Chapter 255: The Contribution of the Duke of Orléans
Trianon Palace.
Queen Marie sighed heavily, her face etched with sorrow:
"This is nothing short of a disaster. Even someone as esteemed as the Duke of Orléans has been murdered by those mobs..."
Joseph pushed a strawberry cake toward her.
"In truth, he committed treason."
The Queen gestured toward the musicians seated near the door.
"Mozart’s new piece, the Sonata in A Minor, please."
Shaking her head at the cake, she replied,
"Even so, he should have been judged by the proper authorities, not met a violent end."
Joseph thought to himself, If you were the presiding judge, he would likely have gone on to plague France for another twenty years...
The somber piano melody made him frown. He glanced at Clementine, who was obliviously spinning her fork in the cake with enthusiasm, and signaled her with his eyes.
The little girl quickly wiped the crumbs from her mouth and hooked her arm through the Queen's.
"Dear Aunt, don’t be too upset. God will surely punish those cruel rioters... Oh, would you like some pudding? Add double the sugar, and pudding can make all troubles disappear."
Joseph pinched the bridge of his nose, casting another sharp look toward the piano.
Finally, Clementine seemed to realize what he meant and uttered an "Oh!" before sneaking over to whisper a few words to the musicians.
The piano fell silent for a moment, then transitioned into Handel’s cheerful Water Music.
With the background music finally appropriate, Joseph turned to Queen Marie.
"Mother, this incident highlights why using the military for maintaining public order is unsuitable.
"You see, the military is inherently slow to mobilize, stationed in barracks far from urban centers. When something happens in the city, it takes them too long to arrive.
"Moreover, their heavy firepower is unnecessary for maintaining order and might even harm innocent civilians.
"This time, there were demonstrations in Paris, yet no significant incidents occurred. That’s because Paris underwent police reform, and the patrolling officers quickly controlled the situation."
Queen Marie looked at her son. "So, you believe we should implement police reform elsewhere as well?"
"Yes, I’m certain that promoting the new police system will swiftly quell uprisings."
Nationwide police reform would require a significant investment, with the first year alone costing tens of millions of livres. This had made the Queen cautious in the past, but this recent riot had clearly shaken her resolve.
"But this will require a great deal of money..."
Joseph smiled.
"I’ve discussed this with Archbishop Brienne, and the financial strain is manageable. For instance, we could utilize banks for investment loans or issue special bonds..."
Of course, this was merely a pretext to reassure his mother. In reality, he had his eyes set on the Duke of Orléans' fortune, amounting to tens of millions of livres.
He knew many nobles, including the Queen, believed the Duke of Chartres should inherit this wealth.
However, with his control over the High Court and the Duke of Orléans convicted of treason, if he couldn’t confiscate those assets, he might as well find a wall to bash his head against.
Once this enormous sum was secured, it wouldn’t just fund police reform—it would also cover the costs of reforming local tariffs.
In a way, this would be the Duke of Orléans’ sole meaningful contribution to France during his lifetime.
Queen Marie hesitated for a long moment before finally nodding.
"Let’s proceed with your proposal for nationwide police reform."
She understood that this reform was her son’s initiative. If it successfully controlled future riots, it would greatly enhance the Crown Prince’s reputation.
Elated, Joseph immediately scooped a spoonful of double-sugar strawberry pudding into his mother’s mouth, then produced the prepared decree for her to sign. Once he had her signature, he bolted out of Trianon Palace like the wind.
"Dear Cousin..."
Clementine had intended to bid Joseph farewell, but when she turned around, he was already gone. She pouted in frustration and turned to the Queen instead.
"Dear Aunt, you know my uncle’s health isn’t well. My father wants me to accompany him back to Vienna to visit His Majesty, so I’ll be leaving Paris in a few days."
The "uncle" she referred to was the current Archduke of Austria, Emperor Joseph II of the Holy Roman Empire.
Queen Marie’s expression shifted at once. Emperor Joseph II had no heirs, and this sounded like preparations to summon his younger brother, Clementine’s father, Leopold II, to succeed him.
Though she knew her brother had long been unwell, she hadn’t expected his condition to be so dire. She hurriedly asked,
"How is your uncle?"
"My father mentioned that His Majesty only handles half an hour of state affairs each day..."
Queen Marie bowed her head in sorrow. Recent events had brought her too much grief, leaving her feeling as though she had aged several years overnight.
Soon, the Sonata in A Minor began to play again in the room.
...
Joseph felt much lighter with the decree for nationwide police reform in hand.
While he had been confident in persuading his mother and had even arranged personnel to implement the reforms in advance, having a formal decree gave him the authority needed to act decisively.
He understood well that public uprisings were like a savage beast.
He had unleashed this beast to devour the rot within France, but if he couldn’t quickly rein it in, it would continue to devour the nation itself.
This so-called "mini-revolution" targeting the feudal privilege class, initiated by him, was only halfway through.
Only because he now controlled domestic administration, public opinion, the judiciary, finances, and the military did he dare to take such a bold approach. Yet even so, a single misstep could lead to a catastrophic crisis.
Before long, he boarded a carriage bound for Paris to personally oversee the High Court’s registration of the police reform decree.
As the carriage rolled away, he glanced back at Versailles through the window and shook his head with a wry smile. Despite all his efforts to prevent a great revolution from occurring, he had unwittingly orchestrated a smaller one himself.
...
Southern France.
Nice.
In front of the police station, a newly arrived officer from Paris surveyed over a hundred disorganized members of the local militia.
Recalling the way the Crown Prince had addressed him back in the day, he tried his best to mimic the tone:
"Gentlemen, good morning! I’ll keep it brief—there are only three points:
"First, from now on, all local militias in Nice will be incorporated into the Police Department as official officers!
"Second..."
He suddenly remembered that morning in Saint-Antoine District that had changed his life.
Raising his voice, he declared,
"Trust me—this will be the opportunity to change your destiny!"
This wasn’t something the Crown Prince had ever said.
With only a day to train in using riot batons, the new recruits donned crisp uniforms and followed two officers onto the streets of Nice.
Of course, the old police force trailed them hesitantly.
The officers from Paris had promised that if they performed well enough, they wouldn’t have to join the "Routine Affairs Squad."