Chapter 978: Chapter 886 The Imperial Journey
Joseph patted his forehead, nearly forgetting about the Pope.
He turned to the Countess of Debreninac and nodded, “Please tell Her Majesty the Queen that I will certainly take good care of the Holy Father.”
When the Queen’s maid had left, Joseph said to Eman, “Please have Mr. Fouche and Viscount Besancon co to see .”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Half an hour later, the head of the Intelligence Bureau and the head of the Police Headquarters arrived at the Crown Prince’s reception room, saluting Joseph with a hand to the chest, “Your Highness.”
Joseph gestured to the sofa, “Please sit. I want to talk to you about the Holy Father’s visit to Paris.”
Fouche quickly said, “Rest assured, Your Highness. I have mobilized over 400 agents and conducted five rounds of screening. Absolutely no accident will occur.”
Joseph nodded indifferently, “I’m not concerned about safety issues.”
Fouche and Besancon exchanged glances and then looked towards the Crown Prince, “What do you an?”
Joseph did not answer but first asked Fouche, “Where is that Cardinal Prince Muzareli now? [Note 1]”
“In the basent of Saint-Sulpice Church, Your Highness,” the head of the Intelligence Bureau said, “My n are watching over him day and night.”
Muzareli arrived in Paris last week. However, when he reached the outskirts, Joseph had the Intelligence Bureau secretly intercept him.
“Very good.” Joseph said, “Please prepare a full set of ceremonial equipnt for him, then…”
A look of surprise flashed in Fouche’s eyes, but he still nodded, “Yes, Your Highness.”
Joseph then looked at Besancon, “The day before the Pope’s procession enters Paris, you need to do this…”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
An hour later, Fouche and Besancon walked out of the Crown Prince’s reception room. They exchanged another glance; Besancon made the sign of the cross on his chest, while a smile appeared on Fouche’s face.
Three days later.
Pope Pius VI’s ceremonial procession advanced slowly on the vast King’s Avenue, more than 10 kiloters from Paris.
The Pope rode in a palatial carriage drawn by twelve pure white military horses, with wheels wrapped in shock-absorbing silk. A number of farrs who had seen the procession along the way followed behind.
At this ti, more than three hundred Paris Police appeared ahead; under Besancon’s command, they surrounded Pius VI’s procession and dispersed all the citizens for safety reasons.
Besancon first bowed his head in silent repentance before approaching Pius VI’s carriage, refraining from kneeling according to ceremonial protocol, and simply placed his hand on his chest and bent slightly, loudly declaring, “Benevolent and great Holy Father, due to so special reasons, we need to ask you to change carriages.”
The plump Pius VI, supported by two priests, disembarked from the carriage, looked at Besancon with confusion, “Who are you?”
“The director of France’s Police Headquarters, Jacques Pierre de Besancon.” Besancon indicated toward the white “Gem VI” carriage not far away, “You will travel in that carriage to the Palace of Versailles.”
The priest next to Pius VI frowned, “Why must we do this?”
“The police received intel that there is a plot to assassinate the Holy Father. As you know, so people in Paris are dissatisfied with the Holy See.”
Pius VI glanced at his luxurious carriage, “Director, my carriage is very safe.”
After waiting a mont and seeing that Besancon remained unmoved, he reluctantly nodded, “Thank you for your arrangents. Let us proceed to that carriage.”
Beside him, the priest gestured to the Vatican Guard standing attentively around them. The Swiss rcenaries, clad in red uniforms, imdiately ford ranks and headed toward the white carriage.
Besancon raised his hand to stop the Guard Captain, “Please go to the station to rest. Afterward, the task of protecting the Holy Father will be handled by the Paris Police.”
The Vatican Guard Captain firmly brushed aside his hand and issued orders to the Guard to keep advancing.
Besancon sighed and waved his right hand.
Hundreds of Paris Police rushed forward, blocking the Vatican Guard to the sides of the road.
The Vatican Guard Captain looked at Besancon, saying in a deep voice, “We have all sworn to never leave the Holy Father by a single step. What do you intend to do?”
Besancon looked again at Pius VI, “Holy Father, for your safety, my people must be in charge of the security.”
The Pope stood still in front of the carriage, montarily unsure of what to do.
After a brief standoff, Besancon sighed again, raising his right hand once more.
More than a hundred officers in the distance imdiately unslung their flintlock guns, pulled back the hamrs, and aid them at the Vatican Guard.
These officers were all carefully selected by Besancon, most of whom had followed the orders of the Crown Prince’s directives from the Saint Anthony District Police Station. So long as it was a command from the Crown Prince, whether pointing their guns at the Vatican Guard or even firing at the Pope, they would execute it without hesitation.
The Vatican Guard, with fewer than 150 n and mostly equipped with long spears, had only around 40 flintlock guns and dared not act rashly.
Pius VI quickly gestured to the Guard Captain, “Leonhard, do as this gentleman says.”
“This,” the Guard Captain glanced at the surrounding muzzles of the flintlock guns, gritted his teeth, and gestured to his n, “Stand down.”
The next day.
Several luxurious yet common “Gem” carriages in Paris slowly drove into the city.
Around the procession were nearly 200 Paris Police in tidy formation, with the musicians even being drawn from the police band.
There was no red carpet along the way, nor children scattering petals; at first glance, it seed as if the police were escorting serious criminals into the city.
Parisians gathered in surprise, murmuring and discussing what was happening.
Soon, people noticed the high-ranking priests in purple robes at the front of the procession carrying the ebony Holy Seat, the boy assistants crowned with lily garlands, and the cross flags held by the officers in front of the carriage. They featured the emblem of the Holy See—two crossed keys of Saint Peter.
Soone exclaid, “This, this is the Pope’s procession!”
Pius VI peeked his head out of the carriage window, waving awkwardly to the passers-by.
No wonder the Parisians were unaware of the Pope’s visit. In this information-blocked era, if the newspapers did not report it, even if soone at the Palace of Versailles spread the word, few people would hear the news.
Finally, after a long and grueling journey, Pius VI’s procession arrived near the Palace of Versailles.
The devout Louis XVI and Queen Mary had long since donned festive attire and were accompanied by over a thousand nobles here to welco him.
Seeing this familiar and grandiose scene, Pius VI finally felt a sense of relief.
Suddenly, a caravan of more than ten carriages, accompanied by sixty to seventy Vatican Guards, ca from the northeastern direction, crossing into the procession.
The caravan beca entangled with the Pope’s procession, creating instant chaos.
Queen Mary looked on in shock at the scene in front of her and said to the Guard Captain beside her, “What, what is happening?”
The latter hurried to inquire and quickly returned to the Queen, “Your Majesty, that is the procession of Cardinal Prince Muzareli. He happens to also be visiting today…”
[Note 1]The title “Cardinal Prince” is an honorary rank bestowed by the Holy See on a cardinal with a red robe slightly different from other cardinals.
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