Chapter 95: Kicking Them While They're Down
Several judges from the Royal Plenary Court then stepped aside, and Count Vadier, the Grand Judge of the High Court, came forward. Trembling, he re-read the judgment that had just been passed, signed his name, and affixed the seal.
Since the Royal Plenary Court did not have judicial power, Vadier had to carry out the legal procedure. Only then was Vezinier truly convicted.
Immediately, voices of protest erupted from the crowd:
"Judicial power! The Royal Plenary Court must have judicial power!"
"We can't let those shameless judges try themselves!"
"The High Court only ever covers for its own!"
"That's right! They're not qualified! Let the Royal Plenary Court judge!"
After a few people took the lead, it quickly swelled into a roar from thousands. The cry of "judicial power" echoed to the heavens.
In reality, Joseph had arranged for the Royal Plenary Court to step forward. The individuals leading the calls for judicial power today had also been prepared in advance.
Not until Vezinier was carried away, and the judges of the Royal Plenary Court promised the public they would convey the matter of judicial power to His Majesty the King, did the citizens gradually quiet down.
That afternoon, the entire High Court was enveloped in an atmosphere of gloom and despondency. Yet, everyone was exceptionally busy. Because Vezinier had presided over far too many cases, the workload for re-trialing all of them was immense. At present, the entire court's energy was almost entirely devoted to this task.
Meanwhile, in the conference room on the third floor, five High-Ranking Councilors, who also served as judges, were voting on the new Tax Bill.
"I support registration," Duport said, raising his hand first.
Vadier raised his hand even faster than Judge Glette, who was aligned with Duport. "I agree too."
The shocking to see scars on Vezinier's body still lingered in his mind. Now he only wished for all of this to end as soon as possible, allowing him to return to his former tranquility.
This time, without Vezinier's suppression, four judges quickly agreed to register the bill.
Only Lu, from the Old Nobility faction, cast an abstaining vote with a darkened expression.
A ray of sunlight streamed in through the conference hall window, falling upon the text of the bill on the table.
Duport surveyed the judges, then opened the document. He shielded the sunlight with his left hand, and with his right, he took up a pen and wrote the words "Approved for Registration." After that, he forcefully stamped it with the seal of the Parlement of Paris.
Dragged out for a full year, rejected multiple times, leading to the dismissal of a finance minister, and used by the aristocratic faction as a tool to suppress the royal family—the Tax Bill—was finally passed at this very moment!
Thanks to Joseph's meticulous planning, the situation where aristocratic power expanded and royal power receded was now completely reversed.
Versailles.
In the comfortable and elegant music hall, Queen Marie, upon hearing that the Tax Bill which had tormented her for nearly a year had finally passed, was so excited she almost danced on the spot. She immediately showered Archbishop Brienne with praise, sparing no compliments.
Subsequently, the judges of the Royal Plenary Court reported to her about the protesters' demand for judicial power.
How could the Queen, who had been disgusted by the High Court for far too long, miss such a good opportunity to vent her frustration? She immediately and without hesitation signed the Edict, granting the Royal Plenary Court the authority to try all cases involving Vezinier.
Although the nobles who learned of this very much wanted to object, none dared to show it.
Now, the Vezinier affair was causing a huge uproar. If anyone dared to utter a "no" at this moment, they would surely be branded an accomplice of the corrupt judge, and could expect to be reviled by all of Paris.
Control of public opinion was no longer in their hands. Trying to sow confusion was utterly impossible.
However, the Queen was also very concerned about the situation where thousands of protesters had been causing a commotion at the High Court for over a month—'it was impossible for any ruler not to feel nervous about large-scale street demonstrations.'
So she instructed Archbishop Brienne again to disperse the protesters as quickly as possible and restore peace to Paris.
After Joseph learned of the Edict regarding Vezinier's case, he immediately felt a wave of relief. This would make subsequent maneuvers much easier.
He had originally thought that given the Queen's indecisive and hesitant nature, he might have to thoroughly persuade her and Archbishop Brienne himself. He hadn't expected her to act so decisively this time.
Perhaps the passage of the Tax Bill had subconsciously boosted her confidence.
Next, if the judges of the Royal Plenary Court applied a bit more pressure, the High Court should come crashing down.
In the Crown Prince's reception room, three judges from the Royal Plenary Court sat respectfully on the sofa, all displaying attentive expressions.
From the few words Archbishop Brienne had let slip, they learned that their opportunity to gain prominence in the High Court proceedings was all thanks to His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince.
Joseph smiled as he looked at the three and asked, "What are your thoughts on the future of the Royal Plenary Court?"
The judges looked at each other in dismay. 'What other thoughts could the Royal Plenary Court have, besides providing legal counsel to the nobles of Versailles?'
Joseph continued to coax them, "If Vezinier's case is handled excellently this time, it might establish a precedent. In the future, trials involving judges, prosecutors, and similar officials would all be handled by the Royal Plenary Court."
Their eyes lit up at once.
The eldest judge keenly grasped the key point in the Crown Prince's words. He eagerly asked, "Your Highness, what would constitute an excellent trial?"
Joseph stated solemnly, "To severely punish Vezinier and restore justice to those who suffered unfair judgments."
"Are you referring to the re-trial of cases he handled?"
Joseph nodded. "The cases must be closed quickly, with severe judgments."
The judges had generally reviewed the dossiers of those cases. One of them immediately expressed difficulty, saying, "Your Highness, many of those cases are from years ago, and a great deal of evidence is missing..."
Joseph gave a cold smile. "Did Vezinier care about evidence when he judged those cases back then?"
The eldest judge immediately understood, and nodded, saying, "Your Highness, we know what to do."
Joseph further reassured them, saying, "Vezinier is now a symbol of evil. Everyone hopes for his immediate demise. No one will care if there are any irregularities in the trial process."
The next day, in the square in front of the High Court, the public trial of Vezinier continued.
Victims of miscarriages of justice orchestrated by Vezinier arrived at the scene, many of whom had been brought there by Marat.
As the trial began, the thousands of onlookers immediately quieted down.
To everyone's surprise, in less than half an hour, a case from three years ago was announced to be overturned. The murderer, who had been acquitted at the time, was to be rearrested. And Vezinier accumulated a new litany of charges: accepting bribes, harboring criminals, and tampering with confessions.
The crowd immediately erupted into sustained cheers. The victim's family in that case was already on their knees, weeping and making the sign of the cross over their chests.
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