I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 152

Pelleter’s face stiffened instantly, as if he hadn’t expected me to entertain Camille’s question.

“Your Highness, there’s no need to indulge them like this…”

“Didn’t I say to allow only one question related to the trial? If we don’t even allow this much in front of so many citizens, won’t public opinion only worsen?”

“You’re right. I was short-sighted.”

As Pelletier conceded and stepped back, Camille stepped forward.

After taking a moment to compose himself, his voice echoed loudly through the square.

“Thanks to the benevolence of His Great Majesty the King and His Royal Highness the Prince, our people are living peacefully day by day. Your Highness has enriched the lives of the people in many ways and freed them from the suffering of smallpox. But whenever there was praise, Your Highness said it was only what he should do. Because you believed it was the duty of royalty, didn’t you?”

“That’s right. Ensuring the lives of the people is naturally the responsibility of the royal family.”

Otherwise, this privileged class cannot be maintained.

The donations and welfare of the upper class are never unilateral acts of charity towards the poor.

If they don’t do this, the upper classes will eventually be stabbed with bamboo spears and slaughtered by the exploding citizens.

We don’t have to look far for examples; the French Revolution was a very good one.

“That’s what Your Highness said. The great Sun King [Louis XIV] also emphasized several times that there is a significant duty before the name of the king. So, emphasizing the duty of the nobility is an act of shaking the class system? I ask those who accused Robespierre. According to that logic, the great French royal family has been criticized for making statements that threaten the class system. If that wasn’t the intention, does that mean that they are superior beings who don’t have to bear any obligations?”

The judge glanced at the plaintiff’s seat.

The judge, who had confidently recited the charges, cleared his throat and hurriedly shook his head.

“That’s not what I meant. Of course, nobles have a duty to take responsibility for the lives of the people. Yes, that’s right. But Robespierre cleverly tied it to the tax issue! This will naturally make listeners think, ‘What kind of duty are the nobles fulfilling when they don’t pay taxes?’ Causing social chaos is what I meant by that.”

“That’s a ridiculous slander! The defendant Robespierre wants to argue this point himself, so I would like to give him the floor. Your Honor, please allow it.”

Even if he has corrected his stuttering habit, putting more burden on Camille than this is strategically not good.

Robespierre himself was a prominent lawyer, so there is no problem in this era for him to defend himself.

The judge gestured to do as he pleased.

Finally, Robespierre, whose restraints were released, looked around at the citizens with a determined look and opened his mouth.

“Honorable Judge and citizens!”

His voice, filled with solemnity and poignancy, like a general before going to war, instantly captivated the audience.

“It is true that I mentioned the problems of the tax system. But this was only introducing the report of Jacques Necker, the current financial advisor and excellent economist. And this report was open to the public, and I did not add any distortion or manipulation to it.”

Jacques Necker, in the original history, also pinned a policy of allowing commoners to view financial reports during his tenure as Director-General of Finance.

Of course, this was a financial statement that concealed France’s huge financial deficit as much as possible, but this alone earned him the hatred of the upper echelons and forced him to step down.

Currently, Turgot is holding the position, so he is only serving as a financial advisor, but his tendency itself has not changed much.

Rather, I was subtly encouraging Necker to spread the word about the current disastrous finances of France.

“Economists conclude that France’s current debt is enormous and will only worsen if left unchecked. So, when you find out about that fact, what should you do as a citizen of this country? I wanted to put our heads together to find a solution to avoid the coming disaster. Because I love France! Because I am a citizen who wants this country to continue its current glory in the future!”

Robespierre’s passionate speech, as if spitting blood.

Right now, his appearance was that of a patriot who sincerely worried about the future of the country.

The Mayor of Paris suddenly became a villain who suppressed such a patriot and tried to hide the truth.

