I am the Crown Prince of France

Chapter 229: Defending Justice

Joseph noticed the report ended with a note stating that "British Consul in Tunis, Hollis, committed suicide for personal reasons," and couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head.

The British truly have a tradition of being ruthless, even to their own people. Although France had a lot of Tunisian Janissary prisoners who could testify, the British government outright denied the accusations, insisting it was slander. And now, with Hollis conveniently dead, there was no one left to testify.

Joseph didn't care too much about this; after all, France wasn't in a position to go to war with Britain right now. Plus, he had profited handsomely in Tunis. This little episode could be left alone.

He continued flipping through the documents, which ranged from the promotion of scientific composting methods to the progress in developing the Saint-Étienne industrial zone. They covered everything from new wooden railway mileage to advances in high-pressure steam engines, from the trial production of percussion cap cannons at the Royal Arsenal to the introduction of cheap Russian linen and American cotton into France, which had revitalized the textile industry in Lyon.

Joseph spent the entire day, well into the evening, working through the extensive array of issues. Overall, France's industrial, agricultural, technological, and military sectors were all progressing steadily, entering a period of growth. Despite feeling exhausted after a long day's work, Joseph was in a good mood.

He glanced at the last few documents, deciding to finish them all before heading to dinner.

The next document was a request submitted by the Paris Police Academy.

Due to the excellent benefits for cadets and the promising career prospects after graduation, a large number of commoners were flocking to enroll, with students even coming from faraway places like Gascony, Lyon, and Brittany. Despite Frion's high admission standards, over 800 additional students had been enrolled, bringing the total number of cadets to nearly 5,000.

This far exceeded the original capacity of the academy, forcing many cadets to share beds. Therefore, Frion requested permission to either expand the current campus or establish a new branch.

Joseph smiled, immediately writing down an address at the end of the application and instructing Frion to continue enrolling students. He then set the document aside for it to be sent back to the academy the following day.

The address was for an estate, a birthday gift to Joseph from Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

Joseph's birthday was at the end of October, but since he had been in Tunis at the time, he hadn't celebrated much. However, his parents had still sent him the gift.

The estate itself was of little use to him, being located in the suburbs of Paris, so he decided to allocate it to the police academy. The estate already had buildings and land ready, so cadets could start classes there with minimal preparation.

When these 5,000 cadets graduated and joined the Royal Guard, Joseph would command a force of 8,000 elite soldiers. Including the Moulin Regiment, this number would rise to 12,000.

Currently, France's entire military numbered around 110,000 to 120,000, with troops far less trained than Joseph's personal forces. By then, unless the entire French army mutinied, Joseph was confident he could ensure the absolute safety of the royal family.

Around 7 PM, Joseph yawned and picked up the last document on his desk.

To his surprise, it was from Denisot, the manager of Le Journal de Paris.

Joseph quickly scanned the contents, which contained complaints about the issues with the News Publishing Bureau's recent stringent review standards.

About a month ago, the paper's reports on the "Viscount d'Amboise Arson Case" were rejected over ten times, preventing the case from being published. Denisot found that other newspapers had also been blocked from reporting on this incident.

Denisot argued that the case did not involve the royal family and had no negative impact, especially since it was already being tried in the High Court. He felt that the News Publishing Bureau should not have banned it, so he used Le Journal de Paris's connection with the Prince to complain directly to Joseph.

Joseph frowned. The News Publishing Bureau was managed by Monnot, and it seemed likely that Monnot had accepted a bribe to keep this case out of the press.

"That corrupt scoundrel…" Joseph shook his head, picking up a pen to write a letter to Monnot, reprimanding him and warning him to be more discreet, lest the Office of Public Morality end up investigating him.

Rubbing his sore shoulders, Joseph got up and headed towards the dining room. But just as he stepped out of his office, he heard Emon's voice from the staircase: "Miss Fraise, if you wish to see His Highness, you'll need to submit a request first. If approved, I will inform you..."

