Chapter 228: Acts of Chivalry
Joseph couldn't help but shake his head with a smile when he saw the end of the report read: "The British Consul in Tunisia, Hollis, committed suicide for personal reasons."
That was indeed an old British tradition—ruthless when dealing with their own.
Even though France held numerous captured Tunisian Janissaries who could testify, the British government vehemently insisted it was a false accusation, and the only individual involved, Hollis, had perished, leaving no witnesses.
Joseph, however, was indifferent. France couldn't possibly declare war on Britain right now, and he had already made a fortune in Tunisia. This minor incident could simply be left at that.
He continued to pore over the documents, which covered everything from the promotion of scientific composting methods to the construction progress of the Saint-Étienne Industrial Development Zone. From the mileage of new wooden rail lines laid to the advancements in High-Pressure Steam Engine research. From the Royal Armory's trial production of percussion-cap cannons to the influx of cheap Russian linen and American cotton into France, which had made Lyon's textile industry profitable...
A myriad of matters kept him busy until sunset.
Overall, however, France's industry, agriculture, technology, and military had all stabilized and entered a period of growth. This left Joseph feeling weary after a day of work, but his mood was quite pleasant.
He glanced at the last few documents, intending to finish them all before heading to dinner.
Next, there was an application submitted by the Paris Police Academy.
Even though Friant had set extremely high admission standards, over 800 additional cadets had been continuously enrolled, bringing the total number of students from both cohorts at the academy to almost 5,000.
This far exceeded the academy's original designed capacity, to the point where many cadets had to share a single bed.
Therefore, Friant applied to select a new campus for expansion or to open a branch academy.
Joseph smiled faintly, immediately wrote an address at the end of the application, and instructed Friant to continue admissions, then set the document aside to be sent back to the police academy by staff tomorrow.
It was the address of an estate, a birthday gift from Louis XVI and Queen Marie to Joseph.
Joseph's birthday was at the end of October. He had been in Tunisia at the time, so he hadn't really celebrated, but his parents had still sent him a gift.
The estate was of no particular use to him. Located in the suburbs of Paris, it was perfect for the police academy.
The buildings on the estate were already constructed, and the land had long been leveled. The cadets could move in, tidy things up a bit, and start classes.
Once these current 5,000 cadets graduated, combined with the Guards Corps, Joseph would command 8,000 elite soldiers. If the Moulins Corps was also factored in, the total would reach 12,000.
Currently, France's total army numbered only around 110,000 to 120,000, and their quality was far inferior to Joseph's direct forces. It could be said that by then, as long as the entire French army didn't collectively rebel, Joseph was confident he could guarantee the absolute safety of the royal family.
Around 7 PM, Joseph yawned and picked up the last document on his desk.
To his surprise, this one was submitted by Denico, the manager of the Paris Business Journal.
He skimmed through it, finding that it complained about the recent problematic review standards of the Press and Publication Bureau.
More than half a month ago, the newspaper's report on the Viscount Amboise mansion arson case had failed to pass review over ten times, preventing the story from being published. After Denico inquired with other newspapers, he discovered that their reports on the matter had also been rejected.
Denico argued that the case did not involve the royal family, had no negative implications, and was already being tried in the High Court, so the Press and Publication Bureau should not prohibit it. He then leveraged his influence among the press and his direct connection to the Crown Prince to appeal directly to Joseph.
Joseph couldn't help but frown. Monnot was currently in charge of the Press and Publication Bureau, and from the looks of it, the man had most likely accepted another bribe to silence the media regarding the parties involved.
'This habitual corrupt official...' Joseph shook his head, picked up his pen, and wrote a letter to Monnot, reprimanding him and telling him to rein in his activities, or the Office of Fair Investigation would eventually come for him.
Rubbing his aching shoulders, he rose and headed towards the dining room. But just as he stepped out of his office, he heard Eman's voice from the stairwell: "Miss Fraise, if you wish to see His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, please submit an appointment request first. If approved, I will have someone inform you..."
'Fraise? The image of the eccentric young lady popped into Joseph's mind. Wasn't that her surname? What was she doing here?'
Curiously, he leaned over and called down the stairs: "Eman, please have her come up."
"Oh, certainly, Your Highness."
