I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 155

< The Claws Within >

Manipulation.

A word people reflexively utter when the results are completely different from what they expected.

How flustered would they be?

They were completely sure of victory, but suddenly an absurd result unfolded before their eyes.

Clearly, most of the nobles here must have said such things when they gathered among themselves.

However, all words and actions must be chosen according to time and place, and spilled water cannot be gathered back up.

“Manipulation, you say… I see. So that’s what you were thinking?”

“Ah, no! Your Highness! That’s not what I meant at all…”

“Although the result is shocking, this meeting was presided over directly by His Majesty. It’s unavoidable that such doubts arise.”

I smiled outwardly, beckoning those who tallied the votes to come forward.

“The ballots you submitted had the seals of each estate’s representatives affixed before distribution to prevent manipulation. And different people reconfirmed the results five times. Even after doing all this, it seems I have failed to earn your trust, which weighs heavily on my heart. Anyone who wishes to verify, please come forward.”

The nobles, who had inadvertently lumped the King and the Duke together as manipulators, turned pale.

Thud!

“I told you to come forward, why are you kneeling?”

“Your Highness! The statement just now was the isolated remark of that man and has nothing to do with us!”

“We do not believe the vote was manipulated in the slightest!”

“The vote was fair, and the results are without any issue!”

Even if they were dissatisfied with the voting results, being branded like this would nullify everything.

The nobles were not so foolish as to not know that now was the time to lie low.

“Is that so? Then I’ll take it that everyone accepts there are no problems. I’m glad the misunderstanding has been resolved. Your Majesty, it seems we can proceed as is.”

Louis XVI, unable to keep up with the tempo, nodded with a still bewildered expression.

“Ah… um, yes. The nobles’ decision to voluntarily pay taxes for the future of France is truly commendable. I, Louis XVI, will not forget the nobles’ and clergy’s example and promise to continue to do my best in managing state affairs.”

If things continued like this, the tax-exempt privileges of the First and Second Estates, which had been in place for hundreds of years, would truly be abolished.

The desperate nobles cried out.

“Your, Your Majesty! However…”

“However?”

“Well… even if we were to suddenly pay taxes, it is expected that there would be considerable social disruption.”

“What does the Duke of Orléans think of that statement?”

It was nonsense not worth considering, but I had to at least pretend to consider the nobles’ position.

No matter how much reform was done, completely excluding all the nobles would not make sense.

In the original history, the main reason France fell into great chaos after the Revolution was that the noble class was killed off to an excessive degree.

As a result, most of the local administration, military, and social systems were ruined.

It took considerable time, resources, and manpower to restore them.

I had no intention of repeating such mistakes.

“It would be impossible to implement it right away. We should legislate it, go through a preparation process, and then implement it. Shouldn’t we start next year?”

“Is that so? Then let’s do that.”

The faces of the nobles listening to the conversation between Louis XVI and me rapidly darkened.

“Ne, Next year…”

“Are we really going to pay taxes…?”

“No, no matter what, we can’t pay taxes like commoners…”

Muttering could be heard here and there, but no one stepped forward to speak out boldly.

They were wary of appearing to challenge the royal authority.

They might have if they had a justification, but it was too ugly to vote according to the method they had agreed upon and then refuse to accept the results.

Still, they couldn’t just accept the results as they were.

The nobles and clergy pushed each other, urging someone to say something.

And accepting everyone’s wishes, the Duke of Chartres once again stepped forward as their representative.

“Your Majesty, of course, the results were decided by a vote, and Your Majesty has already said that you will reflect this in the bill, so I don’t think there is any room for further argument. However, it is safe to say that the method of paying taxes has not yet been decided, right?”

“If we were to pay taxes, I think we would pay in a universal way, no different from others.”

“But if that were the case, Your Highness, who is one of the wealthiest nobles in France, would bear the most taxes. Is that alright with you?”

“If His Majesty has decided so, I must follow. Especially if it is for the good of the country.”

As I answered too casually, the nobles sighed as if they couldn’t understand.

On the other hand, the commoners were looking at me with eyes filled with emotion.

