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Joseph said, looking at Fouche, “These two banks’ refusal to lend would only cost them profits, so there must be other reasons behind their actions. I need to know the inside story.”

Fouche immediately bowed and said, “Yes, I will investigate this matter as soon as possible.”

“That’s not all,” Joseph added, “I have some leads that I think might be useful.

“When I first sought a position in the financial system, the Duke of Orleans did everything in his power to thwart me, and ultimately Her Majesty the Queen had to send me to the city hall.

“Later, when I took over as the assistant Finance Minister, Archbishop Brienne, worried about my lack of experience, demanded that he oversee all financial affairs, while the Duke of Orleans insisted that I handle the government lending matters.”

“Then came the issue of the banks’ refusal to lend.” Fouche, who was taking notes, paused, “It seems that I need to conduct a thorough investigation into the Duke of Orleans.”

He paused, looking at the words “Duke of Orleans” on his notes, and frowned slightly, “Your Highness, the Duke of Orleans possesses many privileges. And currently, the Police Affairs Department is a department under the Police Headquarters, with only police authority. As you know, as police, we are not permitted to inquire into the affairs of the Royal Palace.”

“Please continue,” Joseph said.

“What I’m thinking is that if the Police Affairs Department could borrow some of the Royal Police’s authorities, at least those pertaining to postal services, then the progress would undoubtedly be much faster.”

Joseph gave him an approving look; he had been considering this too, and it seemed Fouche had come to the same conclusion.

“I’ll find a way to do that.”

He nodded to Fouche, then emphasized, “However, the Police Affairs Department can’t solely rely on authority to obtain intelligence. It cannot become a simple replica of the Royal Police; relying on intelligence techniques and establishing a vast network of information is fundamental.”

Fouche immediately placed a hand over his chest and bowed his head, “Yes, Your Highness!”

As night fell, a large expanse of gauzy canopies was erected on the northern lawn of the Palace of Versailles. The melodious sounds of bagpipes and accordions wafted through the air, mixed with bursts of laughter, filling the atmosphere with relaxation and peace.

This was an open-air cocktail party.

Joseph did not particularly enjoy attending such social events. Usually, they were filled with rumors and lewd jokes. He would just show his face and then leave swiftly.

However, today the head of the Secret Police, Count Robel, happened to be there, so he stayed a little longer.

In a corner of the party, by a small table, Robel, holding a wine glass, said with a troubled expression, “Your Highness, as you know, there really is no precedent for this kind of thing. I’m afraid it has to be discussed in a Cabinet meeting…”

Joseph interrupted him with a smile, “Please rest assured, I will report to the King and Her Majesty the Queen. And the Royal Police has nothing to do with those Cabinet Ministers.”

Establishing such a significant intelligence agency, he had to inform the Queen anyway; otherwise, if their tasks collided with the Secret Police, they might end up fighting each other.

“But…”

Seeing Robel’s evasive attitude, Joseph sighed inwardly—the Secret Police were the greatest power in Robel’s hands. Although there was the favor of sharing stocks last time, it seemed it was not enough to make him share some of his privileges.

He had no choice but to use the bait he had prepared in advance:

“Count Robel, I have always felt that the Royal Police have been treated unfairly.”

Robel was startled, the subject had shifted abruptly, and he couldn’t help but ask in bewilderment, “Your Highness means?”

Joseph spoke earnestly:

“The Royal Police are always shouldering the safety and security of France, making many great sacrifices for France, yet to this day, they are just a small department within the Police Department. This is too unfair!”

“I believe that the Royal Police should have been made independent a long time ago, as a department on par with the Police Department, and should not even be under the jurisdiction of the Minister of the Interior!”

“In fact, the Royal Police are directly commanded by His Majesty the King and there’s absolutely no need to involve themselves with the internal affairs system.”

At this time in France, the police and intelligence systems were still intertwined and, as per tradition, part of the internal affairs system. In actuality, it wasn’t until Napoleon’s era that the intelligence system completely separated from the police, and sometimes the head of intelligence would also manage the police system.

This meant that the position level of the Secret Police was greatly limited—you couldn’t hold a higher rank than the Director of Police Services as a subordinate department of the Police Department, could you?

Count Robel’s eyes lit up upon hearing this. If the Secret Police could become independent from the internal affairs system, wouldn’t his position skyrocket from the so-called “State Counselor” to “Minister of Intelligence” or “Minister of Security,” earning him a seat at Cabinet meetings!

He quickly suppressed his excitement and asked:

“Your Highness, is this coming from Her Majesty the Queen, or…”

Joseph smiled, “Oh, it’s me, and it’s a consensus with Count Mono.”

Count Robel was somewhat surprised: The Minister of the Interior was nominally the direct superior of the Secret Police. If he agreed to the independence of the Secret Police, the resistance to this move would be halved, and with the Crown Prince’s support, the chances would be even greater.

He cautiously looked at Joseph, “Has Count Mono promised your Highness anything?”

“Not yet,” Joseph shook his head but said with confidence, “I can assure you, he will agree.”

The funding for the Secret Police came from the King’s private coffers and was completely beyond the control of internal affairs, which was in reality of little value to Mono.

In Joseph’s future financial revenue increase plans, many would involve matters of internal affairs such as real estate development, public transportation, and the like.

These projects were the real interests of the Minister of the Interior. Joseph was certain that faced with these interests, Mono would not hesitate to discard the unimportant concerns.

And Joseph intended to use these interests to maximally leverage the political landscape to his advantage.

Count Robel’s eyes squinted slightly, his years of experience in intelligence work telling him that the Crown Prince wasn’t merely speaking off the cuff.

He hesitated only for a moment before raising his glass with a sincere smile, “Your Highness, the Police Headquarters gathers intelligence also for the security of France, serving His Majesty the King, which aligns perfectly with the goals of the Royal Police.

“I believe that in many areas, we can cooperate and support each other.”

Joseph also smiled, “For example, by sharing some minor authority.”

“Precisely.”

Joseph clinked his glass gently with his, “To the future Minister of Intelligence, Your Excellency.”

…

The British Ambassador to France, Hartley, finally received a reply from London.

He slit open the envelope with a letter opener and took out the cipher book kept close to his person, carefully decoding the message.

The letter discussed many of his recent tasks, but the last two points were of particular importance to him.

First was to confirm as soon as possible the true stance of the Crown Prince of France towards England, and whether he was as Anglophile as rumored. If so, efforts should be made to court him and use his influence to affect France’s policy towards England.

Second was to increase as much as possible the Crown Prince of France’s aversion to Prussia, and encourage him to adopt a tough stance towards Prussia.

The antipathy of the Crown Prince of France towards Prussia was well known; he had uttered in a Cabinet meeting that “a war with Prussia is inevitable.” So, as a troublemaker under the code name Blue Star, how could Britain not stir things up here?