The Intelligence Team of the Police Affairs Department was specifically responsible for collecting, processing intelligence, and formulating action plans based on this information before handing them over to the Action Team for execution.
This highly specialized and detailed division of labor had never appeared in the intelligence departments of other countries in the 18th century.
Three hours later, the Intelligence Team produced two plans. Fouche, after listening to their descriptions, quickly selected the second plan and ordered its immediate execution.
The members of the Police Affairs Department's Action Team immediately sprang into action.
A few rushed to Paris to make preparations. Thanks to the swift rail transport, they returned to the Palace of Versailles before nightfall.
At 7 p.m., three Action Team members, disguised as musicians, took several "tools" from their hands and headed straight to Madame Garlan's music hall located on the second floor of the west wing. They all held credentials that couldn't be more authentic, so there were no obstacles along the way.
In the Marble Courtyard, dazzling fireworks soared into the sky, and music sounded in unison.
In the crowd, a beaming Madame Garlan bowed slightly. Queen Mary smiled as she placed the feather headdress, symbolizing the champion, on Madame Garlan's hair bun.
Just half an hour before, she had won the singing and dancing competition without surprise with a selection from "The Magic Flute," a recent composition by her brother Mozart.
The surrounding nobility and commoners immediately erupted into a roar of cheers, continuously shouting her name. More than half of them had bet on Madame Garlan's victory, and with their pockets now full, how could they not be happy?
Meanwhile, the three "musicians" had pried open the door to Madame Garlan's music hall, slipped inside, shut the door, and quickly stepped out onto the spacious balcony.
They first carefully observed the situation below; by then it was dark, and most people were gathered in the Marble Courtyard, paying no attention to this area. The three immediately worked together to remove three thick wooden rails from the balcony and then replaced them with identical wooden slats from the bags they had carried as instruments...
Tonight, as the champion of the singing and dancing competition, Madame Garlan was to perform at the King's birthday ball, so her music salon was closed for the day.
The spacious and luxurious Hall of Mirrors was brightly lit; Louis XVI's birthday party had officially begun!
Royals and statesmen from various countries gathered together, looking respectfully at the center of the great hall where the King and Queen of France were dancing the opening dance.
At the end of the dance, Louis XVI, with flushed face, nodded to the guests before quickly retreating to the second-floor balcony of the hall, looking utterly exhausted.
The chief steward of the inner court then gave a lengthy birthday speech. Next, Madame Garlan sang a classical song, "King Louis," dedicated to Louis XVI:
"Our King Louis, mustering the troops,
"Noble horsemen, all take the stage.
"Our King Louis, commands ring clear,
"Who will follow me, to battle afar?
"Devout souls, rise to the charge..."
Below, Joseph quietly glanced at the financial statement that Eman had just brought from the inner court.
As he expected, the singing and dancing competition had lost several thousand livres due to Madame Garlan's "bug." Fortunately, there was an upset in the swordsmanship competition where Baron Wemorel, the second captain of the Queen's guard, had defeated two favorites to win the title, earning over a hundred thousand in bets.
Along with the income from the "Welfare Lottery" that brought in several hundred thousand, they had barely covered the cost of the birthday celebration, which amounted to 260,000 livres.
As the ball went on, more people offered music and dances, and even Godoy joined a few court musicians to perform a piece.
Luckily, the ladies of Versailles had gradually learned that the French Crown Prince did not like to dance, and rumors of the Queen's chosen "Crown Princess" fiercely guarding Joseph's side meant that no one bothered him.
Joseph then spotted his diplomatic target for the evening in the crowd, a man in his forties who looked quite sharp and capable—the Speaker of the Dutch Provincial States-General, and a core leader of the Patriot Party, Johan de Witt van Campelen.
Of course, he had another identity today, that of a special envoy for Stadtholder William V of the Netherlands. It was not an appointment made by William V himself, but the Provincial States-General had feared that the Stadtholder might compromise with the French, so they designated him as the special envoy to celebrate the French King's birthday.
To the French Crown Prince, the Dutch Speaker was very courteous. After all, France had always been the financial backer behind the Dutch Patriot Party, and at the end of last year, without the help of "French volunteers," the Prussian Army might have already entered Rotterdam.