In fact, from my perspective, the current situation where nobles and royalty do not pay taxes is abnormal.

This was a sense of incongruity that arose because my way of thinking was fundamentally different from that of the French nobles.

“Even in England, nobles are taxed under various pretexts. If this is a global trend, it may be fortunate that we are not too late.”

“So… we can assume that the tax-exempt privilege will be abolished within this year.”

“His Majesty has already spoken, so we cannot reverse it without any reason.”

“I understand.”

The Duke of Chartres stepped back surprisingly willingly.

Following him, the nobles hurried out of the palace.

“Woo-hoo-hoo! We won!”

“Equality in taxation, hooray! Long live France!”

With one side tasting heaven and the other tasting hell, it was absolutely impossible for this situation to be resolved smoothly.

Of course, if they acknowledge the changes of the times here and yield decisively, they should be acknowledged.

But now, both sides are on the back of a tiger [in a precarious situation].

It won’t be easy to give up the privileges they have enjoyed for hundreds of years, but if they refuse, they must be prepared for a division that will tear the country apart.

What are you going to do now?

Ah, before that.

“You there, stay behind and have a cup of tea with me.”

The person who made the manipulation remark, who had been watching me and missed the opportunity to follow the Duke of Chartres, froze in place.

Where in this benevolent smile did he find so much to be afraid of?

I can’t understand it.

※※※

The shocking results of the Estates-General [a general assembly representing the French estates of the realm: the clergy (First Estate), the nobility (Second Estate), and the common people (Third Estate)] spread throughout France before long.

Paris, where the news was first delivered, was completely turned upside down. Of course, in a positive sense.

In reality, taxes would not decrease from what they were now, but the commoners rejoiced simply because they were not the only ones paying taxes.

In particular, the bourgeois [the middle class], who had been complaining that they were bearing the brunt of the burden, rushed to publish public editorials in newspapers supporting the decision of the Estates-General.

Seeing this, it was clear how much the commoners resented the nobles.

The nobles protested that it was an absurd decision, asking where such a law existed, but the commoners openly rebuked them.

Since they couldn’t speak directly to their faces, they mainly used newspapers.

[Marquis de Bérulle Criticizes the Decision of the Estates-General as Outrageous!]

[The Duplicity of Nobles Trying to Reverse a Decision They Themselves Approved]

[The Contradictions of the Old Nobility, Even Good Nobles Shaking Their Heads]

In fact, in some ways, the Duke of Chartres was right.

Once you give up one thing, it is very easy to have two or three more taken away from you.

The commoners, who had won the results they wanted at the Estates-General, no longer feared the nobles very much.

The fact that articles that would have been unimaginable in the past continued to pour out was proof of this.

[The Perception of the Nobles Proven at the Estates-General: “Even in Heaven, Nobles Do Not Pay Taxes!”]

[The Nobles of England Pay Taxes, Why Should Only the Nobles of France Be Exempt!]

[Georges Danton’s Editorial, “The person who will bear the most taxes is His Highness the Duke of Orléans. But he replied that he would gladly do so if it was for the future of the country. This is the attitude that a true noble should have…”]

Behind this series of events, not only the bourgeois but also, surprisingly, some nobles were secretly working.

France in 1789 was falling into a different kind of chaos than in the original history.

‘Is it okay to publish this kind of article? What if I get arrested….’

‘It’s okay, it’s okay. Our side will hire a skilled lawyer for you. You know, right? I know His Highness the Duke of Orléans! If you want, I can even get Robespierre as your lawyer. Trust me and go all out. And if you get arrested, will the citizens stand still? Rather, you can use that as an opportunity to make a fortune.’

‘Is that so? I understand. Then I will trust Count Mirabeau.’

Those who not only quickly tried to escape but also grasped the flow of the times and tried to ride this wave themselves.

The existence of these people was the Achilles’ heel [a weakness or vulnerable point] of the First and Second Estates.

Even if they poured out criticism directly to their faces, they would not be brought to trial, so the level of their words was unrestrained.

Backed by the public opinion of the citizens who supported them, they poured concentrated fire on the current French system.

