Louis XVI's "Themed Birthday Celebration"

"Divide public attention?" Brienne nodded; he was very familiar with this. "You mean, find some Nobility ' scandals and publicize them extensively?"

Joseph paused slightly, to be honest, this was slightly different from his initial plan, but it was indeed a very effective method. 💢♬ 👊🎃

"Besides this, we can also get the newspapers to report on the Swiss people debt."

Yes, the embezzled funds that De La Rue Bank in Switzerland has not returned are money that Switzerland owes to France, which makes perfect sense logically.

Joseph knew that France was in the early stages of national awakening, and people were very concerned about matters involving national interests. As long as the copy was good, it would definitely attract everyone's attention.

In fact, the Switzerland State Parliament and Federal Parliament have already advanced nearly 3 million Livre, and more bank loans are being forced to be recalled early. They have also sent diplomats to France to coordinate the matter. However, due to the situation in France, the Swiss people have no choice but to "insult" this.

Brienne nodded thoughtfully, admitting that this matter did indeed attract more public attention than Nobility gossip.

Joseph continued, "And those Barbary Pirates we captured, send them to Paris for a public trial. We'll also find a few French United States crew members to help with the emotional appeal."

"The process of capturing pirates was scripted, and performed on the spot every day after the public trial."

When it comes to generating buzz and creating news, Joseph, having been influenced by the 21st century, is definitely a master in this era.

"We could also add some visual stimulation. Wasn't Boislandar's trial already over? Execute him by hanging as soon as possible, and hang his body on a lamppost for all to see."

Boislandar was the banker who took the blame for Necker's murder.

"But..." Brienne wanted to say that the Judiciary process wasn't over yet and it shouldn't be executed so quickly, but then he remembered that the bank owner wasn't Nobility and had a mafia background, so he figured he could just make a call to the High Court and then said nothing more.

With these things happening, people's concern about the poor harvest will definitely decrease significantly. In addition, with affordable bread available, the panic over food will likely be effectively controlled soon.

Brienne's assistant, accompanied by the Queen's maid, knocked and entered. Countess de Berninac bowed to the two inside and said, "Archbishop Brienne, Her Majesty the Queen requests your presence."

Brienne hurriedly left with the maid, and Joseph returned to his Study, where he wrote down the arrangements for "stirring up the hype" item by item.

Unexpectedly, only half an hour later, Brienne returned anxiously, looking distressed, and said, "Your Crown Prince, you must help me persuade Her Majesty the Queen."

"Oh? What happened?"

Brienne sighed. "You know, next month is His Majesty the King's birthday. Her Majesty the Queen just summoned me to discuss the birthday celebrations."

"But the country is currently experiencing such a severe crop failure, and money is needed everywhere. Therefore, I suggested that Her Majesty not hold large-scale celebrations, but she was clearly not satisfied..."

"Wait!" Joseph suddenly looked at him and said, "That's right, His King's birthday is coming up soon."

"Yes, Your Highness. Her Majesty the Queen loves you the most; if you go and persuade her, she should listen."

Joseph pondered for a moment, then smiled and shook his head, "No, Archbishop Brienne, this birthday should be celebrated."

"Ah?"

"Not only should we celebrate, but we should make it a grand affair!" Joseph said, pulling Brienne along as they headed towards the Petit Trianon.

Before long, Queen Mary stroked her son's hair with delight, glanced at Brienne standing to the side with a frown, and said happily, "I knew it, Joseph would agree to hold a grand birthday celebration for his dear father."

Following her lead, Joseph first offered his blessings to Louis XVI, then said, "However, as you know, the Paris Citizens are currently worried about food supplies. If we hold a birthday celebration at this time, it could easily cause public discontent."

"Furthermore, there are also Finance issues."

Brienne, not expecting such a turn of events, nodded repeatedly in agreement.

The Queen frowned. "So, you mean?"

Joseph smiled and said, "We need to set a theme for His Majesty's birthday celebration."

"Theme?"

"The Paris Citizens will hear the news that His Majesty the King will be holding a birthday celebration with Disaster Relief relief theme," Joseph said. "The celebration must be large-scale, affecting as many people as possible. We should start the promotion two weeks in advance, with some free programs and free food distributed every day in His Majesty the King's name."

"During the birthday celebrations, Disaster Relief sales will be held every day to encourage Nobility to donate. All Paris Citizens can come to the Versailles Palace Square to participate in the celebrations and there will also be lucky draws and other activities."

"For nearly a month before and after, Paris was filled with laughter and joy, and nobody remembered the poor harvest."

Brienne said with a pained expression, "Your Highness, but this will cost a lot of money."

"It doesn't cost much," Joseph said. "The most expensive part of such celebrations is hiring theater troupes and circuses to perform, hosting large banquets, and decorating Versailles Palace and the like."

"We can save all of that."

Queen Mary's eyes widened immediately. "What kind of birthday celebration is this without these?"

Joseph had already come up with a plan on his way here, and immediately smiled and said, "As for the celebration program, we can hold two competitions."

"The Noblewoman will hold a singing and dancing competition. We only need to have the Court Orchestra play, and the ladies of the Versailles Palace, skilled in singing and dancing, will naturally take the stage to showcase their talents. Her Majesty the Queen, along with several other Royal House ladies, will serve as judges, scoring on the spot, with commentary from a music master. The top performers will be selected, and Her Majesty the Queen will personally present them with awards. I'm sure they will eagerly participate."

"As for the men, Sword Competition can be held. His King will serve as the judge and award prizes to the winners."

"Of course, a circus can also be hired. They just need to perform briefly during the breaks in the competition, and the cost won't be too high."

Queen Mary imagined the scene of Noblewoman gathering together and each showcasing their singing talents, and she felt a little eager to try it herself. She nodded in approval.

Joseph continued, "His King will be touring around Paris on his birthday, receiving congratulations from the citizens. Therefore, the only banquet will be the dinner, which is the only expense."

In the past, the King's birthday celebrations involved a full day of banquets, which is why they were the biggest expense. Holding only an evening banquet, on the other hand, wouldn't cost as much.

"As for the decorations for the celebration, Versailles Palace is already the most exquisite and luxurious place in all of Europe. As long as it is cleaned up and some fresh flowers are placed everywhere, that will be enough."

"The essence of a celebration lies in its people. As long as there are many people and it's lively, and everyone is enjoying themselves, then it's a good celebration."

Brienne calculated the celebration plan proposed by the Crown Prince, estimating that it would cost at most 300,000 Livre and would not cause any objections from the Paris towards the Royal House. Therefore, he immediately expressed his agreement. "Your Her Majesty the Queen, I think the celebration plan proposed by His Highness is perfect."

(End of this chapter)