I am the Crown Prince of France

Chapter 21: The Prince's Unpredictability

"The key to winning this battle lies with Wilhelmina," Joseph said, having already considered the matter. "As long as the Patriots can hold out a little longer, we can leverage Wilhelmina and position our troops near the Franco-Prussian border. Prussia should then withdraw its forces. I'll submit a formal plan to the Marquis de Saint-Priest."

The Queen nodded. "Alright, I'll make a decision on whether to continue supporting them based on the War Minister's opinion."

At this moment, Louis XVI, who had been mostly silent, suddenly spoke up, "No need to use state funds. I will personally contribute 600,000 livres to support the Patriots."

After speaking, he gave Joseph a supportive smile.

Brienne, visibly relieved, bowed to the king. "Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty. With this contribution, the treasury can temporarily halt payments to the Patriots. In two months, depending on the situation in Holland, we can decide whether to continue support."

He then turned to the Queen. "Your Majesty, does this meet with your approval?"

The Queen nodded. "Yes, proceed to the next item."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Brienne said, casting a wary glance at Joseph, fearing he might interrupt again. Fortunately, Joseph remained silent, and most of the remaining budget cuts were passed smoothly.

After discussing various other matters, the cabinet meeting neared its conclusion.

As Marie Antoinette signed the last two documents, she asked Brienne without looking up, "Archbishop Brienne, I hear there's trouble with the tax reform bill."

She was referring to the new tax reform bill the government had been pushing since the beginning of the year. The bill aimed to make the privileged nobility pay land taxes like ordinary citizens, allow free transport and trade of grain, abolish corvée labor, and increase the stamp tax.

The goal was to increase fiscal revenue and reduce the deficit. If implemented, it would benefit the common people. However, the bill faced fierce opposition from the nobility and had been stalled for over half a year. The previous finance minister had even been dismissed over the issue.

Brienne, looking worried, nodded. "Your Majesty, the bill is being held up by the High Court. My sources tell me they may reject it outright."

Under French law, tax reform bills had to be registered with the High Court and signed by the king before they could take effect.

However, the courts were tightly controlled by the nobility, and this bill, which threatened their interests, was stuck at the registration stage, unable to move forward.

Marie Antoinette's voice grew weary. "You know our financial situation. The tax reform must be implemented quickly."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will do everything in my power!"

Joseph shook his head inwardly. He knew that in the original timeline, Brienne never managed to get the bill passed. In desperation, Louis XVI eventually stripped the High Court of much of its power, exiled the most stubborn judges, and used a royal tribunal to force the bill through.

However, the nobility quickly used this as a pretext to incite public opinion against Louis, portraying him as a tyrant who disregarded the law. This sparked anti-tax riots across France, throwing the country's finances into chaos.

With no control over public opinion, Louis found himself helpless and eventually had to reinstate the exiled judges and restore the High Court's power. The court then promptly repealed the newly enacted tax reforms.

The worst consequence was that the nobility, now convinced they could outmaneuver the king, grew even bolder. In desperation, Louis called the Estates-General, hoping the common people would support him against the nobles.

The result was that the nobility exploited the Estates-General to stir up rebellion, leading to the French Revolution during the 1788 famine, which spiraled out of control...

Joseph looked at Brienne and thought, Trying to get the nobility to agree to pay more taxes is like negotiating with a tiger.

To implement tax reform, the nobility first needed to be thoroughly intimidated into understanding the power of the monarchy. Only then would they comply.

Additionally, control over public opinion was crucial. The nobility excelled at twisting facts, inciting public sentiment, and causing chaos for their own gain. The government needed to ensure that the French people could hear the truth from their rulers and not be manipulated by the nobility.

Taking a deep breath, Joseph felt that his appointment as finance assistant was just the first step. To change the course of history, he would face many obstacles, but whether they were stubborn nobles, the church, or capitalists, he was determined to deal with them decisively.

"Let's end it here. The meeting is adjourned."

The Queen's voice interrupted Joseph's thoughts. He rose with the other ministers, bowed to the King and Queen, and prepared to leave.

"Joseph, stay for a moment," Marie Antoinette called him back.

Joseph returned and sat down.

After the other ministers had left the room, the Queen smiled at him and said, "Joseph, your police reforms have been impressive. Saint-Antoine has clearly become the safest district in Paris."

She paused and sighed. "But, unfortunately, the reforms must be stopped."

"Why is that?" Joseph asked.

The Queen explained gently, "Your reforms have made police salaries too high, and the city cannot afford to pay them. You've been using your own funds to pay the police, but the municipal government can't sustain this. The safety of ordinary citizens still depends on the civilian patrols."

Joseph, without hesitation, responded, "Public safety is crucial. I believe the reforms should not only continue but be expanded to all of Paris, and even the entire country! As for the funding, you don't need to worry. Now that I'm involved in managing the finances, the treasury will soon be full again."

Marie Antoinette looked at her son, intrigued. "And where do you plan to get the money?"

Joseph hesitated, thinking of steam engines, steelmaking, rubber, mining, cement, and even weapons—each capable of generating millions of livres.

But he couldn't tell her that...

After a moment's pause, he chose a few options she might accept. "For example, finance, real estate, luxury goods... I have some ideas."

The Queen frowned, unsure if these ideas were reliable. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Alright, I'll give you six months. If you can solve the police salary issue, you can continue the reforms. If not, everything will revert to the way it was."

"Agreed. I'm confident it won't take six months."

Louis XVI, checking the time, said to his wife and son, "It's almost lunchtime. No work should interfere with lunch."

He led them to the royal dining room. As they walked down the corridor, Joseph remembered something and asked the Queen, "Mother, do you have a suitable candidate for the position of Paris Police Commissioner?"

"Police Commissioner? You should ask the Count of Monot."

"Yes, but he'll follow my recommendation."

The Queen paused, quickly realizing the significance. "You used the matter with Gisot to pressure him?"

"Absolutely not," Joseph replied honestly. "I'm just helping him feel at ease."

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