Chapter 184 The Combined Fleet in the Mediterranean (Additional update for 1000 monthly tickets)
Paris.
Industrial Planning Bureau, second floor.
Joseph looked at the six people in front of him with a half-smile: "Mr. Boislandal suddenly committed suicide at this time. You don't seem too sad."
Marquis Ludo quickly put on a sad expression: "Your Highness, we are actually very sad, but in order not to affect your mood, we did not show it."
"Really?" Joseph nodded, "What do you know about Necker's death?"
A middle-aged man with sunken eyes and a yellow face said anxiously: "Your Highness, that was all Boislandard's doing. We don't know anything."
He was Viscount Reclician, owner of the Credit Dauphiné bank.
"Really? But Mrs. Boislandale confessed that the assassination of Necker was planned by several of you together? But..." Joseph glanced at the six people who were panic-stricken, and then said in a different tone, "What I said about her I don’t really believe it.”
The hearts of all six people twitched. They didn't expect that Boislandard would even tell his wife such a confidential matter. If he had known it, he would have killed her too!
"Your Highness, she wants to blackmail us." Marquis Ludo put his hand on his chest and said, "I swear to God, we really have nothing to do with this matter!"
Joseph smiled and directly stated the condition: "Let you come because the Reserve Bank of France is going to issue bank notes next month.
"I hope each of you can buy 1.5 million livres.
"Oh, one more thing. Archbishop Brian is about to introduce the Bank Management Bill, the most important of which is the deposit reserve requirement. You must take the lead in supporting this bill."
Marquis Ludo and others looked at each other and asked carefully: "Your Highness, what is the deposit reserve?"
"It means transferring a part of the deposits deposited in your bank - currently 5% - to the French Reserve Bank as a credit guarantee for the bank."
Deposit reserves are one of the important means by which the central bank regulates financial markets. In fact, the 5% ratio is almost useless. Joseph lowered the ratio just to let the bank get used to this rule first.
Marquis Ludeau quickly calculated in his mind that these were obviously the conditions for Boislandal to take the blame alone. Currently, France’s savings rate is not high, and 5% doesn’t mean much. The 1.5 million livre banknotes can also be used to pay customers.
So, he winked at the other five people and took the lead in bowing: "I am very happy to do something for the national finance. Your Highness, I would like to follow your instructions."
Just as Ludo and others left the Industrial Planning Bureau, a tall man with obvious Nordic features was talking to a teenage boy by the garden of the Boislandard family villa.
"So, besides your father, there were 6 other people involved in the murder?"
The young man nodded sternly and said word by word: "My father said it himself. They discussed this matter at Marquis Ludo's house that day."
The tall man nodded, stood up and left. The face under the brim of the hat is none other than Necker's butler, Aronke.
…
The southern side of the Mediterranean island of Menorca, on the edge of the Barbary Sea.
Accompanied by the sound of gentle waves, on the front deck of the US Navy frigate Constellation, Charles, clean-shaven, wearing a three-cornered hat and a straight US Navy uniform, held up his telescope and stared anxiously at the sea level to the southwest. .
Captain White came over from behind and patted him on the shoulder: "How are you, have you seen them?"
"Not yet." Charles shook his head and immediately added, "But they will definitely come." "God forbid that smuggler didn't lie. Otherwise, you may be held accountable for the $500 when you go back."
Charles looked back at White and said firmly: "I believe Ali, Mr. Captain."
The Ali he was talking about was the Algiers who had been in the cell next to him and later successfully escaped by digging a tunnel.
Charles was finally redeemed by the Virginia General Assembly for $8,000 more than half a month ago.
To his great surprise, it was not a French or Spanish warship that came to pick him up, but the USS Constellation, the latest 30-gun frigate purchased by the United States.
The ship even had French and Italian sailors on board, as the U.S. Navy had been out of service for a long time. As a first mate who had briefly served in the Continental Navy and had rich sailing experience, Charles was invited by Captain White to become a sailor on this frigate that the French had used for more than 30 years.
Since the second officer of the Constellation was a second-generation official with little experience, Charles actually served as the second officer.
Afterwards, two American frigates, together with French and Dutch warships, formed a joint fleet and began to search for traces of pirates in the Barbary Sea.
Unfortunately, these pirates were extremely cunning. The fleet wandered around for more than half a month and still found nothing.
At this moment, Charles suddenly recalled that Ali once said that his boss knew Younis, who had connections with the pirates in Algiers.
So he suggested whether he could get some information about pirates from Ali. The fleet happened to be passing near Dakhla in Algiers at that time, so White reported his idea to the fleet commander. After getting permission, Charles followed Ali's instructions. The address left behind found him.
Later, Ali offered to sell the whereabouts of the Algiers Navy for $1,000. Pay half in advance and pay the other half when you see the pirate.
According to Ali's information, the fleet has been waiting here all day, but has not seen the pirates yet.
Charles wiped the sweat from his palms. To be honest, he was already a little shaken. Why did he believe in a smuggler's words at that time?
If he were to pay the $500, it would take at least six or seven years to pay it off.
Just when he was feeling a little desperate, a blue-white flag tip suddenly appeared on the sea level.
He was immediately ecstatic, turned around and shouted to the captain: "Here they come! They are here!"
Only then did he realize that the captain had already returned to the cabin - the observation deck had seen the small boat reporting the news a minute ago.
Immediately, the merchant ship "Seagull Wings", which was used as a bait, sailed towards the scheduled channel.
There it would encounter pirates, who would then lead it into an ambush by the Combined Fleet.
Charles ran back to the cabin excitedly, filled with a desire for revenge.
The plan went very smoothly - the "Gullwing" appeared panicked and quickly sailed towards Menorca. Two pirate galleys followed.
The warships of the Combined Fleet turned out from behind the hidden reef. The French Navy's fourth-class battleship equipped with 60 cannons and a frigate intercepted from the west side, while the American ship and a Dutch frigate sailed out from the east side, passed the merchant ship, and headed straight towards the pirates.
On the pirate side, the larger galley has 18 guns, while the smaller one only has 12. It is no match for the combined fleet.
When they realized something was wrong, they immediately turned around and fled to the southwest.
(End of chapter)