Sorel, still clad in her ink-blue long dress, hurried up the stairs with long strides, her expression anxious. She curtsied to Joseph, lifting her skirt slightly. "My respects to you, Your Highness. Thank you for agreeing to see me."
Joseph gave a slight bow in return and ushered her into his office. "You seem to have something urgent on your mind?"
"Yes, Your Highness." Sorel seemed a bit flustered. After all, she hadn't yet been able to compensate the Crown Prince for the last time she'd caused him to "lose 5,000 livres", and now she was asking for his help again.
But she immediately rallied herself inwardly: 'This is for fairness and justice; His Highness will surely understand!'
So she took a deep breath and looked at Joseph. "Your Highness, please save those two heroes. I know I might be overstepping, but besides you, I truly don't know who else to turn to for help."
"Heroes? Who are you referring to?" Joseph was completely baffled.
"The Maletout brothers."
Joseph blinked.
Sorel's large eyes fluttered. "Haven't you heard about the Viscount Amboise mansion arson case? Oh, right, the newspapers have suppressed the news. Those detestable bureaucrats..."
She suddenly realized that "detestable bureaucrats" were appointed by the royal family, so she quickly changed the subject. "It's like this, Your Highness. There's a poor girl named Celine who has been harassed by the despicable Viscount Amboise for a long time.
"Her father is just a coppersmith and dared not resist. So I secretly helped her a few times.
"Who would have thought that last month that vile noble kidnapped her and took her to his villa! I was about to sneak into that mansion under the cover of night to find her when I suddenly saw the Maletout brothers appear.
"They bravely set fires all over Viscount Amboise's mansion, and while the people inside were busy extinguishing the flames, they rescued Celine. Sure enough, she was reunited with her family the very next day."
Joseph was somewhat surprised. "Set fire to rescue someone?"
"Yes, Your Highness. There were only two of them, and if they wanted to rescue someone, that was a good method."
Sorel nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, then quickly added, "But they were arrested two days later, and the High Court swiftly sentenced them to beheading."
"Your Highness, they are valiant heroes who aid the unfortunate. They shouldn't die like this. I implore you to help them!"
Joseph immediately recalled the Press and Publication Bureau's suppression of news regarding the Viscount Amboise mansion arson case. He narrowed his eyes slightly, thinking, 'Could Monnot actually be doing a good deed this time, preventing the media from reporting on the Maletout brothers to keep them out of the spotlight?'
'Perhaps that letter reprimanding him shouldn't be sent after all.'
He asked the eccentric young lady, "How many casualties resulted from the arson?"
"Viscount Amboise and his three henchmen died, and over ten others were injured. But they deserved it!"
Sorel took two more steps forward as she spoke, dropping to one knee. "Your Highness, the Maletout brothers have been imprisoned in the Bastille, and it is said their execution is set for next week. I beg you, find a way to pardon them!"
Joseph helped her to her feet, frowning. "This case happened last month. Why is the execution so soon?"
According to current legal procedures, even with conclusive evidence, there were usually at least three to five months between sentencing and execution. Yet this case had only occurred more than half a month ago.
Sorel said urgently, "I don't know either. I tried to rescue them twice, but both times I failed..."
Joseph's eye twitched. "Rescue? Are you saying you tried to break them out of the Bastille?"
"Yes, Your Highness." Sorel seemed to find nothing wrong with it. "I saw them both times, but the locks on those cells simply couldn't be picked."
Joseph nodded. "That's not surprising, as those locks were all made by my father himself."
Ever since the main culprit of the "Diamond Necklace Affair," Jeanne, escaped from the Bastille the year before last, the enthusiastic Louis XVI had helped the prison forge a batch of new locks, utilizing his self-invented double-toothed mechanism, which offered exceptional anti-picking performance.
He then gestured to Sorel. "Please return for now. I will look into this matter."
"Thank you so much, Your Highness!"
After seeing off the eccentric young lady, Joseph ate a simple dinner, then dispatched someone to Versailles Palace overnight to inquire with the Minister of Justice about the arson case.
The next day, Baron Breteuil himself came to Joseph's office and reported on the case.
"Your Highness, those two brothers come from a minor noble family. Normally, they weren't known for any acts of chivalry," the Judicial Minister said. "After their arrest this time, they quickly confessed to the arson."
