Chapter 184 Combined Fleet in the Mediterranean (1000 Monthly Tickets Plus

Chapter 184 The Combined Fleet in the Mediterranean (Additional chapter for 1000 monthly tickets)

Paris.

The second floor of the Industrial Planning Bureau.

Joseph looked at the six people in front of him with a smile: "Mr. Boislandal suddenly committed suicide at this time, you don't seem to be too sad."

Marquis Ludo hurriedly put on a sad look: "Your Highness, in fact, we are very sad, but in order not to affect your mood, we did not show it."

"Really?" Joseph nodded, "Then 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 done by Boislandal, we know nothing."

He is Viscount Reclisien, the owner of the Dauphiné Credit Bank.

"Really? But Madame Boislandal confessed that you and your friends planned to assassinate Necker together?" Joseph glanced at the panicked six people and said, "But I don't really believe what she said."

The six people's hearts twitched. They didn't expect Boislandal to tell his wife such a confidential matter. If they had known, they would have gotten rid of her as well!

"Your Highness, she wants to blackmail us." Marquis Ludo stroked his chest and said, "I swear to God, we really have nothing to do with this matter."

Joseph smiled and directly put forward the conditions: "Let you come because the French Reserve Bank will issue banknotes next month.

"I hope each of you can purchase 1.5 million livres.

"Oh, and one more thing. Archbishop Brian is about to introduce the Banking Management Act, and the most important item in it 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 requirement?"

"It is to transfer part of the deposits deposited in your bank - currently 5% - to the French Reserve Bank. As a credit guarantee for the bank."

Deposit reserve requirements are one of the important means for the central bank to regulate the financial market. In fact, the 5% ratio is almost useless. Joseph only lowered the ratio to let the bank get used to this regulation first.

Marquis Ludo quickly calculated in his mind that these were obviously conditions for Boislandal to take the blame alone. At present, the savings rate in France is not high, and 5% is not much money. And the 1.5 million livres of banknotes can also be used to pay customers.

So he winked at the other five people and bowed first:

"I am glad to do something for the national finances, Your Highness, I will follow your orders."

Just as Ludo and others left the Industrial Planning Bureau, a tall man with obvious Nordic features was talking to a teenager next to the garden of the Boislandal villa.

"So, in addition to your father, there are 6 other people involved in the murder?"

The boy nodded fiercely and said word by word: "My father said it himself. They discussed this matter at the Marquis Ludo's house that day."

The tall man nodded, got up and left. The face under the brim of the hat was Necker's butler, Ailonk.

...

On the south side of Menorca Island in the Mediterranean, on the edge of the Barbary Sea.

Accompanied by the gentle sound of the waves, on the front deck of the US Navy frigate Constellation, Charles, who was shaved, wearing a tricorn hat and a neat US Navy uniform, held a telescope horizontally and anxiously looked at the sea level on the southwest side.

Captain White came over from behind and patted him on the shoulder: "How is it, have you seen them?"

"Not yet." Charles shook his head and immediately continued, "But they will definitely come."

"God bless, the smuggler did not lie. Otherwise, when you go back, you may be held accountable for the $500."

Charles looked back at White and said firmly: "I believe Ali, Mr. Captain."

The Ali he was talking about was the Algerian who was once imprisoned in the cell next to him and later successfully escaped by digging a tunnel.

Charles was finally redeemed by the Virginia State 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 Constellation, the latest 30-gun frigate purchased by the United States.

Because the US Navy had been out of service for a long time, there were even French and Italian sailors on the ship. Charles, as a first mate who had served briefly in the Continental Navy and had rich sailing experience, 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 mate of the Constellation was a second-generation official with little experience, Charles actually served as the second mate.

Later, the two American frigates formed a joint fleet with the French and Dutch warships and began to look for pirates in the Barbary Sea.

Unfortunately, these pirates were extremely cunning, and the fleet wandered around for more than half a month without getting anything.

At this time, Charles suddenly remembered that Ali had said that his boss knew Younis, who had a lot of connections with the pirates in Algiers.

So he suggested whether he could get some information about pirates from Ali, and it happened that the fleet was passing near Dakhla in Algiers at that time, so White reported his idea to the fleet commander. After getting permission, Charles found him at the address left by Ali.

Later, Ali offered $1,000 to sell the whereabouts of the Algiers Navy. Half of it was paid in advance, and the other half was paid after seeing the pirates.

According to Ali's intelligence, the fleet had been waiting here for a whole day, but no pirates were seen.

Charles wiped the sweat from his palms. To be honest, he was a little shaken. Why did he believe the words of a smuggler at that time?

If he had to pay the 500 US dollars, it would take at least six or seven years to pay it off.

Just when he was a little desperate, a blue and white flag suddenly appeared on the sea level.

He was ecstatic and turned to the captain and shouted: "Here they come! They are coming!"

Only then did he realize that the captain had already returned to the cabin - the lookout saw the small boat that reported the news a minute ago.

Then the merchant ship "Seagull Wing" used as bait sailed towards the scheduled route.

It would encounter pirates there and then lead them into the ambush circle of the joint fleet.

Charles ran back to the cabin excitedly, his heart full of desire for revenge.

The plan went very smoothly. The "Seagull Wing" showed a panic and quickly sailed towards Menorca Island, followed by two pirate galleys.

The warships of the joint fleet turned out from behind the hidden reefs. The French Navy's third-class warships and a frigate intercepted from the west, while the American ship and a Dutch frigate sailed out from the east, let the merchant ship pass, and headed straight for the pirates.

The pirates' larger galleys had 18 guns, while the smaller one had only 12 guns, and were no match for the combined fleet.

When they realized something was wrong, they immediately turned around and fled to the southwest.