Chapter 526: Death Penalty as a Starting Point, No Upper Limit
The province of Reims, bordering Paris.
Reims District Court.
Judge Fousnay listened to the prosecutor demand the beheading of the defendant, his face etched with weariness.
Previously, he had only presided over minor cases like petty theft and property damage. A case like this, involving hundreds of thousands of francs and a potential death sentence for the defendant, was a first in his 20-year judicial career.
Frankly, if he hadn't crammed for two nights before the trial, he wouldn't have even known which laws applied to the case.
There was no alternative; cases involving Tax Farmers had recently become so numerous that the High Court's schedule was completely full, forcing even district courts to handle major cases.
The defense attorney immediately strode to the podium, rebutting loudly:
"Your Honor, Prosecutor, my client, Mr. Bocca, merely failed to strictly adhere to tax procedures and made errors in tax calculations. These are purely economic matters and absolutely should not warrant such a severe sentence!"
"Furthermore, I believe this case should be heard by a commercial court, not a regular court."
"Corentin, you truly excel at twisting facts!"
"In 1785, Bocca arbitrarily collected taxes ahead of schedule and used this as an excuse to impose enormous fines on 41 farming households in Meition Village, leading to 18 of them going bankrupt. In the process, over nine people from these farming families died of hunger or disease. If they had remained in their homes, all of this could have been avoided!"
"Additionally, in 1786, Bocca forged government tax documents and collected 300 francs each from Mr. Blanche and others for an 'inheritance tax,' leading to Blanche's workshop going bankrupt and Blanche committing suicide..."
"And in the same year, due to outstanding taxes, Bocca ordered his subordinates to assault Mr. Neige; Neige died five days later..."
Attorney Corentin shrieked:
"Objection! Your Honor, Inspector, first of all, people die of hunger and disease in Meition Village every year. Even without the fines, those nine people you mentioned might not have survived that year anyway."
"As for the Blanche incident, that's even more absurd. How can you be certain he didn't commit suicide because he argued with someone else, or simply had mental health issues?"
"And Neige's situation is also full of doubts..."
He prattled on for about half an hour, primarily employing sophistry and obfuscation. After all, these events had occurred years ago, and much of the evidence had long since vanished.
He had many ways to prolong the trial. If he could drag it out until the fervor surrounding the Tax Farmer incidents subsided, perhaps a lighter sentence could be achieved. He might even secure an acquittal through means like bribing judges.
He had received a hefty 7,000 francs in legal fees from the Bocca family, so it was only natural he would exert all his effort to get him acquitted.
The prosecutor's face turned ashen with anger at the lawyer's tirade, but he was hampered by the insufficient preparation time for this case – he was currently responsible for four Tax Farmer cases – leaving him no time to gather detailed evidence. The evidence he currently held had largely been provided by the Tax Bureau.
After arguing his points for a while longer, the lawyer named Corentin suddenly changed tack:
"By the way, Mr. Prosecutor, all these cases you've mentioned today should be brought as individual lawsuits by the parties involved or their families. I believe your public prosecution is unreasonable, based on..."
These legal sharks always found novel angles to twist the law.
"The families of the victims can't afford the legal fees, and they wouldn't even know how to file a lawsuit!" the prosecutor roared. "Otherwise, Bocca would have been in prison long ago!"
"Your Honor, the prosecutor is threatening my client..."
Afterward, the prosecution and defense haggled for over two hours. Judge Fousnay helplessly rapped his gavel, announcing a recess.
He had a premonition that, given the lawyer's experience, this case could drag on for at least half a year.
He returned to the lounge, and just as he was about to pour himself a cup of coffee, a court official, accompanied by a well-dressed middle-aged man with a smoothly gleaming wig—clearly a person of status—knocked and entered.
The middle-aged man gestured for the official beside him to leave, then spoke to a somewhat nervous Fousnay:
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Judge Fousnay. I am Cyprien, a special representative from the Royal Supreme Court, and I need to inquire about some aspects of the case..."
An hour later, the Bocca case resumed.
Attorney Corentin continued to ramble, but this time, after only a few sentences, he heard the judge rap the gavel forcefully, cutting him off:
"Defense counsel, please refrain from speaking on matters irrelevant to the case."
"Yes, Your Honor."
Corentin tried a different angle to contend with the prosecutor, but was quickly silenced by the judge:
"Defense counsel, your conjectures cannot be presented as evidence in court. If you continue, I will issue a warning."