However, due to the Dutch's disastrous defeat in the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War five years earlier and the resulting alliance-style treaty that had to be signed with England, the Patriot Party, though repelled by England, did not dare to defy it and could not get too close to France.
"Ah! You look truly distinguished and radiant today, Your Highness, the esteemed Crown Prince!" Campelen said with reverence, while offering flattery.
Joseph took two glasses of wine from a servant's tray, handed one to him, and smiled, gesturing towards a corner where no one was:
"I have always wanted to meet you, Your Excellency the Speaker. Do you mind having a chat with me for a moment?"
"Of course, Your Highness, it would be my honor," he replied.
Once in a secluded spot, Joseph first raised his glass in a toast:
"Speaker, first of all, I must congratulate the success our two countries have achieved in fighting the Barbary pirates."
Campelean eagerly nodded in agreement:
"Here's to a more navigable Mediterranean Sea."
In fact, the Netherlands had only reluctantly contributed one small Escort Ship and some funding due to pressure from France.
Joseph exchanged a few more pleasantries before asking,
"The two most important companies in your country, namely the Dutch East India Company and the West India Company, don't seem to be doing very well lately, are they?"
Campelem furrowed his brow and had to nod,
"Your Highness, the situation is indeed as you say. There have been frequent wars in recent years, which have greatly diminished the wealth of the provinces of the Netherlands, and subsequently lessened the demand for overseas goods. This has often led to deficits for both trade companies."
"Then may I ask if your Congress has any plans to improve the companies' situation?"
Campelem replied with a pained expression,
"Your Highness, that is rather difficult... after all, the volume of trade is what it is."
Joseph said bluntly,
"The fundamental reason is that the British have monopolized many trade routes and continue to hit your colonies."
"This... indeed plays a part."
Joseph exaggeratedly sighed,
"The glory of yesteryears, when the Dutch dominated the world's oceans as the carriage men of the sea!"
"..." Campelem could only bow his head in silence.
Observing his expression, Joseph smiled and said,
"Your Excellency, the Speaker, perhaps we can join forces."
"Join forces?" Campelem immediately thought of something and shook his head, "Your Highness, unfortunately, the Dutch likely don't have the strength to confront the British."
He did not dare to ally the Netherlands with either England or France— God as his witness, he could not provoke either of these great powers!
"No, you may have misunderstood me. I'm talking about joining forces in trade, purely in trade."
"Does what you're suggesting have to do with the two trading companies?"
Joseph nodded with a smile,
"Exactly. In fact, the French East India Company is also facing difficulty now. I suggest that we merge the three trading companies of both nations to expand the business scope, which might just restore some of our former glory."
Joseph was well aware of the immense potential the Dutch had in developing a navy; during the first three Anglo-Dutch wars, the Dutch fleet fought impressively and caused significant trouble for the British.
However, due to the weakened state of the Netherlands and a collapse in their ambition, they had lost their desire for maritime dominance.𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞
Indeed, the Dutch had a natural talent for commerce. If they could seize a developmental opportunity, they might truly revive the glory days of being the carriage men of the sea.
Most importantly, even if the Dutch truly became the maritime overlords, the British would be the ones to suffer the most in terms of interest. As for France, in the worst case, they could use their army to threaten the Netherlands, which was close at hand, and prevent them from causing too much harm to France's maritime interests.
Cardinal Richelieu, France's foremost statesman of the time, once said that if France wanted to accomplish dominion, it was essential to support a strong Netherlands to counter England.
Regrettably, Louis XIV, seeking quick success, did not heed his advice and invaded the Netherlands for a trivial gain, leading to the gradual decline of one of England's strongest competitors.
Now, Joseph intended to do his best to prop up the Netherlands again, even pushing them forward a step.
For instance, using the almost defunct French East India Company as bait to tie French and Dutch interests together, thus aiding the Netherlands to expand their trade reach and restore their national strength.
As a nation that relied on the sea for its livelihood, the Netherlands would undoubtedly need to establish a strong fleet if they gained any significant power.
And due to competitive interests in overseas trade, the Dutch fleet was naturally an enemy of the British Navy.
A glint seemed to pass through Campelem's eyes but was quickly replaced by a frown as he said,
"Your Highness, forgive my frankness, but given the trade situation of both France and the Netherlands, even if we join forces, the profits would be very limited. After all, the most profitable overseas colonies are occupied by the British, and the rest are in the hands of the Spanish."
