NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Heading to Paris
Chapter 3: Heading to Paris
Before the Queen could respond, the tall, thin man with the cold gaze suddenly cleared his throat, stepping forward half a step and saying,
"Your Majesty, the Queen, did I hear correctly that you intend to allow the Prince to participate in governance?"
Queen Marie turned her head and replied calmly,
"Yes, Duke of Orléans, I made an agreement with the Prince that if he completed his university studies, he would be allowed to participate in state affairs."
The Duke of Orléans narrowed his eyes, thinking to himself: The Prince has always been mediocre, so why has he suddenly become so capable? Could it be that he was pretending all along? But why would he do that, and why reveal his abilities now? What is his plan?
Regardless, after years of manipulation, the prestige of the royal family has greatly diminished, and the throne has become increasingly unstable. If a "genius Prince" were to suddenly emerge, it would undoubtedly boost the court and public's confidence in the monarchy.
This would be detrimental to my plans, so I must find a way to suppress him!
With this thought, he immediately spoke up loudly,
"Your Majesty, the Prince is still young and inexperienced in governance. I believe it would be more appropriate to select an experienced minister to teach him the art of governance for a few years before he participates in state affairs."
Queen Marie frowned slightly. The Duke of Orléans had a point; although the Prince was exceptionally talented, he was still only 13 years old. If he were to make a mistake in governance, it could negatively affect his reputation.
She looked at her son and said in a conciliatory tone,
"Joseph, perhaps you could continue your studies for a while longer."
Joseph glanced at the Duke of Orléans. As someone who had traveled through time, he knew all about this man—Louis Philippe, a close relative of Louis XVI. Everyone currently believed he was loyal to the king and country, but in reality, he had been working since his father's time to overthrow the king's lineage and seize the throne for himself.
Historically, after the success of the French Revolution, when the Girondists voted on whether to execute the king, the Duke of Orléans unhesitatingly voted in favor, leading to a 301-to-300 vote that sentenced Louis XVI to death. It was his crucial vote that sent Louis XVI to the guillotine!
Joseph hadn't expected him to jump out so quickly, and he responded firmly,
"Your Majesty, when Joan of Arc defeated the English army three hundred years ago, she was the same age as I am now. She proved herself through action. Please believe in my abilities and give me the chance to prove myself!"
The Duke of Orléans spoke in a seemingly earnest tone,
"Your Highness, matters of state are of great importance, and confidence alone is not enough…"
But Joseph was not in the mood to indulge him. He decisively waved his hand and said,
"Duke of Orléans, this is an agreement between the Queen and me. Please do not interfere."
He then turned to the Queen,
"Mother, if I become the assistant to the Finance Minister, won't I also be able to learn from Bishop Brienne?"
The cabinet ministers were all taken aback. They hadn't expected the young Prince to have the courage to confront the Duke of Orléans directly. Even the Chief Minister usually had to consult with him.
The Duke of Orléans was even more shocked by Joseph's refusal to show him respect. It took him a moment to recover, and then he angrily shouted,
"Finance is the lifeline of France. We cannot allow an inexperienced young man to interfere!"
Many of the surrounding ministers nodded in agreement. Queen Marie, seeing this, looked again at the resolute Prince and finally compromised,
"Joseph, you can start by working at City Hall. If you perform well, we can discuss involving you in finance later."
Joseph glanced at the seven or eight cabinet ministers in the room. He knew that with them around, it would be difficult for the Queen to give him the green light. It seemed he would have to spend some time at City Hall first, so he nodded,
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The Duke of Orléans still wanted to cause trouble. He stepped forward and said,
"Your Majesty, the Prince should first learn…"
"It's decided," Queen Marie interrupted, raising her hand and then turning to Brienne,
"Please continue discussing the tax reform."
Joseph sat to the side, listening to the rest of the cabinet meeting, gaining a deeper understanding of France's dire financial situation—90% of the meeting was about money, or more precisely, the lack of it.
When the meeting ended, the Queen insisted on rewarding him by sharing a huge selection of desserts with him. It wasn't until he had sampled an array of intricately made cakes, puddings, and macarons, leaving his throat sore from the sweetness, that he was finally free to go.
Joseph left the tea room with a heavy heart, suddenly thinking that perhaps he could follow Louis XVI's path.
When he arrived at the King's palace, he was informed that Louis XVI was busy with a "masterpiece" and had been in the locksmith workshop for three days straight, eating and sleeping there.
Joseph felt exhausted at the thought. With a father like this, how could he not end up on the guillotine?
Oh well, Louis XVI would probably send him back to the Queen if he disturbed him, like a boomerang… He shook his head with a wry smile and then instructed Aymon,
"Please prepare a carriage. Let's go straight to Paris City Hall."
"Yes, Your Highness."
As Joseph exited through the main gate of the Palace of Versailles, he saw more than a dozen carriages waiting in the marble courtyard, with sixty or seventy people standing by them.
He couldn't help but shake his head. He recognized most of these people—they were all part of the Prince's entourage, including beauticians, chefs, tailors, and others, all ready to accompany him. No wonder so many carriages were needed.
Joseph quickly had Aymon send them back. Bringing such a large group to City Hall would cause chaos.
Then he looked at the silver royal carriage in front of him. It was elegantly designed, covered in intricate carvings, with gold filigree decorating every corner. It was incredibly luxurious.
After a moment's thought, he decided to board one of the ordinary carriages used by the attendants—riding in the royal carriage would guarantee no peace on the journey.
Soon, three gray-black carriages sped out of the Palace of Versailles, heading east.
Versailles is located in the western suburbs of Paris, more than three hours' drive from the city center. Bored, Joseph yawned as he sat in the carriage. Glancing around, he noticed a stack of books on the wooden table in front of him. Picking one up, he found that it contained information about Paris City Hall.
He looked across at Aymon, who immediately smiled and bowed. Clearly, he had prepared all this.
To be the Prince's steward required keen insight, far beyond that of an ordinary person. Joseph smiled back at him, then began to read through the materials. The content was detailed, covering everything from the personnel structure of City Hall to its functions and daily operations.
As Joseph flipped to the third page, he noticed that the police department was one of the departments under City Hall.
He quickly read further and confirmed that the Paris police were indeed under the jurisdiction of City Hall, which made his eyes light up.
It seemed that working at City Hall wouldn't be a waste of time after all. At the very least, he could make some serious improvements to Paris's police force.
For the lower classes in France, chaotic public order was the second biggest nightmare after exorbitant taxes! Getting robbed or pickpocketed on the streets was minor; home invasions, murders, and kidnappings were all too common. Not to mention the gangs that constantly extorted and oppressed citizens—one of Paris's biggest scourges.
At this time, no country in Europe had yet established a modern police system. Public safety depended on community self-defense, and solving crimes was almost impossible, leading to rampant criminal activity and widespread fear among ordinary people.
So reforming the police force would be highly significant. Solving public safety issues could greatly improve social stability, which in turn could reduce the public's urge to overthrow the monarchy.
Joseph finished reading the City Hall materials and began carefully considering the details of police reform. As he did, the carriage entered the city of Paris, and a suffocating stench filled the air from outside the window.
(End of Chapter)
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