Chapter 65: The Master of Public Opinion

Chapter 65: The Master of Public Opinion

DuPont nodded vigorously, his eyes full of agreement. "Yes, Your Highness, this truly is a disastrous treaty. Since the tariffs were lowered, many textile workshops in Lyon have shut down, and the steel industry is also on the brink of collapse, leaving tens of thousands of workers unemployed."

He continued talking for a while, but by then, the official from the Mathematical Society had begun delivering the closing remarks, announcing the end of the academic conference.

The attendees respectfully cleared a path, allowing the most distinguished guest, the Prince, to leave first.

Joseph said his goodbyes to Lagrange and the other scholars before turning to exit the building.

DuPont quickly caught up with him, carefully choosing his words. "Your Highness, during the negotiations back then, the British had already agreed in principle to the 'single tax plan.' If the negotiations could be resumed, we might be able to secure more favorable terms for France."

DuPont was one of the presidents of the Chamber of Commerce in France, responsible for the northern region, and also a major industrialist. The reduction of tariffs on industrial goods had significantly impacted him personally. Having met the Prince, who was well-informed about Anglo-French industrial relations, he saw an opportunity and was determined to seize it, even if it was a long shot, to push for a revision of the treaty.

DuPont had been fully involved in the Anglo-French trade negotiations. From their earlier conversation, Joseph had learned that the primary figures in those negotiations were the late Foreign Minister Count Vergennes and the former Finance Minister, Viscount Calonne.

With Vergennes deceased and Calonne dismissed over the tax law debacle, the negotiations had stalled, leading to the signing of the provisional Eden Treaty.

Given the current situation, the British had gained significantly from the treaty and were unlikely to agree to any revisions. The only viable solution now was to quickly strengthen French industry and improve its competitiveness.

Of course, with some clever maneuvering, it might still be possible to extract minor concessions from the trade negotiations.

So, Joseph stopped and said to DuPont, "I will bring this matter up at the next cabinet meeting and push for the resumption of trade negotiations as soon as possible."

DuPont was overjoyed and quickly bowed. "Your Highness, you are the savior of countless French industries! You are truly magnificent!"

As Joseph left Madame Josneau's villa, a young man who had attended the conference seemed lost in thought, accidentally bumping into him.

Emond, quick on his feet, immediately stepped forward to block the young man.

The young man, who had a long, horse-like face, suddenly realized he had almost collided with the Prince. He quickly clutched his chest in a panicked apology. "Oh, esteemed Prince, I didn't mean to offend you."

He spoke in English.

Joseph instinctively replied in English, "It's fine; you didn't actually bump into me."

The horse-faced young man gave an apologetic smile, still speaking in English. "You see, I was born in Birmingham, so when I get flustered, I speak my native language."

Joseph made a polite comment. "Birmingham is a fine place."

The horse-faced young man beamed. "Thank you for your praise. Oh, I heard your speech earlier, and you seem to hold Britain in high regard."

Joseph assumed the man was just trying to ingratiate himself, so he casually complimented the man's homeland. "Yes, Britain's industrial technology is advancing rapidly. (This was true.)

"And they are quite adept at international politics and diplomacy. (Natural troublemakers.)

"They also show great innovation in cooking. (Dark cuisine.)

"Furthermore, the British are very pragmatic and thrifty. (Stingy and old-fashioned.)"

The young man's eyes lit up with excitement, and he was about to say more when Emond, standing nearby, cleared his throat with a stern look.

The horse-faced young man awkwardly smiled, bowed once more, and said, "I won't keep you any longer, Your Highness. Safe travels."

As he watched Joseph walk away, the young man hurried to his carriage and headed straight for the British Embassy in France.

"You're telling me the Prince of France spoke to you in English the entire time?" Hartley asked, surprised.

"Yes, Mr. Hartley," the horse-faced young man confirmed. "His English is very fluent, and he spoke highly of Britain. During the academic conference, he even publicly refuted criticisms of Britain."

He then recounted Joseph's words in detail.

Hartley fell into deep thought. The French were generally very hostile toward Britain at this time, so much so that they didn't even bother learning English. Especially within the royal family, Latin was their preferred language. The fact that the Prince spoke English made him stand out.

All the intelligence pointed increasingly to one conclusion: the Prince of France was likely very pro-British, or at least held Britain in high regard.

If Joseph knew what Hartley was thinking, he would have laughed out loud—his English proficiency was simply a necessity for his studies. As for his supposed fondness for Britain? What a joke. In his previous life, he had despised the world's troublemaker, and now, he was constantly thinking about how to deal with France's greatest enemy.

Hartley tapped the armrest of his chair, becoming more convinced that he needed to establish contact with the Prince as soon as possible. He took out paper and pen to write a letter, instructing his aide to deliver it to a certain noblewoman at Versailles.

After his aide left, Hartley recalled London's instructions to sow discord between Prussia and France. He then ordered his carriage prepared and headed for the Palais-Royal.

...

The Duke of Orléans frowned as he read the newspaper his butler had just brought.

The French Messenger devoted two full pages to explaining the tax provisions of the new tax law that had just been rejected by the High Court. The articles used simple language to detail why the tax was necessary, who would be paying it, and what impact the tax would have on the country.

There was also a special report by a journalist outlining the background of the King's push for the new tax law. However, it only mentioned that the tax law had been proposed by the former Finance Minister, Calonne, and had been rejected twice by the High Court. Clearly, there was more to come.

He picked up another newspaper, which contained similar content.

"Archbishop Briand is finally getting smarter," the Duke of Orléans remarked with a smile.

Since Calonne first proposed the new tax law last year, the French government had tried to push it through with force. When that met with resistance, they kept compromising, but they never realized the importance of using public opinion to gain widespread support.

It was only now that the Finance Minister had begun using newspapers to build momentum for the tax law.

To be honest, the new tax law didn't significantly affect the lesser nobility or the common people. Especially after the recent revisions, it was almost entirely aimed at the great nobility. If promoted correctly, it would undoubtedly gain broad support in France.

The Duke of Orléans tossed the newspaper aside, his face full of disdain. He and the banking giants were plotting to use the High Court's rejection of the law as a pretext to push for Briand's dismissal—there was no way they would let him manipulate public opinion.

"Does Briand really think he can pressure the High Court with newspaper propaganda? He's being far too naive," the Duke said, shaking his head with a laugh.

After years of investment and alliances, nearly half of Paris's newspapers and pamphlet industry were under his control. Combined with the newspapers owned by allied grandees, he practically controlled the entire Parisian publishing industry.

Right now, his word was the direction of public opinion!

He was the master of public opinion!

(End of chapter)

Friends, if you want to read chapters in advance, subscribe to my patreon.

You can also buy the book if you are only interested in reading the novel.