Chapter 516: An Unexpected Windfall
Joseph gestured for Godemid to take a seat and asked hopefully, "Have you made progress with the task I assigned you?"
Previously, through an introduction by Sonet, Joseph had met this British banker—a cunning and greedy opportunist who also happened to be a senior member of the Tax Farmers' Association.
Joseph had offered lucrative benefits to recruit Godemid as an informant, tasked with collecting evidence of the tax farmers' illegal activities.
Hearing Godemid say he had "good news," Joseph assumed he must have unearthed something significant.
However, Godemid shrugged and replied,
"Your Highness, you know how clever those people are. I haven't been able to find direct evidence of their crimes."
Joseph frowned, preparing to express his disappointment, when the banker smirked triumphantly.
"So, I had no choice but to guide them into committing new crimes. Fortunately, they quickly accepted my suggestions."
Joseph was intrigued. "Oh? What did you have them do?"
Godemid rubbed his hands together, smiling. "Your Highness, I believe I've gone above and beyond your expectations. Perhaps, beyond the original terms of our agreement, you could grant me a small additional favor."
"State your request," Joseph replied.
"I have a few friends who are interested in positions within the Ministry of Finance. I hope Your Highness could arrange something for them."
Joseph's expression immediately hardened.
As expected, these financiers were always eager to infiltrate the government's financial core, step by step aiming to control the entire system.
But Joseph was no naive politician easily swayed by such requests. This was still the 18th century; the financial oligarchs hadn't yet perfected their nation-capturing strategies. The masterful maneuvers of the Rothschilds and others were still two decades away. For Joseph, who had studied history countless times, such schemes were all too predictable.
"I'm afraid that's not possible," Joseph said firmly. "The French financial system must remain under absolute government control."
His words were unambiguous: I know what you're planning, and it's not going to happen.
Joseph softened his tone slightly as he added, "However, I can offer you other benefits—such as allowing your bank to expand operations in France or introducing you to promising investment opportunities. Incidentally, a friend of mine in Britain recently mentioned a profitable venture."
According to their prior agreement, Godemid's role in exposing the tax farmers' misconduct would earn him the privilege of handling funds for Atlantic Insurance. This arrangement meant British buyers of French insurance policies would first deposit their premiums into Godemid's bank before the funds were transferred to France.
Atlantic Insurance sold over £500,000 worth of policies annually, equivalent to more than 12 million francs. Simply routing these funds through his bank would generate tens of thousands of francs in revenue for Godemid while boosting his bank's reputation.
Thus, Godemid had readily agreed to cooperate.
Now, seeing Joseph's youth, he thought he might test the waters for more concessions, only to be rebuffed immediately. Smiling awkwardly, he nodded. "Thank you for your generosity, Your Highness. I hope we can collaborate further in the future."
Joseph remained noncommittal. "Now, can you tell me what you had the Tax Farmers' Association do?"
"Of course, Your Highness," Godemid replied. "I suggested they hide the real tax records and hand over fake ones during the transition to the new tax administration.
"They plan to use these falsified documents as leverage to retain control over the most profitable taxes."
Joseph's eyes narrowed.
Without accurate tax records, the new tax administration could quickly descend into chaos.
For instance, missing records of overdue and prepaid taxes alone could spark endless disputes between taxpayers and tax officials.
Additionally, land and factory tax assessments would need to be recalculated from scratch. Market taxes, which were generally based on the size of a vendor's stall, would inevitably lead to prolonged haggling between merchants and officials.
It was a vicious plan. If the government's tax system were caught unprepared, it would surely spiral into disorder.
However, Joseph already had countermeasures in mind.
The missing records could be replaced by people—specifically, the "tax collectors" employed by the tax farmers, who were intimately familiar with the data.
If the government found the records to be falsified and tax collection stalled, Joseph could charge thousands of these collectors with "tax fraud." Arrested at night and put to work by day, they could assist the government's tax officials in resolving discrepancies. Each resolved issue could reduce their sentences by five days. Within two weeks, the entire nation's tax operations could be running smoothly again.
Still, with advance knowledge of the tax farmers' scheme, Joseph now had the upper hand. The next step was to secure solid evidence and use it to optimize the outcome of his tax reform.
"Do you know where the real tax records are stored?" Joseph asked.
"Yes, Your Highness," Godemid replied confidently. "As the proposer of the plan, I was involved in several key steps. The records are stored in Viscount Fourde's villas in Antoine."
"Excellent," Joseph said. "Go back and act as though nothing has happened. Once you're certain the records are all gathered, notify me immediately."
"Understood, Your Highness."
Five Days Later
A large contingent of Parisian police swarmed into Antoine, much to the astonishment of the locals. They surrounded all properties owned by Viscount Fourde and his family.
Intelligence agents swiftly entered the villas and, within hours, uncovered vast quantities of tax records, enough to fill more than ten wagons.
Once the documents were delivered to the French Revenue Department, the Paris High Court promptly issued over a hundred arrest warrants—clearly prepared in advance, waiting only for a signature.
Shortly thereafter, intelligence agents and police across the country began arresting tax office managers for the crime of "forging tax records."
These so-called "tax offices" were private institutions established by the tax farmers, performing functions similar to those of government tax bureaus.
The tax farmers themselves rarely managed these offices directly. They were investors and nominal directors, while the actual tax collection work was handled by the "collectors" they hired in large numbers.
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