[Note: Let me explain the concepts of "shorting" and "going long" that appear in the text, lest everyone be left utterly bewildered.
So-called shorting means using various measures to suppress the value of your target asset. For example, to short the Franc, one could dump Francs on the market in large quantities to buy gold while spreading the word like mad. Seeing so many people abandoning Francs, and with rumors added to the mix, people would conclude that the Franc truly was worthless, causing the amount of gold one could exchange for Francs to shrink further and further.
Going long was the reverse: desperately exchanging gold for Francs. People would then think Francs were scarce, making them increasingly valuable. (The words above were added after the chapter was published and will not count toward subscriptions.)]
Joseph ran his fingers over the corner of the report's pages, deep in thought.
He had originally believed this incident was a speculative gamble by certain ethnic capital tycoons—historically, they had done something similar to the Pound Sterling, attacking the United Kingdom's gold reserves in the early nineteenth century, causing fluctuations in the Pound Sterling and reaping enormous profits.
He had not expected it to be a Financial War launched by the British.
If that was the case, then their earlier countermeasures might need some adjustment.
Fouche said from the side, "Your Highness, perhaps we can invoke wartime regulations and freeze that money as 'hostile sabotage funds.'"
Joseph pondered for a moment, then shook his head.
"No. The market does not care whether the money belongs to the British or to Württemberg. People will only lose faith in the Franc because our country refuses to exchange Francs for gold.
"Besides, much of it is French money, making it very difficult for you to distinguish."
The