To describe the nobles of France with abalone would be quite fitting. To linger in a place that reeks of abalone is to have one's nose go numb, unable to discern foul from fragrant.
For instance, after spending a long time with Pierre, Zeng Cheng felt his own nose was becoming incapable of distinguishing between pleasant and unpleasant smells.
However, for the sake of all the people of Europe, Zeng Cheng decided to pinch his nose and bear it.
After all, he was still young. If he could solve the problems of Europe within his term, or even just a part of them, he would be qualified to be immortalized in history. Even if he wouldn't be enshrined in the Hall of Worthies, his statue would at least be worthy of accompanying the imperial tomb.
For the chance to be remembered throughout history, coupled with Pierre's subservient and student-like demeanor, Zeng Cheng ultimately decided to overlook the strange scent of mixed perfume and body odor emanating from Pierre.
Zeng Cheng smiled and asked, "Has the issue of France's tight treasury been alleviated?"
Pierre replied respectfully, "Thanks to the Prime Minister's guidance, it was as if a veil was lifted from Pierre's eyes. Now, the financial strain on France's treasury has been greatly relieved. His Majesty, the King of France, also asked me to convey his greetings to you."
Zeng Cheng waved his hand with a smile and said, "These are merely simple methods. Even if I hadn't suggested them, your King would have thought of them sooner or later. It's nothing significant."
Zeng Cheng's modesty only made Pierre trust and admire him even more.
Look, look! This must be what the books from the Ming Dynasty refer to as the demeanor of a gentleman.
If it were those unlearned barbarians of Europe facing such immense credit, who knows what kind of rewards they would have demanded. But look at the Prime Minister of the Ming Dynasty, who proposed such an excellent suggestion, yet he doesn't claim any credit.
One is greedy and shameless, the other is noble and righteous. A comparison between the two clearly reveals their standings.
As Pierre silently scoffed at the "unlearned barbarians" of Europe, while secretly resolving to learn this gentlemanly conduct from Zeng Cheng, Zeng Cheng smiled and continued, "However, confiscating from corrupt officials and certain disloyal nobles is ultimately a temporary measure. It might alleviate the treasury's strain, but it cannot fundamentally solve the problem."
Pierre's heart stirred, and he immediately imitated the etiquette of the Ming people, cupping his hands towards Zeng Cheng and asking, "Does the Prime Minister have any better methods?"
Zeng Cheng smiled slightly and, instead of directly answering Pierre's question, gazed at Pierre and asked, "What is France's standing in Europe?"
When it came to France's standing in the European arena, Pierre couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.
Back then, France's ancestors were indeed glorious.
However, with the death of the King of Spain from the House of Habsburg in 1700, the throne became vacant. This triggered the War of the Spanish Succession, a thirteen-year conflict fought between the French Bourbon dynasty and the Austrian Habsburg dynasty for the Spanish throne.
On September 7, 1701, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Austria formed an alliance, and most of the German principalities also declared war on France alongside the alliance. The war finally ended in April 1713. The Treaty of Utrecht, signed between Britain and France in the Netherlands, announced the restoration of the Habsburg monarchy's power and Austria's continued status as a great power. Philip V retained the Spanish throne but renounced his claim to the French throne, ensuring that France and Spain would never be unified. Simultaneously, Britain acquired the strategically important territory of Gibraltar from Spain, gained the monopoly on the slave trade with Spanish America, and obtained North American territories such as Newfoundland, Acadia, and Hudson Bay from France.
The signing of the Treaty of Utrecht signified the end of French hegemony. Although France maintained its continental power status, its naval strength was greatly weakened.
Then, on August 29, 1756, marked by Prussia's invasion of Saxony, the Seven Years' War officially began.
This war was a conflict between Prussia and Great Britain against Austria and France. In the struggle between Britain and France, Britain naturally gained the advantage.
On February 10 and February 15, 1763, the Treaties of Paris and Hubertusburg were signed between Britain and France, and Austria and Prussia, respectively. France ceded most of its North American territories, including Canada and the lands east of the Mississippi River, except for New Orleans, to Britain, thereby establishing British naval supremacy.
Of course, France was once great. As the saying goes, a centipede dies but does not stiffen. Although France was no longer as glorious as it once was, in terms of its standing in Europe, France could still be considered a top-tier great power.
With this thought, Pierre replied, "While France's standing in Europe is not as prominent as the Ming's in the Far East, it possesses numerous colonies and can still be considered a major power in Europe."
Hearing Pierre's answer, Zeng Cheng smiled and said, "Since that is the case, it is much easier. To completely solve France's treasury deficit, I have two methods, one civil and one military."
Upon hearing this, Pierre immediately pricked up his ears.
Look, look! He is indeed the Prime Minister of the Ming Dynasty. Even when facing a problem of two billion francs, he can still come up with both civil and military solutions. Compared to the Prime Minister of the Ming Dynasty, France's so-called scholars or officials are simply useless parasites who should be executed.
After silently marveling, Pierre stood up and, with a rather clumsy motion, bowed to Zeng Cheng, saying, "Please, Prime Minister, enlighten me?"
Zeng Cheng nodded with a smile and said, "The so-called military method is quite simple."
"There is an old saying in our Great Ming, 'Debts are extinguished when the debtor dies' – if there is no creditor, then there is no problem of owing money."