"I suspect it might be that the High Court considered their actions particularly heinous, and Viscount Amboise holds considerable influence, which led them to decide on an early execution."
Joseph frowned and shook his head, a nagging feeling telling him something was amiss.
Remembering he still had to visit the Paris Police Academy today, he took the Judicial Minister with him in the carriage, making a detour to the High Court first.
In the High Court President's office, Duport nervously lowered his head and spoke cautiously: "This indeed deviates from proper procedure, Your Highness. However, the two arsonists are proven guilty, and they would end up on the Guillotine sooner or later... I will review the case thoroughly and submit a formal report to you."
Joseph glanced at him askance, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I need to know the inside story of this case, Mr. President."
Duport let out a dry chuckle. "What... what inside story could there be?"
"Alright then, I'll just hand this case over to Danton. Or, I could have the Royal Supreme Court look into it."
Duport immediately broke out in a cold sweat and frantically gestured to the official at the door. "Send Judge Chloé in here."
Chloé was the judge directly responsible for the arson case. When he saw His Royal Highness the Crown Prince personally present, and learned that the case might be taken to the Supreme Court, he immediately spilled the full details.
A moment later, Joseph frowned, looking at Chloé. "Are you saying Monnot ordered you to deliver a swift verdict and immediately execute the two brothers?"
"I swear, Your Highness, I did receive 30,000 livres from Count Monnot, but he's a cabinet minister! He forced me to do it, I truly dared not offend him!"
Joseph grew even more surprised. Monnot was simultaneously using his press censorship authority to suppress news of the arson case while also bribing judges to expedite the execution of the perpetrators.
'What exactly is this fellow trying to achieve?'
He left Duport with a single instruction: "Immediately detain Judge Chloé for investigation. Keep this matter confidential." With that, he departed from the High Court.
Subsequently, Joseph summoned Fouché and instructed him to investigate the arson case as quickly as possible, with the focus specifically on Monnot.
The Police Intelligence Bureau proved highly efficient. Just three days later, Fouché presented the investigation results on the Crown Prince's desk.
"Your suspicions were entirely correct, Your Highness," the intelligence chief reported. "The woman named Celine and her family said they were going to Tunisia to farm seven days ago. In reality, they were killed just after leaving Paris. Farmers nearby reported the incident."
"Was it Monnot's doing?"
"While there's no direct evidence, it was likely his men," Fouché nodded. "In fact, we discovered that Count Monnot's illegitimate son, the young man named Antoine who gained inheritance rights half a year ago, had been fiercely vying with Viscount Amboise for that woman—Celine."
"This was easily discovered; many in noble circles knew about it. Both men coveted the woman. It's rumored that Antoine had even assaulted her multiple times before."
Joseph's expression turned cold. "State your conclusion directly."
"Very well, Your Highness. The Maletout brothers were closely associated with Count Monnot's son. This time, Viscount Amboise and Antoine had been vying for the woman, and when Antoine failed to secure her, Amboise abducted her."
"Antoine, enraged, sent his men to 'punish' Viscount Amboise, and those two fools, for some unknown reason, chose to set fires. Oh, perhaps they couldn't find any other way to deal with Amboise."
"So, after the Maletout brothers were arrested, Monnot, fearing reporters would uncover the truth, suppressed the related news. He then bribed the judges to threaten the two brothers into not implicating his son, and to swiftly execute them. After that, there would be no witnesses left alive."
"That scoundrel!" Joseph slammed his hand on the desk, his voice grim. "First, send men to keep a close watch on the Monnot household to prevent that wastrel from escaping, but for now, take no other action."
"Yes, Your Highness." Fouché bowed and withdrew.
Joseph looked at the investigation report before him, frowning as he fell into deep thought. Monnot's case demanded severe punishment, but the man was, after all, the Interior Minister, the third-highest-ranking member of the cabinet. Dealing with him directly would have too great an impact. How could he proceed without causing a major political upheaval?
However, events unfolded beyond his expectations.
The very next day, the front pages of major newspapers were almost entirely dominated by headlines proclaiming: "Interior Minister's Son Implicated in Viscount Amboise Mansion Arson Case, Summoned for Questioning."
The entirety of Paris was shaken.
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