I'm the Dauphin in France

Chapter 478: In Power (asking for monthly tickets at the beginning of the month)

In fact, all furniture produced by YiJu comes with a reminder that says “Please place in a ventilated place with windows open”, but basically everyone ignores it.

Then the butler brought Goldmid a bottle of Paris Coke and a glass of wine.

The latter nodded to the butler, then skillfully poured the drink from the glass bottle into the wine glass. Immediately, a large amount of bubbles began to surge in the purple-black wine.

This is also the most popular way of drinking among Parisian nobles recently. Soda drinks can increase the sweetness of wine, and the bubbles can make the wine aroma spread faster to all parts of the mouth. After drinking, the wine aroma will "return" with the burp, which is really endless aftertaste.

However, due to the limited production capacity of soda, Paris Coke is currently only sold in major cities in France, so this way of drinking has not yet become popular throughout Europe.

As far as Goldmid knew, in Britain the price of Paris Coke had been driven up to 5 shillings, or just over 6 francs, a bottle.

While he was indulging in the sparkling wine, the door of the conference hall was pushed open again, and a short middle-aged man wearing a black silk jacket and with arrogance in his eyes walked in.

Next to him was a man with a pointed chin and a hooked nose.

Everyone in the room immediately stood up and saluted the two men, "Viscount Ford, you look very well."

"Everyone is waiting for you, Viscount Ford."

"Isn't this Mr. Hope? Long time no see."

Goldmid also bowed.

He had heard of these two people, but this was the first time he saw their true appearance.

Leon Ford is a French financial magnate of Jewish descent. He owns banks and transportation companies, and is the behind-the-scenes controller of the General Association of Tax Farmers of France.

The one with the hooked nose was a Dutchman named Henry Hope, who had a large number of banks in the Netherlands, Russia and Sweden.

It is said that his wealth is greater than that of Ford, but because he is a foreigner, his influence on the Tax Farmers Association is not as great as the latter.

Ford came to the head of the conference table and politely asked Hope to sit down next to him. Then he looked at the people present and said directly, "I think everyone has heard that the government has a plan to take back the tax farming rights. Today, we have invited everyone to come together from all over the country to discuss how we should deal with it."

Yes, the less than 20 people in this room are the behind-the-scenes tycoons who control France's tax revenue. Some of them don't even show up at the tax farmers' show, but the tax farmers on the stage are supported by them with their funds.

A tycoon like Hope controls the tax revenue of several provinces in France and also makes huge profits from it.

Immediately, a man with sagging fat on his face waved his hand dismissively: "There is no need to worry about this. Without our tax package, the French government will go bankrupt immediately."

The old man next to him nodded immediately and said, "Even if there were no financial problems, the government's tax collectors would soon drive His Majesty the King to despair. In the Sun King's time, it was because of our outstanding ability to embezzle that the King gave us the tax collection. What solution can Louis XVI have now?"

The two's words drew a wave of agreement, but Hope coughed lightly and said seriously: "This matter concerns everyone's business. Since the queen has this plan, she must have made preparations. We must also respond in advance."

Fold immediately followed up: "First, we must conclude a financial alliance. No one is allowed to lend the tax money to the government in the form of a loan."

Everyone nodded, feeling that this move alone was enough to make the government give up tax reform.

Hope then continued: “We can also put pressure on the royal family through bureaucrats.

Ford nodded in agreement: "Many people in the bureaucracy have invested in tax farming. If we give them some benefits, we will surely cause opposition voices throughout the country." The fat-faced man smiled sinisterly: "If the government wants to collect taxes on its own, it will definitely appoint a large number of tax officials. If necessary, we can send people to threaten them, or even kill a few to deter others."

Hope didn't like his reckless behavior. He looked at the wine glass in his hand and said, "If it really comes to that, they should target the higher-ups instead of killing the tax officials."

The people present immediately began to add details of various plans one after another, appearing to be full of confidence.

Two hours later, Ford looked at the plan copied and organized by the clerk and nodded slightly. Those present were the smartest people in Europe, who were influential in various countries. Whether it was the queen or Brian's ministers, how could they be their opponents?

France’s taxes will always belong to people like us!

After the meeting, a group of financial tycoons went to the second floor to attend a banquet.

Goldmid looked at Ford's back, hesitating whether to express his idea, but he felt that the current plan was already very good, so he drank the wine in the glass and walked quickly to the second floor.

……

Palace of Versailles.

In the tea room of the Petit Trianon Palace, Queen Marie frowned and handed a thick stack of documents to Joseph. She looked uneasy and said, "My dear, the tax reform you planned has received so much opposition just after you spread the word."

Joseph also frowned as he looked through the documents, which were all the admonitions from officials at all levels against the abolition of the tax farmer system.

Most of them were local officials, but they also included two governors and the assistant minister of justice. Even the king's younger brother, the Duke of Provence, expressed his clear opposition.

Joseph roughly counted and found that there were more than 40 remonstrations in total.

He was not surprised, after all, many officials had invested in tax farmers. If their interests were affected, they would naturally oppose it desperately.

Queen Marie continued: "I hear that more advice is coming to Versailles. Perhaps now is not the right time to reform the tax system?"

When she heard her son say that he wanted to change the tax system, she agreed without much hesitation. After all, ministers such as Briand and Mirabeau also agreed.

But now that so many officials have expressed opposition, she can't help but wonder if her son really made a mistake.

Joseph took a deep breath and gave the queen a confident smile: "Dear mother, give me a few more months, and I will definitely let you see satisfactory results."

"Okay, then try again." Queen Mary nodded.
She now trusted her son very much, and then took Joseph's arm and said, "Come with me for dinner today. Oh, it seems that Alexandra will come too."

"Huh? Okay."

Joseph nodded absentmindedly, but in his mind he was thinking about how to deal with so many officials who opposed the abolition of tax farmers.

Should we try to reduce their loss of interests first?

Joseph walked down the corridor, and the nobles on both sides stepped aside and bowed to him and the queen.

He suddenly narrowed his eyes. Yes, he now holds administrative, judicial, financial and other powers. Why should he consider the interests of those "little people"?

(End of this chapter)