"Of course, this method might cause instability in France and is a last resort that should not be used lightly unless absolutely necessary. I doubt your King would consider it."
Pierre felt that this matter was not necessarily so. After all, France's treasury deficit was a whopping two billion francs. Louis XVI must have had thoughts of eliminating all creditors, but the consequences of such thoughts were too dire, so Louis XVI had no choice but to abandon this tempting idea.
Shaking his head, Pierre asked, "Then what is the civil method? Reducing unnecessary expenses and finding ways to increase revenue."
Pierre did not consider this a good idea either.
When it came to increasing revenue, the French royal family and the French government had always been trying to find ways, short of learning from our Great Qing and imposing all sorts of exorbitant taxes and levies.
However, when it came to reducing expenditure, there was truly nothing that could be done. After all, Louis XVI had a prodigal wife. Madame Déficit was constantly engrossed in balls, building villas, and tending to gardens, all of which were major drains on finances.
And as Pierre was inwardly lamenting, Zeng Cheng continued, "However, this civil method is also merely treating the symptoms, not the root cause. It might alleviate the situation temporarily, but it cannot completely eradicate France's fiscal deficit."
Hearing Zeng Cheng say this, Pierre became somewhat bewildered.
Two methods, one civil and one military, were both proposed by Prime Minister Zeng himself. Yet, he then stated that these two methods could only alleviate France's treasury strain and not eradicate the problem.
So, what exactly did he mean?
Zeng Cheng glanced at the completely bewildered Pierre and smiled, "What, you don't understand?"
Pierre nodded and honestly replied, "Forgive my stupidity, but I truly do not understand."
Zeng Cheng hummed and picked up his teacup again to take a sip of tea, saying, "The way to govern a country lies in the balance of give and take, between the civil and the military. Relying solely on the military can lead to a situation where strength cannot endure, while exclusively using civil means can lead to a situation where softness cannot be maintained."
"To truly solve France's financial strain, it is not only necessary to increase revenue and reduce expenditure but also to initiate reforms from top to bottom, reduce taxes on commoners, increase the collection of commercial taxes from merchants, and crack down on nobles who possess fiefdoms but are of no use to the court."
Pierre's heart stirred, and he asked, "Those nobles have considerable influence. Last time, merely cracking down on the Rohan family caused much public outcry in France. If the crackdown on nobles were to intensify, wouldn't His Majesty the King also face trouble?"
Zeng Cheng, however, shook his head and chuckled, "What trouble could there be? If you directly attack the Rohan family, other nobles will naturally have opinions, and it is to be expected that they will be more resistant to your King's commands."
"However, your King can completely use the name of the French treasury to conscript those families and their retained knights, to send them to wage war against any country. At the same time, he can preserve the strength of the army under your King's command. With one strong and one weak, those nobles will naturally cease to be a significant threat."
Pierre had never imagined that a problem that seemed so complex, one that had troubled the entire French royal family and government system, could be solved by Zeng Cheng in just a few words.
As Pierre was silently admiring him, Zeng Cheng added meaningfully, "If the reforms are initiated from the top down, they are somewhat easier to control. However, if reforms are triggered from the bottom up, the outcome could be a complete upheaval, and one must be cautious."
Pierre was startled and quickly asked, "Please, Prime Minister, enlighten me?"
Zeng Cheng nodded and said, "Ever since the reforms of Shang Yang, no change has occurred without bloodshed. This is the principle of governing a great country as one cooks small fish – small fish are fragile and must be cooked gently over a low heat to remain intact. If one opts for high heat to cook them quickly, they will undoubtedly break."
"If your King intends to reform, he must first start with the common people to solidify their foundation. Only when the foundation is stable can he confidently deal with powerful merchants and even nobles. If the foundation is unstable, it will inevitably lead to ruin. This is the principle that the government is like a boat, and the people are like water. Water can carry the boat, but it can also overturn it."
Hearing this, Pierre immediately took a deep breath and solemnly bowed to Zeng Cheng, saying, "I humbly accept your teachings."
After bidding farewell to Zeng Cheng, Pierre eagerly returned to the posthouse and found the esteemed scholars Holbach and Diderot. "Esteemed Scholars Holbach and Diderot, look at the lives of the common people in the Ming Dynasty, and then look at the lives of the common people in France. Do you scholars have any thoughts?"
Esteemed Scholar Holbach and Esteemed Scholar Diderot exchanged glances, wondering what Pierre was going on about. What thoughts could they have? And what good would having thoughts do?
Seeing their blank faces and lack of response, Pierre directly stated, "I met with the Prime Minister of the Ming Dynasty today. His Excellency told me that the royal family and the government are like a boat, and the common people are like water. Water can keep the boat afloat steadily, or it can stir up massive waves and sink the boat.
"The current France is like a giant ship floating on the sea. It appears relatively stable, but the sea is already turbulent with hidden currents, and it could erupt at any moment.
"Therefore, I wish to ask His Majesty the King to reform France, but I do not know where to begin. That is why I have come to consult you, esteemed scholars."
Esteemed Scholar Holbach exchanged another glance with Esteemed Scholar Diderot and asked, "Then what are His Majesty the King's thoughts? Is he willing to reform?"