I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 119

< To Act Is to Die, to Stay Still Is to Die >

“Your Majesty, are you familiar with the Gordian Knot?”

“Of course, I know it. Isn’t it the story of how Alexander the Great cut the impossibly tangled knot with his sword in one swift stroke?”

Whether such an event actually occurred is debatable, but this story, like Columbus’s egg [the idea of solving a problem in a simple, obvious way once the solution is known], is used as a metaphor for solving difficult problems through a shift in perspective.

However, it is often cited when a more radical method is involved than Columbus’s egg.

“Wait. Christian, are you suggesting that the current problems of France cannot be solved by normal means, and therefore we should introduce some kind of… shocking method?”

Louis XV reacted with a jump. He stood up, forgetting his discomfort, showing just how surprised he was.

“It’s not wrong to understand it that way.”

“…What.”

His eyes showed not so much embarrassment as bewilderment.

He kept sending glances as if wondering if it was a joke, but my answer did not change.

“In fact, Your Majesty has probably felt it to some extent. That if we continue like this, there will be no solution.”

“It would be a lie to say otherwise… but isn’t it too dangerous a method?”

“It is dangerous. That’s why I’m not doing it right away. Lest you misunderstand, I’m not saying I’m going to recklessly cause trouble.”

“Are you saying it’s not something I need to worry about while I’m still here?”

Since it was a question that could be considered lese-majesty [an offense violating the dignity of a ruler], I gave no answer.

Understanding the meaning of the silence, Louis XV leaned back on the bed and sighed softly.

“Hoo… well. Since it’s you doing it, I suppose you must have some thought behind it. And if it’s something that won’t concern me, I suppose it’s not right to pry too deeply.”

“Still, if it’s a question from Your Majesty, I should naturally answer it.”

“Then I would like to ask just one thing. Does your proposed alternative include collecting taxes from the First and Second Estates?”

“Taxes where there is income. Isn’t that a basic principle of taxation and a strict rule to follow in order to ensure horizontal equity in taxation?”

The reason why France’s finances are not normal is that the number of people in the First and Second Estates who enjoy tax exemptions is abnormally high.

The clergy, the First Estate, occupied 10% of the arable land, and the nobility, the Second Estate, occupied a quarter of the total land in France.

Moreover, the proportion of nobles enjoying tax exemptions was several times higher than in neighboring England.

A high proportion of nobles means a high proportion of those who do not pay taxes.

Even if the god of economics came, it would be impossible to normalize France’s finances.

“Just collecting reasonable taxes from the First and Second Estates would bring the debt ratio down to a stable level within a few years.”

“But tax exemption is the most basic privilege of nobles and clergy. Abolishing it would be seen as a declaration of war against them.”

“Of course, it would. If this word gets out, wouldn’t there be those who would try to assassinate me?”

In fact, at first, I even thought about deliberately inducing an assassination and using it as an excuse to proceed with the plan.

If there were no penalties for death regression, I might have used this method.

But no matter what, I don’t want to go through that ridiculous pain again.

Since I’m preparing step by step anyway, there’s no need to take unnecessary risks, is there?

“Christian, I have only one thing to say to you. It’s a dangerous method that could completely ruin France if you’re not careful. So be careful and prudent.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

Louis XV did not ask any further questions after that.

I thought he would ask what specific methods I was planning to use, but this was unexpected.

Was it because he thought it was a sight he would never see in his lifetime?

Sensing my thoughts, a faint smile appeared on Louis XV’s lips.

“There’s no point in finding out about something that won’t concern me anyway. I might rashly do something out of a desire to normalize this country and hand it over to you.”

“Ah… that would be a bit difficult.”

“So I won’t ask. To be honest, I wanted to make this country better and hand it over to you, but knowing that I don’t have to, I feel relieved.”

In fact, apart from his tired complexion, Louis XV’s tone felt lighter than before.

A faint smile soon appeared on the king’s lips.

“When I think about it, I have achieved quite a few accomplishments. I restored the royal authority that was about to fall to the ground, and I temporarily restored the national debt to its original state. Moreover, I have restrained England and risen again as the leader of Europe, so I won’t be criticized by posterity, will I?”

“Rather, you will be remembered as the greatest ruler of all time.”

“I have a conscience, so I don’t expect such an evaluation. Anyway, scholars will surely add a few lines after my evaluation. In fact, all these achievements were possible because of Prince Louis Christian.”

“No, that’s…”

It was true, but if the person himself said it that way, I had nothing to say.

Fortunately, Louis XV only laughed cheerfully and did not show any discomfort.

“It’s not wrong, so there’s no reason to feel wronged. However, I only have one wish. That Auguste, the child who will succeed me, will become a king who can receive a similar evaluation. Can that be possible?”

“Of course, it will be. No, when I think about it, that might be difficult. I should apologize in advance.”

I smiled at the bewildered Louis XV and calmly told him the evaluation that would be written in future history books.

“Your Highness will be evaluated as having left a much more meaningful mark than the great Louis XV. So, wouldn’t it be impossible to receive a similar level of evaluation?”

Louis XV, who had been staring blankly at me with his mouth open for a moment, burst into hearty laughter.

“Yes, yes. You must have that much confidence and spirit. I hope so too.”