Fraise? Joseph immediately pictured the quirky young girl, recalling that Fraise was indeed her surname. What could she want?

Curious, Joseph called down the stairs, "Emon, please let her come up."

"Oh, alright, Your Highness."

Sorel, still dressed in her signature dark blue dress, hurried up the stairs, lifting her skirt as she rushed to bow to Joseph. Her expression was anxious. "Greetings, Your Highness, and thank you for agreeing to see me."

Joseph returned the bow slightly and ushered her into his office. "It seems you have something urgent?"

"Yes, Your Highness." Sorel looked a bit flustered, especially since she hadn't yet repaid the Prince for "losing 5,000 livres" last time, and now she had to ask for his help again.

But she quickly gathered her courage, telling herself that this was for justice and fairness—surely the Prince would understand!

She took a deep breath and looked at Joseph. "Your Highness, please save those two heroes. I know I'm being presumptuous, but I don't know who else to turn to."

"Heroes? Who are you talking about?" Joseph was completely puzzled.

"The Malet Brothers," Sorel explained.

Joseph still looked confused.

Sorel blinked her large eyes and asked, "Haven't you heard about the Viscount d'Amboise arson case? Oh, right, the newspapers were blocked from reporting it. Those despicable bureaucrats…"

Realizing she was criticizing officials appointed by the royal family, she quickly changed the subject. "It's like this, Your Highness: there's a poor girl named Céline who was being harassed by the despicable Viscount d'Amboise for a long time. Her father is just a coppersmith and didn't dare resist, so I secretly helped her a few times."

"But last month, that shameless nobleman kidnapped her and took her to his villa! I was planning to sneak into the mansion at night to rescue her when I suddenly saw the Malet Brothers arrive."

"They bravely set fires all over the Viscount's estate. While the people inside were busy trying to put out the flames, they rescued Céline. The very next day, she was reunited with her family."

Joseph was surprised. "Setting fires to rescue someone?"

"Yes, Your Highness. With only two of them, it was a clever tactic."

Sorel nodded as if it was the most natural thing in the world, then quickly added, "But they were arrested two days later, and the High Court quickly sentenced them to death by guillotine."

"Your Highness, they are heroes who stood up for the helpless. They shouldn't be put to death like this. Please, I beg you to help them!"

Joseph immediately recalled the News Publishing Bureau blocking reports on the d'Amboise arson case and narrowed his eyes. Could it be that Monnot was actually trying to do a good deed this time, keeping the media from turning the Malet Brothers into a sensation?

Maybe that letter of reprimand didn't need to be sent after all.

He asked the young woman, "How many people were killed or injured in the fire?"

"Viscount d'Amboise and three of his henchmen died, along with over a dozen injured. But they deserved it!"

Sorel stepped forward and knelt on one knee. "Your Highness, the Malet Brothers have been locked up in the Bastille, and they're set to be executed next week. Please, grant them a pardon!"

Joseph helped her to her feet, frowning. "This case is from last month, right? Why is the execution happening so quickly?"

According to current legal procedures, even with solid evidence, it usually took three to five months from sentencing to execution. This case had only occurred a little over a month ago.

Sorel replied anxiously, "I don't know. I tried to rescue them twice but failed..."

Joseph's eye twitched. "Rescue? Are you saying you tried to break them out of the Bastille?"

"Yes, Your Highness." Sorel didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with that. "I saw them both times, but the locks on the cells couldn't be picked."

Joseph nodded. "That's not surprising since those locks were made by my father."

After the main culprit in the Diamond Necklace Affair, Jeanne, escaped from the Bastille two years ago, the enthusiastic Louis XVI had personally crafted a batch of new locks for the prison, using his double-row teeth technology to make them highly resistant to tampering.

He gestured for Sorel to leave. "Please go home for now. I will look into this."

"Thank you so much, Your Highness!"

After sending the young woman away, Joseph had a simple dinner and then sent someone to Versailles that night to inquire with the Minister of Justice about the arson case.

The next day, Baron de Breteuil personally visited Joseph's office to report on the case.

