The Combined Fleet on the Mediterranean Sea
Paris.]|I{•------» «------•}I|[
Second floor of the Industrial Planning Bureau.
Joseph looked at the six people in front of him with a half-smile, "You don't seem too saddened by Monsieur Boislandar's sudden suicide at this time."
Marquis Ludo quickly put on a sorrowful expression. "Your Highness, we are actually very sad, but we did not show it so as not to affect your mood."
"Is that so?" Joseph nodded. "Then what do you know about Necker's death?"
A middle-aged man with sunken eyes and a sallow complexion said urgently, "Your Highness, it was all done by Boislandar. We know nothing about it."
He was Viscount Lécrisien, owner of the Dauphiné Credit Bank.
"Is that so? But Mrs. Boislandar confessed that the assassination of Necker was a plot you all conspired against?" Joseph said, glancing at the six men who looked flustered, then changed his tone, "However, I don't quite believe what she said."
All six men felt a jolt in their hearts. They never expected that Boislandar would tell his wife such a confidential matter. If they had known, they would have eliminated her as well!
"Your Highness, she's trying to blackmail us," Marquis Ludo said, placing a hand on his chest. "I swear to God, we really have nothing to do with this."
Joseph smiled and stated the condition directly, "The reason I invited you here is because the French Reserve Bank is issuing Bank Notes next month."
"I hope each of you can purchase 1.5 Livre."
"Oh, and one more thing. Archbishop Brienne is about to introduce the Bank Management Act, the most important part of which is the Deposit Reserve. You must take the lead in supporting this act."
Marquis Ludo and the others exchanged glances, then cautiously asked, "Your Highness, what is Deposit Reserve?"
"It means transferring a portion of the deposits held in your bank—currently 5%—to the French Reserve Bank as a guarantee of the bank's credit."
The Deposit Reserve is one of the important tools for the central bank to regulate the financial market. In fact, the 5% ratio is almost useless. Joseph simply lowered the ratio to let banks get used to the regulation first.
Marquis Ludo quickly calculated in his mind that these were clearly conditions for making Boislandar take the blame alone. At present, the savings rate in France was not high, and 5% was not much money. And the 1.5 Livre Paper Money in banknotes could also be used to pay customers.
So he winked at the other five people and bowed first, saying:
"It is my pleasure to do something for the State Finances, Your Highness. I will obey your orders."
Just as Ludo and the others were leaving the Industrial Planning Bureau, a tall man with distinctly Northern Europe features was talking to a teenager in the garden of the Boislandar family Villa.
"So, besides your father, six other people were involved in the murder?"
The young man nodded fiercely, saying each word clearly, "It was my father who said it. They were discussing this matter at Marquis Ludo's house that day."
The tall man nodded, stood up, and left. The face beneath the brim of his hat belonged to Necker's butler, Aironk.
On the southern side of Menorca in the Mediterranean Sea, at the edge of the Barbary Coast.
Accompanied by the gentle sound of the waves, on the foredeck of the United States Navy USS Constellation, a clean-shaven man in Tricorn Hat and crisp United States Navy uniform, Charles held up his Telescope and anxiously watched the sea to the southwest.
Captain White walked up from behind and patted him on the shoulder. "Well, see them?"
"Not yet," Charles shook his head, then immediately added, "But they will definitely come."
"Thank God, that smuggler wasn't lying. Otherwise, you might be held accountable for that US Dollar 500 when you get back."
Charles turned to White and said firmly, "I believe in Ali, Captain."
The Ali he was referring to was the Algerians had been imprisoned in the cell next to his own but later escaped by digging a tunnel.
Charles was finally redeemed by the Virginia State Parliament for US Dollar 8,000 more than two weeks ago.
To his great surprise, the ship that came to pick him up was not France or Spain warship, but the United States USS Constellation newly acquired 30mm gun frigate.
Because the United States Navy had been out of service for a long time, there were even France and Italy Sailor on board. Charles, who had served briefly in the Continental Navy and had extensive seafaring experience, was invited by Captain White to become a Sailor on this frigate that the France had used for more than 30 years.
Since the USS Constellation's second mate was an inexperienced son of a high-ranking official, Charles effectively performed the duties of the second mate.
Subsequently, two United States frigates joined French and Dutch Warship to form Combined Fleet and began searching for pirates in the Barbary Coast.
Unfortunately, these pirates were extremely cunning, and the fleet wandered around for more than half a month without finding anything.
Just then, Charles suddenly remembered that Ali had said his boss knew Younis, who had connections with the pirates of Algiers.
He then suggested that they might obtain some information about the pirates from Ali. Coincidentally, the fleet was passing near Dakhla in Algiers at that time, so White reported his idea to the fleet commander. After receiving permission, Charles found Ali at the address he had left behind.
Then, Ali offered US Dollar 1,000 to sell the location of the Algiers Navy. Half would be paid upfront, and the other half upon sighting the pirates.
The fleet, following Ali's intelligence, had been waiting there all day, but had yet to spot any pirates.
Charles wiped the sweat from his palms. To be honest, he was starting to waver. Why had he believed a smuggler's words back then?
If he were to pay back the US Dollar 500, it would take him at least six or seven years to clear it.
Just when he was in despair, a blue and white flag tip suddenly appeared on the horizon.
He was overjoyed and turned to the captain, shouting, "They're here! They're here!"
They then discovered that the captain had already returned to the cabin—the lookout had spotted the small boat that sent the message a minute earlier.
The merchant ship "Seagull's Wing," which was then used as bait, headed toward the designated route.
It will encounter pirates there and then lure them into the ambush range of the Combined Fleet.
Charles ran excitedly back to his cabin, his heart filled with a thirst for revenge.
The plan was going very smoothly. The Seagull's Wing appeared panicked and quickly headed towards Menorca, followed closely by two pirate galleys.
The Combined Fleet's Warship emerged from behind the concealed reefs. A French Navy third-class Warship, accompanied by a frigate, intercepted them from the west, while the United States ship and a Netherlands frigate emerged from the east, yielding to the merchant ships and heading straight for the pirates.
On the pirate side, the larger galleys had 18 cannons, while the smaller ones only had 12, making them no match for the Combined Fleet.
When they realized something was wrong, they immediately turned around and fled the South.
(End of this chapter)
→