Chapter 5 The Counterattack of the Duke of Orleans
Guizot was the first to get excited, summoned his men sitting at the far end of the banquet table, and ordered:
"Cesar, take someone to check if any dentist had contact with Lenott a month ago!"
Joseph thought for a moment and added: “If a dentist has been to Lenot’s house, his servant should know.
"But the servant's confession didn't mention..." Guizot was startled as he said, "No! Cesar, interrogate the servant as well!"
"Yes, sir!"
Outside the city hall, Le Nôtre's fiancée stopped crying. I don't know if the guards drove her away or someone told her that the case would be re-investigated.
In the afternoon, the fat mayor brought a group of city hall officials to invite Joseph to a dinner. The policeman named Cesar suddenly rushed over and whispered to Guizot for a while.
The latter's eyes lit up, he turned around and saluted Joseph, caressing his chest, and said in a high-pitched voice:
"Your Highness, as you expected, Lenot's servant quickly confessed after he was arrested, saying that a dentist did go to Lenot's house at the time of the incident. The servant received a sum of money from the man and did perjury."
The president of the Chamber of Commerce asked anxiously: "Where is the murderer?"
"Cesar searched the dentist's residence and found that he was an Englishman. His brother had fought in the United States and was shot by Lenot. He came for revenge." Guizot lowered his head and coughed dryly, "It's just, Cesar accidentally stabbed him to death while pursuing him.”
Hearing this, more than a dozen city hall officials around him couldn't help but look at Joseph with surprise and admiration in their eyes. At the noon banquet, the Crown Prince judged the murderer's situation based on only some clues he heard.
And now the actual investigation results of the police are almost exactly the same as what he said!
The fat mayor immediately praised loudly: "Fortunately, the crown prince is wise and wise, so the murderer cannot go unpunished."
He smiled again and turned to the official behind him and whispered: "That woman will finally stop coming to the city hall to cause trouble..."
At night, Joseph stayed in his private villa at the repeated invitation of Chamber of Commerce President Fleiselle. The town hall was too far from the Palace of Versailles, and he didn't want to travel back and forth.
Joseph was leaning on the soft big bed, staring at the opposite wall, feeling a little bored.
The fat mayor and the president of the Chamber of Commerce have been doing Tai Chi with him today, and they still disagree with him interfering in the police department. He turned over and thought that if he could not convince them tomorrow, he would write to the queen and ask her to place him in the police department.
Outside the house, Eman lightly knocked on the door: "Your Highness, are you asleep?"
"Not yet, come in."
Eman pushed the door open and handed a letter to Joseph respectfully: "Your Highness, this is from the police department. It seems to be left by the fiancée of Mr. Le Notre."
"She? A letter to me?"
Emang said with a heavy tone: "Well, she committed suicide tonight..."
Joseph's heart became a little heavy, he never thought that there was such an infatuated woman in the world.
He opened the letter and saw that the first few lines were to thank Cesar and other police officers, and then she said that she really wanted to thank the crown prince who had found the real culprit in person, but because of the disparity in status, he could not see her, so she could only do it in this way. I came to say thank you. I wrote a whole page of thanks. At the end of the letter, she said that she was hopeless without Le Nôtre. The police had avenged Le Nôtre, and she was about to follow her lover. After her death, all property will be donated to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Police Department respectively.
Joseph was a little surprised by this gift, and Emman said softly: "Your Highness, it is said that Miss Isterly left a property of 4,000 livres..."
On the banks of the Seine.
The Palais Royal located here was once a palace of Louis XIV and now belongs to the Duke of Orleans.
The Orleans family had served as regents in the era of Louis XV. They were extremely powerful. After more than a hundred years of accumulation, they had a huge wealth comparable to that of the royal family.
The current Duke of Orleans has relied on this to continuously develop his power since his father's generation. Although he has no actual official position, he can participate in cabinet meetings and has considerable authority. In addition, he was good at acting and did not hesitate to spend money. He was a guest in various political circles and was very prestigious among the nobles.
A luxurious carriage drove into the Palais Royal and stopped in front of the flower gallery. The Duke of Orleans got off the carriage along the steps set up by the servants.
There was the sound of a speech coming from the garden not far away. He turned his head and glanced over there, with a smile on his lips. He knew that it was a gathering of some organization that was dissatisfied with the royal family.
Yes, the Royal Palace is now a secret base for the anti-royal family, and the backbone of the Feuillants, Girondins, and Jacobins in the future will often gather here. In addition, various prohibited items, including controlled arms, can be sold here.
The Duke of Orleans used his power to protect them. He has been working hard for decades, and he will fully support anything that will help subvert the royal family.
The Duke of Orleans threw his coat to the servant and strode into the main hall. As soon as the guard opened the door of the hall, he saw his son beating and scolding the maid.
He coughed lightly and stepped forward: "Phillip, what's wrong with you?"
The young man turned around and saw that it was the slender-eyed boy who had taken the math test with Joseph in the morning. He pointed at the maid and screamed: "This idiot! He brought black tea to me when I was in a bad mood! It's still so hot!"
"What makes you feel so bad?"
"That Joseph!" Philip clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. "He must have cheated! He can't have studied college courses!"
The Duke of Orleans asked about the whole story and couldn't help frowning. He didn't expect that the Dauphin could be moved by a great scholar like Lagrange. It was so easy for the king to get rid of Louis XVI, so why was his son so outstanding?
The crown prince must be suppressed before he gains prestige, otherwise it will become more difficult to overthrow the king.
He comforted his son for a few words, and then saw the housekeeper coming quickly, bowing and saying: "Sir, Mr. Froy wants to see you."
"Is he Lewebel's confidant? Tell him to wait for me in the study."
In the study, the Duke of Orleans read the letter sent by Froy, with a sneer in his eyes, and handed the letter to the butler beside him:
"The Crown Prince may be a little clever, but he is still a child after all. If he hangs around in the city hall, I really can't do anything about him, but he actually takes the initiative to participate in police management."
The housekeeper looked at the letter and tsked: "Paris has always been a mixed bag, especially in the slums. Robberies and murders have never stopped. Those veterans with decades of municipal experience are at a loss. The Crown Prince is asking for trouble."
Duke Orleans smiled and nodded: "Since Joseph is so confident, we will help him make a name for himself."
He turned to Froy and said: "Go back and tell Lewebel to let the crown prince serve as the police commissioner of the Saint-Antoine district."
The Police Commissioner is the most powerful position after the Chief of Police and is responsible for all police services in a Paris region. There are only 6 police commissioners in Paris.
"Yes, Your Majesty the Duke."
After Lewebel's confidants left, the Duke of Orleans ordered the butler: "Let the Paris News and the Citizen pay more attention to the crime and police management in the Saint-Antoine district, and write in detail about the police chief there. Our Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”
"Yes." The butler bowed and left.
The Duke of Orleans walked to the window and looked at the garden of the Royal Palace in the night. The corner of his mouth curled up:
"When the Saint-Antoine district is in chaos, let's see how the Austrian cousin still defends her son. The Crown Prince? Huh, soon, you will be the same idiot as your father in people's hearts!"
The "Austrian cousin" he refers to is Queen Mary, who was born in Austria.
The new book has been signed through internal investment, and I beg you to invest in this book. The young author is looking forward to the recommendation of 100 Investment with tears in his eyes. He is rolling on the floor begging, jumping up and down to beg...