"Your Highness, the Malet Brothers are minor nobles, but they don't have a reputation for chivalry or heroism," the Minister of Justice explained. "After they were arrested, they quickly confessed to the arson."

"I suspect that the High Court saw their actions as particularly heinous and, given the Viscount d'Amboise's influence, decided to expedite their execution."

Joseph frowned and shook his head, sensing something was off.

He remembered that he still needed to visit the Paris Police Academy that day, so he took the Minister of Justice with him and first made a detour to the High Court.

In the office of the High Court President, Dibourg nervously lowered his head, speaking cautiously. "It's true that this doesn't follow standard procedure, Your Highness. But those arsonists were guilty beyond doubt, and they were bound for the guillotine sooner or later… I'll personally review the case and submit a formal report to you."

Joseph eyed him skeptically, smiling slightly. "I need to know the truth behind this case, Monsieur President."

Dibourg laughed awkwardly. "What…what truth could there be?"

"Very well, then I'll have Danton handle the case. Or I could let the Royal Supreme Court look into it."

Dibourg broke out in a cold sweat, hastily signaling the nearby clerk. "Bring in Judge Croyer."

Croyer was the judge directly responsible for the arson case. When he learned that the Prince himself was involved and that the case might be taken to the Supreme Court, he immediately revealed everything.

Moments later, Joseph frowned at Croyer. "Are you saying that Monnot ordered you to quickly sentence and execute the two brothers?"

"I swear, Your Highness, I accepted the 30,000 livres from the Count of Monnot, but he's a Cabinet Minister. He forced me to do it. I couldn't possibly defy him!"

Joseph was increasingly puzzled. Monnot had used his authority to block news about the arson case while also bribing a judge to quickly execute the perpetrators. What on earth was he up to?

He left the High Court with orders to quietly detain Judge Croyer for investigation.

Next, Joseph summoned Fouché, instructing him to investigate the arson case, with a particular focus on Monnot.

The efficiency of the Office of Public Morality was impressive. Just three days later, Fouché placed his findings on the Prince's desk.

"Your suspicions were spot on, Your Highness," the intelligence chief reported. "Seven days ago, Céline and her family claimed they were heading to Tunis to start a new life. But shortly after leaving Paris, they were murdered. A local farmer reported the bodies."

"Was this Monnot's doing?"

"There's no direct evidence, but it's likely his men carried it out." Fouché nodded. "We also discovered that Monnot's illegitimate son—Antoine, the one who inherited his title six months ago—had been in a rivalry with Viscount d'Amboise over the same woman, Céline.

"Many people in noble circles knew about this. The two men had been competing for her affection, with Antoine even raping her several times."

Joseph's expression grew colder. "Give me the conclusion."

"Yes, Your Highness. The Malet Brothers were closely associated with the Count of Monnot's son. When the Viscount kidnapped Céline, it seems Antoine ordered his men to 'punish' him. The two brothers likely couldn't find another way to deal with the Viscount, so they set fire to his estate.

"When the brothers were arrested, Monnot feared that reporters would uncover the truth, so he blocked all news about the case. Then he bribed the judge, threatening the brothers not to implicate his son and pushing for their swift execution to ensure there would be no witnesses left."

"That scoundrel!" Joseph slammed his hand on the desk, his voice low and stern. "Assign someone to watch Monnot's residence, making sure his spoiled son doesn't flee, but don't take any further action for now."

"Yes, Your Highness." Fouché bowed and left the room.

Joseph stared at the investigation report before him, deep in thought. Monnot needed to be dealt with, but as the Minister of the Interior and the third-ranking member of the Cabinet, removing him could cause significant political turmoil. How could this be done without triggering a major crisis?

However, events took an unexpected turn.

The very next day, every major newspaper ran front-page headlines about the "Minister of the Interior's Son Suspected in the Viscount d'Amboise Arson Case, Summoned for Questioning."

The entire city of Paris was in an uproar.

(End of Chapter)

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