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Chapter 187: Louis XVI's "Themed Birthday Celebration"
🕑 Added 2025-01-11 20:57:44 +0000 UTCChapter 187: Louis XVI's "Themed Birthday Celebration"
"Divert the public's attention?" Briand nodded, understanding this concept well. "You mean we should widely publicize some scandalous gossip about the nobles?"
Joseph was momentarily taken aback. Honestly, this wasn't quite what he had initially imagined, but he had to admit it was an extremely effective strategy.
"In addition to that, we could also have the newspapers report on how the Swiss owe us money."
Yes, the unpaid funds from the Swiss Denaro Bank could logically be framed as a debt Switzerland owes to France.
Joseph knew that France was currently in the early stages of a national awakening, and people were highly sensitive to matters concerning national interests. As long as the messaging was done right, it would certainly capture everyone's attention.
In reality, the Swiss cantonal and federal councils had already paid back nearly 3 million livres, and more loans were being forcibly recalled from banks. They had even sent diplomats to France to negotiate the matter. But due to the internal situation in France, the Swiss would have to endure this "injustice" for now.
Briand nodded thoughtfully. He agreed that this would likely capture more public interest than noble scandals.
Joseph continued, "We should also bring the Barbary pirates we've captured to Paris for public trials. We can find a few American sailors who speak French to help stir up emotions.
"Turn the capture of the pirates into a drama, and after each day's trial, stage a performance based on the events right there."
When it came to creating a buzz and crafting newsworthy events, Joseph, with his experience from the 21st century, was practically a master in this era.
"We could also add a bit of visual impact. Hasn't the trial of Buvaldar already concluded? Execute the hanging as soon as possible and display his body on a streetlamp."
Buvaldar was the banker who took the fall for the murder of Necker.
"But…" Briand wanted to mention that the judicial process hadn't fully concluded yet, and that it might be too soon for an execution. However, considering that Buvaldar wasn't a noble and had ties to the underworld, a quick word with the high court would suffice, so he held his tongue.
With all these distractions in place, people's focus on the poor harvest should diminish significantly. Coupled with the availability of affordable bread, the panic over food could be effectively controlled.
Just then, Briand's assistant, accompanied by one of the Queen's maids, knocked on the door. Countess De Berninac entered, curtsying to both men before saying, "Archbishop Briand, the Queen requests your presence."
Briand promptly followed the maid out, leaving Joseph to return to his study, where he began to draft the plans for "creating a buzz" into official documents.
But less than half an hour later, Briand returned, looking anxious and troubled. "Prince Joseph, you must help me convince the Queen."
"Oh? What happened?"
Briand sighed. "You know, next month is His Majesty's birthday. The Queen summoned me to discuss the celebration. Given the severe crop failure and the need for funds everywhere, I suggested not holding a grand celebration, but she was clearly unhappy with that idea…"
"Wait!" Joseph suddenly looked at him. "That's right, the King's birthday is coming up soon."
"Yes, Your Highness. The Queen adores you; if you persuade her, she should listen."
Joseph pondered for a moment, then smiled and shook his head. "No, Archbishop Briand, we should celebrate this birthday."
"Huh?"
"Not only should we celebrate, but we should make it a grand event!" Joseph said as he took Briand by the arm and headed toward the Petit Trianon Palace.
Before long, Queen Marie Antoinette was beaming as she stroked her son's hair, casting a glance at the frowning Briand. She said happily, "I knew it! Joseph would surely agree to host a grand birthday celebration for his beloved father."
Joseph, playing along, offered a few words of blessing for Louis XVI before adding, "But you know, with the people of Paris currently worried about the food situation, hosting a direct birthday celebration might easily draw their ire. Plus, there's the issue of finances."
Briand, surprised by the sudden turn of events, quickly nodded in agreement.
The Queen began to frown. "So, you're saying…?"
Joseph smiled. "We should give the celebration a theme."
"A theme?"
"The people of Paris will hear this: the great King Louis XVI will host a disaster relief-themed birthday celebration," Joseph explained. "The celebration should be large in scale, impacting as many people as possible. We should start the buzz half a month in advance, offering free entertainment and daily food distributions in the King's name.
"During the birthday itself, hold daily charity sales and encourage the nobles to donate. All Parisians should be invited to the Versailles Palace square to participate in the festivities. We could even organize some sort of lottery or raffle.
"This way, for nearly a month, Paris will be filled with laughter and joy, and no one will be thinking about the poor harvest."
Briand, however, grimaced. "But Your Highness, this will cost a lot of money."
"It won't cost much," Joseph assured him. "The most expensive parts of such a celebration are usually hiring troupes, circus performances, large-scale banquets, and decorating Versailles. We can simply cut these expenses."
Queen Marie Antoinette widened her eyes. "Without those, how can it be called a birthday celebration?"
Joseph, having already thought this through on his way to the palace, smiled confidently. "We can organize two competitions for entertainment.
"First, a singing and dancing competition among the noble ladies. We'll only need the royal musicians to accompany them, and the ladies of Versailles who are skilled in these arts will naturally want to showcase their talents. The Queen can lead the judging panel, along with other noblewomen, and award prizes to the best performers. I'm sure they'll be eager to participate.
"For the men, we can host a swordsmanship competition, with the King as the judge, awarding the winners.
"As for the circus, we can hire them just to perform between the competitions, so the cost won't be too high."
The Queen envisioned the scene of noble ladies gathering to showcase their singing and dancing skills and couldn't help but feel a bit excited. She nodded approvingly.
Joseph continued, "On the day of the King's birthday, he should tour Paris, receiving the people's congratulations. This way, the only banquet needed will be the evening one, which will be the only significant expense."
In the past, the King's birthday celebrations involved banquets that lasted the entire day, making them a major expense. But with just a dinner, the cost would be much lower.
"As for decorations, Versailles is already the most luxurious palace in all of Europe. A good cleaning and some fresh flowers should suffice.
"The essence of a celebration lies in the people. As long as there are many people and the atmosphere is lively, everyone will have a good time, and that makes a great celebration."
Briand calculated the cost of Joseph's proposed celebration and estimated it would only require about 300,000 livres. Moreover, it wouldn't cause any resentment among the people of Paris, so he promptly agreed. "Your Majesty, I believe the Prince's plan is perfect."
(End of Chapter)
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