.

The Orléans family had spent generations meticulously undermining the monarchy in these areas to the greatest extent possible.

For example, in finance, the monarchy had been reduced to a tool for the major banks to generate profits, with nearly half the state’s revenue dedicated to repaying interest on loans—a debt that only continued to grow.

At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before the royal family was crushed under the weight of this debt, providing the Orléans family with their long-awaited opportunity.

In the original course of history, this was exactly how events had unfolded.

But the emergence of the French Reserve Bank had opened a breach in the financial wall.

In the future, this bank could absorb an increasing share of national debt, ultimately allowing the Crown Prince, who controlled the bank, to nullify these debts with a signature.

Even without considering that scenario, granting the royal family even the slightest fiscal autonomy would bolster public confidence in them.

This breach had to be sealed.

Pacing back and forth in his study, the Duke of Orléans irritably beckoned his butler. “Donadieu, invite Count Isaac, Marquis Ludo, Count Kappfeil… Yes, the leaders of the banking guild. Have them meet me at my Yèvre estate for a hunt tomorrow.”

“Yes, my lord.”

…

The following afternoon.

The vast Yèvre estate, west of the town, basked in sunlight. The dry, yellow grass and bare trees stood stark against the sound of galloping hooves and barking hounds.

Dozens of servants coordinated over a hundred hunting dogs, driving deer out of the thickets and herding them toward the clearing on the southern side of the grove.

Seated astride his saddle and clad in a dark blue hunting coat, the Duke of Orléans raised his Charleville 1763 short-barreled flintlock rifle, carefully aiming at a distant stag before pulling the trigger.

Smoke wafted through the air as the loud report of the shot rang out. Unperturbed, the stag merely bounded forward a few steps before lowering its head to graze again.

The Duke of Orléans sighed in disappointment and gestured toward a middle-aged man with slightly bulging eyes and a hooked nose beside him. “Count Isaac, it’s your turn.”

The man smiled faintly and fired almost instantly. The stag fell with a thud, its body twitching feebly where it had been grazing.

The surrounding gentlemen erupted in applause, offering their congratulations, while the hunting dogs and servants rushed toward the fallen prey.

“We’ve actually discussed that bank before,” Count Isaac said, handing his rifle to a servant and turning to the Duke. “It’s clear that they’ve violated the commonly accepted rules of our trade—for example, using administrative means to strip Laborde Bank and Ravelle Bank of their government contracts.”

A short-necked, elderly gentleman leaned forward. “If such behavior isn’t stopped, it will undoubtedly harm all our interests.”

The Duke of Orléans flashed him a look of approval.

“Therefore, I propose,” the old man continued, raising his gun toward the deer herd, “that the banking guild collectively boycott the French Reserve Bank. This includes refusing to accept its notes and requiring our clients to avoid doing business with it.”

A man in his fifties, dressed in a cream-colored tight-fitting coat and sporting a pronounced chin, urged his horse forward. “Even so, this alone won’t be enough to stop the Reserve Bank.”

Count Isaac turned to him. “What does Mr. Necker suggest?”

Necker bowed respectfully. “I believe His Highness the Crown Prince’s audacity in the financial sector relies entirely on the support of Her Majesty the Queen and the Minister of Finance. Without them, he wouldn’t even have obtained approval to issue shares for the Paris Angel Company.”

The Duke of Orléans nodded thoughtfully. No wonder the Austrian wench had maneuvered to make her son an assistant to the Minister of Finance. Combined with Brienne, this gave her complete control over fiscal policy. The Paris Angel Company and the Reserve Bank must be part of her larger scheme!

With a cold tone, he said, “You’re absolutely right. Since Bishop Brienne has chosen to betray us, he is no longer suitable to remain as Minister of Finance.”

Bishop Brienne had been the Speaker of the Assembly of Notables, a coalition of great nobles opposing Louis XVI’s tax reform proposals.

To win over the Assembly, Louis XVI had appointed Brienne as Minister of Finance.

Once in office, Brienne realized the dire state of France’s finances—on the brink of collapse. Tax reform was imperative.

Abandoning personal interests, he became a staunch supporter of the King, which earned him the enmity of the great nobles and the Church.

Count Isaac surveyed the group and smiled. “If we leverage our influence to remove Brienne and appoint a new Minister of Finance, perhaps someone like Mr. Necker…”

The bankers controlled France’s financial lifeblood, and with the Duke of Orléans wielding immense political power, they had the means to determine the Minister of Finance.

Necker’s eyes gleamed with delight, and he bowed deeply. “I would ensure that the government severs all ties with the Reserve Bank and push for legislation to revoke the Paris Angel Company’s license to issue shares. All problems will be resolved at their root.”

…

Joseph was completely unaware that a political conspiracy was quietly unfolding against him.

At that moment, he was presiding over the inaugural opening ceremony of the newly established Paris Police Academy.

To the rhythm of steady drumbeats, the academy instructors led their recruits in orderly formations to the review stand.

“Attention! Right face!”

At the command, over two hundred recruits pivoted in unison, their eager gazes fixed on their principal—the Crown Prince of France.

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