Chapter 380: Managing Expectations
Joseph slammed his hand on the table and declared loudly, "That's right! We must immediately come up with a land redemption plan!"
Brienne hurriedly said, "Your Highness, but the plan..."
Joseph ignored him and turned to Queen Marie Antoinette. "Your Majesty, rest assured, I can have a suitable redemption plan ready in ten days, and within a month, the situation will be under control!"
Marie Antoinette was taken aback. She had urgently convened the cabinet to deal with the unrest, yet the Crown Prince seemed unfazed.
"But the land redemption plan has been under discussion for almost six months, and we haven't been able to satisfy everyone," she said, incredulous. "Are you sure you can manage it?"
Joseph thought to himself that he might not have been sure before, but with the Southern Netherlands stirring up trouble, he was now about 80-90% confident. Outwardly, he simply responded, "Yes, Your Majesty. I came up with a highly suitable plan while I was in Luxembourg."
Marie Antoinette looked around at the other cabinet members, noting that none of them objected—Brienne and Baron de Breteuil, among others, had been about to speak, but after Joseph gave them a glance, they all fell silent.
"Then it's decided," Marie Antoinette said, turning back to the group. "The Crown Prince will draft the land redemption plan, and everyone is to cooperate with him. Meeting adjourned."
What was meant to be an urgent and significant cabinet meeting was wrapped up within half an hour.
As Joseph exited the meeting hall, Brienne, Veniot, and Talleyrand quickly followed him, all looking worried.
After exchanging glances, Brienne spoke first, "Your Highness, as you know, it's impossible to create a land redemption plan that will satisfy everyone. The revisions you asked me to make last week are only one-third complete..."
Agriculture Minister Veniot stepped forward, lowering his voice, "Your Highness, if the Southern Netherlands is involved, they might be waiting for us to announce the plan, only to use it to incite further unrest among the dissatisfied."
Talleyrand immediately added, "Your Highness, perhaps we should deploy troops to the northwestern provinces. That would be the fastest way to restore order."
Joseph glanced at him, shaking his head internally. Mobilizing troops would play right into Vandernoot's hands. France's remaining forces were limited, and if things escalated, they might have to withdraw troops from overseas to maintain order.
They reached Joseph's residence, and he motioned for them to sit down, smiling as he said, "Please trust me; I do have a redemption plan that will work quickly."
"Work quickly?" Brienne murmured, "Do you mean by drastically lowering the redemption costs to appease the rioting peasants and calm the situation?"
"No, quite the opposite," Joseph said loudly. "Announce in the northwestern provinces that the government plans to set the redemption period at 50 years."
"What?!"
Ignoring their shocked expressions, Joseph added, "And it will include all taxes for the next 50 years, to be paid upfront."
Brienne and the others turned pale. The rumor of a 30-year redemption period had already sparked riots, and now the Crown Prince was talking about 50 years!
Was he trying to provoke the peasants into storming Versailles?
Talleyrand was the first to recover. "Your Highness, are you aiming to protect the interests of the nobility, encouraging them to help restore order? I heard that many young nobles have already volunteered to go to Lille and Reims to punish the rioters. Your plan will certainly encourage more to join."
Brienne, however, shook his head in alarm. "Your Highness, this will only create more chaos..."
Joseph calmly looked at the Agriculture Minister. "I've made my decision. Announce it as I instructed."
"This... Yes, Your Highness."
Once Veniot had left, Joseph turned to Talleyrand. "Now, use your diplomatic skills to spread the word in Versailles that the 50-year plan is just Veniot's wishful thinking. The cabinet has already decided to calm the unrest by reducing the redemption period to two years, with no need to redeem any taxes."
Talleyrand's eyes widened. "Your Highness, this will drive the nobility mad..."
"That's exactly what I want," Joseph said with a smile. "This is called 'managing expectations.'"
"Only by drastically lowering everyone's expectations can we then offer a slightly better plan that they'll be more likely to accept."
Brienne and Talleyrand were taken aback. Indeed, as the Crown Prince had said, if both the nobles and the commoners were despairing over a "vicious" redemption plan, the government could then propose a 10- to 15-year compromise plan that both sides might reluctantly accept.
But Brienne quickly realized another issue. "Your Highness, in the meantime, the country could fall into great chaos. I mean, your plans for both sides are so harsh that they will surely provoke widespread outrage."
Joseph nodded. "You're absolutely right. That's why we'll need our friends from the Southern Netherlands to step in."
"What?"
...
Reims.
Saint-Just waved his hand furiously at the farmers behind him, shouting, "Fifty years! Those bloodsuckers just want to drain us dry! We can only survive if we take power from their hands!"
Amidst the crowd, the liberal supporters quickly joined in, shouting:
"Let the Estates-General decide the terms!"
"We refuse the 50-year redemption policy!"
"Drive out the greedy officials and reconvene the Estates-General!"
"A constitution! We need a constitution without the king!"
A few days earlier, the riots they had incited were dispersed by the Reims police, and they had expected to have to regroup before launching another round of protests. But to their surprise, the French government had "helped" them immensely.
The terrifying "50 years including taxes" policy had enraged the peasants. With just a few calls to action, the farmers from the surrounding villages had gathered, ready to revolt.
Led by Saint-Just and his allies, over a thousand peasants, armed with pitchforks, sticks, and muskets, angrily marched towards the city hall, chanting slogans like "Estates-General" and "Drive out the corrupt officials."
As they turned onto Neufour Street, just three blocks from the city hall, they were suddenly confronted by over 200 young nobles, dressed in hunting attire, forming five neat rows, their eyes gleaming with hostility.
Saint-Just hesitated for a moment, but then linked arms with the farmers on either side of him and shouted, "The king's lackeys are here! Don't be afraid, we outnumber them by far!"
(End of Chapter)
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