Chapter 235: Indulgence Pro+
After hearing the Crown Prince's question, Archbishop Talleyrand's face twisted in discomfort. "Your Highness, I know a little, but such matters..."
Joseph smiled faintly. "Rest assured, I mean no harm. I merely wish to offer some gifts."
Talleyrand wrestled with his thoughts for a moment, but in the end, the allure of the Foreign Minister's position won out. He picked up a pen and paper and began to write, deep in thought.
A moment later, he handed Joseph a paper with a dozen names written on it. "Your Highness, this is all I know. You absolutely must not reveal that I shared this with you. As for the kind of gathering you mentioned..."
His expression was somewhat strained. "It usually takes place on the second Sunday of every month. The gathering spot here in Paris is at a manor in Montmartre. The bishops of Valois and Reims also frequently attend."
"The second Sunday of every month?" Joseph checked his calendar. "Isn't that tomorrow?"
"Hmm, good timing. I was originally planning to send people to invite the bishops from neighboring provinces, but now I can save some time."
He suddenly remembered something, and turning to Talleyrand, he said with a teasing smile, "You seem quite knowledgeable about these matters."
"Huh? I'm not, I didn't, don't..." Talleyrand almost blurted out a triple denial, then quickly composed himself. "Ahem, Your Highness, I merely overheard some rumors. You see, I have a rather good memory."
According to his original plan, he had intended to first attend a preparedness assembly at the police academy.
This matter involved military personnel, so an army had to be prepared to respond to any unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, if any sporadic riots hadn't been quelled, the army would be needed to suppress them.
The following evening, a little after 6 PM, over twenty high-ranking clerics had gathered at the "White Maple Grove" manor in Montmartre, on the northern outskirts of Paris. Among them were Archbishop Beaumont of the Paris region, Archbishop Daflör of the Valois district, and others.
Each was accompanied by a young 'servant,' each possessing a refined appearance.
The ambient music was soothing, and the clerics greeted each other warmly.
A broad-faced bishop was chatting about recent interesting news with his colleague from the Nemours district when he suddenly noticed the jeweled cufflink on the sleeve of the young man leaning against his colleague opposite him.
With a hint of surprise, he gently lifted his own 'servant's' arm, where a similar cufflink was worn.
The cleric opposite him asked curiously, "Assiel has one too?"
The broad-faced bishop nodded. "Someone gave it to him yesterday. What about yours?"
"An anonymous person gave it to Auxence."
Neither of them thought much of it. After all, given their status, many people regularly sought to curry favor, often sending gifts. And when they couldn't reach them directly, those people would try to ingratiate themselves with their 'servants.'
As more clerics chatted with each other, they were surprised to discover that almost all the 'servants' of the clerics present wore such a cufflink.
The attendees gradually ceased their playful interactions with their 'servants,' put down their wine glasses, and began to discuss who had sent them and for what purpose. The clerics who had taken their delicate-featured 'male servants' to the second-floor rooms also quickly halted their clandestine entertainment and came downstairs, donning their robes.
Catholic clergy were strictly celibate, but high-ranking clerics always found ways to 'relax.' Most of them had secret mistresses, but 'male favorites' were a more fashionable choice.
While such matters were an open secret within church circles, their exposure would still severely damage their reputations. Especially a gathering like today's, centered on 'caring for male servants,' must never be known to outsiders.
And the person who sent the cufflinks clearly knew the identity of each of their 'male servants'!
The bishops immediately lost all desire to continue and quietly departed from the "White Maple Grove" manor.
Archbishop Beaumont's carriage had just exited the manor's neatly trimmed groves when he saw a well-dressed, blonde young man signaling to him from the roadside.
He hurriedly ordered the carriage to stop because he recognized the man as the Crown Prince's personal attendant.
Eman politely stepped forward and bowed to the Archbishop, then smiled. "Esteemed Archbishop, His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, wishes to invite you for a drink."
Beaumont naturally wouldn't refuse. As he followed Eman into the villa in the center of Montmartre town, he was immediately astonished to find that five other people, including the Archbishop of Nemours and the Archbishop of Reims, were also inside. All of them were fellow participants from the gathering.
Talleyrand, however, had a guilty conscience and dared not come. After all, he was the one who had leaked news of the gathering.
