A battle of attack and defense

Sumiyar bowed slightly to the Queen: "Your Majesty, I have also received the Duke of Seville, the Earl of Serulier, the Marquis of Saint-Viran..."

He named a dozen names in one breath, all of them were very influential nobles.

"... on their behalf, to convey their position of recommending Archbishop Brienne's resignation."

Vergennes glanced at Brienne and said, "There's talk everywhere in Paris right now about Archbishop Brienne's lack of Finance knowledge and outdated Finance policies."

Queen Mary was surprised that so many people wanted Brienne to step down, and hesitated somewhat before saying:

"The Tax Law is a very complicated matter; perhaps we should give Archbishop Brienne more time..."

The Duke of Orléans had long been plotting to overthrow Brienne, and launching an attack now would certainly not give him any time to catch his breath.

He coughed lightly, stood up, and said, "Your Her Majesty the Queen, I have some friends in the banking industry. They told me that the banks have suffered serious losses because the Assistant Minister of Finance a while ago abruptly terminated loan cooperation with two banks."

"Recently, the entire banking industry has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the country's Finance policies."

In order to deal with Brienne, he deliberately shifted the blame for Joseph's work onto Brienne. But that's understandable, since Brienne was the highest-ranking official in the Finance system and should be held responsible for Finance issues.

Sumiyar, perfectly mimicking a shocked expression, said, "This situation sounds extremely serious."

"That's right," the Duke of Orléans feigned concern, "A friend told me that the Banking Guild might boycott Archbishop Brienne, which would seriously affect the government's ability to obtain loans."

He looked at Queen Mary: "Your Majesty, as you know, without bank loans, we will be unable to repay the Government Bonds, which means we will default on Government Bonds."

In fact, he was exaggerating. For Banking Capital, lending to the government is the best business, not only because the interest rates are high, but also because there is virtually no worry about not being able to recover the loans. Lavier Bank and Laborde Bank lost government loan business, which immediately led to a sharp drop in revenue, and they were as anxious as ants on a hot pan.

Queen Mary grew uneasy, frowning as she asked, "What should we do? Is there any way to salvage this?"

"Perhaps..." The Duke of Orléans pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked up and said, "There is someone who can handle the current situation."

The Queen asked urgently, "Who is he?"

"Actually, you know him too, Mr. Necker," said the Duke of Orléans. "He has always had good relations with the banking industry and has extensive experience in Finance management. I believe he is the most suitable candidate to be Minister of Finance at present."

Vergennes and Sumiyar immediately nodded in agreement, feigning agreement. "Mr. Necker certainly has the ability to solve these problems."

"I also believe that only he is suitable to serve as Minister of Finance."

Queen Mary watched as the three men, each with an air of concern for the country and its people, continued to deliver impassioned speeches, and sighed inwardly.

In fact, she was quite dissatisfied with Brienne's work after taking over the Finance system—the country's enormous debt had not decreased at all. The Tax Law had been pending for over half a year with no progress. Now, she had offended the banking industry...

The reason she initially appointed Brienne as Minister of Finance was because Brienne was the Speaker of the Assembly of Notables, which represented the great Nobility at the time. Winning him over would have helped the Assembly of Notables support the New Tax Law.

Unexpectedly, Brienne's initial expression of support for the Royal House was immediately rejected by the Assembly of Notables. In terms of political maneuvering, he was essentially worthless.

If replacing him could help advance the tax law and also gain the support of the banking industry, it's not something that can't be considered.

Moreover, Necker had previously served as Minister of Finance. Although he was dismissed for privately disclosing Royal House spending, he was indeed very professional in Finance management.

Thinking of this, the Queen looked up at the other ministers and asked, "So, what are your opinions on this matter?"

Joseph, who had been caught off guard by the sudden attack from the Minister of Justice and the Duke of Orléans, finally understood that they were trying to get rid of Brienne and put Necker in power.

Historically, Necker did indeed replace Brienne as Minister of Finance, only a few months later. It could be said that appointing Necker as Minister of Finance was what ultimately destroyed Louis XVI's last hope of survival.

Simply put, Necker represents the interests of capitalists, or more precisely, the interests of Banking Capital!

How could they possibly serve the Royal House wholeheartedly?

During his tenure as Minister of Finance, the French Government's borrowing from banks increased rapidly, several times over.

Even though Minister of Finance Calonne later tried to avoid high-interest loans, the France Finance had already become dependent on loans, and there was no way to reverse the situation.

Furthermore, he privately disclosed Royal House expenditures, drawing fierce criticism from across France regarding the Royal House's enormous spending. In reality, a large portion of these expenditures consisted of government buybacks of Fief belonging to high-ranking Nobility.

The actual expenses of the Royal House are basically covered by the King's own Manor and properties, and the King also has to frequently use his private assets to replenish the national treasury.

Joseph narrowed his eyes, determined not to let the Duke of Orléans get his way!

The outline of his own Tax Law is just beginning to take shape, and he needs Brienne's cooperation. At this time, he must protect Brian, which is also a way to sabotage Necker.

He immediately stood up and said, "In fact, Archbishop Brienne has been very effective in advancing the Tax Law."

"Everyone can go to Paris and see for themselves; Dadu people believe that Nobility should pay Land Tax and the like, and they strongly support the new Tax Law."

While he may have exaggerated somewhat, similar opinions have indeed begun to emerge in large numbers.

Sumiyar looked at him. "Your Crown Prince, as far as I know, there are still many people who are skeptical of the Tax Law."

Joseph chuckled dismissively. "But there will be fewer and fewer."

As sales of his two newspapers continue to rise, public opinion will inevitably lean towards supporting the bill. Moreover, the bill's content will have little impact on most people, and it will improve government Finance, so people have no reason not to support it.

"No, Your Highness, the Tax Law has been opposed for a long time; people won't just..."

Joseph didn't want to get bogged down in these trivial matters. The other man was clearly well-prepared, and if they got bogged down in details, they would fall into his trap.

Joseph immediately raised his hand to interrupt him and said to Queen Mary, "Your Her Majesty the Queen, in fact, Archbishop Brienne has long since formulated a comprehensive plan to promote the Tax Law, and it has already begun to be implemented."

"I can say with certainty that the Tax Law will be Registration in the High Court within two months at the latest."

Everyone present was stunned, not expecting Brienne to be so confident.

Brienne was also completely bewildered; how come he didn't know about this plan? But he immediately realized that His Crown Prince was helping him.

Because the editor said this book is on the verge of being recommended for the Three Great Rivers (Tian Hai Shan literature platform), I want to try my best to get it. I'm asking for your help in spreading the word! I hope to gain more readers and more followers so that it's guaranteed to make it onto the Three Great Rivers list. Please recommend this book to your friends, or help promote it on other platforms!

Tian Hai Shan humbly begs you! If this book can be recommended on Sanjiang Literature City, I will add two more chapters as a token of my gratitude.

(End of this chapter)