Chapter 477: Holding Power (asking for monthly votes at the beginning of the month)

Chapter 478: The power is in hand (please vote for me at the beginning of the month)

In fact, all furniture produced by Yiju will be accompanied by a notice "please place it in a ventilated place with a window open for use", but basically everyone will ignore it.

Later, the valet brought Goldmead a bottle of Paris Coke and a glass of wine.

The latter nodded to the valet, and then skillfully poured the drink from the glass bottle into the wine glass. A large number of bubbles immediately began to bubble in the purple-black wine.

This is also the most popular way of drinking among Parisian aristocrats these days. Soda drinks can increase the sweetness of wine, and the bubbles can help the wine aroma spread throughout the mouth faster. After drinking, the aroma of wine will "return" with the burping, which is simply an endless aftertaste.

However, due to limited soda production capacity, Paris Coke is currently only sold in large cities in France, so this drinking method has not yet become popular throughout Europe.

As far as Goldmead knew, the price of Paris Coke in the UK had been raised to 5 shillings, which is more than 6 francs a bottle.

While he was indulging in sparkling wine, the door to the conference hall was pushed open again, and a short middle-aged man wearing a silk black short coat and a look of arrogance in his eyes stepped in.

Next to him was a man with a pointed chin and a hooked nose.

Everyone in the room immediately stood up and saluted the two of them, "Viscount Ford, you look really good."

"We're all waiting for you, Viscount Fuld."

"Isn't this Mr. Hope? Long time no see."

Goldmead also bowed hurriedly.

He had heard about these two people who came, but this was the first time he saw their true appearance.

Leon Fuld is a French financial giant of Jewish origin. He owns banks and transportation companies, and is the behind-the-scenes controller of the French Taxpayers Federation.

The one with the aquiline nose was a Dutchman named Henry Hope, who opened a large number of banks in the Netherlands, Russia, and Sweden.

Legend has it that his net worth is greater than that of Fuld, but because he is a foreigner, his influence on the tax collectors' association is not as strong as the latter's.

Fuld came to the head of the conference table and first politely asked Hope to sit down next to him. Then he looked at everyone present and said directly: "Everyone should have heard that the government has the right to take back tax farming rights. Plan. We invite everyone from all over the country to come to the gathering today to discuss how we should respond.”

Yes, the less than 20 people in this room are the plutocrats behind the scenes who control French taxation. Some of them don't even appear in the tax collectors' meeting, but they support the tax collectors in front of the stage with their funds.

A giant like Hope controls the tax revenue of several French provinces by himself, and at the same time obtains huge profits from it.

Immediately, a man with a saggy face waved his hands disdainfully: "There is no need to worry at all. Without our tax package, the French government will immediately go bankrupt."

The old man next to him nodded immediately and said: "Even if there is no financial problem, the government's tax collectors will soon make His Majesty the King desperate. In the era of the Sun King, it was because of their outstanding corruption capabilities that the King gave us the tax. Now Louis Is there any solution for Sixteen?"

The words of the two attracted a burst of agreement, but Hope coughed slightly and said seriously: "This matter is related to everyone's business. Since the queen has this plan, she should have made preparations. We also need to advance in advance. Just deal with it.”

Fuld immediately responded: "First of all, we must form a financial alliance. No one can lend tax package money to the government in the form of loans."

Everyone nodded, feeling that this move alone was enough to make the government give up on tax reform.

Hope then continued: “We can also put pressure on the royal family through the bureaucracy.

Fuld nodded in agreement: "Many people in the bureaucracy have invested in tax farming. If we give them some benefits, the whole country will be filled with voices of opposition."

The fat man smiled sinisterly: "If the government wants to collect taxes on its own, it will definitely appoint a large number of tax officials. If necessary, it can send people to threaten them, or even kill a few to scare others."

Hope didn't like his reckless approach. He looked at the wine glass in his hand and said, "If it really comes to that point, it would be better to kill the higher-ups instead of the tax collector."

The people present immediately began to add details of various plans, showing confidence.

Two hours later, Fuld looked at the plan copied and compiled by the clerk and couldn't help but nodded slightly. The people sitting here are all the smartest people in Europe, who control the situation in various countries. Whether it is the queen or Brian's ministers, how can they be their opponents?

French taxes will always belong to people like you!

After the meeting, a group of financial giants went to the second floor to attend the banquet.

Goldmead looked at Fuld's back, hesitating whether to speak out his idea, but felt that the current plan was already good, so he drank the wine in the glass and walked quickly towards the second floor.

…

Palace of Versailles.

In the tea room of the Petit Trianon Palace, Queen Mary frowned and handed a thick stack of documents to Joseph, looking uneasy and saying: "My dear, the tax reform you planned just spread the word, and I have received this here. Much opposition.”

Joseph also frowned and looked through the documents, which were all objections to the abolition of the tax farming system from officials at all levels.

Most of them were local officials, but also included two governors and assistant ministers of justice. Even the king's brother, the Duke of Provence, was explicitly opposed.

Joseph roughly counted more than 40 remonstrances in total.

He was not surprised, after all, many officials had invested in tax farmers. If their interests were affected, they would naturally oppose it desperately.

Queen Marie continued: "I heard that more advice is being sent to the Palace of Versailles. Perhaps, it is really not appropriate to reform the tax system now?"

When she heard her son say that he wanted to change the tax system, she agreed without much hesitation. After all, ministers such as Brian and Mirabeau also agreed.

But now that so many officials have expressed opposition, she can't help but wonder if her son has really made a mistake.

Joseph took a deep breath and gave the queen a confident smile: "Dear mother, give me a few more months, I will definitely let you see satisfactory results."

"Okay, then you try again." Queen Marie nodded,

She now trusts her son very much, and then took Joseph's arm: "Have dinner with me today. Oh, it seems that Alexandra will come too."

"Ah? Okay."

Joseph nodded absent-mindedly, but in his mind he was thinking about how to deal with so many officials who opposed the abolition of tax farmers.

Should we try to reduce their losses first?

Joseph walked along the corridor, and the nobles on both sides stepped aside and bowed to him and the queen.

He suddenly narrowed his eyes. Yes, he now holds administrative, judicial, and financial powers. Why should he consider the interests of those "little people"?