The prosecutor immediately brightened and began his offensive.
With the judge's clear assistance, he quickly had Corentin sweating profusely and retreating on all fronts.
At 4 PM, Judge Fousnay symbolically sought the opinions of a few trial assistants, then forcefully struck his gavel and declared loudly:
"This court formally pronounces, Bocca is guilty of illegal taxation, murder, fraud, forging official documents..."
"The charges are proven. This court, in accordance with the Edict of Dorne, the Silnanse Decree..."
"Sentences Jacques-Hector de Bocca of Touraine to beheading."
Corentin was stunned. How had a verdict been reached so quickly?
Although he had been at a disadvantage during the arguments, there were still many points in the case that could have been used to stall. The judge had actually delivered a verdict in less than a day!
He quickly whispered, trying to soothe the ashen-faced Bocca:
"Don't worry, there are many grounds for appeal in this case, especially since a lot of the evidence is gone. I will submit an appeal to the appellate court tomorrow."
Judge Fousnay let out a long breath. Just now, the important figure from the Royal Supreme Court had come to instruct him that for all recent Tax Farmer cases, as long as the facts were clear, he shouldn't overly concern himself with minor evidentiary details and should deliver verdicts as quickly as possible.
At this pace, the thick stack of Tax Farmer cases on his desk would likely be processed in just over half a month.
He had originally prepared to spend half a year handling these cases.
At the courthouse entrance, a bailiff, hearing the verdict, immediately disregarded regulations and excitedly slipped out, shouting urgently to the expectant crowd gathered outside:
"Beheading! It's beheading!"
The crowd instantly erupted in a wave of cheers:
"Wonderful! That damned Bocca is finally going to hell!"
"Long live Judge Fousnay!"
"Thank God, the wicked have finally received their punishment!"
It could be said that almost no one in Reims didn't hate the Tax Farmers. Even if they hadn't been driven to ruin by them, it was common to be overcharged a few sous in taxes or to be hit with a stick by a tax collector during collection.
Now, upon learning that a Tax Farmer had been sentenced to death, how could they not be ecstatic?
Attorney Corentin waited until dusk before cautiously stepping out of the Reims District Court—he was well aware of how reviled Tax Farmers were.
However, as soon as he exited the main gate, a splat of something hit him square in the face.
He instinctively reached up to touch it, immediately feeling a sticky, greasy mess all over his hand. At the same time, a foul stench assailed his nostrils, sending him into a violent fit of vomiting.
Over a dozen people surged out from the surroundings, clearly having waited for him, cursing and pelting him with more "unidentified objects."
The crowd chased them for two more streets until Corentin's servants managed to cover him as he boarded a carriage, only then did they disperse.
As for Leonor and the families of Blanche and Neige, who were connected to the case, they only received the news the following day—they had no free time to wait at the district court for the trial's outcome, still crushed by the weight of their lives, unable to rest for a moment. But the culprit responsible for all their suffering would soon atone for his crimes.
...
To Corentin's great surprise, the French judicial system had suddenly become terrifyingly efficient.
His appeal for Bocca was rejected by the appellate court in just one day, on the grounds that the evidence was clear and the judgment reasonable.
Helpless, he then appealed to the Reims Supreme Court, waiting two days this time. The court announced it would uphold the original verdict and rendered a final decision, cutting off his hopes of further appealing to the Royal Supreme Court.
Immediately afterward, the execution date was set—ten days from then.
He, of course, didn't know that all of this was the result of the Crown Prince instructing the Royal Supreme Court to hasten local courts. Even when several high-ranking officials of the Royal Supreme Court advised him to exercise caution in the matter, Joseph unhesitatingly replaced the Chief Justice Assistant of the Royal Supreme Court, effectively its second-in-command.
It wasn't that Joseph necessarily wanted to interfere with the judiciary, though in a monarchical society, interference was simply interference. It was just that the details of these Tax Farmer cases were remarkably clear; virtually none of those facing execution were wrongly accused, so there was no need to waste time or judicial resources on them.
Moreover, these Tax Farmers were all immensely wealthy. The longer their cases dragged on, the more means they would devise to clear themselves.
Just as Corentin repeatedly reviewed the trial process and began to doubt his professional capabilities, he heard news that restored his confidence—
All recent cases involving Tax Farmers were being tried with alarming speed; his case was even considered slow. Some cases were even judged in the morning, with the High Court announcing the final verdict that same afternoon.
Furthermore, the death penalty rate in these cases was a staggering 70%!
