I Am the Crown Prince in France

Chapter 507 The art of turning the left hand into the right hand

After collecting clues, the police assured Lemire that the murderer would be found as soon as possible and left two police officers to protect the tax bureau.

Lemire's original plan was for his men to go to markets or factories to familiarize themselves with the business. However, after several attacks, he had to order everyone not to leave the police station while working, and to go home within three days. People walk together.

Even so, people at the tax bureau were still attacked for a period of time. More than a dozen thugs even came to the police station and threw stones and burning objects into the office, almost burning down the tax bureau building. It wasn't until police stationed at the tax office opened fire that the group was dispersed.

After a subsequent police investigation, it could only be confirmed that the person who attacked the tax office was not a gang member, and acted covertly and seemed to be very professional. But they were unable to find any trace of the attacker in a short period of time.

For a time, people in the tax bureau were panicked, and a tax officer even submitted his resignation to Lemire.

In desperation, Le Maire had no choice but to submit a report to Paris and apply for the provision of guards for the tax bureau.

…

Paris.

In the office of the French General Administration of Taxation, the newly appointed Ombudsman Robespierre frowned and looked at the mountains of reports on the table, his face ashen.

These reports are basically from tax bureaus in various places reporting attacks. Just in the past ten days, two tax officials have been killed and more than 40 people have been injured. Although the police system is trying its best to track down the murderer, only three or four people have been caught so far, and the situation is very bad.

Most of the heads of the tax bureau asked for more security guards, and some directly asked to resign.

Robespierre knew very well that the funds from the tax bureau were insufficient to provide compensation for the injured, and it was impossible to equip him with any escorts.

He suddenly felt that he was under a mountain of tremendous pressure - Count Fulco, the director of the tax bureau, mainly managed tax matters, and he was responsible for all other situations. Once this matter is not handled well, it will affect the tax revenue of the entire country.

He thought for a long time and first wrote an impassioned speech to boost morale and at least reduce the number of tax officials resigning.

As for safety, he really couldn't think of any good way, so he got up and told the valet: "Please prepare the carriage, I want to go to the Tuileries Palace."

Yes, he can only apply for some funds from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to add security forces to the tax bureau.

Second floor of the Tuileries Palace.

Joseph carefully read the document in his hand, confirmed that there was no problem with the amount, then signed with a pen and stamped the seal on the back.

Mathieu de Lefebvre, President of the Bank of France, standing opposite him, took the document respectfully and asked again: "Your Highness, the current flow of funds seems to be slightly faster, and I am worried that it will arouse suspicion.

"Do you think the two transactions that passed through Poitou and Burgundy need to be split up and then 'recycled' next week?"

Joseph thought for a while, nodded and said: "Your suggestion is very reasonable, just do as you say. By the way, be sure to keep it confidential. All handlers must be verified by the Intelligence Bureau before they can be used."

"Yes, Your Highness."

If anyone saw the document in Baron Lefebvre's hand, they would probably be shocked by the amount of money on it - it was an application for the transfer of several funds, involving a total amount of up to 13 million francs!

In fact, the French finance currently does not have hundreds of millions of francs in funds, let alone tens of millions of dollars in accounts every week.

Joseph had only raised a total of 50 million francs through insurance, financial management and real estate channels.

Moreover, except for the income from real estate, other funds belong to the insurance company. Although he can temporarily use it, he can never really spend it as a financial budget.

Therefore, if the tax farming system is abolished, the fiscal expenditure that Brian can use next year will only be 26 million francs. At most, within a month, French official salaries, government operations, and infrastructure projects will all be suspended.

To stabilize the situation, Joseph must obtain a loan from the tax collector.

At least 150 million francs.

But he knew that what the tax collectors relied on was that the government had no money, and they could only maintain operations by paying tax collectors. In this case, they will definitely fight to the death and continue to pay taxes.

Therefore, he must first create the illusion that the government's finances are sufficient before he can disrupt the layout of the tax collectors.

So Joseph used the 50 million francs in his hand as "props" to create a cover-up.

He knew very well that the tax collectors had spies in various banks and would definitely know the amount of funds on the government's books.

He first asked people to deposit the money in foreign banks, and then generously loaned it to the French Reserve Bank in the name of loans.

The Reserve Bank of France then allocates funds in batches to local banks—mostly branches of the Reserve Bank of France—by allocating funds to each province.

Because these funds are for next year's budget, the provincial governors can only watch and cannot touch them.

Next comes the covert operation.

Local banks privately lent the money on the provincial government's books in the form of short-term loans, and then immediately transferred it back to the headquarters of the Bank de France. After local governments see the funds arrive, they will basically stop checking the accounts - no one would have thought that the finance minister and the "central bank" would secretly misappropriate local funds.

These loans were all operated by people appointed by Joseph himself. After the loan agreement was signed, it was directly taken back to Paris by the senior management of the Bank of France and locked in the safe of the president of the Bank of France. It was guarded by people from the Intelligence Bureau 24 hours a day.

Afterwards, the money borrowed from local finances will be re-deposited in foreign banks and flow into the accounts of the French Reserve Bank again.

This is the truth that the General Association of Tax Farmers found out that "more than 100 million francs have flowed into the French government account, and large amounts of funds continue to flow in every week."

In fact, this is the result of repeated operations of 50 million.

In order to keep this operation secret, Joseph also specially appointed more than a dozen presidents and assistant presidents of various branches of the French Reserve Bank. All funds related to "reverse loans" must be operated by them.

It's a psychological warfare.

If the General Association of Tax Farmers sees that the government has raised enough funds and still keeps calm, then Joseph can't do anything.

But he is very sure that as his subsequent methods are used one after another, those profit-seeking guys will definitely succumb.

After Baron Lefebvre left, Emman knocked on the door with Robespierre, who was anxious.

The latter had a look of shame on his face. After saluting, he stammered, "Your Highness, I have to report something to you... Tax offices in various places have encountered a large number of attacks. So far, two tax officials have been murdered and dozens of people have been injured."