“When are you going to issue an official statement! The citizens are waiting!”

“Quickly accept the agreement of the Estates-General and express your willingness to cooperate!”

But strangely enough, the nobles remained silent.

After being beaten and ridiculed like this, there should have been a reaction, whether it was an accusation or a rebuttal, but there was none at all.

It wasn’t because they had no thoughts at all.

“If we act rashly, we will only worsen public opinion. Now, let’s first unite and share our opinions on how to overcome this situation.”

Duke of Chartres.

He, who had been miserably ruined by Christian and reduced to a laughingstock, regained his position at once by representing the opinions of the nobles at the Estates-General.

Even though he was criticized by the commoners, that point actually gave him more credibility with the nobles.

“This current frenzy is, to put it coldly, not normal. We can only assume that someone is leading it.”

“Are you saying that this is all the work of the bourgeois? To be honest, it was a bit strange.”

And gradually, the nobles were also realizing it.

They had been a little careless, thinking that the commoners were just barking noisily as always, and before they knew it, the situation had reached this point.

It was too fast to be a natural flow, and their movements were also well-coordinated.

The Marquis de Launay, who was in charge of the Bastille prison, also lent his support to this opinion.

“This is clearly not normal. Why else would there be guys who are openly causing trouble just to get into prison? There is definitely something going on.”

“But it is strange. No matter how meticulous they are, I don’t think the commoners can do this much.”

“Weren’t you badly beaten at this Estates-General because you were underestimating the commoners so much? Complacency is forbidden!”

“Who is being complacent! I’m just trying to look at the situation objectively!”

Just as the voices were about to rise further, the Duke of Chartres calmed the situation.

“Everyone, calm down. It is natural for you to be confused. But that is natural. Those who created this situation intended for us to react this way.”

“So, the Duke of Chartres also sees this as the work of the bourgeois.”

“No. That’s not it. The bourgeois are just pieces on the chessboard. Those who move them are separate.”

“Who are those damn bastards?”

The reason why the commoners won at this Estates-General was roughly guessed.

Christian must have already planted his henchmen in the First, Second, and Third Estates in order to control the election results as he pleased.

The Duke of Chartres guessed that there were at least 30 or more.

Still, he must have deliberately adjusted the voting results to create a result that barely won.

“This side has 10 more people than that side, but the one that occupied the majority was that side. The Third Estate, with about 550 people, got more than 570 votes, so that means there are at least 20 or more traitors, right?”

“No, what the hell are those crazy bastards!”

“What’s in their heads that they would voluntarily offer to pay taxes!”

The nobles expressed much greater anger towards the unknown traitors than towards the commoners.

The Duke of Chartres made a firm decision at this moment.

The reason he represented the opinions of the nobles at the Estates-General and gained their trust was to gain a strong voice in this place.

Christian clearly has no intention of smoothly passing the reforms as they are.

I can guarantee that he has set up a clever plan to purge the obstructive high-ranking nobles.

He knew because his family had been completely ruined and turned into a laughingstock.

There is no one in this world who can see through Christian’s cunningness more than he can.

But he doesn’t do the foolish thing of saying this out loud right away.

The opponent is his enemy. The enemy who killed his father.

But at the same time, he was also the most capable and wise man in France.

At first, he hated him so much that he wanted to tear him to pieces, but he, who was a staunch believer in meritocracy from birth, certainly acknowledged Christian’s abilities.

His father had touched an enemy he should not have touched first and was swept away.

He must not make such a mistake.

First, let’s lie low and watch for opportunities.

It’s not too late to rise up when the right opportunity comes.

And the Duke of Chartres judged that now was the right time.

“Everyone, don’t be surprised and listen. The person who led this series of movements is…”

“Is?”

“…”

“Oh come on, who is it that you’re hesitating so much? Don’t tell me it’s even the Duke of Orléans?”

“No. Not the Duke of Orléans… It’s His Majesty the King.”

Shock, horror, and confusion.

In the eerie silence created by all sorts of emotions, the Duke of Chartres reflexively bit his lip.