I'm the Dauphin in France

Chapter 509 Desperate Charles
Charles looked at the Crown Prince in confusion and protested, "Your Highness, this is all legal business. How could I be funding the rebels?"

"Please turn to the last page."

Joseph gestured to the document in his hand: “The Herlos Steel Company is responsible for transporting weapons from the Netherlands to the rebels and repairing guns.

“Ghent City Hall has long been managed by the rebel parliament and has provided a large amount of logistical supplies to the rebels.

"Mr. Culliford in the back has been working for the rebels..."

Charles' face changed drastically, and he hurriedly explained: "Your Highness, I... I don't know their relationship with the rebels at all. My bank is just lending money normally."

Joseph knew that he had nothing to do with the Brabant uprising. However, at that time, Van der Noor had already controlled most of the Southern Netherlands. Charles had three banks in the Southern Netherlands, and it was difficult to avoid financial transactions with them.

And the result was exactly as he expected. The Intelligence Agency soon found some connections between the bank under Charles' name and the rebels. At present, the Southern Netherlands has returned to Austrian rule, and the Wallonia region is under the management of France, so it is not difficult to investigate these things.

In fact, for Charles, all the transactions on the documents were losses. For example, after the rebellion failed, the Herlos Steel Company went bankrupt, and the tens of thousands of livres of loans were lost.

But the loan was indeed given to the Herlos Steel Company, which could become a handle against Charles.

"I am willing to believe you." Joseph seemed to comfort Charles, "As long as you really don't know, the High Court will soon lift the seizure of your assets."

"Thank you for your trust, Your Highness." Charles stood up and bowed, then asked nervously, "How long will this take?"

"That depends on the speed of the intelligence agency's investigation. If it goes fast, maybe your innocence can be proven in a month or two. However, those rebels destroyed a lot of information before surrendering, so it's possible that no results can be found in half a year or even longer."

Charles almost cried: "Your Highness, you must help me prove that I really have nothing to do with the rebels!"

Although he started his business in the Southern Netherlands, he later focused his business on France, after all, the market here is larger and the profits are higher.

Of his assets, 60% were the money given to him by other nobles. Interest had to be paid on these funds at any time. Not to mention being unable to use the funds for half a year, even if it was only for two months, he would lose a lot of money.

In addition, he also had to consider the situation of the bank under his name. Once the news of his assets being seized spread, it would inevitably lead to a run on the bank by depositors - who knew whether the owner of Charles Borden Bank had committed a serious crime, so it would definitely be safer to withdraw the money first.

The last thing a bank wants to encounter is a bank run, which almost means bankruptcy.

Joseph said calmly: "You have to trust the Intelligence Bureau, or you can pray for them to find evidence as soon as possible."

"No, please help me..."

"I'm sorry, but there's really nothing I can do about this," Joseph said, standing up and pretending to see him off. "Let's stop here today, Mr. Charles. I still have to deal with tax reform."

Charles' heart tightened when he heard this. How could he not understand why he was being targeted by the Intelligence Bureau?

Tax farmers always try their best to hinder the government's tax reform. Previously, he and Morel pretended to provide Brian with a loan to delay the government's fundraising. Now that the French government has obtained enough funds to maintain operations in the first half of next year, it has the confidence to punish him.

He hurriedly turned to Joseph and said with his head down: "Your Highness, the government is going to carry out tax reforms, and it is very likely that there will be a shortage of funds during this period.

"While the Intelligence Bureau is investigating, it would be a waste to leave my assets lying around. Or I could lend them to the Chancellor of Finance to help him get through the tax reform period." Joseph waved his hand with an indifferent expression, saying, "I've read Archbishop Brian's report. The funds for tax reform have been raised sufficiently, so you don't need to worry about it."

Charles said anxiously: "Your Highness, tax reform is bound to cause unexpected situations. Archbishop Brian has more funds and can deal with it more easily.

"I am willing to provide a low-interest loan of 1 million francs to help the government reform its tax system. This will also prove that I have nothing to do with the Southern Netherlands rebels. I just hope that the intelligence agency's investigation can proceed a little faster."

Joseph sighed and said, "Okay, then I'll ask Archbishop Brian to see if he still needs a loan."

He had asked the intelligence agency to investigate before, and found out that Charles' annual tax package was only about 1 million francs, plus 2 million francs, which was basically all the money this person could come up with.

Charles, on the other hand, was as if he had been pardoned. He quickly bowed and thanked him: "Thank you, Your Highness. I will go and ask Archbishop Brian to come..."

……

Lance.

At 6: p.m., two young tax officials walked out of the tax bureau and prepared to return to their residence.

However, as soon as they turned the corner of the street, two dark shadows quickly followed them.

The taller tax collector seemed to notice the movement and turned around to see a wooden stick coming towards his head.

He hurriedly grabbed his companion and tried his best to dodge backwards, but he was still a little slow. The stick hit his cheek hard, knocking him to the ground with a dizzy head.

On the other side, the shorter tax collector was pulled sideways by him, and the sneak attack stick brushed past his ear and hit his shoulder.

The hooded attacker immediately chased after him with a stick, saying viciously, "Leave the tax office, or I'll interrupt your..."

However, a sudden explosion drowned out all other sounds.

The attacker's body seemed to be hit by a huge hammer and flew backwards instantly.

Another attacker was about to continue beating the tall tax officer when he was startled by the loud noise. He turned around and saw his accomplice lying on the ground motionless with a bloody red chest, obviously having been shot.

He then saw the pistol in the short tax collector's hand. He was so scared that he dropped the stick, turned around and ran away, shouting in a trembling voice: "You, you killed him..."

The tax collector endured the pain in his shoulder, threw away the empty pistol, then pulled out another one from his right waist, flipped the safety, pulled the flint clip, aimed at the fleeing attacker and pulled the trigger.

There was another roar, and the fleeing hooded man's back burst into blood. He suddenly fell forward, his eyes filled with disbelief - he had only hit him with a club, but the man had actually shot him directly...

The short tax officer lowered his gun and said coldly, "According to the law, anyone who attacks a tax officer can be shot on the spot!"

(End of this chapter)