Expectation management

Joseph slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "That's right! We must come up with a land buyout plan immediately!"

Brienne hurriedly said, "Your Highness, but the plan..."

Joseph ignored him completely and turned to Queen Mary, saying, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, I will be able to come up with a suitable ransom plan within ten days, and at most a month, the situation will be calmed down!"

Queen Mary was taken aback. She had been frantically summoning her Cabinet Minister to discuss countermeasures because of the riots, but the Crown Prince seemed to take it completely lightly?

"However, the land buyout plan has been in place for nearly six months, and it still hasn't satisfied all parties." Queen Mary looked at her son incredulously. "Are you really confident?"

Joseph thought to himself that originally there wasn't, but with the Southern Netherlands causing such a commotion, he was now eighty or ninety percent certain.

However, he outwardly stated confidently, "Yes, Your Majesty, while I was in Luxembourg, I suddenly came up with a very suitable plan."

Queen Mary glanced around at the other Cabinet Minister and saw that no one raised any objections. Brienne and Baron de Breteuil, among others, had initially wanted to say something, but after Joseph gave them a look, they immediately lowered their heads and remained silent.

"So, it's decided then?" Queen Mary looked at everyone again. "The Crown Prince will be responsible for drafting the land redemption plan, and everyone should cooperate with him as much as possible. Meeting adjourned."

The originally large-scale emergency Cabinet Meeting ended in just half an hour.

As soon as Joseph emerged from the Conference Hall, Archbishop Brienne, Venio, and Talleyrand followed, all looking worried.

The three exchanged glances, and Brienne spoke first, "Your Highness, as you know, the land buyout plan simply cannot satisfy everyone. The revisions you requested last week are only one-third complete..."

Minister of Agriculture Venio also quickened his pace, leaned forward, and whispered, "Your Highness, I think if the Southern Netherlands are involved in this matter, they are likely waiting for us to announce the plan, and then they can use the opportunity to incite dissatisfaction and create even greater chaos."

Talleyrand immediately replied, "Your Highness, perhaps we should mobilize troops and head to the northwestern provinces. This is the fastest way to quell the unrest."

Joseph glanced at him, shaking his head inwardly. Deploying troops would play right into Van der Noot's hands. France had limited troops left in the country, and if things escalated, they would have no choice but to withdraw troops from overseas to maintain order.

They had arrived at Joseph's Bedchamber when they arrived. He gestured for them to sit down and smiled, saying, "Please believe me, I do indeed have some quick and effective ransom plans."

"Quickly effective?" Brienne pondered, head bowed. "You mean, drastically reduce the ransom, appease the rioting farmers, and quell the situation?"

"No, quite the opposite," Joseph exclaimed. "Please spread the word in the Northwest Province that the government intends to limit the redemption period to 50 years."

"What?!"

Ignoring their astonished expressions, Joseph added, "The purchase also includes 50 years' worth of rent and taxes on the land, and it must be paid in full at once."

Brienne and the others' faces darkened upon hearing this.

Rumors that a 30-year ransom payment had sparked a riot, and His Crown Prince then increased it to 50 years!

Are you trying to incite farmers to tear down the Versailles Palace?

Talleyrand was the first to react. "Your Highness, are you trying to protect the interests of the Nobility and get them to help quell the situation?"

"By the way, I've heard that quite a few young Nobility have recently gone to Lille and Reims to teach those rioters a lesson. Your Highness's plan will surely encourage even more people to participate!"

Brienne shook his head anxiously. "Your Highness, this will only make the situation more chaotic..."

Joseph simply looked at the Minister of Agriculture and said calmly, "I have made my decision. Please announce it as such."

"This... is it, Your Highness?"

After Venio got up to leave, Joseph said to Talleyrand, "Please use your social skills to spread the word at the Versailles Palace that the 50-year plan is just Venio's wishful thinking, and that the Cabinet has decided to limit the redemption period to two years in order to quell the riots as quickly as possible, and that no rent or taxes need to be redeemed."

Talleyrand's eyes widened immediately. "Your Highness, the Nobility will surely go mad..."

"I want them all to go crazy." Joseph nodded with a smile. "That's called 'expectation management'."

"Only by significantly lowering everyone's expectations first, and then offering them a slightly better solution, will they be likely to accept it."

Brienne and Talleyrand were taken aback. Indeed, as His Crown Prince had said, when Nobility and commoners were in despair over the "vicious" ransom plan, the government's offer of a 10- to 15-year compromise might be a relief for both sides, leading them to agree.

Brienne then thought of another problem and frowned at Joseph: "Your Highness, but before that, the country will likely descend into great chaos... I mean, your proposals to both sides are too harsh and will surely provoke their wrath."

Joseph nodded. "You're absolutely right. So, it's time to bring out our friends— the Southern Netherlands."

"Ah?"

Reims City

Saint-Just waved his hand forcefully at the peasants behind him carrying Flintlock Gun, roaring angrily, "Fifty years! Those vampires just want to drain us dry!"

"Only by taking power from their hands can we have any chance of survival!"

Immediately, Liberals in the crowd behind him shouted, "Let the Estates-General decide how to redeem him!"

"We will never accept a 50-year buyout policy!"

"Get rid of those greedy officials and restart the Estates-General!"

"Constitution! We need a Constitution without the King's involvement!"

A few days ago, the riots they instigated were dispersed by Reims Police. They thought they would need to plan for a while longer before launching a new wave of riots, but unexpectedly, the French Government suddenly "helped them out."

The terrible policy of "buying back the land for 50 years, including rent and taxes" immediately enraged the peasants. With just a casual call to action, peasants from the surrounding villages of Reims gathered and joined them in an uprising.

Led by Saint-Just and others, thousands of peasants chanted slogans such as "Estates-General" and "Drive out the corrupt officials," and carrying pitchforks, sticks, and Musket, they surged toward the City Hall with great momentum.

Just as they rounded Nafour Street and were only three blocks away from the City Hall, more than 200 young Nobility dressed in hunting attire suddenly charged toward them in five neat Horizontal Formation, their eyes gleaming with menace.

Saint-Just was taken aback for a moment, but then he linked arms with the peasants on either side of him and shouted, "The King's lackeys are here! Don't be afraid, we outnumber them far!"