Joseph smiled faintly,
"You can rest assured on this account. France will bring some trade concessions from its richly resourced colonies to invest in the new trading company,"
As of now, places like New Zealand and Papua New Guinea have not yet been developed by any European nation. The former is a supermassive source of wool—at a time when the textile industry reigns supreme, wool is practically a strategic resource; while the latter possesses an abundance of minerals, which can also yield significant profits.
Not to mention, these two places alone are enough to sustain a French-Dutch "India Company."
Even now, as England has only just landed on the eastern coast of Australia, France and the Netherlands could very well develop simultaneously in the north of Australia.
Add to that the Dutch trade in Guyana and such places, and with proper management, it could bring both nations an enormous amount of profit.
Of course, these interests will also be coveted by the British. However, by then, it will have become about cutting off the Dutch's sources of wealth. The Netherlands will definitely have to fight to the bitter end with England.
Campelen exclaimed in surprise:
"Which colonies are you referring to when you speak of these?"
After the Seven Years' War, France's overseas colonies could be counted on one's fingers, and they still had some to contribute as investment capital?
"As for that, you will be informed after the joint French-Dutch East India Company is established," Joseph said, "But I assure you, the output from these places is absolutely abundant, possibly even surpassing the current income of the Netherlands in the Far East.
"Moreover, I must remind you that if the Patriot Party cannot provide the Dutch people with the lifestyle they desire, people might begin to long for their Stadtholder once again."
Seeing that Campelen was still hesitant, he threw out another huge lure:
"If our two countries have a significant trade cooperation, then our side can promise to sign a non-aggression pact with the Netherlands."
Campelen's eyes lit up completely.
It is known that the British at sea and the French on land have always been the Netherlands' two greatest threats.
The invasion of the Netherlands by France during the reign of Louis XIV has always been an inescapable nightmare for the Dutch, and this is an important reason why the Netherlands has been reluctant to fully tilt towards France.
But if France could promise to guarantee the safety of the Netherlands, that would be of tremendous strategic benefit to the Netherlands.
He finally nodded vigorously:
"I will convey your generous offer to the provincial congress and the two companies and do my utmost to facilitate the matter."
After all, both the East and West India Companies were independently operated joint-stock companies, and the Dutch Parliament had no power to control them; they could only give advice.
Joseph nodded with a smile, then looked towards the crowd at the ball:
"Perhaps, we can also include Austria in our cooperation. You know, how lucrative their Ostend Company was in the past, only to be dissolved under pressure from the British. They probably also eagerly wish to rebuild their own East India Company."
The Ostend Company he referred to was the Austrian overseas trade company based in the Southern Netherlands. Although it existed for only 10 years, it was the only time Austria realized its dream of overseas trade.
Most importantly, they all suffered at the hands of the British.
Campelen was stunned by this bold idea for a couple of seconds before he said:
"Your Highness, according to the agreement between England and Austria at the time, the Ostend Company cannot be reestablished."
Joseph shrugged and said with a smile:
"Who's talking about an Ostend Company? The Archduke of Austria could put in some money to invest in the joint French-Dutch East India Company and grant it some trade concessions; that wouldn't violate the agreement, would it?"
Campelen immediately laughed as well. The thought process of the Crown Prince of France was simply too flexible—a joint trade company with shared Franco-Dutch-Austrian stakes would have great potential in the future!
Joseph, however, felt a hint of regret, as the Archduke of Austria, Joseph II, who was also his own uncle, couldn't attend this birthday celebration due to health reasons. And the special envoy he sent was merely a formality and held no real authority.
Otherwise, it would not be just about the joint East India Company; Joseph had matters regarding Silesia, and even the unification of Germany, that he really wanted to discuss with his uncle.
The celebration lasted all night. After the charity auction for disaster relief, as dawn began to break, the reveling crowd gradually dispersed...
According to the initial plan, all the birthday presents given to Louis XVI from both domestic and foreign sources were auctioned off, and the proceeds were entirely used for disaster relief.
At the auction, many nobles also donated additional jewelry and expensive clothing for bidding.
In the end, they raised a total of more than two million livres, and in full view of all Parisians, it was announced how much grain this money would buy and where it would be delivered.