Dippol glanced at the clock—it was already past 9 PM. He quickly interrupted Danton, who still seed eager to continue, and announced that the court would recess and resu the next morning.
The Duke of Chartres, who had long lost his earlier confidence about inheriting a massive fortune, practically bolted out of the courtroom as if he had been granted a pardon from a torturous ordeal.
The hearings continued over the following days.
By the third day, Danton had calculated the fines owed by the Duke of Orléans to amount to 68 million livres, and they were only just beginning to assess the damages from the riots.
As for the Duke of Chartres, he stopped attending court after the second day, leaving everything to his team of lawyers.
On the second floor of the Tuileries Palace, in the Office of Industrial Planning, Joseph sipped tea freshly imported from the Far East, his expression relaxed as he read a news article in the Paris Comrce Gazette about the ongoing trial over the Duke of Orléans' estate.
Since the case involved the private affairs of a high-ranking noble, the newspaper didn't publish specific details but rely ntioned that, according to "insider sources," the Duke of Orléans was facing massive fines due to multiple illegal activities during his lifeti, which would greatly reduce the inheritance the Duke of Chartres could receive.
Joseph couldn't help but smile as he read this. It wasn't just a significant reduction; before the trial had even concluded, the Duke of Orléans was already bankrupt.
According to a rough estimate by the Prince's personal accountant, the total fines could reach close to 90 million livres.
And these were just the fines that the Duke of Chartres couldn't dispute. If Danton pushed harder and enforced penalties that were debatable, they could easily reach an even higher sum.
Based on the "inside information" provided by Robespierre, even after selling all of the Duke of Orléans' assets, including the Palais-Royal, there would still be a shortfall of around 20 million livres.
Of course, Joseph knew that it was unlikely they would actually extract any money from the Duke of Chartres, but having such a "debt to the devil" hanging over him would at least ensure that he wouldn't dare to act out.
Just then, Emond knocked on the door. "Your Highness, Monsieur Fouché is here."
Joseph set aside the newspaper. "Please show him in."
The door opened, and Fouché, looking rejuvenated, entered quickly and bowed. "Greetings, Your Highness."
"Please, have a seat."
Fouché sat on the sofa and reported, "Your Highness, all 198 key personnel involved in 'Operation Playing Cards' are on leave, and the 12 officials in charge have all been transferred to Paris."
Joseph nodded approvingly. "You've done very well this ti. Oh, by the way, His Majesty has signed the decree to elevate the Ministry of Police to the Ministry of Intelligence, which will officially take effect at the beginning of next month. You should start preparing early."
"Thank you, Your Highness!" Fouché quickly stood to bow, then realized he hadn't phrased it correctly and hastily added, "Long live His Majesty! The Ministry of Police will always be diligent in serving His Majesty!"
Joseph smiled and motioned for him to sit back down, as Emond served tea and placed it in front of Fouché.
Fouché then placed a stack of docunts in front of Joseph. "Your Highness, these are so noteworthy matters from recent tis."
According to the Ministry of Police's operational procedures, Fouché would compile, categorize, and filter the intelligence gathered every few days and then present it to the Prince. Of course, in the case of major events, he would report them imdiately.
"Mada Audran is diating a dispute between Baron Beverly and Count Cyprien...
"There are rumors on the streets of Paris that the Duke of Chartres has contracted syphilis. According to information we've obtained from his physician, this is likely true...
"Two days ago, there was a major transfer of shares at the Paris Trade and Investnt Bank..."
As Fouché continued reporting on what he deed the most important matters, Joseph's attention was caught by a particular section in the report: "Recently, there has been a significant increase in the number of Versailles nobles joining various clubs, with the frequency of their gatherings far surpassing that of the past. According to intelligence analysis, these clubs are primarily focused on political discussions, with core mbers coming from the old noble class.
"These clubs are highly critical of recent governnt reforms, especially the 'Abolition of Noble Privileges Act.' The main sentint is that 'His Majesty has abandoned the sword-bearing nobility,' and that 'nobles with uncertain futures should fight for their rights.'
"As for the not-yet-issued 'Detailed Regulations on Peasants' Redemption of Various Taxes,' they are leaning towards petitioning Her Majesty the Queen to increase the redemption amount and provide greater compensation to the lords.
"A song titled 'Leave My Land' has beco very popular among the old nobility. The song tells the story of a noble who, after losing his land rent, cannot afford to marry and leaves his fiancée to seek adventure in the Caribbean, only to die tragically at sea.
"There are also pamphlets circulating that criticize the royal family."
Joseph frowned as he recalled the financial report submitted by Brent, the general manager of Paris Angel Company, the day before.
The previous month, Paris Angel's revenue had plumted by 27%.
Joseph connected the two events, and a sense of alarm began to grow within him.
Paris Angel's core custors were the nobility of Versailles, with old nobility making up a significant portion.
A drop in Paris Angel's revenue indicated that the nobles had a bleak outlook on their inco, leading to reduced spending.
And as Fouché's report ntioned, the old nobles were gathering and complaining, even creating a pitiful song. This clearly showed their deep dissatisfaction with the abolition of noble privileges.
While Joseph had managed to eliminate the old nobles' leaders, making it difficult for them to stir up major trouble for the ti being, their simring resentnt was evident.
These people still ford the core of France's elite. In terms of both spending power and influence, the capitalist nobility could not yet replace them.
Joseph realized that if he didn't handle the situation well, it could lead to very serious consequences.
Currently, Emperor Joseph II of Austria was also implenting reforms to reduce noble privileges, but his reforms were far less sweeping than Joseph's, and Austria was already in turmoil. Historically, when Leopold II succeeded in 1790, he quickly reversed most of his brother's reforms to restore stability to Austria.
The royal family's greatest support still ca from the feudal nobility.
Without their support, capitalists would naturally be inclined to impose restrictions on the king—or even abolish the monarchy altogether.
Yet, to achieve an industrial revolution, the country must move towards capitalism.
One of Joseph's primary focuses moving forward would be how to control the influence of capital during the industrialization process.
The first step would be to support the capitalist nobility as much as possible, helping them to dominate the capital markets and prevent the purely profit-driven capitalists from taking control.
But the most important thing was for Joseph to maintain control over the nation's capital lifelines, with key resources and sectors managed under state leadership. Only in this way could he dissuade the capitalists from harboring any rebellious thoughts.
But this would take a considerable amount of ti to achieve.
Until then, the royal family had to rely on the feudal nobility to govern the country—at least until the royal family's power could transition from "feudal land" to "capital and resources."
(End of Chapter)
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