Chapter 378: Crisis: Not Just "Danger"
Joseph gestured to Fouché, "You can take my carriage with me."
As the Director of the National Intelligence Bureau, Fouché had not yet been appointed a cabinet minister, but the current situation would definitely require the intelligence system to speak at the cabinet meeting.
In fact, Fouché had reported to Joseph a few days prior about unusual activities by Liberal factions in the northwestern regions of France.
However, Joseph's order for the Intelligence Bureau to investigate and handle the matter had barely reached the northwestern provinces when, less than two days later, peasant protests and riots erupted.
Inside the speeding carriage, Joseph listened to Fouché's latest intelligence and couldn't help but frown slightly. "Are you saying this was incited by that 'Tennis Club' organization, and they have foreign powers backing them?"
He knew that the so-called Tennis Club was an organization of radical Liberals in France. However, a large number of key figures from the historical Jacobins and Girondins had been brought under Joseph's wing, and without the factor of a great famine causing widespread starvation, the Liberals had remained silent in recent years.
This sudden, large-scale operation led Joseph to suspect foreign interference.
Fouché nodded. "They have ample funding, and the rioters in Lille and Reims possess a large number of flintlock muskets. According to our investigation, these were likely supplied by the Southern Netherlands Parliament."
The Southern Netherlands had sent over 200 people to France to stir up trouble. Among them, a few bad apples were inevitable, and the Intelligence Bureau had already apprehended a dozen or so. After interrogation, more than half had confessed.
Fortunately, Lille and Reims had largely completed their Police Reform. The police, braving the rioters' gunfire, managed to disperse the crowds in just one day. Otherwise, the chaos could have been far worse.
If this had happened in the eastern provinces where Police Reform had not yet been implemented, it would likely have required the deployment of the army, ending only after significant casualties.
However, even with the new police force, they couldn't afford to be complacent. Once a riot erupted, even if the situation later calmed, it would still cause immense destruction to the city.
Furthermore, peasants were protesting in over a dozen other cities. Although no violent incidents had occurred, the impact on order was still very severe.
Seeing the Crown Prince's expression, Fouché quickly straightened up and said, "Your Highness, please grant me another chance. I guarantee I will apprehend all the ill-intentioned Southern Netherlanders within a month!"
"Are you confident?"
"Yes, Your Highness," Fouché replied quickly. "The Intelligence Bureau's operations in the northwestern provinces have already begun, and we've gathered extensive intelligence. We could even apprehend everyone from that 'Tennis Club' as well."
Joseph roughly inquired about his deployment plan, confirming there was no exaggeration. He breathed a sigh of relief, but just as he was about to nod, a thought suddenly struck him.
'If the Intelligence Bureau can quickly apprehend those who incited the trouble, then the riots are not a major concern. In that case, the "opportunity" within this crisis could be put to good use.'
He lightly tapped his fingers on the armrest of the seat, carefully sorting through the current situation in his mind. Soon, a smile curved his lips. "Van der Noot, frankly, I should thank you this time."
Fouché looked over, puzzled. "Your Highness, what did you say?"
"Don't move against those people yet," Joseph instructed, raising a hand. "But keep them under close surveillance, ready to arrest them at any moment."
Although Fouché was surprised, he immediately nodded. "Yes, Your Highness."
Joseph continued, "Furthermore, you must quickly uncover the channels through which the Southern Netherlanders' funds and supplies are entering France. Obtain absolutely sufficient evidence, and keep a close eye on everyone involved."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
The carriage stopped before the gates of Versailles. Joseph strode quickly to the cabinet meeting hall, where the guards at the entrance immediately bowed and pulled open the two golden doors for him.
All the cabinet ministers were already in place. Queen Marie, seeing the Crown Prince arrive, felt her previously flustered heart suddenly settle, though she didn't know why.
She quickly waved to her son, signaling him to sit beside her.
Once Joseph was seated, Archbishop Brienne immediately rose, cleared his throat, and said, "Regarding the recent peasant riots in the northwestern provinces, such as Lille and Reims, I believe you may have already heard."
He gave a slight bow towards Queen Marie. "Her Majesty the Queen wishes us to quickly devise countermeasures to calm the situation."
No sooner had he finished speaking than more than half of the cabinet ministers turned their gaze uniformly towards the Crown Prince.
It wasn't that they entirely relied on Joseph for decisions, but rather an unconscious feeling that the Crown Prince might have a solution.
Queen Marie looked at the scene before her with some confusion, then suddenly remembered what her son had told her previously: 'You all need some advice from the Crown Prince, don't you?'
"Cough—" Only then did the ministers realize their behavior was highly improper. They all cleared their throats awkwardly, looking away.
Joseph, however, stepped forward directly and addressed his mother, "Your Majesty, the reason these riots escalated so quickly is primarily due to agitation from the Southern Netherlanders."
He then summoned Fouché into the hall, who presented the information the Intelligence Bureau had gathered to everyone.
Once Fouché finished speaking, Joseph looked at the assembled group and said, "The most pressing task at hand is to swiftly get the protesting crowds to leave the cities and return to their homes."
Archbishop Brienne frowned. "Your Highness, the root cause of the peasants' discontent right now is the rumor that the government is demanding they pay 30 years' worth of land income and major taxes to redeem their land.
"Unless we can immediately issue a redemption plan, they will certainly continue to cause trouble."
That's how people are: when they see no hope at all, they might live a lifetime under oppression, numb to it. But once hope appears, people want more.
This isn't greed; it's the realization that they can finally be human. Truly human, not feudal livestock resembling humans.
In fact, Joseph's reason for wanting to break the feudal tax system was to allow France to increase its population by over 20 million.ṚĄṅΟƁęŚ
That's right, previously, only a few hundred thousand nobles in France were considered true French citizens. The common people at the bottom had no desire to do anything for the country.
Only by granting them land and freeing them from feudal shackles would they realize they too were French citizens and willingly contribute to the nation.
Historically, after the great revolution, how was France able to raise an army of 600,000 troops so easily, while also maintaining their logistical support? It was because at that time, 30 million French people eagerly served their country, proud to be French.
Furthermore, land privatization was an essential prerequisite for the Industrial Revolution.
With land across the entire nation owned by feudal lords and tenant farmers confined to their lord's land, paying rent, where would the labor force to support industrial development come from?
You could build all the factories you wanted, but without workers, you couldn't even produce a single screw.
Comments