I am the Crown Prince of France

Chapter 134: Go, Pika... Uh, Mr. Marat!

Joseph suddenly thought about the group of bankers who were funneling large sums of French money into England, and he couldn't help but grind his teeth in anger. If he could expose their misdeeds, it wouldn't just be satisfying, but it would also help clean up the financial sector. But then Joseph felt a bit deflated—there were too many targets in the banking world, and since these people weren't government officials, sending the Public Justice Bureau after them might raise objections from Marat, the "Friend of the People."

But if there were a representative figure in the banking industry who was also an official... Wait! There actually was someone like that! Though he wasn't an official anymore, he had served as Finance Minister for a long time, and he was deeply connected to the banking world—or rather, he was a banker himself.

Necker, during his time managing French finances, was the one who set France on the path of relying on high-interest loans to maintain its budget. The Finance Ministers who followed him tried to break this vicious cycle of borrowing to pay off old debts, but they, too, were forced to continue borrowing due to the heavy burden of interest.

A cold glint flashed in Joseph's eyes. From everything Necker had done, it would be shocking if he wasn't guilty of something. Having the Public Justice Bureau investigate him could shift Marat's focus, and if something substantial was uncovered, it might lead to the downfall of other corrupt banking giants.

Early the next morning, Joseph had Eymond visit the Finance Minister's office to retrieve all the financial records from Necker's time as the Treasury Director (since he was Swiss, he couldn't officially hold the title of Finance Minister, but his authority was just as great). It took four carts to carry all the files. Joseph ordered Cossade to have his guards escort these documents to the Public Justice Bureau's office.

Sure enough, Marat showed up the next day at noon without needing an invitation. Joseph used his usual approach.

First, he passionately condemned Necker for colluding with banking giants to deliberately increase government spending, leading to massive loans and funneling exorbitant interest payments to the banks. Then, he detailed the severe harm that the financial crisis was causing to the French people. Finally, he pointed Marat, the "piranha," in the right direction—go, for the sake of the French people, and tear Necker apart!

But this time, Marat hesitated. "Your Highness, with all due respect, Necker has a very good reputation. Under his management, the government's finances nearly balanced. You wouldn't be slandering him just because he publicly criticized the royal family's extravagance, would you?"

Joseph chuckled. Necker was indeed skilled at crafting his image—in history, during the Estates-General, all three estates held him in high regard, and even Louis XVI viewed him as a savior. But as someone who knew history, Joseph was well aware of Necker's dubious dealings.

"Mr. Marat, villains don't wear signs saying 'I'm a bad guy' on their faces. The Public Justice Bureau's job is to look beyond appearances and uncover the real dirt beneath."

Joseph leaned forward and whispered, "Do you know where Necker's first loan as Treasury Director came from?"

Marat, who had clearly reviewed some of the financial records, glanced at his notes. "From a Swiss bank…"

"Exactly," Joseph nodded. "But do you know that this bank was co-owned by Necker and his friends?"

Marat paused, then shook his head.

Joseph continued in a cold tone, "In other words, the first thing Necker did when he took office was secure a big deal for his own bank, with a hefty interest rate to boot. And there are many other things you don't know."

"For example, when Necker was young, he partnered with his British banking friends to speculate on grain between England and France, driving up food prices significantly."

"Or how Necker bribed several high-ranking officials with hundreds of thousands of livres and shares in his bank to secure the position of Treasury Director…"

Marat could no longer contain himself. He stood up and said, "Your Highness, I will investigate all of this, though it may just prove that you are biased against Mr. Necker."

Joseph smiled and nodded. "I look forward to you bringing more justice to the French people."

Marat bowed and was about to leave when Joseph added, "Oh, Mr. Marat, you mentioned earlier that the finances under Necker were stable?"

"Yes, Your Highness, that's a fact."

"The fact is that this so-called balance was built on excessive loans. The interest on these loans wasn't immediately apparent, making the budget look good for a short time. But the interest would snowball, with the real damage becoming evident ten years later. In other words, much of our current budget deficit can be traced back to loans from his time."

"Thank you for the reminder, Your Highness," Marat replied, bowing again before leaving, visibly excited.

With Marat's attention now diverted from the French Guards, Joseph summoned Baron Breteuil and hinted that the scrutiny on the Guards could be relaxed. Breteuil, who had been appointed Justice Minister by the Prince and Archbishop Briand and had no personal stake in the investigation of military officers, readily agreed.

…

Over at the French Guards' camp, the flood of letters reporting on officers suddenly slowed, allowing the gendarmerie to speed up their investigations. The Marquis of Saint-Priest was surprised when he heard that Berthier had indeed managed to pull off such a feat. He quickly streamlined the process and almost immediately signed the commission to promote Berthier to Colonel and appoint him as commander of the French Guards' Third Infantry Regiment.

However, just past noon, Berthier came to him with a small problem.

"So, what does your dear friend want now?" Saint-Priest asked with a frown.

"Well, it's like this. He has a younger brother who just recently graduated from the military academy and is currently just a regular lieutenant," Berthier recited Joseph's request. "He hopes his brother can be appointed as a battalion commander in the French Guards."

The Marquis of Saint-Priest let out a long sigh. He'd already given away the horse—why not throw in the reins?

He nodded. "It will be as he wishes. Have him report as soon as possible…"

"He specialized in cavalry, so he'd prefer a cavalry battalion."

"Fine, fine! Cavalry or whatever, just get it done," Saint-Priest grumbled, rubbing his forehead. By now, he was numb to it all and just wanted the nightmare to end.

Berthier wasted no time. After being promoted to colonel, he immediately went to the French Guards' camp with Dubois and Cossade's cousin, Odolrick, to start selecting his troops.

(End of Chapter)

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