Capítulo 27: Chapter 27: The Sharp Sword
Chapter 27: The Sharp Sword
Joseph smiled to himself and said, "When I get the chance, I should open a bank too."
After finishing reviewing the financial documents, he pushed the file tray aside, rubbed his aching shoulders, and picked up the new tax bill to read through it.
The bill was extensive, spanning over thirty pages.
The more Joseph read, the more he frowned. The people who drafted this bill were certainly trying too hard, mixing in all sorts of unrelated things. Even for someone like him, who had received a higher education in the 21st century, the bill was difficult to understand. Expecting the average citizen to grasp what was written here was simply unrealistic!
It also seemed that the drafters, worried about noble opposition, had deliberately included some provisions that favored the nobles while disadvantaging the common people.
However, they hadn't anticipated that these seemingly insignificant provisions would become the very points of attack that the nobles used against the tax bill. Ordinary citizens, unable to comprehend the details of the bill, were easily swayed by the propaganda claiming that the bill would harm their interests, leading them to oppose it.
In reality, the core content of the bill was to eliminate the nobles' tax exemptions on land, making them contribute to the national finances.
Another key point was the provision allowing the free transport and sale of grain, as well as the removal of tariffs between different regions within the country, all aimed at promoting economic growth.
This bill clearly reflected the weakness and compromise of Louis XVI's government—a sugar-coated poison pill, trying to please both the nobles and the commoners, but ending up disliked by both.
With this in mind, Joseph picked up his pen and crossed out every provision that was unfavorable to the common people and small businesses.
The art of politics lies in rewarding some and punishing others.
After making these revisions, the bill was no longer a tool for the noble class to manipulate the government but instead became a sharp sword to strike at them!
Joseph carefully reviewed the changes, planning to have his assistant rewrite and organize the document the next day. When he looked up, he realized it was already evening.
"Forget it, I'll deal with it tomorrow," he thought, stretching before tossing the revised bill into a drawer. He didn't believe in forcing his subordinates to work overtime unless it was an emergency.
As he stepped out of the office, he saw Emond approaching with a maid. "Your Highness, the Queen is hosting a gambling game in the Mars Hall and has invited you to join."
Joseph couldn't help but smile at the thought—his mother inviting him to gamble just felt strange.
However, he knew this was a perfectly normal form of entertainment at Versailles. In fact, Louis XIV had even mentioned in his instructions to the Dauphin that such activities should be encouraged to strengthen the bond between the monarch and his courtiers.
Joseph nodded, "Alright, I'll head there now."
After changing into a more relaxed yet luxurious outfit for the evening, Joseph followed the Queen's maid to the Mars Hall.
Even from a distance, he could hear the lively chatter and cheerful piano music coming from the hall. The guards at the entrance bowed to Joseph and pushed open the grand double doors.
Marie Antoinette, who was playing baccarat under a large portrait of Louis XIV, immediately noticed her son and waved with a beaming smile,
"My dear, you're finally here!"
Joseph quickly walked over and bowed. The Queen, clearly in high spirits, said, "I heard you were busy with Brienne all day. Come and relax for a bit. Oh, did you know? I've won eleven rounds in a row! I hope you have the same luck!"
The surrounding nobles paused their activities to bow to the Prince, especially the young women in silk gowns, who giggled and blushed as they eyed him.
Joseph looked around at the nobles fawning over the Queen and saw her, flushed from her winnings, laughing heartily. He couldn't help but recall the words of a later writer, Stefan Zweig: "She was still so young then, unaware that every gift from fate had already been secretly marked with a price."
As Joseph pondered this, the heavily powdered and smiling Minister of the Interior, Monot, hurried over and eagerly pulled him toward the card table, saying,
"Your Highness, you've arrived just in time! We were short one player. Come and join us."
One of the young nobles at the table quickly made himself scarce, creating the perfect "shortage."
Unable to refuse, Joseph followed Monot to the card table beneath a grand painting of Mars, the god of war, where servants promptly brought drinks and refreshments.
"Two tens," announced the Count of Paphos as he played his cards.
The game was similar to "Rummy," except that the smallest card was an Ace, while the King represented the highest rank.
Joseph took a sip of juice, looked at his cards, and shook his head, "Pass."
As he glanced at the gold écus and silver livres piled on the table, Joseph couldn't help but think of France's 2 billion livres debt. He looked at the carefree nobles, casually tossing coins as they played, and sighed inwardly, "Perhaps a revolution isn't such a bad idea after all…"
Distracted by thoughts of national debt and lacking strong card skills, Joseph quickly lost three rounds, costing him 12 gold écus.
Nearby, a dozen noble girls watched the table intently. Seeing the Prince appear distracted, they assumed he was upset about losing and clenched their fists in frustration, determined to help him win.
The girls sprang into action.
Some moved to stand opposite their fathers or uncles, fixing them with intense, guilt-inducing glares. Others sidled up to their brothers, pretending to ask about their cards while secretly pinching their arms and twisting the skin.
According to French court tradition, one wasn't supposed to intentionally lose during gambling, but the three men playing with Joseph had no qualms about breaking this rule.
Monot split a sequence of six to ten and played a single eight. Count Paphos, holding a ten and a Queen, hesitated before resolutely saying, "Pass…"
Suddenly, Joseph's "luck" turned around, and he began winning every round, even when his highest card was only a Jack, and he had almost no matching pairs.
The winning streak lifted his spirits, and he became engrossed in the game, losing track of time. Only when he started to feel tired did he glance at the clock and realize it was already 11:30 PM.
He quickly excused himself from the game, asked Emond to gather his winnings, and, feeling exhausted, headed back to his quarters.
As they left the hall, Emond caught up to him, whispering excitedly,
"Your Highness, you won 156 écus in total."
One écu was worth six livres, meaning Joseph had won nearly 1,000 livres in one evening!
"Not bad," Joseph said, feeling a sense of accomplishment. "To make that much without lifting a finger all night!"
But then he remembered the staggering 2 billion livres debt and quickly did the math. At this rate, it would take him about 550 years to pay it off.
Joseph sighed. To pay off such a massive debt, making money from side projects wouldn't be enough. He needed to use his position as a lever to kickstart an industrial revolution across France, which was the only way to solve the financial crisis.
Steam engines and textile technology had to be developed quickly, along with supporting financial and patent policies.
As Joseph thought about the industrial revolution, he wandered aimlessly through the palace, unaware of where he was headed, until his stomach suddenly growled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten anything since dinner.
Looking up, he noticed the kitchen nearby, still lit, indicating that the royal chefs were on duty.
His quarters were quite far away, and it would take a while to have food brought to him.
Deciding it would be quicker to ask the chef for something to eat here, Joseph headed towards the kitchen.
(End of Chapter)
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