A fateful encounter

A dilapidated coal Carriage stopped in front of an Old Inn on the Eastern Suburbs of City of Toul. ♦👍 💢♘

Erich reined in his horse, turned and knocked on the carriage, whispering through the small window, "We're here. Check all the tools."

Carriage, Erich spent two sous to inquire about Marat's room number from the innkeeper, then turned and instructed his two men:

"Room 32 on the first floor. Dim will draw their attention at the door. Echendorf and I will go in through the Window Tax. Try not to make a loud noise. I don't need to say anything else, right?"

The two burly men nodded silently, and one of them turned and left.

In room 32, Marat was organizing clues related to Necker when he heard a knock on the door. "Sir, your Beer is here."

You've made a mistake, we didn't buy any alcohol.

The knocking continued, "But the money's already been paid..."

Evans, the assistant, got up in confusion to open the door, but Marat suddenly stopped him, frowning as she looked out the window.

The next moment, with a crash of shattering Glass, a hand reached through the hole in the window to fiddle with the latch.

Marat's pupils contracted, but his mind remained perfectly calm—having worked in anti- Royal House journalism for so many years, he had seen his share of big scenes—he immediately blew out the candle, grabbed the duffel bag beside him, inside which was a Pistol already loaded with bullets.

Evans backed away in alarm. He suddenly remembered the "shop assistant" standing outside and wanted to ask for his help— Evans was just a newbie who had only been working for a few years and had no idea how many underhanded tricks the ruthless killer might have up his sleeve. So, he turned around and screamed as he flung open the door, "Someone's trying to break in..."

Marat knew something was wrong, but before he could stop Evans, he fell backward to the ground with a sharp blade protruding from his chest.

In a split second, using the dim light in the corridor, Marat lifted his duffel bag, pointed it at the figure at the door, and pulled the trigger forcefully.

With a loud bang, the figure fell backward. Marat hurriedly dropped his bag and rushed outside.

At the same time, the window behind him was pushed open. The first person to jump in saw Marat's back and immediately threw a dagger at him without hesitation.

As soon as Marat turned his head and saw the exit at the end of the corridor, he felt a numbness in his left hip. When he reached down to touch it, he found a dagger stuck there.

Having studied medicine, he knew that he must not draw his knife at this moment, so he immediately pressed down hard on both sides of the blade and limped towards the exit.

It was already late, and the only person in the inn lobby was the innkeeper, who reeked of alcohol and was dozing off on the counter. When Marat saw two figures chasing after him, he had no choice but to turn around and run out of the inn.

In a small town like City of Toul, the streets were deserted at night. Marat ran toward the city center, enduring the pain, but the faster he ran, the more blood gushed from his buttocks.

The footsteps behind him made him dare not slow down or call for help—shouting would only point out his location to the assailant and serve no other purpose.

Soon, he felt palpitations and chest tightness, and the things in front of him began to shine.

Just as he was feeling desperate, he suddenly saw a figure in the window of the small house ahead, seemingly watching him.

He waved his hand forcefully in that direction, then suddenly his left leg buckled and he fell to the ground.

The person inside the hut rushed out; it was a woman in her early twenties. She helped Marat up, and before she could ask anything, Ma weakly said, "Quick! Hide me, someone wants to kill me..."

The woman was somewhat flustered, but after hearing Marat say that he was Police from Paris, she mustered her courage and dragged him behind the fence outside the hut.

She had just closed the gate when two men carrying Pistol ran over.

The taller, stronger man looked around, about to continue the chase, when he was stopped by the shorter man.

The latter squatted down and rubbed the ground, soon touching something sticky.

He raised his hand to his nose and sniffed, then immediately looked around warily, saying in a low voice, "It's blood. He's nearby."

The tall, strong man nodded, searched the trees along the roadside one by one, and his gaze quickly fell on the small house.

Marat heard the sound of leather boots approaching, his heart pounded wildly, and he was so frightened that he didn't dare to breathe.

Suddenly, the footsteps stopped outside the fence. Just as Marat was secretly relieved, two hands suddenly appeared on the fence on the other side, followed by a figure leaping to the top of the fence, coldly looking at the prey huddled in the corner.

Good evening, Mr. Nosy! Now let's see where you can run to?

"Run!" Marat cried out in despair, forcefully shoving away the woman who was trying to help him, and then closed his eyes to await his death.

