Several judges of the Royal Court of Justice immediately stepped aside, allowing Count Vadier, the presiding judge of the High Court, to come forward. Trembling, he read the verdict again, signed his name, and stamped it.
Since the Royal Court of Justice had no trial authority, it was necessary to have Vadier go through a legal procedure. Only then was the charge against Vergniaud truly affirmed.
Immediately, voices of dissatisfaction and protest arose from the crowd of onlookers:
“Judicial authority! The Royal Court of Justice must have judicial authority!”
“We can’t let those shameless judges judge themselves!”
“The guys from the High Court only cover each other’s backs!”
“Exactly! They are not qualified! Let the Royal Court of Justice conduct the trial!”
After a few people took the lead, the call rapidly grew into a chant of thousands, with the term “judicial authority” soaring to the skies.
In reality, having the Royal Court of Justice step in was Joseph’s arrangement, and the people who had been shouting for judicial authority that day were also well prepared in advance.
Joseph had exerted immense effort this time, managing with great difficulty to pry open a gap within the High Court. Naturally, he intended to press his advantage… ah, no, to pursue his victory and thoroughly tear apart the monster nurtured by the Great Noble Group!
Not until Vergniaud was carried away did the judges of the Royal Court of Justice promise the crowd that they would convey the matter of judicial authority to His Majesty the King, and only then did the citizens gradually quiet down.
That afternoon, the entire High Court was shrouded in gloomy and despondent mood, yet everyone was extremely busy. The cases that Vergniaud had presided over were too numerous, and the workload of retrials was immense, to the point that the entire court’s energy was almost entirely focused on this matter.
Meanwhile, in the meeting room on the third floor, five judges, who were also important members of Parliament, were voting on the new tax bill.
“I vote in favor of registration,” Dibor was the first to raise his hand and declare.
Vadier, even quicker to raise his hand than the Glaite judge from Dibor’s faction, said, “I agree as well.”
The disturbing scars that adorned Vergniaud were still etched in his mind. Now, he simply hoped that all of this would end soon, allowing him to return to his usual tranquility.
This time, without Vergniaud’s suppression, all four judges quickly agreed to register the bill.
Only Luo from the Old Nobility faction cast a vote of abstention with a sullen face.
A ray of sunlight pierced through the windows of the meeting hall, casting its light on the text of the bill laid upon the table.
Looking around at the other judges, Dibor then flipped open the document, used his left hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight, and with his right, he penned the words “Permission Granted for Registration,” before forcefully stamping the seal of the Paris High Court.
After being dragged on for a year, rejected several times, leading to the dismissal of a Finance Minister, and being used by the Nobility Group as a tool to pressure the Royal Family, the tax bill was finally approved at this moment!
Through Joseph’s meticulous planning, the situation where noble power expanded and royal power receded had been completely reversed from this point onward.
Palace of Versailles.
In the comfortable and elegant music room, upon learning that the tax bill which had tormented her for nearly a year was finally passed, Queen Mary was so excited she nearly danced on the spot, immediately lavishing praise on Brian. She was effusive in her compliments.
Afterward, the judges of the Royal Court of Justice reported to her the demand from the protesters for the granting of judicial authority.
The Queen, who had been disgustingly frustrated by the High Court for too long, would not miss this opportunity to vent her spleen and signed the decree without hesitation, granting the Royal Court of Justice the authority to adjudicate all cases involving Vergniaud.
And although the nobles wanted to object to this development, no one dared to show it.
Now, the scandal surrounding Vergniaud is boiling over. Anyone daring to say “no” at this time would surely be branded a cohort of a corrupt judge, awaiting nothing but the scorn of all Parisians.
Control over public opinion is certainly not in their hands, making any attempt to obfuscate the truth impossible.
However, Queen Mary was also deeply concerned about the over a thousand protesters who had been causing a stir at the High Court for more than a month—no ruler could possibly be unruffled by large-scale street demonstrations.
So, she instructed Brian to disperse the crowds of protesters as soon as possible and restore peace to Paris.
Joseph felt a sense of relief upon learning of the decree regarding Vergniaud, as it would make the maneuvers that followed much easier.
He had assumed that, with Queen Mary’s hesitancy and indecision, he would have to go and personally persuade Brian, but her actions this time were surprisingly decisive.
Perhaps it was also because the passage of the tax bill subconsciously boosted her confidence.
Next, as long as the judges of the Royal Court of Justice put forth a bit of effort, the High Court should inevitably fall.
In the Crown Prince’s reception room, three judges from the Royal Court of Justice sat respectfully on the couch, all listening attentively.
They had gleaned from the hints dropped by Archbishop Brienne that it was the Crown Prince who had afforded them the opportunity to gain exposure in the High Court.
Joseph smiled at the three and asked, “What are your thoughts on the future of the Royal Court of Justice?”
The judges looked at each other, perplexed; aside from providing legal counsel to the nobles of the Palace of Versailles, what else could they aspire to?
Joseph continued to lead them on, “If this case with Vergniaud is judged well, it might set a precedent, and trials involving judges and prosecutors may fall under the jurisdiction of the Royal Court of Justice in the future.”
The three brightened up at once.
The eldest judge keenly seized on the crux of the Crown Prince’s words, asking eagerly, “Your Highness, what would count as a well-judged case?”
Joseph stated solemnly, “Punish Vergniaud severely, and return justice to those who have suffered unjust trials.”
“Are you saying, the matter of reopening the cases he handled?”
Joseph nodded, “We must close the cases quickly, and decide with severe sentences.”
Several of the judges had glanced over those case files, and one expressed concern, “Your Highness, many of those cases are from many years ago, and a great deal of evidence is missing…”
Joseph smiled coldly, “When Vergniaud judged those cases back then, did he care about evidence?”
The eldest judge immediately caught on, nodding, “Your Highness, we understand what to do.”
Joseph further reassured them, “Vergniaud now symbolizes sin; everyone is eager for his immediate death, and no one will care if there is anything unreasonable about the trial process.”
The next day, the public hearing for Vergniaud continued in the square in front of the High Court.
Victims of the wrongful cases created by Vergniaud arrived at the scene, many of whom were brought in by Mala.
As the hearing began, the thousands of onlookers immediately fell silent.
Contrary to everyone’s expectations, it took less than half an hour for a case from three years ago to be overturned. A murderer previously declared innocent was ordered to be rearrested. And Vergniaud faced a slew of new charges: accepting bribes, sheltering criminals, and tampering with testimony.
The crowd immediately erupted into sustained cheers, and the family of the deceased in that case had already fallen to their knees, weeping and crossing themselves on the chest.