※※※

…Versailles after a storm.

The nobles hurriedly held a countermeasure meeting disguised as a salon [a gathering of people for intellectual or social exchange].

“That’s why I told you not to be too hasty!”

“What are you talking about! Wasn’t it Marquis de Bellile who suggested we find fault with granting citizenship to the Indians?”

“I was just suggesting we raise the issue, not that we should put so much pressure on them openly.”

“Isn’t that just playing with words!”

The nobles who had risen up, seeing this as an opportunity with Prince Christian absent, were not yet clearly centered.

Marquis de Launay and Marquis de Bellile were representative figures, but they lacked the symbolism to dominate the entire aristocratic society.

“Whose fault it is is not important now. The problem is that Prince Christian has returned at this point in time. And he must have heard detailed stories about us from the Crown Prince.”

“…That’s true. Marquis de Bellile, do you have any brilliant ideas?”

“First of all, no matter how strong the prince’s power is, he can’t do anything to us right away. We didn’t plot a rebellion, we just raised legitimate issues. It doesn’t make sense to just single out those who are critical of him.”

A light of relief crossed the faces of the nobles gathered there.

Marquis de Launay added a word to this.

“And anyway, Prince Christian won’t be able to stay here forever. After all, he is the governor of New France.”

“That’s right, if we keep dragging our feet here, he’ll eventually go back, and then…”

“You won’t achieve what you want with such a passive method.”

The Duke of Chartres’ low voice, which had been silent until now, interrupted the nobles’ words.

All eyes naturally turned to him.

The corners of Marquis de Bellile’s mouth twisted into a sneer, having been interrupted in the middle of his speech.

“Is that perhaps based on experience?”

“You can understand it that way. But even if you just sneer like that, the results won’t be very good.”

“Hasn’t the Duke of Chartres already given up? Earlier, you seemed to be trying to maintain a clumsy neutrality, rather than siding with us.”

“As a result, my judgment was correct. If I had gone out stronger, I would now be on Prince Christian’s kill list, and I wouldn’t be able to guarantee my future.”

No one could come up with a suitable answer to the Duke of Chartres’ rebuttal.

“Then what do you want to do, Duke?”

Marquis de Launay subtly changed the subject when the attack didn’t work.

In any case, the Duke of Chartres was a representative figure of the nobles who had lost everything to Prince Christian.

In fact, among the nobles who were dissatisfied with the current power structure, there were not many coveted recruitment targets like this.

However, it was not easy to completely reverse their attitude after having ridiculed him so far, due to their pride.

Of course, from the Duke of Chartres’ point of view, he was just as reluctant to have these people, who had ignored him so far, ask for his help.

“Everyone here seems to be mistaken about something.”
The Duke of Chartres opened his mouth in a cynical voice.

“Do you think Prince Christian will act as you expect? That he’ll go to the New World if you wait, and then you can resume your actions? Do you really think he’ll wait for that?”

“That’s…”

“I guarantee that Prince Christian will only return to the New World when he is sure that there is not a single noble who challenges his authority. Do you all understand what this means?”

The nobles’ faces hardened at the words that felt like a strange experience.

Of course, the former Duke of Orléans had plotted a scheme bordering on treason and was cut down, so their case was different from his.

But that didn’t mean they could just rest assured.

Marquis de Bellile frowned, sensing that the atmosphere was turning strange.

“Wait, Duke of Chartres. You’re not going to say that we should rise up here and move actively, are you?”

“I haven’t said that yet.”

“I’m telling you just in case, but that’s even more nonsense. If just waiting is a bad idea, then actively moving is just a suicide attempt to die together.”

The nobles of Versailles, including Marquis de Bellile and Marquis de Launay, were by no means fools.

They honestly didn’t like the fact that Prince Christian had subtly become the most powerful man in France.

But still, they were people who had been rolling around in this icy aristocratic society for decades.

They knew better than anyone how absurd the steps Christian had taken so far were.

Then, of course, they had to acknowledge his ability and go in.

They couldn’t possibly not know that if they recklessly stood up against him here, they would be dragged to the guillotine one after another and their heads would fly.

But the Duke of Chartres ridiculed such passive judgments of the nobles.

“It’s frustrating. In the end, all you’ve chosen is the latter in a situation where you either have your breath cut off at once or slowly get strangled to death. You’re acting so carefree because you’re not dying right now, even though there’s no way out. It’s beyond foolish, it’s even pathetic.”

“Duke of Chartres, your words are too harsh…”

“I know because I’ve been through it, but you’re already in checkmate [a position in chess where a player’s king is in check and there is no way to remove it from attack]. Don’t try to choose from the given options. What you need now is to create a new third option. If you don’t have the determination to overturn the chessboard, just go to Prince Christian right now, kneel down, and beg for forgiveness. And becoming his vassal will be the only way to maintain your current position.”

It was a very sharp remark, but again, there was no immediate rebuttal.

This was because the words of someone who had been deprived of everything by Christian—wealth, status, and honor—were so realistic.

Soon, the nobles naturally imagined their assets being completely taken away.

A sense of crisis that they had never felt before began to smolder in their hearts.

< To Act Is to Die, to Stay Still Is to Die > End