Immediately afterwards, a gunshot rang out.

Marat was startled and his whole body twitched, but he did not feel any pain.

"The killer missed?"

He shakily opened his eyes a crack, only to see a dark shadow on the fence plummeting straight down.

Then, seven or eight figures rushed in through the gate. Someone spotted Marat by the torchlight and immediately shouted, "Here he is, Mr. Marat!"

Prosper from the Police Intelligence Division rushed over, knelt down, and said, "His Crown Prince anticipated you would be in danger, so he sent us along. We had just reached the vicinity of the hotel when we heard gunshots, thankfully... Are you injured? Go find a doctor quickly!"

Paris.

Office on the second floor of the Industrial Planning Bureau.

Fouche placed a report before Joseph and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, Mr. Marat was assassinated on the very night he arrived in Toul. His assistant Mr. Evans, was killed on the spot. Mr. Marat was fortunate to escape with the help of a lady named Charlotte Corday, and only suffered a minor leg injury."

Joseph frowned as he flipped through the pages. "He went to see Calonne, asked about Necker, and then someone tried to kill him. Was the killer caught?"

"Two of the murderers are dead, and one escaped under cover of darkness," Fouche said. "According to Prosper's investigation, both were local gang members in Toul."

He hesitated for a moment before asking, "Your Highness, could it be that Calonne is trying to stop Mr. Marat from investigating Necker, and has sent someone to assassinate him?"

Joseph shook his head and waved Marat's report, "Mr. Marat is quite certain that Calonne and Necker have a grudge and would not do such a thing to protect him."

"Furthermore, Calonne is a very shrewd person. Even if he wanted to assassinate them, he wouldn't choose to do so on the very night he had just met them."

Calonne's rise to the Minister of Finance and Chief Minister was no small feat. In fact, he was the architect of France's Taxation reform bill, which Brienne later simply copied. However, Calonne was ultimately overthrown by the powerful Noble Group, his tax reform failed, and he was exiled.

Fouche immediately said, "Then perhaps it was Necker's men who did it?"

Joseph nodded slightly. "That's possible. If so, it further proves that Mr. Marat's investigation is on the right track."

He then looked at the report, "But if they had a grudge, why didn't Calonne tell Mr. Marat the evidence he had of Necker's crimes?"

Marat clearly wrote in his report that he had received reliable information that Calonne likely possessed damaging information about Necker.

Fouche said, "Your Highness, perhaps Calonne simply doesn't trust Mr. Marat..."

Joseph tapped his fingers lightly on the table and shook his head slightly. "There's something wrong with the logic of this."

"Even without Mr. Marat, if Calonne and Necker have a grudge, and he possesses evidence of Necker's crimes, why not expose him directly? For example, by reporting him to His Majesty the King."

Fouche his head in thought and said, "If they aren't colluding, then Viscount Calonne is under threat, just like what happened to Mr. Marat."

Joseph did not agree with his statement. Calonne had once served Chief Minister, and even after being exiled, he was still a very powerful Nobility. Hiring dozens of bodyguards would not be a problem for him.

Moreover, he was a staunch Royal House loyalist and enjoyed Queen Mary's trust. Given his political influence, Necker wouldn't dare to harm him casually.

Joseph thought for a moment and slowly said, "Besides being threatened, there are several other possibilities for Calonne."

"For example, he was waiting for the right person to offer the best price. He believed that the information he had about Necker was very valuable, and he was waiting for someone who needed it to offer a high price before he would reveal it."

"Furthermore, Necker also has dirt on him. Once he exposes Necker, he will be bitten in return."

Joseph looked out the window with some frustration. It seemed that Calonne possessed crucial evidence, but how could he get him to talk?

He suddenly remembered the exhaustive method he used to frequently solve proof problems.

If the reasons preventing Calonne from revealing Necker's dirt are within the scope of my previous speculation, then I only need to resolve these issues, and he will definitely give in!

First, we can basically rule out the possibility that Calonne's life is under threat. If it were, it would be the easiest problem to solve: just give him a hundred Court Guard to watch over him at all times, what would he have to fear?

Then, if Calonne is holding out for a higher price, then I'll have to offer him a price that's compelling enough.