Beaumont realized something was amiss, but still feigned nonchalance and bowed to the Crown Prince.
Joseph gestured for the archbishops to take their seats. Fiddling with a cufflink in his hand, he cleared his throat and said, "Ahem, I presume you've all heard about the riots in over a dozen southern provinces?"
Looking at the cufflink, identical to the one worn by their 'male servants,' they all nodded uncomfortably. "Yes, Your Highness, we have heard."
"May the Lord quell the savagery in the hearts of those rioters."
"May the Lord forgive them..."
Joseph gestured for Eman to distribute wine to the archbishops. "As you all know, the cause of the riots is food shortages.
"And you, gentlemen, are the representatives of God, embodying His benevolence, so I hope..."
Archbishop Beaumont immediately caught on and quickly interjected, "Your Highness, I am willing to donate 10,000 Livres for disaster relief!"
Archbishop Daflör of Valois nodded in agreement. "I will also donate 10,000 Livres."
However, Joseph smiled and shook his head. He was eyeing the Church's deepest reserves. 'Who would be satisfied with meager donations of ten thousand?'
"Thank you for your generosity." He no longer beat around the bush. "I request that the Church release its stored grain and distribute it to the disaster victims."
The archbishops exchanged glances and chuckled dryly, "Your Highness, the Church's meager stores of grain would be entirely insufficient."
"Indeed, that might not even amount to as much food as 10,000 Livres could buy."
Joseph smiled calmly. "There's no need for modesty. I know that in your cellars, you have at least enough grain to feed the victims in various regions for over half a month."
Shock filled the archbishops' eyes. "Who, who told you this?"
"Your Highness, there's no such thing at all..."
"Your Highness, if you don't believe us, you can ask Archbishop Brienne..."
Joseph knew that most of the Church's stored grain was secretly withheld from the tithes or the harvest from Church lands. While these revenues belonged to the Church, once collected, they were meant for the public accounts, which were used to cover expenses such as education, charity, and religious activities.
As for what was in the Church's cellars, it was amassed by high-ranking clerics through their own devices and belonged to their private wealth. Thus, these individuals were very reluctant for anyone else to know what was in their cellars, especially the Royal Family.
In reality, few people truly knew about this private property of the Church, and due to their careful operations, it would be difficult to uncover even with an investigation. It was only forcibly unearthed during the Great Revolution.
Joseph raised a hand in a calming gesture, and still smiling, said, "I assure you all, in the name of His Majesty the King, that no one will ever inquire into the origins of this grain."
He said, glancing at his own cufflink, "Of course, I also hope you won't be stingy with the grain. I am quite aware of the quantities of grain and wine in the Church's cellars."
This, of course, was a bluff to the archbishops; he only knew that these 'hoarders' had accumulated a great deal of food.
However, when Beaumont and the others heard that the Crown Prince also knew about the wine in their cellars, their belief in his claims instantly solidified to eighty percent.
The archbishops exchanged glances once more, and finally, Beaumont spoke as their representative, "Your Highness, if you truly need the grain, we can sell it to you at market price."
Hearing this, Joseph secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This already met his minimum requirements. At least the riot problem could be solved with money.
But this was not his ultimate goal.
The food supply for all the western and southern provinces of France was no small amount. Furthermore, the amount of grain the Church would release would be entirely at their discretion, and he could easily be at a disadvantage.
He took a deep breath and continued, "I hope the Church can donate this grain."
"This, this won't do..." The archbishops immediately grew anxious. 'The Crown Prince was practically robbing them!'
Joseph gestured for them to calm down. "If the Church donates enough grain to sustain the rebellious provinces for a month, I can allow the Church to resume selling 'Indulgences.'"
Catholic doctrine holds that all humans bear original sin. Since the Middle Ages, the Holy See had invented 'Indulgences,' telling believers that by purchasing these certificates, they could reduce their time suffering in purgatory.
This invention allowed the Holy See to accumulate immense wealth, but at the same time, it made the secular classes deeply resentful. Ultimately, under pressure from all sides, the Holy See announced the cessation of Indulgence sales in the 16th century.
Daflör's eyes lit up immediately. "Are you serious?!"
If the Royal Family allowed the Church to sell Indulgences, the meager profits made from hoarding grain now would be utterly insignificant in comparison.