“Is it the way to patriotism to close your eyes and ears and pretend not to know because you know the country will be in trouble, or is it the true path of patriotism to endure a little commotion now and gather everyone’s wisdom to avoid future chaos? If the true patriot in the law is someone who runs away from the truth and only pursues personal gain! If all my actions are the path of a criminal who disrupts order! I, Maximilien Robespierre, will gladly walk the path of a criminal. I will be punished as a criminal who loved the country!”

“Oooooooh!”

“Release Robespierre!”

“If Robespierre is a criminal, we are also criminals! Take us all away!”

The square instantly turned into chaos.

The basic of agitation is to make people recognize that they are doing things for justice and the cause, and that the other party is an evil force that interferes with it.

Robespierre’s argument was so effective that it could be called a textbook of such agitation.

If a guilty verdict is given in this atmosphere, it is a direct express train ticket to a riot.

Naturally, the judge, who was starting to get nervous, desperately looked at me and sent a help sign.

What else can I do? If you don’t want to die in this situation, you have to follow the trend.

Originally, regardless of East or West, the public opinion of the angry masses has binding power in itself.

There aren’t many strong-hearted people who can be free from this.

Immediately, Mayor of Paris, Palatie, slipped away, afraid of being caught up in the angry crowd.

The judge glared at Palatie’s empty seat with a resentful gaze and raised his gavel.

“…Then I will deliver the verdict. The defendant, Maximilien Robespierre, from Arras in northern France, was accused of trying to incite resentment against the royal family and nobles by stirring up the dissatisfaction of citizens through clever agitation.”

After that, the court listed the charges against Robespierre one by one and examined whether he had actually violated the law.

Most of the items were innocent.

Of course, if he was acquitted altogether, the court’s position would be difficult.

The judge, who desperately racked his brains, delivered the expected verdict.

“For this reason, it is difficult to accept the plaintiff’s claim that Robespierre tried to cause social chaos. However, it is also true that he caused a disturbance as a result. Therefore, this court has determined that he cannot completely avoid responsibility and sentences Robespierre to eight months in prison with a two-year suspended sentence.”

As the declaration of probation was made, Robespierre’s people stood up and cheered.

On the other hand, Palatie’s judges hurriedly packed their materials and left the square as if they were being chased away.

The citizens enjoyed their de facto victory and poured out of the square, chanting Robespierre’s name.

In the meantime, Robespierre and Camille Desmoulins mentioned my name, who gave them the opportunity to receive a fair trial, and offered their thanks.

The citizens responded to this and shouted my name together, wandering around Paris.

This movement was a trick to prevent it from being seen as a class struggle from the beginning.

Looking closely, this trial was nothing more than a happening caused by the Mayor of Paris to preserve his position from a third party’s point of view.

The nobles of Versailles did not take it so seriously.

However, even if only one small hole is drilled, it is only a matter of time before a huge dam collapses.

No one accurately understood what this victory meant today.

Even Camille Desmoulins and Robespierre are no different.

I was the only one who knew how big a spark of madness this seething heat would become and set fire to France, no, all of Europe.

※※※

Wow, it’s like a market.

Isn’t there anything as fun to watch as a fire across the river [watching someone else’s misfortune]?

Recently, it has been very interesting to see the nobles blaming each other and fighting for the past few days.

The report created by Jacques Necker has become so famous that there is no one who does not know it.

This also meant that France’s dire financial situation was revealed to the world.

Here, the Mayor of Paris, Palatie, launched a drowning operation, saying that Necker was the cause of all this.

His claim was that the reason he showed such a disgrace was all because of the financial report released by Necker.

“In the first place, the reason why citizens are most anxious now is because they know that tax increases are inevitable in the future! Why did you release this information and buy 욕 [curses/criticism] to eat that you didn’t have to eat! Advisor Necker! If you have any shame, resign!”

Necker was not just being beaten like a sandbag.

“If we had kept hiding it, even more exaggerated rumors would have spread. There was no one who didn’t know that the national debt was serious, and many economists and intellectuals have already announced the results of their own calculations. That’s why I released the report first. And this is also the result of manipulating and manipulating the numbers as much as possible! If I hadn’t done this, the results would have been twice as serious, and the anxiety of the citizens would have been much greater! Am I wrong?”

