Currency reform
The West Bavaria.
On the outskirts of Nördlingen, a line of knights carrying Fleur-de-lis Flag with Dolphin and irises passed through a muddy road. Behind them was the entourage of the Crown Prince of France, surrounded by a large number of Guard.
On the Carriage, Joseph rubbed his aching shoulders and turned to look at the old town outside the window. This was the battlefield of the famous Battle of Nördlingen during the Thirty Years' War, but with the passage of time, it had now returned to tranquility and peace.
The blonde girl sitting opposite him saw his movement, quickly stood up, and whispered:
"Your Highness, let me give you a massage."
Joseph was slightly taken aback, mainly because he had never received such thoughtful service on his previous long journeys, but he quickly nodded and smiled:
"Thank you for your trouble."
"It's my pleasure to serve you." Camellia bowed and moved from the low-ceilinged carriage to his side. Her slender fingers pressed on Joseph's shoulder with just the right amount of pressure, making him squint his eyes in comfort.
A moment later, Joseph's fatigue vanished.
The girl noticed his Coffee Cup was empty and immediately picked up the Coffee pot to refill it halfway—it wasn't advisable to fill it completely on the bumpy ride, as it was easy to spill.
Yes, after leaving Vienna, Camellia took over almost all of Joseph's Servant ' work, being even more meticulous and attentive than the previous three Servant. This was all taught to her by Madame Delvaux —to be a wet nurse for an Austria princess, one must be quite skilled, and she had surpassed her teacher.
Camellia was initially very hesitant about Mr. Basel's suggestion, but after the Crown Prince of France severely punished the bastard who had threatened and harassed her for over a year and handed over the 150,000 Florin in compensation to her, she made up her mind completely.
The teacher is right! No, to be more precise, she herself was deeply attracted by His Highness's temperament, charm, and the sense of security he brought.
Joseph nodded his thanks to her, took a sip of Coffee —it was fragrant and delicious—and couldn't help but nod slightly again—this girl's Coffee -making skills were top-notch—before picking up his pen and continuing to write the investment and development plan for the Wallonia.
The agreement with Austria stipulated that both sides could invest in the "Wallonia Special Trade Zone". Joseph hoped to take advantage of Austria's preoccupation with the Silesian Wars to complete the layout of the Wallonia as soon as possible.
For example, implementing preferential immigration policies to attract more France people to invest and live in the Wallonia.
In addition, there is the issue of Police Force building. The first batch of planned recruitment for Wallonia Police will consist of 4,000 people, half of whom will be sent to France for training and then rotated. The senior Police Department will all be France. After a large influx of immigrants, it will soon be impossible to distinguish between native Walloon and immigrants. The two sides will be seamlessly integrated in terms of language and lifestyle.
After France investors acquired controlling stakes in almost all the Coal Mine in the Wallonia, France effectively controlled the area if the above two points were achieved.
At dusk, the convoy stopped east of Stuttgart.
Joseph looked at the investment and development plan in his hand and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. After two years of his work, he had created a favorable situation for France.
Besides the Southern Netherlands, the situation in Tunisia has also stabilized, and a second wave of immigration has begun.
Domestically, industries such as Coal and Iron, Textile, textiles, and Chemical have all entered a period of rapid growth, awaiting a surge in accumulated volume.
However, all of this requires money.
Whether it's investment in Wallonia, development of Tunisia, training of the army (Police), or driving the Industrial Revolution, all require substantial funds.
According to Joseph's plan, future Taxation reforms and naval expansion are also planned. These are all money-guzzling behemoths.
France is currently Finance with a massive deficit of over 2 billion Livre, and has also been involved in numerous wars over the past six months, spending a significant amount of military funds. Squeezing out money to accomplish the aforementioned tasks is now more difficult than squeezing water from a rock.
Joseph followed Kexer into the Manor where they were staying, pondering that now, with the army's series of victories in the Southern Netherlands and North Africa, and the Royal House's rising prestige, perhaps it was time to decide on monetary reform.
Across France, replacing gold and Silver Coin with Paper Money, coupled with the huge markets of Wallonia and Tunisia, the minting dividends alone could alleviate the current tight money situation.
Given the current pace of industrial and agricultural development in France, it is entirely possible to raise Inflation even further—which could even be beneficial to economic development. Printing the currency corresponding to the goods before the overall national supply increases can effectively prevent trade disruptions caused by insufficient currency. At the same time, the moderate devaluation resulting from Inflation can encourage people to invest more rather than hoarding their money.
The extra money printed is controlled by the French Reserve Bank and can be quickly invested in the areas most in need, minimizing the time previously spent waiting for investment.
Furthermore, as France continues to trade with other countries, France Paper Money are bound to flow into other countries.
Given the weak awareness of protecting monetary sovereignty among countries in this era—stemming from the long-standing trading habits of using gold and Silver Coin —most other countries' currencies could circulate domestically—at least in the short term, France Paper Money could circulate in small quantities in neighboring countries.
Although each country may not hold a large amount of France Paper Money, as most merchants tend to exchange them for gold and silver Silver Coin, even if the Paper Money only stay in their hands for a month or two, the total amount held by all countries would still be a huge sum.
In effect, France traded paper for their goods.
After a quick dinner, Joseph entered the Bedroom, feeling drowsy. He caught a faint scent of incense and saw that Camellia had made the bed perfectly, even placing the pillows in the most comfortable position.
The girl seemed startled by the noise and hurriedly turned around, curtsying slightly to the Crown Prince. In the candlelight, a blush suddenly rose on her cheeks.
Joseph sensed the awkward atmosphere and looked at her with surprise, asking, "Is there something you need?"
"No, no, it's nothing..." Camellia suddenly lowered her head and ran towards the Bedroom door. "You, you should go to bed..."
The two Servant at the door were taken aback. Why hadn't this new lady finished her work? They quickly went back inside and helped the Crown Prince change into his nightgown.
Joseph actually disliked having others help him change his clothes, but in the Versailles Palace, it was a necessary courtesy for someone to change his nightgown—usually done by Nobility of high status—so he could only accept it.
Camellia returned to her room, closed the door, covered her face, her heart pounding, and muttered to herself, "This... this is too difficult... What... what should I do..."