Chapter 521: The Tax Farmers' Desperate Gamble
Half an hour later, Joseph left Count d'Artois's residence.
The count had conceded, promising to inform Queen Marie that he had underestimated the severity of the tax farmers' case. He would emphasize that the matter was far too serious to let slide.
Joseph felt no concern about his royal uncle bearing a grudge. With control over the military and police forces and significant influence over the High Court, Joseph also held Count d'Artois's economic livelihood in his hands. Even if the count tried to rally the nobles to create trouble, Joseph remained unshaken. The emerging nobility largely aligned with him, and the old aristocracy, weakened by years of systematic diminishment, could no longer stir up significant unrest.
Moreover, the old nobility hoped to reclaim their glory through military campaigns—an aspiration that required Joseph's approval for success within the army.
As he stepped into his carriage, Joseph glanced back at the grand windows of d'Artois's estate, a hint of sentimentality crossing his mind.
It had been nearly three years since his arrival in this world. Compared to the early days of constant anxiety about his survival, he now had the authority to subdue even the most influential figures in the royal family.
At last, he truly resembled the Crown Prince.
But his ambitions stretched far beyond this. He envisioned leading France to the pinnacle of Europe, etching a legacy into history that would never fade.
A Brewing Storm at the Tennis Club
In Paris's Saint-Germain district, a private tennis club owned by Viscount Foulde was abuzz with activity. The giants of the Tax Farmers' General Association lounged in comfort, watching a heated match on the court. They occasionally offered casual remarks on the players' performance.
Van Kervich leaned back with a smug smile. "That old fool Brienne dared to demand that I buy 10 million livres' worth of bonds? Absurd! He must be dreaming!"
Borore nodded, his tone equally disdainful. "I've heard that Count d'Artois has already delivered the gifts to the Queen, who has agreed not to pursue the forgery case."
The group's mood visibly lightened, their faces breaking into smiles.
"Mr. Hope's strategy has proven effective, sparing us from incurring massive losses."
"Those greedy folks at Versailles—give them some money, and they'll do whatever you want."
"As soon as the High Court drops the charges, I'm heading to England. Plenty of lucrative investment opportunities there lately."
"I'm considering the Far East…"
On Hope's advice, each member of the group had contributed 400,000 livres, amassing a total of over 5 million. A portion of this sum had been used to bribe Count d'Artois and the Countess de Polignac, while the rest was spent on an extravagant diamond tiara for the Queen.
As predicted by Hope, the matter of forged tax documents seemed destined to be swept under the rug. While the group had abandoned hope of resuming tax farming, they were eager to extricate themselves and pivot to more profitable ventures.
However, as the conversation turned to new investments, Borore's face darkened as he recalled the raid on their hidden tax records.
"Viscount Foulde, have you identified the source of the leak?" he demanded.
Foulde frowned and shook his head. "None of my men knew those were tax records. Even if someone betrayed us, it shouldn't have drawn the police's attention.
"That leads me to suspect there's a traitor among us."
Goldsmith's face twisted with rage. "Who is it? I'll kill that bastard!"
"It could be Charles," Foulde admitted. "But he didn't know the location of the files."
The group exchanged wary glances, suspicion clouding the air.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside the tennis club. The muffled shouts of a large crowd moving swiftly through the nearby streets reached their ears.
"What's going on?"
Foulde turned toward his butler, who immediately bowed and left to investigate.
Moments later, the butler returned in a rush, holding a newspaper. He whispered urgently to Foulde:
"Sir, the Tax Bureau has issued a public notice. They're inviting citizens to file appeals with their local tax offices regarding past taxes. If any irregularities are found, unlawful taxes will be refunded, and additional compensation will be provided.
"Now, all over Paris, people are flocking to the tax offices. I heard there are already thousands gathered on Corse Street…"
The tax farmers were stunned.
They knew all too well what they had done. Every year, their illegal tax collections amounted to tens of millions of livres. They hadn't even bothered to track exactly how much of their revenue was lawful or otherwise—it had always been about the bottom line.
Baron Morel was the first to break the silence, exclaiming, "Brienne is allowing people to file appeals?!"
"This will uncover tax discrepancies far faster than any audit!"
"If they find discrepancies in our records, we're doomed!"
Hope frowned deeply. "Everyone, calm down! Auditing takes time. We must act swiftly to halt the Bureau's investigations."
"And how do we do that?" All eyes turned to Hope, the association's resident strategist.
Hope considered briefly before addressing Foulde. "You must go back to Count d'Artois and Countess de Polignac. Double their rewards if needed. Get the Queen to intervene immediately.
"Meanwhile, we need to leverage our assets to show the government the consequences of crossing us."
The others looked at him in confusion, prompting him to elaborate. "If I'm not mistaken, we control over 30% of France's trade caravans. Including our indirect partnerships, the figure exceeds 50%."
As one of the most powerful economic factions in France, the tax farmers' interests extended far beyond banking and loans. Prominent figures like Borore, Barlow, and de Cantler also owned or partnered with vast trade networks, dominating French commerce.
In a cold, measured tone, Hope declared, "We must stop worrying about short-term losses. If the Tax Bureau continues its audits, we'll order our trade caravans to halt all operations. Within a month, France will be in chaos.
"Of course," he added, "I doubt Brienne will risk such a scenario. If we stand firm, he'll back down."
Foulde nodded. "That's indeed our strongest leverage. Additionally, Perrier and I hold significant shares in the Port of Marseille. If necessary, we can bring operations there to a standstill as well."
Hope's eyes lit up. "Perfect. Let's ensure Marseille grinds to a halt.
"The more disruptions we cause, the more reluctant the government will be to move against us."
The Port of Marseille handled over 80% of France's Mediterranean trade. Given that Mediterranean commerce accounted for more than a third of France's total foreign trade, a shutdown would deal a catastrophic blow to the nation's economy.
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