Life of Being a Crown Prince in France

For that reason, the nobles who were involved in the violent attack on the Tax Officers today will also be grouped with common prisoners they usually despise on their journey to hell.

And this would make the nobility feel like they are being insulted.

It sounds ridiculous but, in this era, for the nobility, this is truly a big deal. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire

A big deal concerning their own sense of identity!

"Thank you for your suggestion," Joseph looked towards Baron Breti and sighed, "Perhaps the nobility will also have to gradually get used to 'integrating' with common people."

The sense of superiority held by the nobility and their disdain for the commoners were not only reflected in luxury and privilege but had permeated every detail of their behavior and thoughts.

From accents and gazes, to food, lodging, work, and even prison cells and executions, nobles had a completely different set of things from the commoners.

This had become a natural, taken-for-granted subconscious behavior, which would inevitably lead to social stratification.

Joseph knew this was a big problem but knew even more so that it was the most difficult problem to solve.

In history, tens of thousands of heads rolled during France's Great Cull before this difficult question was partially resolved, with several reversals afterwards.

Baron Breti ventured, "Your Highness, we can secretly execute these noble prisoners, it won't be too much trouble..."

"No need for that," Joseph waved his hand and looked towards the crowd flocking to the execution ground outside the window, "I have made arrangements.

"Those prisoners will no longer have the distinction between nobility and commoners today, they will all be given the same identity. I believe the nobility will have no objections to a unified execution."

In fact, this execution was also an attempt by Joseph—an attempt to gradually eliminate class divisions.

As long as people accepted the reality of nobles and commoners being beheaded together this time, it would become a precedent in the future.

Then, there would be convergence in prisons for nobles and commoners, and, subsequently, harmonization in certain lifestyle habits... Cutting the sausage slowly, although inefficient, would avoid major social turmoil to the greatest extent.

Joseph wasn't even sure if his method would definitely work, but it was better than doing nothing at all.

Breti wanted to persuade him further, but then heard the Crown Prince say, "Actually, not just the criminals from this combined trial, but also those on the list you just gave me, they will all be executed in the same manner."

The Justice Minister was shocked. The list he had just given His Highness for his signature contained the names of recently sentenced Tax Farmers, including big nobles like Borelay and Antoine!

He had assumed that His Highness was merely making a show of it and would later seek the Queen's clemency for these people—the Crown Prince, although now presiding over most of the judicial work, still did not hold the royal prerogative of pardon, which was temporarily exercised by the Queen.

But unexpectedly, the Crown Prince was even going to execute Borelay. It was known that great nobles of that status, even if they committed murder in public, could offset their crimes with fines. This was tradition and precedent.

Joseph detested these precedents that should have been thrown onto the trash heap of history.

He glanced at the corner clock on the wall, stood up, and signaled to Eman to fetch his coat, then patted Baron Breti on the shoulder: "It's almost time, would you like to come to the Louvre Square with me?"

"Ah?" The Justice Minister was taken aback, then hurriedly nodded, "Of course, Your Highness."

Half an hour later.

A path had only been cleared through the crowd of onlookers by the struggling efforts of a large number of policemen with the assistance of the Crown Prince's personal guard, allowing Joseph's carriage to enter the center of the square.

It wasn't a matter of police negligence at the special passage, but that the number of onlookers this time far exceeded their expectations.

The usually very spacious Louvre Square was now crowded with more than 13,000 people, making it feel incredibly congested.

Joseph kept the carriage windows shut, but the cheers and shouts still buzzed in his ears, "These damned ones are finally going to hell!"

"Thank God for the Crown Prince, for he judged these sinful tax collectors!"

"Long live the Crown Prince! Long live the High Court!"

"See? The Crown Prince won't let them get away!"

"They have their day too! Haha, today is the happiest day of my life!"

Joseph was prepared, yet still somewhat shocked by the public's hatred towards the Tax Farmers. Not even when he had triumphantly returned from the Southern Netherlands with the Guard Corps had there been so many onlookers.

Soon, surrounded by officials like Kesode, the President of the High Court, and the Sentence Supervision Judge, Joseph arrived at a dais on the north side of the square, which was about three meters high, finally allowing him to break free from the sea of people.

Sitting down in the central chair, he looked across and saw in the middle of the square, some 20 meters away, a taller rectangular wooden platform with a device that looked like a long-poled chopper—completely different from the guillotine he had seen in documentaries.

Perhaps it was a good thing that such guillotines did not appear.

Joseph muttered to himself and signaled to Dibor, the President of the High Court, "Please begin."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Following Dibor's orders, a heavy drumbeat soon filled the air and the onlookers immediately fell silent.

Then, the orchestra began to play, and after more than ten minutes, the music ended abruptly. Dibor announced loudly, "The esteemed Crown Prince has arrived. Pay Your Highness your respects."

The tens of thousands in the square immediately bowed in unison towards the VIP area. Their gestures of respect differed from when they were enforced out of mere ritual; this time it seemed to come genuinely from the heart in tribute to the Crown Prince.

It was widely rumored that the tax reform was orchestrated by His Highness and that it was under his insistence and push that the Tax Farmers with their numerous crimes were apprehended.

Joseph nodded to the crowd, and then stepped to the front to make a brief introduction. Next came a rush of drumbeats and a prisoner was brought onto the platform by two burly executioners.

Yet, what followed was not the reading of the prisoner's crimes by a court official, but instead, a peasant-looking man climbed onto the execution platform, visibly nervous.

Initially hesitant, he clenched his fists upon turning to see the Tax Officer waiting to be executed.

It had been estimated that at least 5,000 people witnessed public guillotine executions, with as many as 100,000 at times. They were there to mock, curse, or just watch the scene unfold as if it were theater.