In fact, Necker’s financial report was the result of extreme manipulation, sticking and sticking numbers like in the original history.

If it still looked serious, it is obvious without seeing how much more hellish the reality is.

Louis XVI, who was listening to the rambling bickering, finally frowned.

As that became a signal, the nobles who were arguing fell silent as I stepped forward.

“This is in front of His Majesty the King. Refrain from excessively nitpicking and fighting.”

“…I’m sorry!”

“However, Your Highness. This is definitely the responsibility of the financial advisor…”

“It is His Highness’s intention not to hold anyone responsible for this matter. There will be no dismissal of the financial advisor, and the Mayor of Paris will continue his duties.”

Palatie, who had been foaming at the mouth and biting Necker until just now, closed his mouth like a lie.

“Anyway, this problem was like gunpowder that was bound to explode someday. Even now, there are petitions pouring in that it is difficult to suppress the scarcity of bread and rising prices. In this situation, it is more urgent to come up with countermeasures than to cause division and fight. Director-General of Finance, tell me the countermeasures you have in mind.”

Turgot, who was nominated by me, nodded and distributed the prepared materials to the nobles.

“As you can see, France’s financial debt is serious. The problem is that the country’s credit rating is not very high, so it is not easy to issue government bonds. Then, in the end, we have to raise taxes to cover this, which will only lead to a constant vicious cycle.”

“Everyone knows how bad the current situation is. So, what are the countermeasures to overcome this?”

“We have no choice but to reform the financial and tax systems at the same time. First, we must establish a national bank to have an advanced financial system like England, and we must raise tax rates to overcome the immediate crisis.”

“The citizens are rioting, saying they are against raising taxes, but you ignore that and push for tax increases? Do you want to see a riot break out?”

Turgot flinched at my cold voice and shook his head.

Even though it was a pre-arranged 고스톱 [Korean card game, metaphor for a fixed game], it was a very exciting performance.

“So…it seems that the 1st and 2nd estates will have to pay a certain amount of taxes. There must be a justification that the nobles are also willing to bear the bleeding in order for the citizens to accept this…”

“Absolutely not!”

“Where in the world is there a law that taxes nobles!”

“Even in the kingdom of God, nobles do not pay taxes!”

As if promised, the nobles screamed and stomped their feet.

It is truly a spectacle to see those who were fighting over whose fault it was just a moment ago become We Are The World at Turgot’s one word.

“If you do that, the nobles will riot before the citizens!”

“Minister Turgot! Are you confident? Are you going to try it with us?”

“Everyone, calm down. I’m not saying to do that right now…”

“Whether it’s right now or ever in the future, such a thing can never happen!”

The nobles, whose eyes were turned upside down whether the king was in front of them or not, were now almost out of control.

I had heard it in words, but seeing it in front of me like this, I clearly understood how sensitive the nobles were to taxation.

At the same time, I became convinced once again.

There can never be such a thing as a moderate and harmonious reform in this world.

I, who had calculated that I should intervene at this point, raised my voice, slamming the floor of the room with my cane.

“Quiet!”

The nobles, who had turned their faces red and were pointing fingers, regained their composure and quietly lowered their fingers.

After scanning the nobles in the room, I slowly walked towards Louis XVI.

“Your Majesty. As you have seen, the opinions between classes are not integrated and the conflict has reached its peak, so it seems that a place to mediate this is needed.”

“I think so too.”

“Therefore, I think it is necessary to gather the representatives of the clergy, nobles, and commoners in one place. If we don’t do that, dissatisfaction will continue to arise somewhere.”

“That means…”

I nodded and put into words the real purpose of staging the ridiculous stage of a public trial.

“Yes. I suggest that you reconvene the Estates-General, which has not been held for exactly 175 years.”