Chapter 523: Fearless Confidence
"Thank you for your information." Joseph nodded at the British banker. "You've earned me at least half a month to prepare."
Godefroy's face lit up with a smile. "Ah, serving you is an honor, Your Highness."
He felt deeply gratified by his earlier decision. Acting as a double agent within the Tax Farmers' Association had allowed him to maintain his income despite France's sweeping tax reforms. More importantly, it had established a relationship with the Crown Prince—a connection that promised substantial opportunities in France.
If he played his cards right, he might even achieve the ambition of controlling French finances, much like the Wallenberg family in Sweden. Should that come to pass, the Godefroy name would join the ranks of Europe's most prestigious.
He was just about to request some additional benefits for his efforts when Joseph spoke again.
"Oh, you've heard about the tax office's audit of the tax farmers' accounts, haven't you?"
"Yes, Your Highness. It's been the talk of all France recently," Godefroy replied.
"Then, as soon as you return, ensure that any unjustly collected taxes are refunded and compensate those affected appropriately," Joseph instructed. "If you handle this properly, I'll consider letting bygones be bygones.
"Oh, and if the tax office receives any complaints against you, I'll have them delay action for the time being. But you'd better move quickly."
Godefroy froze. Only now did he remember that he, too, was a tax farmer—and one with a considerable tax portfolio. If the audit extended to him, it would be no trivial matter; no tax farmer had entirely clean hands.
Hastily standing, he bowed deeply, his voice trembling. "Yes, Your Highness. I will address this thoroughly. Thank you for your mercy…"
Joseph nodded, his tone softening. "I know you have friends seeking government positions. While roles in the financial department are out of the question, I can arrange for them to serve as diplomatic officials."
Godefroy's despair turned to delight. Though the diplomatic sector was distant from finance, it still meant placing allies in the government—proof of the Crown Prince's favor.
"This is truly generous of you, Your Highness. Thank you!"
Joseph had no intention of allowing an ambitious and cunning financier like Godefroy to influence high-ranking officials. However, appointing him as the French ambassador to Britain was a harmless concession.
Given that intelligence work in Britain was already managed by the intelligence bureau, the ambassador's primary duty—given the tense Anglo-French relations—would be delivering stern rhetoric. Besides, he might serve as a convenient scapegoat in the future. It was better to reserve capable diplomats for more critical postings.
After offering some words of encouragement, Joseph dismissed Godefroy.
Once Émond returned from seeing the banker out, Joseph immediately issued a command.
"Please summon Count Mirabeau, Baron Bailly, Viscount Besançon, Monsieur Dupont, and Monsieur Castellat to meet with me immediately."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Two hours later, the prominent figures from France's political and commercial spheres had gathered in Joseph's office. Since Castellat was still handling business in Marseille, his assistant, Volant, attended in his stead.
After the men had taken their seats, Joseph addressed them gravely.
"France is on the brink of a potential crisis, and I need your cooperation to manage it."
The group immediately stood and pledged in unison, "We await your orders, Your Highness."
Joseph gestured for them to sit and continued. "I have credible information that the Tax Farmers' Association is planning a large-scale disruption to obstruct the audit of their accounts."
He relayed the details provided by Godefroy. Upon hearing this, Mirabeau spoke up at once. "Your Highness, if we're aware of their plans, we can preemptively issue bans to prevent their actions."
Bailly added, "We could even station government liaisons with major merchant caravans."
Joseph shook his head. "If they're determined to disrupt trade, there are countless ways to do it. For instance, they could redirect funds entirely, and no law forbids a caravan from lacking money for inventory.
"Moreover, I welcome their efforts to enact their plan.
"The more chaos they cause, the more thorough the tax reform will be."
The room fell silent as the men exchanged uneasy glances.
Bailly leaned forward, alarmed. "Your Highness, allowing them to disrupt commerce could have catastrophic consequences for the nation."
This was precisely why the Tax Farmers' Association felt so emboldened. They were wagering that the French government would back down.
Even a brief halt to trade routes would leave factories with unsellable goods, pushing weaker enterprises into bankruptcy as their cash flow dried up. If merchant caravans went on strike for just two months, France's finances could collapse. In just one month, the economic damage might already be irreparable.
With France's current fiscal deficit, it couldn't afford to stand firm against such tactics.
Moreover, factory closures would result in mass unemployment, while the public would struggle to access essential goods. It wouldn't take long for the nation to descend into turmoil.
Joseph nodded. "You're absolutely right. That's why we must stabilize domestic trade at all costs."
Bailly remained concerned. "Your Highness, by my estimation, the Tax Farmers' Association controls at least one-third of the nation's merchant caravans. Such a significant share would be impossible to replace quickly."
One-third might not sound overwhelming, but it meant that a third of the country's goods would go untraded—a blow capable of shattering the economy.
Joseph turned to the president of the French Chamber of Commerce. "Monsieur Dupont, how many caravans can you mobilize?"
Dupont hesitated before answering, his expression strained. "Your Highness, including my own caravans and those in the Chamber of Commerce unconnected to the tax farmers, perhaps twenty in total."
The Tax Farmers' vast wealth gave them considerable sway within the Chamber, and even as its president, Dupont couldn't guarantee his peers' loyalty in a crisis.
Joseph then turned to Mirabeau and Bailly, who promised to rally some reliable allies, though their numbers would be limited.
Joseph nodded decisively and announced, "We will form the French Trade Alliance, centered on these caravans and the Twin Trade Company.
"The alliance will take over all disrupted trade routes within two weeks."
Dupont and Bailly immediately protested.
"Your Highness, with so few caravans, it's impossible to scale up operations to that level in just two weeks."
"Yes, Your Highness. With six months, perhaps we could attempt it."
The Twin Trade Company, while formidable, primarily operated established routes across the Mediterranean and occasionally the Pacific. Its permanent caravan fleet was relatively modest. Including the caravans available through those present, their collective reach accounted for only about one-tenth of the country's trade capacity.
(To be continued)
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