Those not sentenced to death generally received decades-long prison sentences, with only a few individuals being exiled or given short-term imprisonment.
Not a single acquittal!
The Tax Bureau only arrested individuals with clear targets; Tax Farmers who genuinely hadn't committed any misdeeds wouldn't even end up in court.
Early in the morning, after breakfast, Corentin stepped out of a hotel in Paris's Saint-Germain-des-Prés district for a stroll—he hadn't dared to stay in Reims recently, truly fearing that the enraged populace might eventually kill him. Although he had earned 7,000 francs, if he could go back a few days, he would absolutely refuse to take Bocca's case again.
"Read all about it, read all about it!" the newsboy's shout echoed from across the street. "The News and Pictures Gazette, combined trial for rioters who violently attacked tax officials! Find out the verdict for just 1 sou and 5 deniers!"
Corentin raised a hand to summon the newsboy, paid for a paper, and upon opening it, immediately saw the news—a total of 571 rioters who had participated in attacking tax officials or violently obstructed their arrest of suspects had all been sentenced to death! The vast majority of these were former tax collectors, essentially subordinates employed by the Tax Farmers.
At the same time, the news also mentioned that since a small number of nobles were among these 571 individuals, the Paris Supreme Court sentenced them all to beheading to ensure uniform judgment. Their appeals were rejected the very same day.
These over 500 individuals, like Bocca, would face execution starting ten days later.
...
Southern suburbs of Paris.
Inside Fould's villa, over a dozen leading Tax Farmers sat with grim faces, heads bowed in silence.
They had naturally already learned of the mass arrests of Tax Farmers and their subordinates, and their swift sentencing to death.
This indicated that their attempts to use the Queen's influence through the Count of Artois and the Countess of Debeninac had failed, and the government was now actively moving against them.
After a long pause, a corpulent Tax Farmer spoke:
"I never imagined Archbishop Brienne would be so ruthless this time. Is he truly trying to drive us to utter ruin?"
Fould shot him a dismissive look, rebuking:
"This is not something Brienne alone could accomplish; the entire judicial system has been mobilized!"
Hewitt nodded:
"It seems this must be the Royal family's will."
Bolloré gritted his teeth:
"I said it long ago! We should have provided funds to support the High Court in its struggle against the Royal family! But you misers all disagreed."
"What good is talking about that now?" Baron Morrel asked. "The Tax Bureau agents are watching me constantly. If this continues, the fire will eventually reach us all!"
Because these leading Tax Farmers usually operated behind the scenes, delegating their tax collection business to agents, and even having a noble represent them in tax negotiations, coupled with the vast sums they paid in hush money, the Tax Bureau had yet to find concrete evidence to arrest them.
However, tax collection involved immense sums, hundreds of millions of francs, and the flow of outstanding payments could never be completely concealed. Moreover, they periodically convened lower-ranking Tax Farmers to issue instructions, so as long as the investigation continued, the Tax Bureau was bound to trace it back to them.
Hope gestured for silence, appearing very calm as he said:
"Everyone, don't rush. Our arrangements for the trade caravans and the Port of Marseille are complete. Afterward, we will send someone to negotiate with the Royal family."
"The Royal family has arrested so many people this time and has already gained sufficient advantage; they should know when to quit while they're ahead. Otherwise, if trade and the Mediterranean Sea ports encounter problems, France will quickly erupt in widespread riots."
Morrel pursed his lips and muttered softly:
'I hope your plan works. But I've already decided to abandon my assets in France and hide in Britain for a while.'
Goldsmid and several other Tax Farmers immediately expressed similar intentions.
...
Champagne, a province in east-central France.
Gérard Bonnard handed a contract to the owner of the Mariet Estate, smiling:
"You certainly won't regret your decision today."
"In addition to offering you the most favorable purchase price, we will also include a property insurance policy—as long as the procurement value exceeds 5,000 francs."
"In the future, if something unexpected happens to the goods, for example, if the wine sours before it's sold, the insurance company will compensate for it, and you won't need to return the goods."
Bonnard was the second-in-command of the newly established trade caravan for the French Trade Alliance in the Champagne region.
He had previously been a small merchant. Though his business wasn't large, decades of hard work had made his business skills remarkably proficient.
When he saw the Trade Alliance offering an annual salary of 1,500 francs to recruit caravan managers, he unhesitatingly signed up. His family's small business only earned about 1,000 francs a year, and that came with considerable risk.
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