Chapter 53 Political Conspiracy
The Duke of Orleans immediately thought of the Paris Angel Company founded by Joseph.
He didn't know much about that store. He only went there once and bought a thousand livres VIP card there for his mistress - it was because the woman pestered him about it for several days.
However, he had heard that the ladies of the Palace of Versailles went to that store to buy expensive cosmetics like they were under magic.
The Duke of Orleans then remembered that the newspapers had been talking about the Paris Angel Company's stock sale in the past few days.
He couldn't help but narrowed his eyes. It seemed that the 6 million livres were probably obtained by selling stocks. It's just a store selling women's skin care products, but it's worth 6 million livres? !
In fact, this is because Joseph did not want to cash out in large quantities - he still has 1.8 million shares of Paris Angels that can be sold, and if he sells them all, he can cash out another six to seven million.
After Orleans figured it all out, the anger on his face gradually disappeared, replaced by solemnity and anxiety.
If the Crown Prince was just a bit of a nuisance to him before, it had become a serious problem now.
The kind that is so serious that it must be resolved as soon as possible!
Public opinion, finance, and the military, these three must not be controlled by the royal family, otherwise there is no possibility of shaking the royal family.
After several generations of painstaking efforts, the Orleans family has maximized its efforts to set aside the royal family in these three aspects.
For example, in the area of finance, the royal family has almost become a profit-making tool for major banks. Nearly half of the fiscal revenue is used to repay interest, and the debt is increasing.
If this continues, it won't be long before the royal family is overwhelmed by huge debts, and that's when the Orleans family has an opportunity!
In fact, the original historical trajectory developed exactly this way.
But the emergence of the Reserve Bank of France is equivalent to the royal family opening a gap in the financial field.
In the future, this bank may absorb more and more national debts, and finally the crown prince who controls the bank will sign to directly cancel these debts.
Apart from these, just having the royal family gain financial initiative, even just a little bit, will boost people's confidence in the royal family.
Therefore, this gap must be plugged.
The Duke of Orleans paced back and forth in the room a few times, and waved to the butler outside the door irritably: "Donadier, help me invite Earl Isaac, Marquis Ludeau, Earl of Cape Fear... yes, it's the bank. Those people from the Industry Guild will go hunting at my manor in Yevre tomorrow."
"Yes, sir."
Noon the next day.
In the huge manor west of Javr, the sun shines on the withered grass and bare trees, and the surroundings are filled with the sound of horse hooves and the barking of hounds.
Dozens of servants commanded hundreds of hounds, driving the deer in the bushes from several directions, causing them to gradually gather in the open space on the south side of the bushes.
Sitting in the saddle, the Duke of Orleans, wearing a dark blue hunting suit, raised the Charleville 1763 short-barreled flintlock gun in his hand, took a careful look at a stag in the distance for a while, and then pulled the trigger hard.
Smoke drifted past amid the loud noise, and the deer jumped forward a few steps disdainfully, lowered its head and gnawed on the grass.
The Duke of Orleans showed regret and signaled to the middle-aged man next to him with slightly bulging eyes and a hooked nose: "Earl Isaac, it's up to you."
The middle-aged man smiled slightly and almost raised his gun and shot. The stag in the distance fell over and twitched weakly in the place where it had just been grazing.
Several people around him immediately cheered and congratulated him, while the hounds and servants galloped towards the prey.
"Actually, we also discussed that bank," Earl Isaac threw the gun to the servant and turned to Orleans. "Obviously he violated the recognized rules within the industry, such as using administrative means to cancel the Laborde Bank and La Bode Bank. Vail Bank’s Government Business.”
An old man next to him with a neck so short that he was almost invisible leaned forward and continued: "If this behavior is not stopped, everyone's interests will be harmed."
The Duke of Orleans immediately gave him a smile of approval.
"So, I suggest," the old man raised his gun and aimed at the deer, "that members of the Banking Association should boycott the Reserve Bank of France, including not accepting its bills, asking our customers not to do business with it, etc."
A man in his fifties, wearing an off-white tight coat and a big chin, urged his horse to come from behind: "Just like this, I'm afraid I can't stop Fa Chuxing."
Isaac turned to look at the visitor: "So, what suggestions does Mr. Necker have?"
Necker saluted him with his hands on his chest respectfully: "I believe that the reason why His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is able to act recklessly in the financial field depends entirely on the support of Her Majesty the Queen and the Minister of Finance. Otherwise, he would not even be able to obtain the Paris Angel Company's stock sale permission." get."
The Duke of Orleans nodded thoughtfully. No wonder the Austrian cousin wanted her son to become the assistant to the finance minister. In this case, with Brianne, she would be able to fully control the financial policy. Then the Paris Angel Company and the French Reserve Bank should also be part of her plan!
He immediately said coldly: "You are right. Since Bishop Brian has chosen to betray, he is no longer suitable to continue to be the Minister of Finance."
Brian was the speaker of the "Conference of Notables", a representative organization of the great nobility, and the leader in opposing Louis XVI's tax reform bill.
Later, in order to win over the dignitaries, the Sixteenth Emperor appointed Brian as finance minister.
After Brian took office, he realized that France's finances were in dire straits, that the country could suffer disaster at any time, and that tax reform was imperative.
As a result, he gave up his personal interests and firmly supported the king. However, he was ostracized by the great nobles and the church.
Isaac looked around at the people present and smiled: "If we use our influence to make Brian step down and replace him with a finance minister, such as Mr. Necker..."
People like Isaac controlled the financial lifeline of France, coupled with Orléans' energy in the political arena and gathering the power of the aristocracy, they definitely had the ability to influence the choice of finance minister.
Necker's eyes flashed with joy, and he immediately leaned forward and said: "I will try to get the government to sever cooperation with the Bank of France, and push forward a bill to cancel Paris Angel's qualification to sell stocks. All problems will be solved at the root."
…
Joseph was unaware that a political conspiracy against himself had quietly begun.
He was currently presiding over the opening ceremony of the first class of freshmen at the newly completed Paris Police Academy.
Accompanied by the neat rhythm of military drums, the instructors of the police academy led their trainees to the auditorium with neat steps.
"Stand at attention! Turn right!"
At the sound of the command, more than 200 freshmen lined up in several square formations turned around and looked eagerly at their principal, His Royal Highness the Dauphin of France, through the flying dust.
Thank you to Mr. Cai Shuning for once again generously rewarding this book with 5,000 starting coins! The young author is grateful! I may not have time to add more today, but I will definitely make up for it later. Thanks again.
