Life of Being a Crown Prince in France

Chapter 465: Chapter 378: Crisis, Not Just Danger

Joseph signalled to Fouché, “Please join me in my carriage.”

As the head of the National Intelligence Agency, even though Fouché had not yet been admitted as a Cabinet Minister, his input was essential for the intelligence system to present at the Cabinet meeting.

Indeed, several days before, Fouché had reported to Joseph that there was unusual activity among Liberal activists in the northwestern regions of France.

However, the order Joseph issued for the Intelligence Agency to start investigating and dealing with the situation had only reached the northwestern provinces when, less than two days later, protests and riots by farmers broke out.

In the swiftly moving carriage, Joseph listened to the latest intelligence brought by Fouché and couldn’t help frowning:

"Are you saying this time it’s the ‘Tennis Club’ stirring things up, and they’re backed by foreign forces?”

He knew that this so-called Tennis Club was an association of French radical Liberals. But given the past, where many key members of historical Jacobins and the Girondin Party had been co-opted by Joseph and with the absence of famine causing starvation, the Liberal movement had been quiet in recent years.

Yet, with this sudden large flurry of activity, Joseph had suspected foreign intervention might be involved.

Fouché nodded and said, “They are well-funded, and rioters in Lille and Reims have a large number of flintlock guns. According to our investigations, these should all have been provided by the States-General of the Netherlands.”

The South Netherlanders had sent more than 200 people to stir up trouble in France, and amid the mix, it was inevitable that there would be both good and bad elements. The Intelligence Agency had already captured more than a dozen individuals. After interrogations by the agency, more than half of them had confessed.

The expression on Joseph’s face became instantly grim. Vandernoot was bold indeed; was he not afraid that Joseph would simply order the Guard Corps to take down his Congress?

Fortunately, Lille and Reims had mostly completed police reforms, and the police, under gunfire from rioters, had dispersed the rioting crowds in just one day, or else there was no telling how much chaos would have ensued.

If this had occurred in one of the eastern provinces where the police reform had not yet been implemented, it likely would have required mobilizing the army, and many lives might have been lost before the situation was resolved.

However, even with the new police force, there was absolutely no room for complacency—once riots occurred, even if they were later quelled, they could still cause considerable damage to a city.

Moreover, farmers from more than a dozen cities were still marching in protest. Although no violence had ensued, the impact on public order was quite serious.

Seeing the Crown Prince’s expression, Fouché hurriedly sat up straight and said:

"Your Highness, I beg you for another chance; I assure you that within a month, I will have arrested all the South Netherlanders plotting against us!”

"Are you certain?”

"Yes, Your Highness,” Fouché hurriedly replied. “The Agency’s operations in the northwestern provinces have already begun, and we have gathered a large amount of intelligence. We could even nab everyone from the ‘Tennis Club’.”

Joseph asked him about the specifics of his deployment, confirming it contained no exaggeration, and he let out a sigh of relief. However, as he was about to nod in agreement, a thought suddenly struck him.

If the Intelligence Agency could quickly detain those stirring up trouble, the riots would be of little concern. In that case, this crisis could present an opportunity worth exploiting after all.

He tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of his seat, thoroughly analyzing the current situation in his mind. A hint of a smile soon appeared on his lips:

"Vandernoot, it seems I actually owe you thanks for this.”

With surprise, Fouché looked over, “Your Highness, what do you mean?”

"Don’t move against those individuals just yet,” Joseph commanded, raising his hand. “But keep a close watch on them, ready to arrest them at any moment.”

Although surprised, Fouché immediately nodded in agreement: “Yes, Your Highness.”

Joseph continued, “Furthermore, you must ascertain the funding and material support channels of the South Netherlanders into France as soon as possible. Obtain absolutely sufficient evidence, and keep close tabs on all involved parties.”

"Yes, Your Highness!”

The carriage stopped in front of the great gates of the Palace of Versailles. Joseph briskly made his way to the Cabinet meeting hall. The guard at the door immediately bowed and pulled open the two golden doors for him.

All the Cabinet Ministers were already in place. For some reason, Queen Mary, upon seeing the Crown Prince arrive, felt her previously frantic heart settled down a bit.

She quickly gestured to her son, signaling him to sit beside her.

Once Joseph had taken his seat, Archbishop Brienne rose to his feet and, with a soft cough, said,

"Regarding the recent farmer riots in northwestern provinces such as Lille and Reims, you may have already heard.”

He gave a slight bow towards Queen Mary:

"Her Majesty the Queen wishes for us to quickly devise a plan to calm the situation.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than the majority of the Cabinet Ministers looked in unison toward His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince.

It wasn’t that they all expected Joseph to have a solution, but subconsciously, they felt he might have one.

Queen Mary looked on with some puzzlement at the scene before her, abruptly recalling her son’s previous words to her:

"You all need some advice from the Crown Prince, don’t you?”

"Ahem The ministers realized their behavior was quite improper, and a round of embarrassed coughing followed as they awkwardly looked elsewhere.

However, Joseph stood up directly and said to his mother,

"Your Majesty, the reason why this riot has escalated so quickly is mainly due to South Netherlanders’ agitation.”

He then called Fouche into the hall and introduced the intelligence gathered by the National Intelligence Agency to everyone present.

After Fouche had finished, Joseph looked around and said,

"The urgent matter at hand is to quickly get the protesters to leave the cities and return to their homes.”

Archbishop Brienne frowned and said, “Your Highness, the root of the peasants’ discontent lies in the rumors that the government requires them to pay the land income of thirty years as well as the principal taxes to redeem their lands.

"Unless we immediately issue a redemption scheme, they will definitely keep causing trouble.”

That’s how people are, when they completely see no hope, they numbly endure oppression all their lives without much feeling. But once hope appears, people want more.

This is not greed, but rather their realization that they can be people—real people, not just feudal livestock that outwardly resembles humans.

In fact, the reason Joseph wanted to break the feudal tax system was to increase France’s population by more than 20 million.

Yes, previously only a few hundred thousand nobles were the true French people; the lower-class populace was not really willing to do anything for the country.

Only by granting them land and freeing them from feudal constraints would they realize that they are also French people and willingly contribute to the nation.

Historically, after the Great French Revolution, why could France easily summon an army of 600,000 while still maintaining logistics supply? It was because, at that time, all 30 million French people were eager to serve the country, feeling pride in being French.

Furthermore, the privatization of land was a necessary requirement for the Industrial Revolution.

If the entire country is dominated by feudal lords’ lands, with tenant farmers paying rent on their masters’ estates, where would the labor force needed to support industrial development come from?

No matter how many factories you build, if you can’t recruit workers, you won’t be able to produce even a single screw.

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