Beaumont and the others, however, looked hesitant. "Your Highness, even if the Royal Family agrees, there will likely be immense opposition..."
Joseph nodded. "You are right. Therefore, we must innovate."
"Relying on the old rhetoric of 'buy it and you won't go to hell' has long since failed to deceive—ahem—to persuade people."
The archbishops couldn't help but look at each other in dismay, not knowing what to do. "What do you mean?"
"First, we need to change the name. For example, 'Blessing Cards,' 'Longevity Vouchers,' 'True Love Talismans,' and so on."
"Their purpose must also evolve with the times. Just like the names of these vouchers, some can be used to deepen a lover's affection, others to pray for blessings for one's parents."
"You see, going to heaven is too distant and ethereal. But parents and lovers are right before them, and people have many expectations and frustrations concerning them. Only when they can instantly 'solve' immediate problems will people be willing to pay."
"Oh, and we must pay attention to pricing. The old Indulgences were sold too expensively. If someone buys a voucher from you and can't afford meat for two years, they're sure to be dissatisfied. If you sell a voucher for 4 Sous, people will consider it like buying two newspapers. Even if it has no effect... ahem, with God's blessing, it will certainly have an effect."
"In short, we need the concept of small profits but quick turnover, and shouldn't kill the business in one go..."
As he continued to speak, the eyes of several archbishops gradually lit up. A scene seemed to unfold before their eyes: young couples coming to church, spending a mere 4 Sous to buy a 'True Love Talisman' for their relationship, allowing God to witness and bless their love.
The Archbishop of Nemours said with some hesitation, "Your Highness, is what you're saying truly feasible?"
Joseph thought to himself, 'You guard such a massive intellectual property as God, yet you still rely on tithes for your daily expenses. In the 21st century, you'd be laughed to death. Do you know how much money places like Shaolin Temple and Wudang Mountain make with just a bit of clever marketing?'
He smiled faintly. "I can assure you, if you follow my advice, Paris alone will sell at least 500,000 Livres worth of various vouchers annually. And that's the absolute minimum."
"500,000! Are you serious?!"
"Of course, we'll also need some publicity and marketing tactics," Joseph said. "For instance, the 'True Love Talisman' should be combined with Saint Valentine's Day. Hmm, that name is too cumbersome; 'Valentine's Day' will suffice."
The holiday of February 14th already existed in the late 18th century, but it was far from as popular as it would become in later generations.
"First, we must strengthen people's desire to celebrate Valentine's Day. For example, promote the idea that 'if you don't celebrate this holiday, you don't truly love them,' and 'buying the first True Love Talisman of the year guarantees perfect love.' Then, create legendary stories like 'only True Love Talismans blessed by the Church can ensure a couple's love never fades.'"
Joseph briefly recounted the marketing strategies of future businesses. "Then, spend money to organize celebrations, balls, matchmaking events, and similar activities on that day. The rest will be history; just wait for men and women to throng the church doors."
"As for the specific operational methods, I suggest that the Church and I establish a 'Church Cultural Development Company' together, specializing in packaging, planning, and promotion. As for the specific investment and share division, we can discuss that in detail later."
"Oh, similar to the True Love Talisman. Longevity Vouchers should correspond to Father's Day and Mother's Day. These two holidays haven't been established yet, so the Church can discuss which dates are suitable."
"Wealth Vouchers would correspond to Business Day, Blessing Cards to Easter — this is roughly the idea... Once the company is established, there will be a complete set of plans."
The archbishops had never imagined that Indulgences could be used in so many creative ways, and that it would even lead to the creation of a company...
However, upon closer consideration, they felt that the Crown Prince's method was indeed extremely feasible.
Joseph wasn't worried that they would try to implement these ideas privately after hearing them. These business strategies, though seemingly simple, were truly beyond the grasp of anyone without personal experience.
The archbishops briefly deliberated, and again, Archbishop Beaumont spoke as their representative, "Your Highness, then let the grain for this disaster relief be considered our investment in this Church 'development company.'"
According to their estimates, if what the Crown Prince said was true, the grain invested this time would be recouped within two years at most. After that, it would be pure profit.
Furthermore, they wouldn't have to worry about the events of their special gathering today being exposed.
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