Political Capital

Joseph felt a lingering fear. Whether it was the bureaucratic faction, the nobility, the Church, the Capitalists, or foreign forces, as he set about reforming France, the slightest misstep could touch upon their interests and provoke a frenzied backlash.

In other words, incidents like Guizot's underhanded attack would spring up one after another in the future, leaving him impossible to guard against.

How could he avoid being forced into a passive position?

He gazed out the window, fingers tapping the armrest as he sank into thought.

To avoid being plotted against, the best course was to discover potential threats in advance and learn of conspiracies targeting him.

Better still, he needed professionals to help him nip those threats in the bud.

And to accomplish that, he needed a vast network of eyes and ears to gather intelligence for him.

He also needed a command center to analyze and consolidate information, devise responses, and then dispatch people to deal with problems according to his instructions.

At that thought, several names immediately surfaced in Joseph's mind—CIA, KGB, MI6.

If he held such a professional intelligence agency in his hands, then when facing the schemes of all sorts of forces, he would no longer be like a blind man or a deaf man. Only then could he ensure that his reform of France would not be obstructed.

France did have an existing spy agency, the Secret Police.

But Joseph knew that bunch was utterly useless—they could do little beyond peeking at letters, eavesdropping on conversations, and conducting aimless Surveillance.

In truth, they could not even manage those tasks properly. They were often caught red-handed, giving the Secret Police an atrocious reputation.

So, the most reliable option was to build an intelligence force with his own hands.

Not only could he guide and train them with advanced concepts from the future, their loyalty would also be greater.

But a single Secret Police organization had already made all of France curse heaven and resent earth. If he set up another one, he would probably become the target of every arrow at once.

Joseph could not help frowning. How could he keep it from attracting attention?

And where would he find the manpower?

In the end, he was still alone and weak, lacking political capital. Difficult...

The prolonged thinking gave him a headache, followed by a fit of coughing.

He shook his head with a bitter smile. This frail body of his had long suffered from chronic Pneumonia. The food and lodging conditions in Saint-Antoine District had been poor lately, causing his illness to flare up again. It seemed physical training had to be placed on the agenda as well.

The carriage suddenly began to slow. Joseph looked at Eman. "Have we arrived?"

"Probably not yet, Your Highness." The attendant poked his head out the window and called loudly, "Has something happened?"

A guard from the carriage ahead immediately hurried over, pressed a hand to his chest, and reported, "Your Highness, Count Monod, the Minister of the Interior, happened to be passing by. He said he wished to greet you in person."

"Just happened to be passing by?" Joseph looked at Eman questioningly.

Eman leaned closer. "Your Highness, it may have something to do with Guizot."

Joseph had heard him describe the relationship between the two, and his heart stirred. He had been worrying about his lack of influence in the Cabinet. Perhaps political capital had just been delivered to his doorstep.

He nodded to the guard. "Invite Count Monod into my carriage."

"Yes, Your Highness."

A moment later, a man in his fifties with narrow brown eyes, a head of long wavy hair, and powder on his face came to the carriage. He handed his cane to a servant, then bowed deeply. "I never expected to encounter the Crown Prince here. What extraordinary luck."

Joseph returned the courtesy politely and invited him aboard, pushing the pastries on the small table toward him. "Her Majesty the Queen sent these. Please, have a taste."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Mono pinched up a piece as though overwhelmed by favor, lavished it with exaggerated praise, then seemed to recall something. He signaled for a servant to bring over a wooden box and smiled. "I recently acquired a beautiful blade. It suits Your Highness's heroic bearing perfectly, so I thought to give it to you."

"Oh? Then I must thank Count Monod."

Once Joseph had accepted the wooden box, Mono made casual conversation. "Your Highness, so much has happened in Paris recently."

"Indeed."

Some officials' actions were truly regrettable." As a high-ranking Cabinet minister, Mono appeared quite humble. He sighed and said, "Guizot used to be such an upright man. Who would have thought he..."

Joseph opened the wooden box and interrupted him with a smile. "If you have something to say, you may as well say it directly."

"Yes, yes." Mono's face was filled with sincerity. "I recommended Guizot back then solely because he was quite capable. You know, I knew nothing whatsoever about the things he did. Otherwise, I would certainly have done everything in my power to stop him.

"Fortunately, Your Highness is exceptionally wise and saw through his vicious scheme, preventing this disaster."

Guizot had once been his student, and he had personally promoted him to the position of Police Commissioner. Now that such a huge incident had occurred, it would be difficult for him to wash his hands of it.

Though Mono held a high position and great power, Guizot was in the hands of the Secret Police, and he still did not know the specifics of the situation. He did not dare ask the Queen directly, so he had waited along the road back to Versailles Palace, hoping to probe the young Crown Prince.

"Your Highness, may I ask what charge Guizot faces this time?"

Joseph seemed very interested in the gem-encrusted Shamshir, repeatedly stroking it as he said casually, "Hmm, I heard it was inciting a riot."

Mono's body stiffened. A riot was a grave crime of subverting the rule. If it were established, there was no way he could avoid being implicated!

He forced a laugh. "He... he would not be that bold, would he..."

"Is that so?" Joseph set down the Shamshir and handed him the confession on the table. "The Royal Police delivered this this morning. Guizot directed a large number of thugs to attack the Saint-Antoine District Police Station. Oh, and I happened to be inside the police station at the time."

Mono skimmed it, and cold sweat immediately poured down him like rain. Although he felt Guizot had no motive to incite a riot, based on this evidence, calling it a riot would be entirely justifiable.

He was so flustered that he did not know where to put his hands. After viciously cursing Guizot, he looked at Joseph with a miserable expression. "Your Highness, is there... is there still room to turn this around?"

Joseph blinked. "Some say Guizot incited a riot, but I do not think that is necessarily the case. After all, only I know the situation at the time best."

"Yes, yes!" Mono nodded repeatedly. "Please be sure to explain the true circumstances to Her Majesty the Queen."

"Oh, we can discuss that in a few days." Joseph picked up the Shamshir again and swung it back and forth a few times. "I have been busy preparing recently, proving to Mother that I am qualified to serve as the Minister of Finance's assistant."

The topic changed so abruptly that Mono froze for a moment. But he immediately recalled that the Crown Prince had proposed becoming the Minister of Finance's assistant during the Cabinet Meeting, and hurriedly declared, "No one could be more suited to that position than Your Highness! The Cabinet Meeting will be held the day after tomorrow, and I will propose that you be appointed assistant to the Minister of Finance!

"Oh, I can also persuade Bishop Brienne to support you!"

Brienne was the current Minister of Finance as well as the Chief Minister, the foremost minister beneath the Crown.