He's been the Minister of Finance, so he shouldn't be short of money, and besides, he really wouldn't want to use Livre, who's practically a cash cow, as a bargaining chip.

For someone like Calonne, nothing matters more than money and power.

Joseph's eyes suddenly lit up at this thought. Calonne had been exiled to Lorraine, his political future completely over. If he could bring him back to Paris, it would be like giving him a second life—a political life.

He certainly couldn't refuse such a price.

The problem is that Brienne took the position of Chief Minister only after Calonne left. If Calonne is brought back, he will definitely have objections.

How can I convince him...?

After Fouche finished reporting on the matter of Toul, he took his leave.

Joseph then set off for the Versailles Palace, intending to speak with Brienne first.

On the Carriage, he continued to ponder the possibility that Necker also possessed incriminating information about Calonne.

This is also the most difficult to handle.

Only by forcing Calonne into a situation where he has to fight to the death will he be able to reveal Necker's involvement.

However, one thing Joseph is certain of is that, historically, Calonne has been extremely loyal to the Royal House.

After Louis XVI was killed, he stepped forward and led the Royalist Party in the cause of restoring the Royal Power, even going so far as to nearly bankrupt himself in the process.

Given the current need to consolidate the authority of the Royal House, it is necessary to lend a helping hand to such a person.

Joseph subconsciously flipped through the documents Marat had sent him, and suddenly a smile appeared on his face. Perhaps the matter of Marat's assassination could be put to use.

An hour and a half later, the Carriage, which had been speeding along the Wooden Railway, came to a stop on the east side of the Versailles Palace. Only a few hundred meters remained before the Wooden Railway would connect the Versailles Palace directly to Paris.

It was 5 p. m. when Joseph went straight to Brienne's place.

The Archbishop hurried out to greet him, smiling and bowing, saying, "Your Highness, if there's anything you need, just have someone summon me."

Joseph exchanged pleasantries with him for a while, then quickly got to the point. "Archbishop Brienne, I have something very important that I need your help with."

"I am ready to serve Your Highness at any time."

Joseph nodded. "What do you think if I need Viscount Calonne to return to Paris?"

Brienne was taken aback for a moment, then forced a dry laugh and said, "Your Highness, did I make a mistake somewhere?"

"Oh, no, please don't misunderstand, your work has always been outstanding. His Majesty and I trust you completely," Joseph hurriedly said. "Bringing Calonne back is purely for 'business.' I assure you, he poses no threat to your position."

What kind of "business" are you referring to?

Joseph deliberately lowered his voice. "For example, it could help you obtain hundreds of millions or even tens of millions Finance revenue."

Brienne's eyes widened immediately. "Calonne is willing to put up so much political donation?!"

"Ah, no... bringing him back is just part of the strategy," Joseph said. "You'll learn the details later."

Brienne hesitated for a moment, then sighed softly and said, "Your Highness, I can accept it if Viscount Calonne does not join the Cabinet."

He was probably the person in all of France who knew best just how terrifying the young Crown Prince's power was.

His position Minister of Finance was secured by the Crown Prince's astonishing methods; otherwise, he would have been fishing on Corsica long ago, suffering an even worse fate than Calonne.

If the Crown Prince insists on bringing Calonne back, there's nothing he can do to stop him. The fact that the Crown Prince came to him for advice and promised not to affect his position shows that he's friendly.

This is precisely the time to demonstrate his loyalty and trustworthiness. He does possess that much political savvy.

And it would also solve my biggest headache —Finance problems. Why not?

Joseph was surprised that Brienne agreed so readily, and sincerely thanked him. Then he took him to see the Queen. An assassination attempt had been reported in Calonne, and everyone involved would be alerted, so they had to act quickly, or things would change. They couldn't wait for Cabinet Meeting to discuss it slowly.

Petit Trianon, Queen Mary looked at Brienne with surprise. "You mean, pardon Viscount Calonne?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Brienne said earnestly, "Viscount Calonne was dismissed and exiled for his failure to effectively promote Tax Law."

He leaned forward. "You know, this is actually a gesture towards the Assembly of Notables."

"Now that the Tax Law has been in effect for several months and the High Court has been reorganized, you no longer need to be beholden to those people at the Assembly of Notables."

Brienne, being a seasoned politician, used his words to portray pardoning Calonne as helping the Queen regain the face she had lost years ago.