Chapter 78: Attack and Defense Battle
Soumial bowed to the Queen. "Your Majesty, I have also received instructions from the Duke of Seville, Count Sérurier, Marquis de Saint-Véran..."
He reeled off a dozen more names, all of them highly influential grand nobles.
"...commissioning me to convey their position that Archbishop Brienne should resign."
Vergennes glanced at Brienne. "Right now, there's widespread talk in Paris about Archbishop Brienne's lack of financial expertise and his outdated fiscal policies."
Queen Marie hadn't expected so many people to want Brienne removed. She hesitated, saying, "The Tax Bill is a very complex matter. Perhaps Archbishop Brienne should be given more time..."
The Duke of Orleans had long been plotting Brienne's downfall, and now that he was making his move, he certainly wouldn't give him a chance to stall for time.
He cleared his throat and rose. "Your Majesty, I have some friends in the banking industry. They informed me that due to the Assistant to the Minister of Finance's unwarranted suspension of loan cooperation with two banks a while ago, those banks suffered severe losses. Recently, the entire banking sector has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the nation's financial policies."
To corner Brienne, he deliberately pinned Joseph's actions on him. However, it wasn't entirely unreasonable, as Brienne was the highest authority in the financial system and thus responsible for financial matters.
Soumial, playing along perfectly, put on a shocked expression. "That situation sounds extremely serious."
He looked at Queen Marie. "Your Majesty, as you know, without the support of bank loans, we will be unable to repay the National Debt, which would mean a sovereign default."
In reality, he was merely fearmongering. For banking capital, lending to the government was the best business; not only were interest rates high, but there was also little risk of non-repayment. Laville Bank and Laborde Bank had previously lost the government's loan business, which immediately caused their revenues to plummet, leaving them scrambling like ants on a hot griddle.
Queen Marie, however, grew uneasy, furrowing her brow as she asked, "What can be done? Is there any way to salvage this situation?"
"Perhaps..." the Duke of Orleans 'pondered' for a moment, then suddenly looked up and declared, "There is one person who can handle the current situation."
The Queen asked eagerly, "Who is he?"
"You actually know him, Monsieur Necker," the Duke of Orleans replied. "He has always maintained good relations with the banking sector and possesses extensive experience in financial management. I believe he is the most suitable candidate for Minister of Finance at this moment."
Vergennes and Soumial immediately nodded in feigned agreement. "Monsieur Necker certainly has the ability to resolve these issues."
"I, too, believe only he can serve as Minister of Finance."
Queen Marie watched the three of them, feigning concern for the country and its people, as they passionately delivered their arguments. She inwardly sighed.
In truth, she was quite dissatisfied with Brienne's work since taking over the financial system — the nation's immense debt hadn't decreased in the slightest. The Tax Bill had been pending for over half a year with no progress, and now he had alienated the banking sector...
The reason she had initially appointed Brienne as Minister of Finance was that he was the Speaker of the Assembly of Notables, which represented the great nobles of the time. Winning him over was intended to gain the Assembly of Notables' support for the new Tax Bill.
Unexpectedly, the moment Brienne showed signs of supporting the royal family, he was immediately abandoned by the Assembly of Notables. Politically, he had essentially lost all value.
If replacing him could help advance the Tax Bill while also securing the banking sector's support, it wasn't an option to be dismissed.
Moreover, Necker had previously served as Minister of Finance. Although he was dismissed for unilaterally publishing the royal family's expenditures, he was indeed highly professional in financial management.
With this thought, the Queen looked up at the other ministers. "So, what are your opinions on this matter?"
Joseph had initially been caught off guard by the sudden attack from the Keeper of the Seals and the Duke of Orleans. Now, he finally understood: they aimed to oust Brienne and install Necker.
Historically, Necker did indeed replace Brienne as Minister of Finance, though a few months later than this moment. It could be said that appointing him as Minister of Finance effectively sealed Louis XVI's last hope for survival.
Simply put, Necker represented the interests of capitalists — specifically, banking capital!
'How could he genuinely serve the royal family?'
It was precisely during his tenure as Minister of Finance that the French government's borrowing from banks rapidly expanded severalfold.
Even when his successor, Minister of Finance Calonne, tried to avoid high-interest loans, French finance had already become dependent on borrowing, a situation beyond redemption.
Furthermore, he unilaterally disclosed the royal family's expenditures, provoking fierce criticism across France regarding the immense royal spending. In reality, a significant portion of this included government expenses such as repurchasing large noble estates.
The true royal expenses were mostly covered by the King's own estates and properties, and the King often had to use his private assets to cover shortfalls in the national treasury.
Joseph's eyes narrowed. 'I absolutely cannot let the Duke of Orleans get what he wants!'
His plan to advance the Tax Bill was just beginning to take shape, and he needed Brienne's cooperation. He had to protect him now, and at the same time, this would be a strike against Necker.
He immediately rose. "In truth, Archbishop Brienne has been remarkably effective in promoting the Tax Bill. Everyone can go to Paris and see; most people believe nobles should pay the Land Tax, for example, and are very supportive of the new Tax Bill."
While he exaggerated slightly on that point, similar public opinions had indeed begun to emerge in large numbers.
Soumial looked at him. "Your Royal Highness, to my knowledge, a great many people remain skeptical of the Tax Bill."
Joseph scoffed, "But there will be fewer and fewer of them."
As the circulation of his two newspapers continued to climb, public opinion would inevitably lean towards supporting the bill. Furthermore, the bill's content had little impact on most people and could improve government finances, so there was no reason for people not to support it.
"No, Your Highness, the Tax Bill has faced opposition for a long time; people won't suddenly just..."
Joseph didn't want to get entangled with him over minor details. His opponents were clearly prepared, and getting drawn into a discussion of specifics would mean falling into their rhythm.
Joseph immediately raised a hand, cutting him off, and addressed Queen Marie. "Your Majesty, Archbishop Brienne has actually already formulated a comprehensive plan to advance the Tax Bill, and its implementation has begun. Here, I can confidently tell everyone that within two months at the most, the Tax Bill will certainly be registered by the High Court."
Everyone present was taken aback, surprised that Brienne seemed to have such confidence.
Brienne himself was utterly bewildered. 'Why don't I know about this plan?' he thought. But he immediately realized that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was helping him.
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